Chapter 6 - The Woman Who Refused to Kneel
Three months later, I returned to the Moretti estate.
This time, I wasn't carrying food.
The mansion looked different in daylight.
Less frightening.
Still absurdly expensive.
Dominic was in the ballroom overseeing renovations.
The damaged section of marble had been replaced.
I looked toward the place where Vanessa had made me kneel.
“Erasing history?”
Dominic turned.
“Avery.”
He smiled.
“You came.”
“I said I would.”
“You also ignore approximately sixty percent of my calls.”
“Seventy.”
“Thank you for clarifying.”
He walked toward me.
His sleeves were rolled up, exposing the dark tattoos along his forearms.
I handed him an envelope.
“My scholarship decision.”
“You opened it?”
“No.”
“Why?”
I shrugged.
“Thought you should see whether your foundation has terrible judgment.”
We opened it together.
ACCEPTED. FULL TUITION.
I stared.
Dominic looked at me.
“You earned it.”
“You didn't interfere?”
“No.”
“Swear.”
“Avery.”
“Swear.”
He sighed.
“I swear.”
I hugged him.
It happened before I thought about it.
Dominic froze.
So did I.
Then his arms slowly came around me.
My face heated.
I stepped back.
“That never happened.”
“Obviously.”
“Forget it.”
“Already forgotten.”
“You're smiling.”
“I smile frequently.”
“No, you don't.”
Before he could answer, Mom entered from the foyer.
She walked slowly with a cane, but her color had returned.
“Linda,” Dominic said.
Mom looked at him.
“You still frightening everyone?”
“Only professionally.”
“Good.”
She hugged me.
“You told him?”
I showed her the letter.
Mom cried.
Dominic pretended not to notice.
That evening, we ate dinner together.
No sixty guests.
No champagne tower.
No humiliation.
Just Mom, me, Dominic, Marco, and enough Italian food to feed twenty people.
Halfway through dinner, Mom looked at Dominic.
“What exactly are your intentions toward my daughter?”
I nearly choked.
“Mom!”
Dominic calmly put down his fork.
“I haven't determined whether she likes me.”
Mom looked at me.
“She does.”
“Mom.”
Dominic's eyebrow rose.
“Interesting.”
I pointed at him.
“Don't.”
Mom laughed.
It was strong now.
No coughing afterward.
I hadn't realized how much I'd missed that sound.
Later, Dominic walked me outside.
Rain had started.
Just like the first night we'd met.
He stopped beside my ancient sedan.
“You still drive this?”
“It has personality.”
“It has three warning lights.”
“They're decorative.”
Dominic laughed.
Then he became serious.
“Avery.”
“What?”
“I don't want you owing me anything.”
“I know.”
“And I don't want gratitude confused with something else.”
I understood.
“So what do you want?”
He stepped closer.
“One dinner.”
“We just had dinner.”
“Without your mother interrogating me.”
I smiled.
“Are you asking me on a date?”
“I'm attempting to.”
“You're surprisingly bad at it.”
“Is that a yes?”
I made him wait.
He deserved it.
Finally, I said, “Friday.”
Dominic smiled.
May you like
“Friday.”
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