Chapter 26 XXVI.
“No matter what happens, Alessandro, you mustn’t cause any trouble. This deal we are about to sign is very important to me and to the company.”
Alessandro rolled his eyes at my warning. “Seriously, Rowan, you’ve been saying that since we left the hotel. I’m not going there with you to cause trouble.”
I couldn’t help scoffing. “And yet all the meetings I’ve taken you to have ended badly.”
He gave me an incredulous look. “But that’s not my fault. Your clients are total dicks.”
We arrived at the restaurant, and I parked in the outdoor lot. “Dick or not, you have to behave yourself. Your grandfather is counting on me to sign this deal, and I can’t disappoint him.”
“Well, let’s just hope your client this time is a decent human being.”
I glared at him. “Alessandro, decent human being or not, you still have to behave. I understand that you have some integrity in you, but I’m begging you to overlook a few things today. Please.”
He stared at me blankly for a second, and I gave him my best puppy eyes. He sighed and looked away. “Fine. I’ll try my best to ignore him if he turns out to be a major dick.”
“Do you promise?” I teased with a grin.
Alessandro stared at me, then looked away again, almost shyly. “Yeah, I promise,” he mumbled.
My grin widened in satisfaction as I began undoing my seatbelt. “That wasn’t so hard, was it?”
“It’s harder for me to say no to you.”
Shocked by his words, I stared at him wide-eyed. “What did you say?”
I expected him to deny it—to claim it was a mistake, to say he didn’t mean it—but instead he said, “I will do anything for you, Rowan. I mean it.”
The tension in the car thickened. Alessandro was staring at me, and I was staring right back. Green and brown locked onto each other as though we were the only two living creatures on earth.
I was the first to snap out of my daze. “L–let’s go, Alessandro. We don’t want to keep Mr. Francisco waiting.”
With that, I hurriedly climbed out of the car and walked toward the restaurant entrance, not bothering to check whether Alessandro was following.
When we entered, I was led to Mr. Francisco’s table, and to my surprise, Alessandro was right behind me.
He certainly has fast legs.
When Mr. Francisco saw us approaching, he stood to welcome us. “Rowan!” he exclaimed in delight. “It’s so good to see you again!” He spoke with a heavy French accent as he took my hand and shook it firmly.
“Same here, Mr. Francisco,” I replied with a broad smile, forcing equal enthusiasm. Anything for business.
In every way, Mr. Francisco embodied the image of a perfect Frenchman. He was rich, handsome, confident, and openly gay. During my last trip to Paris, I met him through a former client. He had been a shameless flirt, even though he was married. He had flirted with me constantly, despite my making it clear that I was straight.
“I was hoping it would be you who came when Ricci’s enterprise sent me a business pitch,” he smirked, beginning to caress the back of my hand with his thumb. I awkwardly tried to pull away, but he held on firmly.
I was about to voice my complaint when Alessandro abruptly pulled Mr. Francisco’s hand away from mine, glaring at him as if he were a demon.
I feared Alessandro was about to ruin the deal, but instead, he forced an obvious smile and extended his hand. “A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Francisco,” he said through gritted teeth.
Surprised, Mr. Francisco turned his attention to Alessandro for the first time, looking him up and down as though assessing him. He was as tall as Alessandro, though not nearly as broad.
“And who are you?” he asked in a judgmental tone.
I quickly stepped forward before a fight could erupt. “Mr. Francisco, this is Alessandro Ricci. He’s Mr. Ricci’s grandson. We came together.”
“I see,” he murmured, still eyeing Alessandro critically. “Well, why don’t we sit down and get this over with?” He withdrew his hand and took his seat.
I sighed in relief when Alessandro sat beside me, and I took the seat across from them. We discussed business for nearly an hour until, finally, it was time for Mr. Francisco to make a decision.
“Well, every idea you proposed is extraordinary, Rowan,” he said with a mischievous smirk. “But accepting a deal with you comes with a price.”
I raised a brow, already knowing what he was about to suggest.
“Just one night with me and my husband, and you’ll get more than a signature on that deal.”
“Say that again,” Alessandro spoke up, his tone deadly.
My heart leapt in fear. This was exactly what I had hoped to avoid. Alessandro despised disrespect. I placed a hand on his lap beneath the table to calm him.
“I’ll have to pass once again, Mr. Francisco. I’m not into men, and I’m engaged.”
“You can be into men for one night if you really want this deal,” he replied, as though my words meant nothing.
“He just said he’s not into men, Mr. Francisco. If you’re going to sign, then do so. If not, say so and stop spurting out gibberish.”
My worst fears were coming to pass, but instead of appearing annoyed, Mr. Francisco looked amused. “It seems you’ve been getting a taste of him,” he said. I choked on nothing. What the hell did he mean by that? “But I promise to be generous, Rowan. One night, and not only will I sign the deal, I’ll also pay you handsomely.”
Alessandro’s fist slammed against the table, drawing attention from nearby diners. Why does this always happen at every meeting I bring him to?
He was furious now, glaring harshly at Mr. Francisco. “Rowan is not a cheap whore!”
Mr. Francisco chuckled. “He can be for one night.”
Those words shattered the last of Alessandro’s restraint. He grabbed Mr. Francisco by the collar of his suit and yanked him to his feet.
My eyes widened in horror. We can’t lose this deal. It’s my ticket to freedom. “Alessandro.”
“How dare you talk about Rowan that way?!” he demanded.
Mr. Francisco glared back. “What?” he scoffed. “You can sleep with him, but I can’t?”
Before I fully registered what was happening, Alessandro punched him.
Mr. Francisco stumbled backward but quickly regained his balance. When he looked at us again, his lip was split.
“Consider this a no from me,” he said coldly, before confidently walking out of the restaurant.
I didn’t bother pleading. Even I had to admit he deserved it.
Yet the realization that my freedom from Alessandra was now out of reach left me quietly devastated.