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6. A Handsome Billionaire Is Getting On Her Nerves

Bianca

He is certainly the same as he described, but I had no intention of saying no.

I placed my hand in his and allowed him to lead me to a broader space. A number of people had paired up or danced with their friends. Once Avery was satisfied with where we were, he placed one hand on my hips and decided to take the lead.

He and I stared directly at each other, not looking down. Avery’s other hand maintained a firm grip on mine. He moved with certainty and confidence, while I danced in a way that I made sure didn’t betray any of my thoughts.

Being so close to him for the first time since we met, I couldn’t help but take him in. His chin and jaws were clean-shaven with no hint of a shadow. His nose had a slender shape, and the height of his shoulders stopped just below my nose.

As for his eyes, they truly were the windows to his soul. They were so sharp, making it appear as if they were sucking in information like a vacuum.

All in all, I could see why he caught the attention of not just women, but also men. Maybe that’s why he managed to stay relevant in the socialite world for so long despite not doing anything extraordinary.

Then again, he was a billionaire. Others are probably hoping that bumping shoulders with him would make some of his money luck rub off on them.

“Do you want to know something?” He asked me suddenly. “Or are you getting taken in by my looks and regret not marrying me instead?”

Just to make a point, I stepped on his foot.

He managed to hold it in but I didn't miss the way his eye twitched.

“You were saying?”

Avery shook his head. “Nothing. I misspoke! What I actually meant to say was to look to your left.”

I did as he said, looking around for anything that seemed out of the ordinary. “What is it? I don’t see anything.”

Avery’s hold on my waist became more firm. He pulled me to him until our chests were touching. His breath fanned my ear.

“You see that girl in the hot pink gown? That’s Emily. From what I gathered, she had a huge crush on Conroy when we were younger. When she heard about him getting married, she was pretty upset and flipped the table at a restaurant during her birthday dinner. Her mom also has connections to higher-ups in the police force. She could frame you easily. Should we confront her?”

My gaze fixed on him. “Is that so? Are you sure it’s Emily?”

His lips stretched into a close-mouthed smile. “How about you ask her yourself? She’s here, isn’t she? Why waste time?”

I pulled my head back. Although distance was created, there was only a few inches between us. I licked my lips, then proceeded to bite on my bottom one.

“Hm, I can’t say I’m against it. But before we get to that, there is somewhere I wanna take you.”

“Oh yeah? And where is that?”

I smiled, leaned closer, and whispered in his ear. “Come to the stairway and find out for yourself. Wait five minutes then make your way there.”

Placing a hand on his chest, I pushed him away. With a coy smile, I left him on the dance floor.

No person here ever uses the stairway. No one will see what I’m about to do.

Just like clockwork, Avery walked through the door and closed it behind him. Once he saw me leaning against the wall on the landing below him, he headed towards me. From the way he walked as he approached the last couple of steps told me everything I needed to know.

Avery stood in front of me with an amused expression. “I don’t see anything here worth looking at except you. Are you planning to put on a show for me?”

“That depends.” I pushed myself off the wall and grabbed ahold of his shoulders. My fingers trailed from his left shoulder to his neck. “What kind of show were you hoping to see?”

Avery lowered his head to my mouth. He was about to touch my face.

That was until I grabbed two fistfuls of his suit and twisted his body so that I could slam him against the wall.

Avery winced. His eyelids were squeezed shut before he stared at me with the clearest shock I’ve ever seen on someone’s face.

“What kind of game are you playing with me, Avery? I don’t have time for any of this.”

He placed his hands on top of mine, but he didn’t try to pull them away. “Didn’t we go over this already? You’re going to have to explain....”

“Don’t play dumb, Avery.” I glared at him. “Emily frequently goes to France to help her mother out with their fashion company. She wasn’t in the country on the day of the accident or when I was poisoned. Whatever game you’re trying to play at, I want no part in it.

There was silence. It lasted for a couple seconds. Suddenly, those full, pink lips of his stretched into a smile that exposed his pearly whites.

“Not only are you braver than other people think, but you’re also smarter,” he stated. “You’re right, of course. I made the whole thing up. I’d be surprised if Emily even knows that Conroy exists.”

“Did he put you up to this?”

I should have known, this was his friend after all. It was too good to be true that someone as cynical as Avery would switch to my side out of nowhere.

Surprisingly, Avery shook his head.

“He has no idea that I’m even in contact with you. If he did, he would kill me.”

“So you’re just doing this out of your own sick pleasure?”

Frustrated, I dropped my arms and glanced up at the door that led back to the party. There was no point in staying here with my mood completely ruined.

I can’t believe that he thought I was easy to fool. I guess that’s how little he thinks of me.

Before I could leave him standing there for the second time that night, Avery’s fingers curled around my wrist. In an unexpected move, he kissed the back of my hand. “I haven’t lied to you about what I said, only about Emily. I still believe that you had nothing to do with what happened that day. As for why I directed your attention to her, I can’t tell you that just yet.”

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