Page 131 of The Billionaire's Baby
I frown. "But I thought—"
"That I had a crush on him or something?" She tosses her hair over her shoulder " I have spoken to the man… Twice… Maybe."
"One look is all it takes," Ava interjects. "When you know, you know."
Isla shoots her a sideways glance. "What I know is that he’s all wrong for me. I’ve sworn off the Seven…"
"He’s not one of the Seven," I remind her.
"And their friends," she snaps.
"But not us, I hope?"
"The girls don’t count. If it weren’t for their women, the Seven would have burned in hell by now."
"True that." I push the shot glass of vodka over to her. "It’s the women who’ve saved the Seven from themselves."
"Maybe that’s why Arpad wants to pursue you," Isla runs her fingers around the rim of the shot glass, "because he knows you are his last hope at redemption."
"Or maybe he simply wants to show how easy it is to control me?" I snarl.
"I don’t mind being controlled."
Both Isla and I turn to Ava.
"Woman, do you even know what you are saying?" Isla huffs
"I may be younger than you all, but trust me when I say that the control goes both ways. The person who thinks he or she is in control isn’t really, and the one being controlled? Let’s just say, that’s the person who has the power."
I blink. "Wow, so not only are you perfect, you’re also wise?"
She laughs. "I know, I was born with an old soul. That’s what Sienna says too."
"I guess I wouldn’t mind ceding control to a man," Isla retorts.
"What the—?" I stare at her. "Really? You had to say that now?"
"On one condition..." She raises her finger. "If he wanted to wield power over me, he’d better damn well make it worth my time."
Ava reaches for her shot glass. "Money isn’t everything. You realize that, right?"
Both Isla and I stare at her again.
"What?" She scowls. "Did I say something wrong?"
"How many eighteen—?"
"Nineteen-year-olds," she corrects me.
"Nineteen-year-olds today, would say that, you think?"
"Why, don’t you feel the same?" She takes in my features. "Go on, you can tell me."
I rub my temple, feeling a headache coming on. Or maybe I just haven't had enough alcohol. I reach for my shot glass, when she says, "Surely, you don’t believe money is the be-all and end-all of everything?"
If she only knew my background and my family’s view on that.
"Of course, not," I mutter. "Money isn’t everything, but it’s definitely important."
