Page 4 of Daddy's Game

“I don’t need to hear it. I’m not selling, period.”

I cocked my head to the side.

“I don’t think you understand who you are dealing with. I’m Brock–”

“You’re Brock Richards,” she said, still with her arms crossed over her generous chest. “I know who you are.”

I chuckled with amusement. It had been a long time since anyone had dared to speak to me this way.

“And who do you think I am?”

“Billionaire playboy. Serial dater. Bully who crushes smaller people under his heel. I know enough.”

I shrugged. “I’ll give you the billionaire playboy bit. And as far as my dating history, well, it’s a matter of public record if you pick up any tabloid or navigate any muck racking scandal website.”All distractions.My eyes narrowed, and my tone grew a bit more hostile. “However, I must object to being called a bully. Bullies steal lunch money. I’ve never stolen anything in my life. I pay people fair prices for what I gain.”

“So you say, and yet you’re here to bully me into selling, aren’t you?”

I frowned, and she continued to speak in my silence.

“You think you’re the first rich real estate guy to come in here and try to buy me out? You’re not. You're not the second, or the third, or even the tenth. I know how your kind operates.”

“My kind?”

“I didn’t stutter,” she snapped. “You come in with what you claim is a generous offer, and when I don’t take it you start in with the threats. ‘Oh, I have friends on the city council, I can get your utilities shut off with one phone call.’ Trick please. I’m not falling for it.”

“I don’t make threats,” I repeated. “Sometimes, I explain consequences, however. And I’m telling you, the consequence for you not hearing me out is going to be a lot of regret later on.”

“Threats, explaining consequences… It all sounds the same to me.”

“Maybe,” I said, though I wasn't certain I agreed. “However, I think you should at least hear me out. I’m prepared to offer you so much money, you can easily build a bigger, newer, better center in a different location.”

“I like this location,” she insisted. “And I’m not interested in selling.”

I closed my mouth, realizing she was going to be a tough nut to crack. I wasn’t discouraged. I was invigorated.

It had been far too long since I’d had a worthy opponent. I firmly believed that your enemies could bring out your best qualities. Besides, I was still one hundred percent convinced I would win in the end.

“Why not? Why not just take my money and start over bigger and better?”

Her eyes grew somewhat less angry, becoming almost wistful.

“This location is perfect because it serves the people who live here. Working class folks who need the center. I don’t want to rebuild somewhere gentrified where the locals don’t need us.”

“Your existing students could always take the subway or bus over.”

She snorted. “You think it’s so easy? A lot of our students don’t have money for subway fare. They don’t even have enough money to eat, not decent food, anyway.”

I was dealing with one of the most difficult types of opponents—a crusader who was convinced of the morality of her position. That made things challenging.

Good thing I liked a challenge.

Yet, if I’m being honest, my mind kept wandering away from the business of making money. That’s very rare for me, almost so much as to be legendary. I couldn’t help myself. This young lady, whose name I knew by reputation as Grace, was full of fire and verve. I had never been more strongly attracted to a woman in my entire life.

Too bad she was my enemy, not to mention too young for me.

I stared at her for a long moment, and then switched tactics.

“Look, I think we may have gotten off on the wrong foot–”

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