He turns at the sound of my voice. “You came.”
“Of course I came. No way am I going to let some asshole tear down the house.”
A tall man almost the same height as Cal walks around him. He wears an expensive-looking suit with an equally fancy watch, looking out of place compared to Cal’s relaxed look of jeans and a linen shirt.
“And who are you?”
“The asshole who wants to tear down the house.” He holds out his hand. His fingers are long like that of a pianist, lacking any kind of callouses that would suggest hard work. “I prefer to go by Lorenzo Vittori, though.”
Lorenzo Vittori.The name sounds familiar, but I can’t place it. He doesn’t look like someone I know, but there is something about his dark gaze and eye shape that sparks recognition.
“Vittori?” I grip his hand and give it a quick shake.
“Yes.”
“Was your mother the one who used to work at the Hawthorns’ house by chance?”
His jaw ticks. “She was.”
“You two know each other?” Cal’s head tilts.
“Our mothers were friends before my family had to move away,” Lorenzo replies.
“How is she?” I ask out of politeness.
“Dead.” His voice is flat and void of any emotion.
Cal’s eyes widen as he looks over at me.
“I’m sorry to hear that,” I offer.
Lorenzo doesn’t even blink. “Have you considered my offer, Ms. Castillo?”
Okay then. Safe to assume Lorenzo likes to get to the point.
“Not really, seeing as you want to destroy my house.”
“I prefer to describe it as tapping into a property’s true potential.” He smirks in a way that seems well-practiced, as if he trained himself to charm others. If it weren’t for his lifeless eyes, I would have believed it.
“I’m going to have to pass.”
His brows crinkle for a second before smoothing out. “What if I match the highest offer?”
“Which is?”
“Three million.” Cal tucks his hands into his pockets.
Wait. What?Last time I spoke to the agent, he said two million.
Lorenzo blinks twice in the most human display of emotion I’ve seen. “You’re joking.”
Cal grins. “Unless you want to counter, it looks like mine is the best and final offer.”
Mine is the best and final offer?
Mine?
Mine?!