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“I understand you aren’t familiar with me, so let’s discuss a few things. I’m not quite sure what you expected when taking this meeting. Maybe you thought I’d be some young, dumb airhead who lets her hormones get the best of her around a man. Or maybe you assumed you were so charming you’d distract me from my purpose here. Let me assure you that I’m neither, and you have the charm of an ant. As a man, all you have is your word and your balls. From where I’m sitting, you lack both.”

“Aella—”

“I’m not done,” she cut across him coolly, glancing at her watch briefly before her eyes met his. “You have until the end of the week to come up with the reimbursement funds before I take legal action.”

Fire danced in his eyes as he glared at her. “Bitch, are you threatening me?”

Aella opened her mouth to respond, but never got the chance.

“We got a fuckin’ problem?” Cassius’ voice cut through the air like a knife, sending a chill through her.

The air stilled as Aella forced herself to turn her eyes to the man she wanted to avoid most. Looking up, she noticed he wasn’t the relaxed, nonchalant individual who sat next to her weeks ago in her father’s office. In his place was an intense, rigid man who looked ready to tear someone limb from limb. It intrigued and annoyed her. She wasn’t a damsel in distress who needed rescuing, and she planned to make that clear.

“Everything is fine. We were just finishing up. Right?” Aella wiggled her eyebrows at the client, daring him to say otherwise.

Swallowing deeply, he stood, shooting her a hateful glare. “Yeah, we’re done.”

“I thought so.”

Her eyes remained glued to his back as he stormed away, even after Cassius claimed the now-empty seat.

“What the hell are you doing here?” she demanded.

“I was minding my business until I spied you arguing with a man in an isolated area, like that shit couldn’t have gone left.”

“Security would’ve stepped in before things went too far.”

“Security that would have turned a public place into a blood bath over an avoidable situation.”

He was right, but she’d be damned if she admitted it.

Straightening her shoulders and crossing her legs, Aella frowned. “I don’t need you lecturing me about how to handle my business. I don’t want, nor did I ask for your help or opinion.”

Sitting back, Cassius smirked. “‘Cause you have it all figured out for yourself, right?”

“Figured out enough not to need a man in my face telling me what I should or shouldn’t be doing.”

Cassius’ smirk transformed into a grin. “Damn, we're getting right to it, huh?”

Aella’s shoulders rose and fell. “I don’t see the point in us beating around the bush.”

“Look, if you feel a way about what happened the other day, that was all our parents. Your dad hit me with that proposition about an hour or two before he brought it to you.”

“And you were fine with that?”

“No. But I knew better than to allow it to show with an audience around.”

Chuckling, Aella shook her head. “And let me guess; I’m wrong because I did?”

“You can feel however you want to feel. I can’t tell you what to do with that. My issue is you playing me to the left like I’m not shit.”

“I don’t know you to make a decision about you one way or the other,” she exhaled, brushing her hair out of her face.

“So why are you so against this?”

“Why am I against this, or why am I against you?” Aella quirked a brow, fighting to keep from smiling, when Cassius grinned.

“I’m a cocky ass nigga, sue me.”