The Billionaire's Secret Love Child(161)

''I know you have your own company now, but I have never found anyone as persuasive as you. Listen, an * promised me first refusal on a residential block, and now he's rejected my offer. I need you to go and persuade him it's not a wise choice.''

''And how exactly do you want me to do that?'' Pavel asked.

''Now that's the dumbest question you have ever asked. Do it like you always did. Hang him from a high building, threaten to kill his kids or his wife, cut off a finger or kidnap his mother. I don't care.''

''I've changed. I'm running a legal outfit. I'm done with all that violence. I don't like it.''

''Listen to yourself. You sound so smug and righteous. How is your business doing? From what I've seen, you've missed out on a lot of purchases. Why? Because you've gone soft.'' Abram came from behind his desk and sat on the front edge. ''If you don't persuade people to take your offer and only yours, how do you expect to make money? The only way is to frighten the crap out of them until they give in, and take your offer, under the current market value.''

''Like I explained, Abram, I've had enough of those tactics. I'll take my chance in a fair market,'' Pavel said.

''Just one more time Pavel, for old time’s sake. I need your help,'' Abram pulled a hangdog face in the hope it would play on Pavel's conscience.

''Okay, but absolutely the last one.''

Abram pulled his widest smile and slapped Pavel on the back. ''Now, we have to discuss the question of my daughter Ilona. What's the delay? She wants to marry you, I want you to marry her and Goddammit, even her mother wants you to marry her. So why are you dragging your heels?''

Pavel didn't have the stomach to tell him that he wasn't in love with his daughter or indeed that he thought his daughter uncouth. When it came to Abram's daughter, he knew he had to tread very carefully. Abram had once whacked a guy to within an inch his life for refusing his daughters advances. Although these days Pavel could easily beat Abram if it came to it, Abram knew some very unsavory characters that Pavel did not wish to meet. ''Let me have a think about it. It's important to get the timing right,'' he said, instantly scolding himself for being too soft again.

''Well get a move on, all this procrastination is giving me indigestion. You don't have to go home every evening and listen to two women bellyaching about a wedding.''

*****

''Wow, look at you. Are you going out with him again?'' Ella's mother asked as Ella came from her bedroom. ''I make that three times this week.''

''Yes, Mom, I'm going out with him again, and yes it's the third time this week.''

''Who is he? So far you haven't told me a thing about him.''

''All in good time. We're just getting to know each other when the time is right; I'll tell you and Dad about him.''

''Well, you go and have a good time. I'm going to watch that new series on TV and wait for your father. I do so worry about him. He's working so hard, and he's not in the flush of youth anymore.''

''Mom,'' Ella said, not knowing why she was lowering her voice, but it seemed appropriate. ''You and Dad are very proud people, and I know you don't like accepting charity, but what I am about to do isn't charity. You have earned it by your devotion to me for all those years.''

''What are you talking about? Charity?''

Ella handed her mother an envelope and watched as her mothers arthritic hands opened it. ''No, this is too much. You can't do this. I know we spoke about you paying something towards the household running costs once you had a job, but this is way too much,'' she said, looking down at two thousand dollars.

''You can complain all you want, but from now on, you're getting two thousand a month from me. I'll see you later; I don't want to keep him waiting.''

Ella took the elevator down to the street. However many times the landlord cleaned it, it always smelled of urine, she thought. Ella waited on the corner at the end of her street. It was the only green spot in the area, and the one place she felt comfortable letting Pavel pick her up from. There were a few kids playing soccer a little further up, and when the Bugatti Veyron passed them, they stopped and stared. Ella heard one kid shouting that the car costs one million, seven hundred thousand dollars.

''Hi,'' Pavel beamed as he stopped. ''I'm Pavel, and you look like a nice lady, do you want to eat ice cream with me?''

''No sir, my mother told me never to get into a car with a stranger,'' Ella laughed. ''Where are you taking me tonight?'' she asked, once she was belted into the three hundred kilometer an hour machine.

''Nowhere before I tell you how gorgeous you look,'' Pavel said as he looked at her. Ella had spent a lot of her first paycheck on clothes. That evening she was wearing her favorite article, a classic white evening dress with spaghetti straps and a soft shawl. She'd gone for white heels and was now almost as tall as Pavel. The only article of her outfit she wasn't happy with was her necklace. She'd almost run out of money by the time she'd given any consideration to jewelry, so she'd bought a cheap necklace that she thought looked expensive. Now she regretted having done so.