Chapter 100

Mia nodded eagerly.

A few minutes later, Vincent was in the middle of a pointed disagreement with Richard over the terms of one of their overseas port projects when movement outside the pavilion caught his eye.

He stopped.

The shipping magnate, who had spent decades negotiating without giving away so much as a flicker of emotion, turned toward the lawn in disbelief.

Several security guards stood at a discreet distance.

Mia was in the middle of the grass, clapping enthusiastically, her earlier misery completely forgotten.

"Elena, you're amazing!"

Richard followed Vincent's gaze.

Elena had her back to them.

There was no music and no stage.

She lifted one leg and turned lightly through the movement, her ponytail tracing an arc behind her. Her clothes limited what she could safely do, so she avoided the large leaps and acrobatic movements she might have attempted in a studio.

Instead, she slowed everything down.

A turn, a controlled extension, a graceful sweep of the arms.

Even without music, the movement had its own rhythm.

She finished in a deep, sweeping back-tilt, one leg extended behind her and both arms opening like wings before she turned smoothly back onto her feet.

"Wow!"

Mia practically bounced.

"You can fly! Can you teach me? I want to fly too!"

Elena laughed and walked over, lightly tapping the little girl on the nose.

Then she took Mia's small hands and began teaching her a few simple dance positions.

Mia copied her with intense concentration.

Before long, the two of them were laughing together in the winter sunlight.

Inside the pavilion, Vincent's stern expression gradually softened.

He couldn't hear what they were saying through the glass, but he didn't need to.

His daughter was happy.

For a man accustomed to reducing almost everything to risk, leverage, and return, the sight clearly affected him.

"That child..."

Vincent looked back at Richard and let out a quiet sigh.

"Mia's mother has been overseas since last week for a cultural exchange program. Mia's been upset ever since. Then Puffy's ear tore two days ago."

He lifted his teacup.

"She wouldn't let anyone take the bear long enough to repair it. Barely ate. Cried over everything. I finally gave up and brought her with me today."

Richard glanced outside again.

His attention had barely left Elena.

Her cheeks were pink from the cold now, and she was smiling as Mia attempted to imitate another movement.

Something warm settled heavily in his chest.

"I even brought in a child psychologist and an early-childhood specialist," Vincent continued. "They've been trying to cheer her up for days, and neither managed to get that smile out of her."

He looked through the glass again.

"Your girlfriend has a way with children."

Richard finally turned back.

"She likes them."

Vincent laughed.

"I can see that."

The atmosphere between the two men had noticeably changed.

Vincent glanced down at the revised term sheet lying between them.

For several seconds, he said nothing.

Then he picked up his pen.

"All right, Richard."

He drew the document toward himself.

"I'm comfortable with Sterling's ability to deliver. We'll take the additional exposure on the third-port package and accept the revised allocation."

His signature went onto the final page.

Jonathan, standing nearby, kept his expression professionally blank.

Internally, he was considerably less calm.

Their teams had spent weeks arguing over those points.

The board had gone through meeting after meeting over how much more Sterling Consortium could concede without damaging the economics of the project.

Elena hadn't even joined the negotiation.

She had given a little girl some orange juice, danced for less than a minute, and somehow Vincent Belmont had just become dramatically easier to negotiate with.

Jonathan decided not to think too hard about it.

"Then we have a deal," Richard said, rising.

Vincent stood and shook his hand.

"We have a deal."

Once the documents were signed, Vincent didn't linger.

He walked outside and lifted Mia into his arms.

The little girl, now energetic again, immediately twisted around to look at Elena.

"Say goodbye to Ms. Hayes," Vincent told her.

Mia frowned.

"Why do I have to call her Ms. Hayes?"

Vincent paused.

Mia pointed at Elena with absolute certainty.

"She's Elena."

Vincent looked at his daughter.

Then at Elena.

Apparently, sometime during the last half hour, his daughter had decided they were already on a first-name basis.

"...Elena, then."

Elena tried not to laugh.

She crouched slightly beside Mia.

"Remember to let Puffy sleep when you get home, okay?"

As she spoke, she subtly pointed toward the bear's damaged ear and gave Vincent a meaningful look.

He understood immediately.

The moment Mia finally put Puffy down for his "nap," someone could take the bear away and repair it.

Vincent gave Elena a small nod.

Mia hugged Puffy.

"Will you come to my house and play with me?"

Elena smiled.

"Maybe someday."

Mia seemed satisfied with that.

Vincent carried her away, followed by his staff and security.

Soon, the pavilion was quiet again.

A clean winter breeze moved down from the hills.

Elena had just turned toward the pavilion, intending to get some water, when an arm suddenly closed around her waist.

Richard pulled her back against him.

His chest was solid against her back, his breath warm near her neck.

"What was that secret signal you were giving Vincent?"

Elena immediately flushed.

"It wasn't a secret signal! I was telling him to get someone to fix Puffy while she thinks he's sleeping."

A few feet away, Jonathan began gathering the documents with remarkable efficiency.

Elena turned slightly in Richard's arms.

"You're finished already?"

Richard kissed her.

"Of course."

"That fast?"

"Apparently, bringing you with me was my best decision today."

Elena blinked.

"Did he actually agree?"

"Almost across the board."

Richard sounded far too pleased.

"It went much better than I expected."

Elena pressed her lips together.

"I'm glad I helped, but was it really because of that?"

She had, admittedly, noticed how distracted Vincent was by his daughter.

Cheering Mia up had seemed like a good way to leave a favorable impression.

It helped that Mia was genuinely adorable.

Richard considered her.

"I wouldn't say you single-handedly closed the deal. Vincent wouldn't sign a bad agreement just because his daughter smiled."

"That sounds more reasonable."

"But people negotiate differently when they're relaxed, grateful, and no longer distracted by a miserable three-year-old."

Elena nodded.

"That I believe."

Richard's mouth curved.

"And Mia liking you isn't particularly surprising."

"Why?"

"Young children tend to respond well to faces and expressions they find pleasant and nonthreatening. Softer features, relaxed eye contact, a friendly expression—it can make them feel safer."

Elena stared at him.

"Did you just scientifically explain why a three-year-old thinks I'm pretty?"

Richard considered that.

"Fine. The shorter explanation is better."

"Which is?"

He bent and lifted her effortlessly into his arms.

"My girlfriend is the prettiest."

Elena was silent for two seconds.

"...That was not more scientific."

Richard carried her toward the pavilion anyway.