Against Everything Else

16. She's my priority

Avery's POV

"I can't believe we're in Paris!!!" I squealed, causing Vince to chuckle as he wrapped his hand around mine, helping me step down the stairs that were leaning against the aeroplane.

Multiple black cars were already waiting for us as we exited Vince's private jet. The men who were on the plane with us earlier had started to pile into some of the cars, one of them, who I recognised as the scar-faced man who had wanted to shoot me during my first night at the mansion. He looked over at us as if he knew I was watching him. I adverted my gaze instantly, focusing it on Vince's back instead.

He walked us over to the black car at the end, leaning over to open the door for me. I grabbed onto his hand as he helped me inside the vehicle before the passenger door opened, and Antonio hopped in.

"I have to attend something for work, Butterfly, so I can't be with you just yet." I looked at him as he leaned against the door, "I know that it was a sudden trip for you," He handed me a black credit card, causing my eyes to widen as I held it carefully in my hand, "So you can use this to get anything you want or anything you need. Antonio is going to escort you, and we'll meet back at my apartment once I'm finished."

"You have an apartment here?! How rich are you?!" Antonio laughed from the front seat, making me blush in embarrassment.

"Don't you worry about a thing," He leant down, kissing me softly on the cheek, "I'll see you in a bit, okay?"

He looked at me expectantly, and I blushed even more, knowing exactly what he was thinking. I leaned forward, giving him a quick peck on the lips. He smirked at me before standing back up to his full height to close the door.

I watched as he walked away from the car, his face turning back into his usual serious demeanour as he picked up his phone to answer a call.

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"This is so cute!!" I grabbed the two-piece set, placing it against my body while Antonio stood close by. He was almost like my security guard at this point.

I sighed and placed it back down before walking out of the store. Antonio caught up to me, standing next to me quietly as we walked around the shopping centre.

"Why didn't you buy it?" He broke our silence, making me turn my head to look at him. I hadn't noticed that his eyes were blue, like Luca's.

"I don't know; I didn't like it, I guess." I shrugged my shoulders as I stopped in front of another store's window.

"You said, "This is so cute"," He changed his voice so it was more high pitched, causing me to let out a small giggle, "And then you placed it back down like you did five stores ago."

"I don't know," I turned to look up at him as I fiddled with the hem of my shirt, "I guess I feel bad spending Vince's money. He's always working so hard. It feels wrong to use it and spend it on things I like."

Antonio looked at me in silence for a few seconds as if that wasn't the answer that he was expecting to come from me.

"Don't worry about that," He stopped walking and turned to face me, his expression unreadable, "Vince told you to get anything you want, Avery, so did you like that dress that you picked up earlier?"

"The two piece?" I asked.

"Yeah, whatever that was, did you like it or not?" He took out his phone, his fingers typing away quickly before slipping it back into his pocket.

"I did. It was so cute, and it'll be so nice to wear that around here. Oh, and that black dress, it was so elegant and classy. But that price tag...you know what, I don't think I like it, it was actually quite ugly."I rambled, seeing a quick flicker of amusement in his eyes before he turned around, heading straight to the store we were in earlier.