- I'll go with my car - Debby said when they approached the parking lot.

Francesco was walking fast even though his leg was injured, so he could barely keep up with him.

- My house is at the other end of London, so it's better to come with me. Of course, I'll bring you back here later.

She shook her head.

- I don't know you, Mr. Benedetti, and I don't get into a vehicle with strangers.

- I promise I won't jump on you in the back seat - he replied calmly. - You can sit up front next to my driver.

Through the Bentley's tinted windows, Debby could see the outline of the man behind the wheel. This Benedetti really has money to throw away!

- And I should tell you who I am - Francesco smiled - so that I would not be a stranger to you. Do you drink wine?

She looked at him in surprise.

- Sometimes. My father likes good wines and has a collection.

- Then, he surely knew that Benedetti's wines were the best in Sicily, so he pulled out a business card from his pocket. Debby watched the logo on the card, and she recognized it.

- Bring the wine! Of course, my father really likes them. He says it's the best produced in Sicily." She looked uncertainly at Francesco.

- And you work for them?

- Those are my wines. In any case, the vineyards belong to me and basements. Since my father retired, we took over the family business. It's my twin brother and me - Francesco opened the back door "Bentley." - And? Now that you know everything about me, will you accept to drive you to my house?

She shook her head.

- Still, I'd rather go with my car - that meant he could leave when it suited her.

- I will drive after you - she called out as she got into her "mini." - We do, though. Tell me the address, in case I lose you. I'll type it into the navigation. "Park Lane," he explained.

He could hardly take his eyes off her thigh because her skirt was a little tight rose as she sat behind the wheel, and he energetically suppressed the desire that suddenly appeared in him.

- Otherwise, we should switch to "you" because of Emma. It will better suit her. You have a beautiful name, Debby.

Debby saw his eyes sparkle. Then he entered the "Bentley" and disappeared behind the tinted glass.

Shortly after leaving, she lost sight of Francesco's car. She turned into Park Lane and saw him parked in front of the big houses.

Francesco stood on the steps in front of the house, sunken in a conversation with a provocatively dressed blonde. Debby was by speech; their bodies noticed that they were fighting. The blonde turned and squirted down the stairs, but he caught up with her, grabbing her upper arm.

Debby paused, watching the scene. He's finally going blonde released and got into the taxi waiting for her. Debby dared to approach the house.

Seeing her, Francesco went to meet her.

"Maybe I should go," she said, her heart pounding her throat.

Eighteen months ago, she divorced and was not interested in men. Now, this Francesco is magically attracted to her. He has raised his eyebrows.

- I saw you—sorry, I saw you—arguing with your girlfriend, and I thought you might want to go for a walk with her.

- That's not my girlfriend - he answered coldly. - Joanna was Emma's babysitter. She just told me she won't be going to Sicily with us even though we already agreed.

- Who will take care of Emma?

- Housekeepers will take care of her in shifts.

- Poor little girl - she murmured softly.

There was no emotion in Francesco's dark eyes.

- It's really a shame because Joanna, apart from me, was the only one in the house who knew sign language. Let's go inside, Debby.

She followed him. Gray marble and elegant furniture reminded a five-star hotel. Everything was sterile and impersonal. Quite by measure, the owner!

As they climbed the stairs to the second floor, Debby was sideways, looking at Francesco.

- The house is terrific - she commented politely.

- You mean? It seems too cold to me - it's in again she heard a tone full of bitterness in his voice. - My brother bought this house for their family, but they live in Sicily and rarely come here. I bought it from him and mostly gave it out in Arabic to the sheik. We have only lived in this house for the last two months because Emma had implants installed here.

Francesco led Debby down a long corridor upstairs, so he finally opened one door. When she entered, she noticed that someone was there and tried to rearrange Emma's room. There were posters of fairies on the walls, and in the corner, she saw a doll house. She noticed out of the corner of her eye that there was some movement near the window. The little girl ran to meet them. Emma was tall for her age and much more beautiful than in photography. Her curly hair was tied in a ponytail, but they were the most beautiful. She had dark eyes and long eyelashes. A small handset connected by a thin cable, which disappeared into her shirt, she was the only indication that he has a hearing problem.

Debby knew it was a single cable magnetically connected to an implant in her head.

Emma's eyes lit up as she looked at her father, but as she approached closer, she slowed her pace. Debby's uncertain smile hit him in the face and the heart. She saw that the little one was waiting for her father's hug, but he just hugged her and rubbed his head. It's like he's her uncle, who isn't used to company children.

Why don't you hug your daughter? she wanted to ask him. As if she had not noticed the pained expression in Emma's eyes, Debby saw it, and her heart felt tight.

This reminded her of her own childhood. She often felt that way even though Stuart was never cold on purpose. Actually, he was absorbed in himself and did not notice how others felt. Only when she grew up did Debby understand his artistic temperament. She was terribly hurt as a child and thought it was something she did wrong, and her father got angry with her.

She crouched down so that her eyes were at the same height as Emma's.

- Hello, Emma. I'm Debby - she said while using sign language.

- Hello, answered Emma with a wave of her hand, but she didn't try to speak. Then she looked at her father. - Where's Joanna?

Francesco hesitated before signaling her: She's gone visiting someone.

- When will he come back? He hesitated again.

- They won't come back.

Debby saw Emma's lower lip quivering and looked at Francesco. Why didn't he comfort his little girl? He could have told her he would always be there for her, even if the nanny didn't return. Instead, he said: Debby is here; she will play with you.

She thought, pass the problem on to someone else, glancing at him as if to punish him. She didn't understand what the problem was. Obviously, his daughter is important to him; otherwise, he wouldn't be trying so hard to bring a speech therapist, but it seems he cannot show his feelings. Maybe he doesn't feel anything. Debby couldn't think about what that would mean to a five-year-old girl who was already suffering from deafness and the loss of her mother. This child needs his father's love, but Francesco needs to be made aware of that.

- I will have to thoroughly examine Emma to conclude what kind of therapy she needs, Debby explained to him. - It will last an hour at maximum. When she saw him walking towards the door, she frowned. - I actually thought you wanted to attend.

- I'll leave you to do your work in peace. During that time, I'll call the agency; I need a replacement for Joanna.

He added that he got a message from his brother, who asked him to call him immediately.

- But...

- It's probably easier to work with Emma without my presence - he turned but caught Debby's stern out of the corner of his eye view.

Stolen story; please report.

He knew she didn't think well of him as a father. And she's right, he thought grimly, full of a guilty conscience. He's not the kind of father he wants to be because he does not know how a loving father behaves. His father was always cold. He didn't want to think about his mother. He was five years old when his mother left him together with his twin brother Tommaso. She went with him to America, leaving Francesco with his father, but she didn't even say goodbye to them. Francesco thought that she only loved Tommaso. Later, he found out that she wasn't good to Tommaso because she was an alcoholic. He didn't know if he should feel relieved about that. That's it years secretly idealized his mother, believing that he was not worthy of her love. Maybe that's why it was so hard for him to show feelings. He wanted to be a good father to Emma, as his brother is to his own son Nick, but he was still tormented by the thought that he was responsible for the death of Emma's mother. One day, Emma will find out the truth and hate him.

The look in Debby's eyes struck him.

"I'll be in my office," he muttered. - Press number nine on the phone on the wall if you need anything.

When he closed the door behind him, Debby quickly regained her composure. Francesco obviously wanted the nanny to take care of him instead of his child, and now it was her turn because there was no nanny. This hurt her sad girl's face, so she forced herself to smile.

- I like it is your dollhouse, Emma said. Do you want to play?

Emma watched her for a few moments with dark, father-like eyes... It was starting to annoy her that he was so attractive to her, that cold, mysterious man. He is here on business and must focus on the shy little girl.

In the hour she spent with Emma, Debby concluded that the little one was very intelligent. She has mastered sign language perfectly but did not try to speak. Debby didn't know if she could speak or she dared not. This one will need a lot of attention from the child to get an incentive.

The door to the children's room opened, and Debby turned, hoping that Francesco had returned. But the butler stood in the doorway, saying it was time for Emma's dinner.

- Mr. Benedetti is prevented and asks you to join his daughter.

Debby had no choice, so she nodded. Its pink hand took her hand, smiling, full of trust. A long table in the dining room was set up for one person.

- "Your father doesn't have dinner with you?" Debby asked Emma.

The little girl shook her head.

- Dad eats later in his office.

Debby was overwhelmed with pity for the little girl.

- Will you stay here and play with me? With hope in his eyes, Emma looked at her when she ate the food served.

Debby realized that she should stay and watch over her until Francesco's return. They played in the children's room for a while, and then Debby realized it was time for Emma to go to bed. It's a girl who deftly removed the box with the battery and then the "bug" from her ear.

- I'm afraid of the dark, she informed Debby when this one was on curtains and wanted to turn off the night light. Will you leave the light on?

Debby nodded. She remembered how much Clarice hated darkness; she felt as if she was cut off from the world because she could not even see or hear. Emma reminded her of her little sister, which could be precisely why she immediately got attached to the girl. But Clarice grew up with the support and love of her parents, while Emma had no one, only her own cold father. He might be the most attractive man she's ever met, but... It's high time someone slapped the truth on Francesco Benedetti's face.

Francesco stood by his office window, staring at the dark shadows of the trees in Hyde Park. After talking to his brother, he continued to make phone calls. A fire broke out in a vineyard, so he had to organize a lot and forgot about the time.

He stretched his face into a grimace. He loves his daughter more than life but doesn't know how to get close to her. He closed his eyes. His head was throbbing. He got a headache after talking to Tommaso. His own brother found out that his old friend Eduardo had lost his life in a fire. The old man fought with the element of fire and had a heart attack. Eduardo was like a father to him. As soon as Francesco came home on vacation, he ran to greet Eduardo because his father, Filippo, was always busy working in the office and hated being interrupted. Strangely, he remembered his childhood clearly, but nothing related to the accident. What happened when he sat on the steering wheel that evening after the party and headed home with Giulia? He only remembered the moment when he woke up in the hospital and when they told him that it was his wife's death. The doctor told him he was lucky to survive. A loss of memory was actually a defense mechanism: that's right, he suppressed the terrible fact that he was responsible for the death of his wife. Francesco felt the familiar frustration again, as well, whenever he tried to remember the accident or his marriage. It is impossible that he married a woman who bore him a daughter, and he can't remember their marriage. His mother-in-law is in the castle and hangs Giulia's photos; no matter how much he looks at them, he doesn't feel any connection with that woman. The specialist said that his memory would probably return, but Francesco felt trapped in that dark place without the past and without a future, unable to forgive himself.

He heard a soft knock and turned to the door. Debby walked into the office and was again surprised by his body's rapid reaction to him. He was overcome with desire...

But there was no sign of any emotion on his face.

- Is Emma sleeping? - he asked.

- Are you really interested in that? - her eyes shone with anger. – Your daughter went to bed an hour ago and stayed awake, hoping you would come to say goodnight to her.

- I'm sorry, I had to take care of some things.

- You can apologize to Emma, I don't need your apology!

Francesco seemed unaware of how much his little girl needed him. She stared at him in disbelief and wished she had ignored his masculinity. He took off his jacket and wore a shirt with rolled-up sleeves. Everything about him was... dangerously attractive. And she did not need danger or excitement, especially not such a man who made her feel this way.

- What could be more important to you than your daughter? How can you leave with a stranger for hours? - she attacked him. She wanted to get out of there and knew she shouldn't have sympathized with Emma so much. - Poor thing, the child has no mother, and as far as I can see, no father either!

Her words hit Francesco as if she had hit him. He's not used to criticism and is annoyed by the need to justify himself in front of Debby.

- Usually, every evening, I wish Emma good night, but tonight I didn't arrive.

He told Debby about the fire, that Pietro had died from a heart attack, and that there was chaos in the vineyards.

- I haven't forgotten Emma, but I admit that I've lost track of the weather.

Tired, he ran his fingers through his hair, and Debby noticed his dark circles. Although he hid his emotions well, she still felt that he was worried about his workers, who had been injured in the fire.

- The agency through which I hired Joanna doesn't have a nanny who knows sign language. I didn't have time to call other agencies. Thank you for looking after Emma. Can I invite you to dinner and repay you? It is the least I can do.

- No thanks. I have to go. Debby panicked at the thought of spending some more time with him. Although his explanations made sense, she concluded that there were problems in his relationship with Emma that she did not understand.

She hurried from the office to the hallway to get her laptop and jacket. Just when she pressed the front door handle, Francesco's voice stopped her.

- Can you bear to leave Emma to her fate?

- I will leave her to fate? - she turned furiously. - That's what he tells me. Father, who has neither the time nor the will to devote himself to his daughter, will we leave it to the staff? I don't need to feel guilty!

Still, Debby felt a pang of conscience. She was in front of her eyes.

- I have prepared all the necessary documentation, so it will be easier to find a speech therapist willing to accompany you to Sicily.

- My daughter likes you.

- I assume you heard that from the butler? - she retorted ironically.

- No, I saw that Emma likes you - Francesco hesitated a little and, to Debby's surprise, she saw a shift in his eyes, the most diverse emotions. - I watched you while she was having dinner. I was going to join you, but you put it together nicely, and I didn't want to disturb you...

Debby looked at him in surprise.

- You could have joined us.

- I got the impression that Emma feels good in your company, and I didn't mean to disturb you.

He was actually jealous because his daughter was laughing with that stranger, and it was apparent that she was having fun. And Emma rarely smiled... never in his presence. She seemed happy only when he played with his uncle Nick. Francesco wanted to bridge that distance between him and Emma, but as time passed, they moved further and further apart. It's not know how to get close to her, and he had to admit to himself that he felt like he had a hard time coming to terms with the fact that she was deaf. He was furious with himself for that.

Debby could have helped her, and Emma would have been pleased by her presence. He must convince this woman to come with them to Sicily!

- Emma needs you.

Debby hesitated. Francesco knew that she would still say yes.

He looked behind Debby at the butler.

- Dinner has been served for you and your guest, sir.

- Thank you, Melton, Miss Johnson, and I will be right over - Francesco answered calmly.

- It's my fault that you had to stay long, and I want at least dinner to be offered to you. It's late, you must be hungry. Francesco continued, noticing that Debby was shaking her head.

He opened the dining room door.

- Come, dinner is on the table - he smiled.

And she sounded the unexpected warmth in his voice. Debby obeyed. As soon as they sat at the table, the butler served them soup, and she felt how hungry she was. She refused the wine and asked for a glass of water. To her surprise, neither Francesco nor I drank wine. Unfortunately, he was not a talkative host. She was trying to start a conversation, but he answered briefly, and she didn't know how to follow up. Debby realized getting him to more frequent discussions with Emma would be hard. She literally breathed a sigh of relief when the butler brought the main course: salmon and young potatoes. When she picked up the fork and knife, she noticed that they were silver. She looked around and saw an oil painting on the wall.

- Is that the original Monet? - she asked curiously.

She recently read in the newspaper that one of Monet's paintings had sold for several million pounds. Francesco quickly examined the picture.

- It is.

Debby was interested. If this man is interested in art, yet there is something human in him.

- Do you like art?

- I like to invest in what is worth.

- So money is crucial?

- Money rules the world - he answered. - And speaking of him... - he scribbled something on a piece of paper, pushing it towards her. - This is the sum which I am ready to pay if you come with us to Sicily.

When Debby saw the number, her heart nearly stopped.

- I hope that's enough for you to give up your vacation. Money will come in handy for opening a private practice.

- Yes... - she mumbled.

If she took this money, she wouldn't have to take out a loan and could at least spend a year on vacation.

- You expect a lot from me.

- I trust Dixon Baker's assessment, and I checked your qualifications.

He really believed he could buy her! It is with money, though; he has gotten everything he wanted so far.

She couldn't leave Emma like that to her father, who has no feelings for her.

- You really have no idea - she declared and tore the paper before his eyes.

Francesco was disappointed. Why did he believe Debby was different from other women? He was furious with himself. She saw Monet on the wall and was now trying to get more.

- How much do you want? - he asked coldly.

- You know what, you can handle your money!

He looked at her uncertainly.

- What do you mean?

- Do you really believe that it is enough to put money on the table and that solves everything? Your money won't help Emma learn to speak. An ostrich needs time, patience, love, and support, and not only from a speech therapist - she exclaimed angrily. - That's what she needs from you!

His closed expression spoke more than a thousand words.