More Than This | THE WATTPAD DRAFT

Chapter 64

"He didn't tell me you were coming,"

I had spoken to Oscar Avery a couple of times on the phone and via FaceTime. Isabella's relationship with her father was important to her and I made an effort to get to know him as best as I could over the phone. We had never met in person but he definitely knew who I was.

"He actually doesn't know it's me," I said sheepishly, "I made an appointment. I have something important to speak to him about,"

Oscar Avery walked down the hall with a file in his hand. He looked much older in person. The grey in his hair had spread to most of his head. The wrinkles around his eye gave away his age but he had a softer look to him than his wife. You knew right off the bat what to expect from Gloria but Oscar's demeanour was much kinder. He was muttering something to a younger man walking with him but stopped in his tracks when he noticed me.

"Giovanni?" He was just as surprised as Camila was by my presence,

"Hi, Mr. Avery," I said politely and stepped forward, extending my hand to him, "It's nice to finally meet you in person,"

He shook my hand but the shock on his face remained, "Forgive me but I am quite surprised to see you here. I have an appointment now,"

"Yes you do," I said, "With me,"

"With you?"

I nodded, "Yes sir. I really need to speak to you and your wife so I made an appointment to do so,"

He looked over to Camila who shrugged her shoulders, "I didn't know he was coming,"

"Well, I suppose we should move this to the conference room," he suggested, "Camila, don't you want to go and get your mother please,"

She nodded and stepped into the elevator. Oscar turned back down the hall and gestured for me to follow him. We stopped at a closed wooden door and he pushed it open, revealing an empty conference room. There was a large table in the middle and chairs scattered all around it.

"I must say I am really surprised to see you here, Giovanni," he said and took a seat at the head of the table

I followed his lead and took a seat down next to him, "I know and I'm sorry if it's not a welcomed surprise but I had something important I needed to talk to you about and it felt wrong to do it over the phone,"

I rubbed my hands against my jeans again, attempting to get a handle on my nerves. He was not an intimidating man in any way but the entire situation made me nervous. It's not every day you tell your girlfriend's family that you want to propose to her.

"It is very nice to finally meet you in person," he said and before I could answer, Gloria Avery stepped into the room

It had been a while since I had seen her and she had aged since then. She still walked with the same demanding energy. Her age now sat in the wrinkles on her face and there was a lingering sadness in her eyes that she didn't have before and it surprised me to see.

"Giovanni," she said and walked over to us with Camila following closely behind her, "I never expected to see you here,"

That was the general response amongst the three of them and I understood why. I had given them no indication that it would be me they were meeting but I didn't want to give them a chance to decline my meeting proposal.

I stood up respectfully, "Hi Mrs. Avery,"

She didn't crack a smile and instead, sat down across from me, crossing her arms as she faced me. Camila sat down next to her and now that I had all three of them in the room, it was time to let the cat out of the bag.