Chapter 17
I”m still buzzing from the high of winning Best Brewery at the Houston Craft Brew Fest. That $100,000 prize is a game-changer for Crown Jewel.
I sit at the bar of Crown Jewel, my fingers idly tracing the wood grain, the memory of Jermaine”s touch still lingering on my skin. It”s been a whirlwind week since the Brew Fest, our laughter and conversations filling the spaces between us as if we were trying to make up for lost time.
And now, silence. He”s just... gone quiet since Sunday.
It gnaws at me, this quiet. I replay our last moments together over and over in my mind, searching for a sign, a word out of place, a gesture that might”ve hinted at this withdrawal.
But there was nothing – just the warmth of his smile and the promise in his eyes that made me believe in us again.
Jermaine”s silence feels like the return of our old baggage, and it”s messing with my head. He”s under my skin in a way I can”t shake, like the hoppy aroma that clings to the walls of the brewery long after closing time.
I let him back in—against my better judgment—and now I”m caught in this limbo of longing and frustration.
My phone sits silent beside me, and every time it lights up with anything but his name, it”s like a tiny pinprick to my heart.
What changed? Was it something I said? Did?
Or is this just Jermaine being Jermaine?
I get up and move to the old leather couch in the taproom, kicking off my sandals with a contented sigh.
My gaze drifts to the shiny new award sitting on the mantle, a proud symbol of all my hard work finally paying off.
I won Best Brewery. I actually freakin” did it.
The real check should arrive soon. But in the meantime, we need to create a plan because I need to make every penny count.
A giddy laugh bubbles up from somewhere deep inside. I can”t wait to start putting that prize money to use—upgrading equipment, hiring more staff, maybe even scoping out potential locations to expand our footprint.
The possibilities feel limitless right now. Like anything is within reach if I just keep grinding, keep believing in myself and my vision.
”Yo, Londyn!” Mia breezes through the door, all wild curls and bright smiles. ”Girl, you are not gonna believe the mess I just stumbled across online.”
”What”s up?” I grab a notepad to start jotting down a to-do list, prioritizing the most important upgrades. And I sit at the table.
Mia plops down beside me, those mossy eyes dancing with a mix of disbelief and wicked amusement. ”Your boy Jermaine is making major moves out here, sis.”
”What are you talking about?” A sliver of unease works its way into my chest.
Mia taps rapidly on her phone, then turns the screen to face me. ”See for yourself.”
I squint, taking in the headlines splashed across various news and industry sites.
Knights Brewery to Acquire Westbrook Industries in Blockbuster Deal.
Corporate Shakeup: Westbrook”s Reign Crumbling Under Insider Pressure?
Hostile Takeover Brewing in the Beverage World.
My jaw drops as the implications sink in.
Jermaine...he”s going after Westbrook Industries.
Dread coils in the pit of my stomach as I scroll and skim through the articles and video clips, each new detail more shocking than the last. Alleged shady business dealings, insider trading, even whispers of extortion and sabotage.
It”s like Jermaine has blown the lid off every last skeleton in Westbrook”s closet, exposing his corrupt practices for the world to see.
”Damn...” I murmur, swiping to yet another scathing article. ”This is some next-level ruthless.”
”Nah, that”s some rich people”s shit,” Mia agrees, shaking her head in disbelief.
My eyes stay glued to the screen. This is much bigger than a corporate power play or a personal vendetta. This is a full-on war, with the very soul of the craft beer industry hanging in the balance.
The thought hovers at the edge of my consciousness until I let it sink in.
I”m tied to Westbrook.
My entire business, everything I”ve built...it”s all connected to their distribution network.
Panic flutters in my chest as another horrifying realization dawns.
If Jermaine succeeds in dismantling their empire, what will that mean for Crown Jewel? For all the local breweries and businesses that depend on Westbrook”s infrastructure?
”Hey.” Mia”s hand finds mine, giving it a reassuring squeeze. ”We”ll figure this out, okay? Your boy may be out for blood, but he”s not gonna let anything happen to your spot. Not if he wants to keep getting any of this sweet?—”
”Don”t even finish that thought,” I groan, shoving her playfully. ”You play too much.”
Our chuckles die, and we sit in silence. I haven”t had the heart to tell her that I think he”s disappeared again.
Each of us mulling over the implications of this corporate shakeup and what it could mean for Madison Grove.
The distribution center employs a lot of locals, and people drive in from Houston and the surrounding areas.
And what about my job?
Yeah, I wanted to quit, but I had no plans to quit anytime soon, even with the prize money.
I squeeze my eyes shut, drawing in a slow, steadying breath. For now, there”s nothing to do but wait and see how this all plays out.
But one thing”s for certain—if Jermaine thinks he can just waltz back into my life and upend everything without so much as a warning...he”s got another thing coming.
I can”t ignore the fallout for the next week since I was forced to close Crown Jewel temporarily.
I sit in silence, staring at the damning reports splayed across the table. It”s no longer rumors but facts.
Knights Brewery”s power play against Westbrook Industries is all over the news, and the ugly details are laid bare for the world to see. The distribution is closed for the week, and I”ve used every waking hour to brace myself for the worst.
Reports of shady business dealings, allegations of insider trading, even whispers of extortion...it”s like a seedy corporate crime novel come to life. Only this is real. And the shockwaves are rippling straight through my world.
Isn”t that how it works?
Life gives me an unexplainable and unexpected high. I found my first love, got accepted into a coveted competition, and won.
Crown Jewel showed up and showed out. It felt like a Cinderella moment. But life is a bitch.
It looks like I might lose my job, and I still haven”t received my paycheck or the competition check.
So, basically, I”m broke broke. And…I don”t know if I”ll have a job after all of this mud-slinging.
And Jermaine Knights sits at the center of it all.
My chest tightens as I remember our one night back together. It was magical, and it was almost a month ago.
The heat of his touch, the flick of his tongue, the way he held me.
Bliss.
For those stolen hours, everything else faded away. The future, the past, all the hurt and betrayal—it was just us, and I thought…
I drop my face into my hands alone in my apartment. Alone to figure out what the fuck I”ll do next.
Alone again.
I thought it meant something. That maybe, just maybe, we were on our way to reclaiming what we”d lost all those years ago.
His hands cupping my breasts.
His hands gripping my ass.
His hands carrying me close to his heart.
Fool...
The bitter truth settles over me. Jermaine was just working an angle the whole time.
Sowing his seeds, clouding my judgment with his attention and those heated stares.
I should”ve trusted my first mind, that he had no reason to come back here. But he did, and it was to destroy everything I”ve worked for.
I should”ve seen it coming. Should”ve guarded my heart instead of letting myself get swept up in the fantasy of us again.
My jaw clenches, indignation steeling my determination. I refuse to be collateral in his vendetta against Westbrook. Yet the damage is done.
My eyes blaze as I rake them over the letter terminating my distribution contract with Westbrook Industries, committing every last sordid detail to memory.
A heavy ache settles in my chest at the thought of how this corporate shitshow has the people not connected to ranches in an uproar.
Westbrook”s distribution network is a lifeline for so many local businesses, mine included.
If it all goes to hell...I swallow hard, tamping down the fear gnawing at my insides.
No.
I can”t afford to dwell on worst-case scenarios, not when there”s still a chance to salvage this mess. To protect what I”ve built from the devastation Jermaine and his siblings are unleashing.
A sharp rap on the glass makes me jump. I spin around, heart pounding, to find a familiar silhouette on the other side.
Jermaine.