Chapter 20
TWENTY
Grayson
Morning came, and my whole body ached with it, every muscle wound tight from another night on that damn couch. I couldn’t keep doing this. I needed to find a new place, and soon.
The thought of swapping it out for a pull-out crossed my mind—maybe I could just stay here at Belrose, rent-free, and call it practical rather than pathetic.
It wasn’t ideal. But it would save me some money.
I let out a long, slow sigh.
So this was what they meant when they said the mighty had fallen.
The Mercers were once one of the wealthiest families in town. My father and uncle were once powerful men who were respected, feared, and influential enough to have the mayor’s ear on business matters.
Our name still carried weight, but that was all it had.
Just a name. No fortune left behind it.
And now, it was all on my shoulders to fix this entire mess.
Taylor couldn’t be relied on, and my uncle’s one and only son had long distanced himself from the family.
He hated his parents so much and wanted nothing to do with them anymore that he sold his shares to my father, who paid for them with money he didn’t even have.
He was so damn proud when he told me we owned the company outright.
But what came with it wasn’t just ownership. It was the debt. All of it.
I glanced at my desk, where the signed sale documents sat—the ones that would transfer Rosemere’s assets to Ariana. My signature was already on them, but I hadn’t handed them over yet.
First, I needed to talk to her to make it clear. She had to take care of the people who built this place. I wasn’t going to terminate them just to walk away with clean hands.
If she wanted Rosemere, she had two options: either offer continued employment to the staff under her company or cover the cost of severance so I could ensure they didn’t leave empty-handed.
It was business, but it was personal too. I wasn’t leaving them with nothing.
God, how embarrassing it was that we had already shut down four out of eight restaurants. We were down to four now, and every single one was tied up in the bank loan except for Belrose. That was the only one left untouched. My last shot.
But now I was down two sous chefs, no pastry chef, and the executive chef, who should have retired years ago, was the only one still standing, along with a handful of kitchen staff who I was pretty sure were waiting for Ariana to snatch them up. I wasn’t even sure I could keep it running anymore.
Ariana might have been the one on the path to tearing my family apart, but the truth was, we brought the doom on ourselves. We made it so easy for her to destroy us.
And even then, I wasn’t sure any punishment would ever be enough for what we had done. What we did to her was the kind of thing that doesn’t wash off, the kind that follows you. It was the worst of it—the part I couldn’t justify, no matter how many times I turned it over in my mind.
I got up from the couch, folded the blanket, and made my way to the window. Lila was right. I spent too much time here, standing in this exact spot, looking down at Ana?s’s like it was the only thing tethering me to something I’d already lost.
Waiting. Hoping she might show up, just for a few seconds. Just to see her.
I couldn’t help it. My legs always took me here, and no matter where I was in the room, my eyes would find their way to the window.
This was how I always was. I was always looking at her. My eyes would always find her.
No one had ever made me feel the way she did, even after all these years. Not even Lila, who was the closest I’d ever come to falling in love, had made me feel like that.
As I stood there, my mind filled with memories of our time together.
“Why do you love me?” I asked her one night. It was the evening after I proposed.
We were lying in bed in that tiny studio apartment I had rented, where we were living together. Her head rested on my bare chest, and she tilted her face up to look at me, blinking furiously as if my question shocked her.
Instead of answering, she asked, “What do you think?”
“Honestly, I have no idea,” I said. “I want to understand, Ari. Why would someone like you give me everything? I’m not a good man. You know that.”
“But you’re good to me,” she said, smiling softly. “That’s all that matters.”
“I want to be good to you,” I said as I kissed her forehead. “Always. But I still need to know. So tell me.”
She looked at me for a long moment, then said softly,
“Because with you, I don’t have to be anything other than myself.
Because even when you are a mess, you still show up.
You care more than you admit. You make me feel safe, even when everything around us is chaotic.
I love you because you see me. Not just the good parts, but all of me.
And somehow, you still choose me. Every time. ”
But I didn’t.
That day, I didn’t choose her.
I didn’t.
I pressed my hands to my head, my stomach twisting with the realization.
God, I didn’t.
Ariana changed me in ways I never saw coming. Even my friends barely recognized me. I stopped noticing other women. I spent more time with her than with anyone else. And somewhere along the way—surprising even myself—I started wanting to be a family man.
And I loved that version of myself. It was the best I’d ever been. She made me want to be good. To be better.
She loved me so deeply and gave me more than I ever deserved. And knowing I threw that away never stopped me from feeling like I was cutting myself open.
We could’ve been building a life together by now. Maybe we’d even have a child.
I could’ve been waking up each morning to her beautiful face, the first thing I’d see when I opened my eyes.
This guilt and regret would stay with me for the rest of my life. No matter how much time passed, I knew I’d carry it. I made choices I couldn’t take back, and the thought of what I lost would always be there in the background, reminding me of everything I could have had.
And the same was true of my love for her. Even in the moments I hated her, it was still there, running underneath everything like something I couldn’t reach or reason with. It had never really left.
My eyes drifted back to Ana?s’s. Her staff had started arriving, moving through the morning routine, but she wasn’t among them. She was probably still at home with Stephen.
My heart hurt just thinking about it.
I found myself wondering what kind of man he really was beneath all of it—the money, the power, the influence. Everything I didn’t have. Everything I had lost or never managed to hold onto in the first place.
What was it like being with someone like that?
I just hoped he treated her well. Better than I ever did. Better than I did even when we were still together. Because if anyone deserved that kind of love, the kind that’s steady and true, it was her.
I let out a quiet sigh and turned away from the window, heading to the bathroom for a quick shower.
Time to start another day. Another day of sinking further into the mess that never seemed to end. Of pretending I had it together when everything was slipping through my fingers.
“You what?” I nearly shouted at Blake, our longtime supplier of imported ingredients, when he told me he was cutting off Ana?s because my father asked him to.
We’d worked with Blake for decades, helped grow his business from the ground up.
And now he thought this was how he repaid us? By doing my father a favor?
Blake grinned, proud of himself. “Yeah. I told them I won’t supply anymore. And they know it’s hard to find imported ingredients around here, especially the kind I get. I’ve got the best in town.”
I stared at him, stunned. “Blake, I don’t want you to do that.”
He blinked in confusion. “But your father asked me to.”
“He’s not running the business. I am. The decisions go through me now.”
He still didn’t seem to get it. “But… don’t you want to rattle them a bit? Teach her a lesson?”
My jaw clenched. “That’s not how I want to win, Blake. It’s not fair, and you know it.”
“But I already declined their last order,” he said, a confused look on his face. “And I already said that I won’t be taking orders from them anymore.”
“Blake. Do you have the inventory for their order?”
“Yes,” he said slowly.
“Sell it to them.”
“But Gray—”
“Sell it to them. Don’t listen to my father. Listen to me. I’m the one who pays you. Now call them.”
He still looked startled, but he pulled his phone from his back pocket and walked to the far side of the room to make the call.
Just as he finished, the door to my office burst open.
Ariana stormed in, her eyes blazing. The second she spotted Blake, her expression darkened even more. Then her glare snapped to me.
I was too stunned to speak.
“This is a cheap way to win, Grayson,” she said, her voice edged with fury.
Her gaze flicked to Blake, then snapped back to me—sharp and unforgiving.
“Cutting off my supplies? That’s low. Even for you.
You’ve been in this business longer, and sure, you’ve got pull in this town.
But this?” She shook her head. “This is sabotage.”
“Ari,” I said, raising my hands slightly, “I didn’t cut your supplies. I just talked to Blake—”
“Blake told Allen himself that he can’t supply to us anymore,” she cut in, her tone biting. “Said it would be a conflict of interest. Because of you.”
My eyes darted to Blake, who gave me a sheepish look, guilt written all over his face.
I turned back to Ariana. “It wasn’t me. It was my father. He went behind my back and did this. I’m sorry about that. But I have talked to Blake, and he’s going to continue to supply you.”
She glanced back at Blake, who said, “I’ve already called my office. Your order will be delivered.”
But she was still furious. Her head snapped toward me.
“What else are you planning, Grayson? What other tricks do you have up your sleeve to cheat your way into taking me down?”
I stared at her, taken aback by the heat in her voice. She was furious—and rightfully so. Blake’s sudden refusal must have hit their operations hard.
“Blake,” I said, turning to him, “I’m sorry, but can you give us a minute? I’ll meet you downstairs.”
“Sure,” he muttered quickly, clearly eager to leave the room.
Once he was gone, I faced her. “I didn’t do this, and I never would,” I said quietly. “I’ll talk to my father.”
“This isn’t just about Blake,” she shot back. “It’s happening with the other imported suppliers too.”
“Give me the list,” I said. “I’ll talk to them.”
She stared at me, clearly not expecting that response.
“I’m serious, Ari. I’ll fix this.”
“Why?” she asked, narrowing her eyes like she was trying to read me. “You’d be going against your father. He’s clearly threatened by me and trying to sabotage my business.”
“Well,” I admitted, “we are threatened by you. Your restaurant’s doing great, and ours is struggling. But this?” I shook my head. “This isn’t how I want to compete. I’ll make it right. I promise.”
When she still looked unsure, I asked, “Are you being affected by this right now?”
“Not immediately,” she said. “But in a few days, it’s going to hit us.”
“Then I need to move fast. Give me the list of those suppliers.”
Her eyes narrowed. “You’re really going to help me?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because you’re about to be in trouble.”
“And that’s supposed to be good for your business.”
“Maybe,” I said. “But again, that’s not how I want to win.”
She studied me. “You sure this isn’t just guilt talking?”
“Ari,” I sighed. “Even if I didn’t know what my father did, I still wouldn’t let it slide. I want a fair fight.” I paused, then added more quietly, “But also… because it’s you.”
She didn’t say anything, just pressed her lips together.
“I’m still going to help,” I said, holding her gaze. “Because it’s you.”
Her expression stayed tight, like she was holding herself together.
“Okay,” she said finally. “I’ll have Allen send you the list.”
“Good,” I nodded, then added, “But this can’t be fixed with just a few phone calls, Ari. These suppliers—especially the smaller ones—you need to build real relationships with them. That matters here. It makes a huge difference. In this town, connections are everything.”
She frowned. “What are you saying, Grayson?”
“Have you met them in person yet?”
She slowly shook her head.
“Then that’s your next step. Sit down with them. Lunch or meet for coffee. Show them who you are. It’s not just about the size of the orders. It’s about trust. And it has to be you, the owner, not one of your staff.”
And then it hit me.
This was how I could show her I meant it, that I was trying to make things right.
It wouldn’t erase everything I’d done. But I could still show up for her. For this.
I looked at her, a small smile tugging at my lips. “And I can help you with that. Building connections with them.”
She narrowed her eyes, clearly suspicious.
“I’ll introduce you to them,” I went on. “Help you become a priority in their books.”
This wasn’t an easy ask. It could affect our own supplies. Right now, we were their top priority, especially for those rare ingredients. We’d never missed a shipment before. But we might, if she moved to the front of the line.
Her eyes stayed on me, guarded. “What’s the catch?”
“Nothing, Ari,” I said, shaking my head. “Absolutely nothing.”
Even if it meant putting my own restaurants on the line.
I’d figure out how to make this a win for both sides. But for now, she came first.
She still looked like she was weighing it before finally giving a small nod. “I’ll come by tomorrow morning.”
A grin broke across my face—probably the biggest one I’ve ever worn. “At ten?”
“Yes,” she said, then turned and walked out.
The second the door clicked shut behind her, I nearly collapsed from the effort of holding it together. If I could have screamed in excitement, I would have.
This was good. Better than good.
For the first time in days, I felt like I had a real plan, something solid to fix what had gone wrong. And just like that, the day didn’t feel so heavy anymore. Things looked a little brighter, a little less impossible.
I knew forgiveness was a long shot, maybe even impossible.
But just having a place to start, something concrete to do, already made me feel lighter. Maybe one day she’d look at me without that glare, without all that anger sitting heavy in her eyes.
Maybe one day she’d even smile at me.
Maybe. I hoped.