Chapter 24 #2
“But I don’t understand, Grayson. This means surrender.
Your family will be humiliated. The person they loathed the most, the one they tried to disgrace, now owns them.
” Her voice broke, angry and disbelieving.
“And if you think this is going to stop me from making them pay, it’s not. I’m not going to stop.”
“I know that.”
“Then why? I don’t get it. Did your parents even agree to this?” She gave a bitter laugh. “I’m sure they didn’t. And they won’t.”
“They don’t get a say. I have full ownership.”
“They’ll disown you.”
“I’ve considered that.”
“Everybody in this town will laugh at you.”
“I don’t give a single fuck.”
“You’ll have nothing, Grayson. Nothing. You’ll be living paycheck to paycheck.”
“That’s no different from my situation now.”
“And do you really want to work for me? How much more humiliating can it get?”
“It won’t be as humiliating, as painful, or as horrible as what I felt when I realized I was wrong.”
She paused, silent now, like she didn’t know what else to say.
But not for long.
“I can give you a job starting from the bottom. Junior position. Running errands for me.”
“Okay,” I said with a small smile. “As long as I can negotiate my salary.”
“What about your fiancée, Lila? She comes from money. Will she be fine with you downgrading yourself like this?”
“She’ll be fine.”
“How are you so sure?”
“Because she doesn’t get a say anymore. I ended our engagement.”
She drew back, stunned. “What? Why?”
I let out a breath. “I have my reasons.”
“What reasons?”
“That’s private. You don’t need to know.”
She stared at me. Emotion flickered across her face, and I couldn’t help but let my gaze linger, taking in every detail.
“Is it because of me?”
“Ari…”
“Is it?”
“Yes,” I said quietly, finally.
“I don’t understand…” Her voice softened. “Why? There’s nothing left between us, Gray. Nothing. We’re too broken already.”
“I know that. I’m not expecting anything from you.”
“Why are you like this, Grayson?” She looked at me like she couldn’t make sense of who I was anymore.
“What do you mean?”
She shifted back, creating more space between us. Her eyes were sharp with suspicion.
“Why are you being nice? You don’t get to be nice, Grayson.”
I blinked. “I really don’t understand.”
“You…” Her voice broke. “You being remorseful like this, offering me your company, it’s not okay.”
I searched her face. “Why is that not okay?”
“Because it’s hard for me!” she snapped, suddenly standing. “It’s hard to see you like this. You’re supposed to be angry. You’re supposed to fight me. You should hate me.”
She took a step back, hands shaking.
“Because I’m destroying you, and you know it. I ruined your family, your company, piece by piece. So this is not how you should be reacting.”
“Ari.”
“Don’t Ari me, Grayson.” Her voice shook. “I expected more from you. I don’t want you just accepting that I broke you and opening your arms wide instead.”
“I deserve that. And I’m not broken. I’m the one who broke you, Ari, and—”
“Yes. That’s why.” Her voice cracked, and the tears began to fall, heavy and fast. “You broke me. And now I’m getting my revenge. So be angry with me, Grayson. Fight me. Be furious. Yell at me like you did before. Throw the words that used to slice me apart.”
“Why are you so angry that I admitted I was wrong?” I asked, not understanding. “I told you I’d do anything to make you forgive me. Anything. But giving you the company isn’t just about punishment. It’s because I believe you’d do something great with it.”
She shook her head. “You don’t know me anymore, Grayson. I might just take it and tear it down. Let everyone go.”
“You won’t do that.” I shook my head and stood, stepping closer until we were face to face.
“You still have that heart. The one that cares, even when you’re trying so hard to pretend it doesn’t.
You’ve never been cold. That’s not who you are.
” I held her gaze. “You have a heart of gold, Ariana. You can’t erase that.
Hate and you have never belonged in the same sentence. ”
She glared at me but said nothing.
I took another step. “I know there’s no future for us. I know you’d rather burn than be with me. But I also know you still love me. Even if you hate me, somewhere deep inside, that love is still there.”
“I don’t,” she bit out. “Not anymore.”
“You do,” I said anyway, playing with fire. “I can prove it.”
Her eyes darkened, a challenge sparking in their depths. “How?”
I closed the distance between us until the air itself burned with the nearness of her body. My gaze traced the curve of her lips, soft, lush, tempting, before lifting back to her eyes. “By kissing you.” A breath away now, my voice dropped to a rough whisper.
Everything I felt, how deeply I loved her, how achingly I missed her, wrapped around me like a tide pulling me under. In that moment, the world blurred and faded until all that remained was her. Just her. “And you’re going to kiss me back.”
She held my stare, her breath hitching, but she didn’t pull away.
We kept staring at each other. The air felt thick, and tension curled in the space between us.
Then, to my shock, she was the one who closed the distance. She fisted my collar, yanked me toward her, and crushed her lips against mine.