Chapter 34 #2
I huffed. “They should be glad I paid their debts. I wasn’t planning to give them a cent anyway. They have assets they can sell. They’ll be fine if they are careful.” I paused and snorted. “What I wouldn’t give to see that.”
“Grayson, this is serious,” she pressed.
“And I am serious,” I said. “That forty percent is mine, and I want to give it to you.”
“But…”
“But what?” I asked softly. “It’s okay.”
“Do you want shares in Ana?s too?”
“No,” I said quietly, a small smile tugging at my lips. “That’s yours, Ari.”
She was quiet for a moment, looking stunned.
“I want you to know,” I said softly, “that I’ll do anything for you. Do you believe me?”
The silence stretched. I could see her turning it over in her mind, and I ached for her to see the truth in my words. I just needed her to believe me. But I knew I couldn’t make her. That was something she had to come to on her own.
“Why aren’t you angry at me?” she asked quietly. “I just told you that I planned to ruin you, to leave you with nothing. I was going to deceive you and let everyone who works for you be left empty-handed.”
“But you didn’t do it, did you?” I asked softly, raising my good hand to brush her cheek. Her eyes glistened, but she blinked quickly, holding back tears. “You have a bigger heart than you give yourself credit for, Ari.”
She didn’t reply. She closed her eyes and shook her head quietly. I could feel her hesitation, the battle playing out in her mind, and I stayed still, letting her process everything at her own pace.
“Now, about my people,” I said, finally breaking the quiet. “Severance pay wasn’t in their contracts, and they’ll be left with nothing. Please help them.”
Her eyes met mine, conflicted. Finally, she spoke. “I will think of something to save them. But I can’t take your offer.” She shook her head, her voice tight. “I can’t.”
I could see the struggle within her, the push and pull between pride and necessity. I knew she wanted to accept, yet something inside wouldn’t let her. I knew how heavy this must feel for her, and yet I couldn’t force her. This was her choice to make.
“Just think about it, okay?” I said gently. “It’s yours if you want it.”
She sighed again, but I could tell she didn’t have the words to respond.
I took her hand, holding it firmly but gently. “Now, I want to talk about the most important thing.”
“What do you mean?” she asked cautiously.
“About you and me.”
She froze, taken aback by the shift in the conversation.
“You’ve been distant these past few days,” I said quietly. “Is it because of Sandra, or is there something else going on?”
She kept her hand in mine, but her fingers twisted with unease. “Yes,” she said, lifting her eyes to meet mine. “There’s something else.”
“What is it?” I asked softly, brushing my thumb along her knuckles. “I just want the truth. Whatever it is.”
She groaned softly and leaned back on the couch, resting her head. “This is so complicated, Grayson.”
“Complicated doesn’t scare me,” I said.
“But it scares me,” she admitted, turning her head to look at me. Our hands remained joined. “Talking to Sandra reminded me of my agreement with her, reminded me of the hate between us. You were hurt, and I was so worried about you that I let my emotions take control of me.”
“It’s good you worried about me,” I said with a small grin. “I like it.”
“No, Grayson,” she said, frustration creeping into her voice. “There’s too much anger between us. You hated me because you thought I was betraying you—”
“I was wrong about that, Ari,” I cut her off. “I was very wrong.”
“In those three years, Gray, all we had was hate,” she said, pulling her hands free as she sat up straighter.
“Every step I took was part of the plan to punish you. I did everything Sandra asked so she would back me. I studied, I researched, I built the skills I needed. Every move was calculated. All of it was for one purpose, Grayson. To see you burn to the ground. That was my life.”
I stared at her, stunned. The thought that revenge had steered her every move, taking over her life, only made my guilt grow heavier.
“And yet here you are. Sitting with me. Taking care of me. That’s not hate anymore.” I shook my head, searching her eyes. “Maybe revenge drove you once, but it didn’t win. You did.”
“But the foundation is already broken, isn’t it, Gray? What we had is gone. We cannot get it back because it has already been tainted by hate and distrust.”
I reached for her hand. “The foundation may have been shaken, Ari, but that doesn’t mean it’s lost. Hate and distrust touched us, yes, but they don’t define who we are together. We can rebuild, stronger than before, if we choose to.”
“That’s the thing, Gray.” Her voice was barely above a whisper. “I don’t know how to do it.”
I waited, hoping she would take it back or soften it. She didn’t.
“I really don’t know how,” she said again, as if saying it twice made it true.
Something dropped in my stomach. “So what are you saying, Ari?”
She looked at me for a long moment, and I could see her searching for words that wouldn’t wound. She didn’t find them.
“I need time.” She exhaled slowly. “And you’re right. I still love you. But I don’t know if that’s enough anymore.”
Not enough anymore. Those words were the ones that cut.
“Do you want me to leave?” I asked, my heart hammering in my chest as I forced the words out. “Or do you want me out of your life completely?”
Her eyes glistened with unshed tears, and her lips trembled as emotion took hold. “I think it’s best if we go our separate ways.”