Chapter 14
FOURTEEN
Grayson
Lunch was a success. The feedback was solid, the guests looked happy, and it felt like we might’ve held our ground.
But now came the aftermath.
The numbers on my laptop were brutal. Running the event wasn’t cheap—three full courses, complimentary. We couldn’t afford it, but we had to do something. We had to remind people that Belrose was still here. Still worth it.
We couldn’t afford to lose more ground to Ana?s. We couldn’t afford to lose this business. And yet, despite everything we pulled off today, they were still full.
Not a dent in their traffic.
It was five in the afternoon, and I kept watching customers flow in and out of their doors from my window. No doubt they were fully booked for dinner too.
I checked the booking screen synced to my laptop. Half capacity for dinner tonight.
Half of what it used to be.
I didn’t get it. After everything we’d built, after the years of loyalty from our regulars, was that really all it took to pull them away?
With Ana?s booked out for the next two months, it was obvious some of our customers had jumped ship. Like they’d all woken up one day, looked at Belrose, and decided we weren’t good enough anymore.
I was still staring at the screen when Lila peeked her head through the door.
“Busy?” she asked.
“Yeah,” I exhaled, leaning back. “But I could use a break. Come in.”
She stepped inside, but instead of walking over and curling up in my lap like she usually did, she sat across from me, on the other side of the desk.
Something was off. I felt it the second she walked in.
And I already knew why.
“The event went well,” she said softly.
“It did,” I replied, keeping my eyes on her face.
She hesitated for a second. “I know this might not be the best time to bring it up, but… now that the event’s done, I thought—” She stopped, her tone cautious.
“Just say it, Lila. What’s on your mind?”
She met my eyes. “I know how stressed you’ve been. I know things are heavy right now, and I’ve tried to be patient, but… you’ve been distant, Gray. This past week, you’ve always been in the office. You come home late, you leave before I’m even awake—and last night, you didn’t come home at all.”
“I was here. In the office,” I said, trying to keep my voice calm. The truth was, I was too exhausted for this conversation. “Ask anyone. I didn’t leave Belrose.”
“I know. I trust you,” she said gently. “I just want to help, Gray. I could ask my dad if he—”
“No.” I cut her off, shaking my head harder than I meant to.
There was no way in hell I was taking a handout. Not from her. Not from anyone. That would mean admitting I couldn’t handle this, that I wasn’t enough.
“I’ve said no more than once,” I told her. “I’ll take care of it. Myself.”
She looked frustrated. “But you need it, Gray. You can pay it back when you can, and—”
“I said no,” I repeated, my voice sharper this time, jaw clenched tight. “I’ll find a way to fix this.”
“I just want to help, Gray,” she said, her voice low, cracking a little. “It hurts to watch you carry all of this alone. And you can’t let her get away with it. After everything she did to you, she doesn’t get to come back and destroy Belrose too.”
I stiffened immediately.
I had never talked to her about Ariana. Not once.
She must’ve heard something from my mom. Or Taylor.
“We’re not talking about her,” I said firmly.
“Why not?” she pushed, her voice rising. “She’s the one who deserves payback, not you. After everything she did—why would you let her get away with it?”
“What I did to her wasn’t right either, Lila. I was too harsh.”
“She deserved it,” she snapped. “In my opinion, she got what she earned.”
“No.” My voice came out louder than I intended. “It was still wrong.”
She stared at me, caught off guard by how hard I said it.
“Why are you defending her?” she asked quietly, her eyes starting to shine with tears. “Why are you defending her to me?”
“I’m not defending her,” I muttered, and stood up abruptly, pushing the chair back and walking toward the window.
“You keep looking at that place,” she said from behind me. “Standing there like you’re waiting for her to show up.”
She walked over and stood beside me, her voice softer now as she added, “I came here three times this week just to get a chance to talk to you, and every single time, you were there. At that window. Watching. I feel like I’m losing you, Gray. And I don’t know how to stop it.”
I turned to face her, and the frustration was already starting to simmer beneath my skin.
“I’m too tired for this right now, Lila. I proposed to you. We’re getting married. Try to remember that.”
“But when, Gray?” Her voice cracked. “We haven’t even set a date. At this point, I don’t know if it’s still going to happen.”
I pinched the bridge of my nose and shook my head. It was all too much, overwhelming in a way that made it hard even to breathe.
“Just go home, Lila,” I said quietly. “I need to finish a few things. I won’t be long. I promise.”
She looked at me, tears still hanging in her eyes, but she nodded without saying a word. Then she turned and walked out of my office.
Not even a full minute passed before the door opened again. Pete stuck his head in.
“Got a minute?”
God. What now.
“Yeah,” I muttered, walking back to my desk. “Come in.”
Pete stepped inside, both hands clasped in front of him, looking like he’d rather be anywhere else.
My brows pulled together. That look never meant anything good.
“What’s wrong, Pete?”
He sat across from me, his face drawn tight, like he was holding something back. Pete wasn’t the loud type—he was sharp, dependable, ran the kitchen better than most—but pressure always got to him. Sometimes I wondered how he managed to keep the place running as smoothly as he did.
“I need to talk to you, Gray,” he said finally, voice low. “But before I say anything, just know… I’m only doing this because I have to. My daughter—she needs this. For school and—”
He stopped, swallowed hard, and his eyes dropped to the floor.
“Pete,” I cut in, sharper than I meant to. “Just get to the point.”
“I’m leaving Belrose,” he said.
And suddenly, it felt like all the blood had drained from my body.
“I’m going to work with Ari,” he said, eyes avoiding mine. “I know the timing’s shit. She wanted me to start right away, but I told her I’d at least give you two weeks’ notice.”
My hands clenched into fists, and for a moment, my mind just went blank.
I forced myself to focus. To think. What now? What the fuck was I supposed to do?
“Pete,” I said, my voice coming out rough. “You’ve worked here for twelve years. We’ve treated you well. We backed you up. You built your career here. And now you’re just walking away, running straight to the goddamn enemy?”
Pete flinched at my words, but this time, he met my eyes.
“Enemy?” he repeated quietly. “Grayson, I know things ended badly between you and Ariana, but from where I stand, this isn’t about sides. It’s a fair competition. And she’s built something good, something strong enough to go up against Belrose. That’s business.”
I was at a loss for words.
“I know it might look like I’m being ungrateful for taking her offer,” he said, his voice calm, the way it always was.
“But she’s giving me something I can’t ignore, Gray.
A salary that means my wife won’t have to take a second job.
I won’t have to pull double shifts all the time to make ends meet.
We can finally pay off some of our debts. We can breathe.”
I leaned forward, jaw clenched tightly. “How much did she offer you? Let me see if I can match it.”
“Almost double what you’re paying me now,” he said quietly. “And a joining bonus.”
Then he gave a tired chuckle. “I guess I just realized how underpaid I’ve been all these years. Maybe that’s something you should really take a look at, Gray. Are we even close to market standard?”
I didn’t let that shake me. “Let’s say I can match it. Will you stay?”
Pete shook his head. “She’s opening another restaurant in six months—a smaller one.
She showed me the plans and offered me the Executive Chef position.
Said she trusts me. She’s seen how I work, what I’m capable of.
And until then, I’ll be under Thiago Marques at Ana?s.
That’s a chance to learn from one of the best, Gray. I can’t pass that up.”
“Pete,” I said, shaking my head as a sudden, violent headache pulsed behind my eyes. “Tell me what I can do to make you stay.”
I couldn’t lose him. Losing Pete would be a disaster. Greg was too old now, too set in his ways to run the kitchen the way it needed to be.
“Nothing,” he replied, voice low, full of regret. “I’m sorry, Gray, but I’ve already signed the contract.”
Fuck!
“Then that’s it,” I said to Pete, finally resigning myself to it. “If there’s nothing else I can do.”
I wanted to hate him for it, but I couldn’t. He was right. In the end, he was doing what he had to for his family, and I couldn’t fault him for that. Not when I knew I’d do the same.
“I’ll still be here for the next two weeks, Gray, unless you’d rather I wasn’t,” he said carefully. “I get it. After all, I’ll be working for them.”
Yeah. This was something I needed to think through. But not now—my head was a mess.
“I’ll think about it,” I said, rubbing my temple. “Take the day off tomorrow. I’ll call you when I’ve made my decision.”
“Okay.” He stood. “I really am sorry, Grayson. I wish only the best for you and Belrose.”
He walked out of my office as I sat there, head bowed over the desk, fingers pressing hard into my temple.
It felt like everything was closing in, crashing down on me all at once.
The pressure was relentless. The problems kept stacking, and I had no way out.
No solution. Just the weight of it all, pressing harder with every hour.
Then my phone buzzed on the desk. I glanced at the screen.
Unknown caller.
I straightened, eyes locked on the nameless number, brows drawn tight.
Who the fuck was calling me now?
I picked it up and hit the green button.
“Yes,” I growled into the phone.
“Grayson.”
I froze, every muscle in my body locking up.
That voice—familiar in the worst way. One I hadn’t heard in years. One I never wanted to hear again.
A voice from the darkest part of my life.
I forced the name out of my mouth.
“Christian.”