Chapter 29
TWENTY-NINE
Grayson
Ariana looked at me, eyes wide in disbelief, and it made me want to shake some sense into her.
“Did you even try to find out what kind of man he is?” I asked, reading the confusion on her face. She clearly didn’t know. “You did your homework for everything else, but this time you completely missed it.”
“He owns a chain of convenience stores,” she said, tilting her head. “What’s so dangerous about him?”
“Ari,” I said, running a hand through my hair. “Have you ever wondered why it’s only his stores in this town and the next one over? Why haven’t any big national chains come here? Why is he monopolizing the market?”
She stared at me, not knowing how to answer.
“Helser didn’t just outbid them,” I said.
“He destroyed them. Every small business owner who tried to open a store here? Their permits got delayed, their suppliers got threatened, and their shipments mysteriously went missing. And the big chains? He made sure their contracts fell through, bribed the right people to block their zoning, and pulled strings until the cost of building here became impossible. He owns half the council, pays off inspectors, and has people who’ll do worse than slash tires if you get in his way.
That’s how he built his business, Ari—by making sure anyone who tried to compete either left or disappeared. ”
Her face paled as the realization slowly sank in. The fear in her eyes mirrored the knot of unease twisting in my stomach. Helser was capable of terrible things, and just imagining what he might do to her made my hands shake.
“You’re serious?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
“Yes,” I said, stepping closer. “One hundred percent fucking serious.”
“Do you think he’ll do something to me?” Her voice was small, her face giving away everything she wasn’t saying.
“Let’s just hope not,” I replied, even as I silently prayed he wouldn’t. “For now, I’m staying here. I can’t leave you alone.”
When she hesitated, I added, “I can wait in the car if you want, but I’m not going anywhere until I know you’ll be safe.”
Her hand clutched the fabric over her chest as she considered it. Then she nodded. “Okay. You can sleep on the couch.”
I smiled, relieved. “Okay.”
I knew sleep was impossible tonight. Anxiety gnawed at me relentlessly.
Taylor would tell Demi, or at least text her, sharing her suspicion.
I’d tried to keep Taylor close, to watch over her, but she slipped through the back door while a staff member distracted me. Now she wasn’t answering my calls.
“Would you like something to drink?” Ariana asked.
“Yes,” I said, removing my shoes and coat and draping them over a dining chair. “Coffee, please.”
“Have you eaten yet? I brought some food from Ana?s.”
“That’d be great, thank you.” I hadn’t had lunch, and until now, nothing had passed my lips.
She took a box from the fridge, emptied the food onto a plate, and slid it into the microwave. I sat at her dining table, my phone resting in front of me, and watched her.
The simple act stirred something in me, pulling up flashes of when we were together.
I would come home from work, and she would get in from class or her shift.
No matter how tired she was, there was always something waiting for me.
Never fancy, but made with her own hands and, more importantly, from the heart. It meant more than I ever let on.
When the microwave beeped, she took out the plate and went to the fridge.
A moment later, she set a bottle of beer in front of me, probably Stephen’s, since Ariana did not drink beer.
Then she sat across from me, watching as I ate the ravioli di Aragosta.
I had to admit, it tasted better than anything we served in Belrose.
This was one of the reasons Ana?s was winning. Ariana had the better chef.
“Thank you,” I said, nodding toward the plate.
I was so hungry I had forgotten to say it before.
She only gave me a slight nod, her shoulders still tight, which was understandable.
I had worried at first that she would not believe me, that she would stubbornly claim she was not afraid.
If she had, I would have had to park myself outside her building until I knew she was safe.
“So, how’s everything with you?” I asked after a long pause, trying to make small talk as I ate.
“I’m doing great,” she said, though she still looked distracted. “As you can see.”
“Our agreement is almost finished. Then I’ll be speaking at the town hall to announce it.”
She nodded. “Yeah…” Her voice trailed off. Then she asked something that caught me off guard. “Are you sure you want to do that?”
“Yes,” I said without hesitation. “It has to be done. Things like this can’t be hidden forever.”
“How did you get your parents to agree to this?” she asked.
I chuckled at that. “Of course, they wouldn’t agree. They still don’t know about it.”
Her brows rose. “How come?”
“They already handed the company to me in full. I have the authority to execute it.”
She looked appalled. “They’ll be angry at you, Grayson. They might even disown you.”
“I know.” I set my fork down with a sigh after finishing my meal and leaned back. “But honestly, I don’t give a fuck anymore.”
Ariana was watching me, her expression caught between curiosity and hesitation. She looked like she had something to say but wasn’t sure if she should. I took a slow sip of my beer, waiting for her.
Then she asked, “Are you selling me your biggest share because you need the money… or because you feel guilty?”
I told her the truth. “I’m selling the shares because I don’t have a choice.
Too many people rely on me, and this ship has been sinking for a long time.
” I paused, studying her face. “I’m selling to you, not anyone else, because you’re the one who deserves it.
You know everyone there, and you care about them, so they’ll be safe with you.
And I trust you’ll handle it brilliantly.
Look at you, Ari… I’m so proud. You built all of this in just months, and you’re still going strong. ”
She stayed quiet, letting my words settle between us. Her gaze dropped for a moment, and I could see the thoughts turning in her head.
I leaned forward slightly, my beer resting in my hand. “And about my guilt,” I went on, my voice lower now, “I’m not running from it. I’ll carry it, but I’ll try to redeem myself in another way. I know I can’t erase the damage, but I can spend the rest of my life making it up to you.”
Her gaze flickered back to me, holding not just hesitation but a quiet refusal. She still couldn’t see a future with us together again. So I said softly, “Even if you choose not to be with me, Ari, I still owe you this.”
“I’m still hurt, Gray,” she said softly. “That day, you broke me. You hurt me more than Christian ever did because you didn’t trust me. You chose not to.”
Setting the beer on the table, I reached for her hands and enclosed them in mine. “That’s the biggest mistake of my life. And I cannot even explain why I let the anger consume me so completely that nothing else was visible beyond it.”
A slow breath escaped me as my fingers tightened gently around hers. “All I can say is that I’m sorry, Ari. There’s no point trying to explain it away. What I did was wrong, and it’s too big to lessen. All I can do now is try to make it right.”
Her hands slipped from mine as I stood and pulled my chair beside her. When I reached for them again, she let me. “I love you. I never stopped. I want to be the one who makes you happy, but I also know I may not have that chance anymore.”
I leaned in, closing the space between us until I could feel the soft warmth of her breath against my skin. “But do you still love me?” My voice dropped, almost a plea. “Tell me, Ari. I can still feel it—your heart, the way it still reaches for me. But I need to hear you say it.”
Her gaze held mine, unflinching yet full of unspoken words. There was hurt there, but also something softer, something I recognized all too well. The same way she used to look at me when we still belonged to each other.
I waited, every heartbeat stretching into eternity. She wanted to say it. I could see it in the way her lips parted and closed again, in the subtle tremor of her breath, but something still held her back. The words hovered on the edge of her mind, just out of reach.
But before she could speak, my phone buzzed.
The screen lit up with a single name: Helser. Everything in me went still.
Ariana noticed it too.
“That’s…” Her voice faltered, shaky and uncertain.
“Yeah.” I swallowed hard, letting go of her hand as I reached for my phone. “I have to take this.”
“Don’t!” she suddenly shouted, eyes wide with panic. “Maybe we just ignore it for now. At least until we figure out what to do.”
Her fear cut through me, but I couldn’t avoid the call. Helser wouldn’t back down, and I feared he might try to track down where Ariana lived.
“It’s okay,” I said, trying to steady my voice. “I’ll just talk to him. Probably it’s not as bad as it seems.” It was a lie. I knew Helser. He wouldn’t let this go quietly, not after his private matters had already been exposed, even if it was his own wife who had shouted it in public.
Ariana still looked unconvinced. My phone buzzed insistently. I picked it up and pressed the green button.
“Yes, Jack,” I said.
“Grayson.” His voice was low and weary, carrying a heaviness that set my nerves on edge. “Let’s meet in my office. We need to talk.”
And then he hung up, just like that.
I met Ariana’s gaze. “I have to go,” I said. Her worry deepened. “He wants to meet me.”
She froze for a moment, panic flashing in her eyes. “What will he do to you, Gray? And why meet you if you had nothing to do with it?”
I shook my head. “I don’t know. But it’s better it’s me than you.”
When I stood, she stood too. “I’ll come with you,” she said, rushing around the room. “Where’s my coat? I’ll come with you.”
“What for?” I frowned, a chill creeping down my spine at the thought of her facing Helser. “Stay here. I’ll be fine. He knows me, and so far, there’s been no problem. I can talk some sense into him.”
“No, no.” She shook her head. “I need to explain. Maybe apologize. But it has to be me, because I did it, not you.”
I grabbed both her arms until she froze, her eyes wide and distraught. “Ari, there’s no way I’m letting you come with me. Do you hear me?”
She couldn’t answer, just stared at me.
“I’ll be fine. As you said, I had nothing to do with it. It’s better for me to be there than you. He probably just has questions.”
But she still didn’t look convinced. Then it hit me—she was going to be alone. “Where’s Stephen?” I asked.
Ariana hesitated, caught off guard. “He went back to the city.”
“Do you have anyone who can stay with you? You can’t be alone.”
She shook her head, but a thought came to her. “Kenji lives in the apartment upstairs. He should’ve finished his shift.”
It should have bothered me that Kenji lived so close, but my worry for her overrode everything. “Do you think he’ll be home?”
“Maybe,” she said. “I think so.”
“Okay. Grab your coat, your phone, and anything you want to bring. You need to stay with him tonight.”
After that, everything happened in a blur. She grabbed her coat, shoes, bag, and phone, and we took the stairs instead of the elevator, running as fast as we could. At Kenji’s apartment, she pressed the bell.
“Who is it?” Kenji’s voice called from inside.
“It’s me, Ari,” she shouted.
A few seconds later, the door swung open. Kenji’s eyes widened at the sight of Ariana and me.
“Okay, I’m going now,” I said to Ariana. “Stay here, okay? I’ll be back soon.” Then to Kenji, “Keep her safe.”
I started to turn away, but Ariana grabbed my hand, whispering, “Don’t go. I’m scared.”
“I’ll be fine,” I said, forcing a smile. Impulsively, I cupped her face and kissed her. “Stay safe.”
Then I ran back down the stairs, feeling her gaze burning into my back.