Chapter 35
THIRTY-FIVE
Ariana
The day I signed them was also the day I saw Grayson again, two months after we had been apart, two months after that conversation in my living room following my meeting with Sandra.
I told him it would be better if we went our separate ways.
The look on his face broke through me. It pained me to say those words, especially knowing he was still hurting.
Yet I could not deny that they were true.
My heart was still tangled in its conflict, torn between the pull I felt toward him and the memories I could not forget.
I still loved him. I could not resist him, and part of me wanted to believe we could find our way back.
But the anger and resentment that had bound us for three years lingered like a shadow I could not escape.
I remembered what he said that day—how he exhaled, a faint, weary smile softening the heaviness in his gaze.
“I hear you,” he said quietly. “And I am so sorry. You were already carrying so much, and I know I hurt you. I broke us, and then I made everything even harder. That is something I will always regret. But I need you to know that I love you, Ari. That has never changed. I will always be on your side, even if it means stepping back and giving you space.”
My hands covered my face as a groan slipped out.
I couldn’t help but wonder if I was the one making everything harder than it needed to be.
Why was it so difficult to accept him, even after all he had done to redeem himself?
He could have sold those shares to someone else and gained far more than what he chose to settle for.
He didn’t have to stand against Helser for me.
He didn’t have to turn his back on his own family and choose me when walking away would have been so much easier.
But he did.
And still, I couldn’t bring myself to forgive him completely.
The thought unsettled me. Had anger taken root so deeply within me that I no longer knew how to let it go?
I had asked for distance, but he gave me more than space.
He gave me support when I doubted him and patience when I kept silent.
Yet part of me held back, as if resentment had become too familiar to release.
Love was still there, steady beneath the ruins of what we had, but forgiveness seemed to demand something more, something I was not sure I could give.
Grayson had moved into his own apartment, and I never called him.
He texted me a few times, but I never responded.
I did not even understand why I did that.
Part of me still worried about how he would manage on his own while he was injured.
Yet when he walked into my lawyer’s office to sign the agreement, looking stronger and healthier, the relief that swept through me was almost paralyzing.
We exchanged only a few words, but his gaze lingered on me, and I knew he wanted to say more.
I was about to place the agreement in the safe when the door to my office opened, and Stephen walked in.
He had texted me yesterday that he would be coming, and I had been waiting since.
I suspected he wanted to tell me in person about Sandra’s decision.
The anticipation twisted my stomach into knots.
“Hey,” he said with a smile as he walked in. I rose from my chair and met him halfway, wrapping him in a hug.
Stephen was another source of confusion for me, and I hated the thought of being the kind of person who could not make up her mind, someone stringing them along without meaning to.
“Hey,” I murmured, tightening my hold. “I missed you.”
“I missed you, too.”
We lingered in the embrace for a moment before finally pulling back. I gestured toward the seating area, and we made our way over together. Stephen sank into the couch, leaning back as he tried to relax. I sat next to him.
“So,” he said lightly, a smile tugging at his mouth. “How’s everything been? Busy as always?”
His tone was casual, but I could tell he was giving me space to settle, testing the air before moving on to what he had really come to say. Instead of easing me, it only made my anxiety spike.
“As always,” I replied. “We’ve been doing well. Fully booked every week.”
He nodded, his smile softening. “That’s no surprise. You’ve exceeded everyone’s expectations, Ari. You should be proud of yourself.”
“Stephen,” I cut in, no longer able to hold back the knot in my chest. “You came here with news from Sandra, didn’t you? Please tell me now before I lose my mind. I’ve been waiting for months. Just tell me.”
He chuckled softly. “Right. Straight to the point, then.”
“I’m sorry,” I said quickly, guilt rising. “You literally just got here, just sat down, and I’m already pressing you.”
He reached over and tapped my hands, still curled on my lap, a gentle reassurance. “I understand. My mother has dragged this decision out far too long. Of course you’re anxious.”
“I am,” I admitted. “I’m so anxious.”
“First of all, I’m a bit disappointed that you didn’t come to me for help. I could’ve talked to her.”
“You wouldn’t have been able to convince her, Stephen. Nobody could.”
“Yeah,” he sighed. “She’s a stubborn woman. And you did have a contract with her—a contract I didn’t even know about in the first place.”
“Stephen,” I reminded him, unable to wait any longer.
“Well,” he sighed, though his smile widened, “I’ve come with good news.”
I held my breath, leaning forward.
“Sandra has decided to accept your proposal. She sees the potential in you, Ari. In just a few short months, you’ve accomplished so much. Of course, she’ll send someone with experience to assist you, especially on the finance and legal side, but you’ll be the one steering the wheel.”
“What?” I blinked, certain I had misheard. “Are you serious?”
“Very serious.” His grin widened. “And congratulations, by the way, on securing eighty percent of Ana?s. Impressive negotiations.”
I shot to my feet. “What? What do you mean?”
Stephen blinked at me, confusion flickering across his face. “What? You look like you didn’t know.”
I shook my head quickly. “No, I didn’t.”
“I don’t understand,” he said, still bewildered. “Grayson met with my mother and offered her his forty percent. The deal was good, so despite her hatred, she couldn’t pass it up. She’s a businesswoman, after all.”
“Grayson met her?” I asked, stunned.
“Yes,” Stephen nodded. “I don’t know how he managed to get her time, but he’s a Mercer. Of course, my mother was intrigued.”
I sank back onto the seat beside him, my thoughts stumbling over themselves. “Tell me everything, Stephen. I need to know.”
He held my gaze for a moment before speaking.
“He came to offer his forty percent in exchange for Ana?s being placed fully in your hands. I was there at the meeting. My mother and I both assumed you knew and that you had sent him, since his shares were on the table. Honestly, I thought the plan was for you to share Ana?s with him.” His voice trailed slightly as he studied me, searching for confirmation.
Then, almost to himself, he breathed, “But you didn’t. He gave it all to you.”
I could only shake my head, too choked up to speak.
“He came already with a draft agreement. I reviewed it myself, and honestly, it was an offer too good to pass. What surprised me most was that he was the sole owner, not his parents. He admitted his father had deliberately put everything under his name so that all the debts would fall on him. What an asshole.”
I nodded, feeling my eyes starting to sting.
“So, my mother and I discussed it. We agreed to give you eighty percent of Ana?s and have you build our business here under our employment. If you reach our target within three years, then we’ll revisit the terms and talk about granting you actual shares.”
I still couldn’t bring myself to speak. My throat was tight, and my mind spun with too many thoughts at once. Relief, confusion, disbelief, each pulling me in a different direction, leaving me unable to gather the right words.
“He really gave everything to you, didn’t he?
” Stephen said quietly. “He broke himself away from his family for your sake. That actually impressed my mother, that he was willing to go that far. But knowing he did it without even telling you… that’s something else.
It says more about where his heart is than any words ever could, because he wasn’t even expecting anything from you. ”
I could only look at him as silent tears slipped down my cheeks before I could stop them.
Stephen let out a quiet sigh, a small, resigned smile touching his lips. “I suppose I never really had a chance, did I? And now it’s even further away.”
I wiped the tears from my cheeks and tried to smile, though I wasn’t sure it held. I was drained. Grayson’s sacrifice, Stephen’s quiet acceptance, the mess of my own feelings, all of it sat in me at once, with nowhere to go.
“Where is he now?” Stephen asked gently.
I swallowed back the lump in my throat and forced the words out. “I don’t know. I haven’t seen him since the day we signed the agreement.”
“You haven’t?” Surprise flickered across his face, his brows knitting. “So… you two really aren’t getting back together?”
“No.” The word escaped on a thin, tired sigh, as if speaking it aloud had made it all the more real.
And then he asked softly, “Why?”
I looked at him, the question heavier than he probably intended. Yes, why? I didn’t have an answer ready. Part of me wanted to say it was complicated, part of me wished I could explain everything, but all I could do was sit there, lost in my own uncertainty.
“Fuck, Ari,” he whispered. “I don’t want to be rooting for the guy, not with what I feel for you, but I don’t get it.
Do you want to be with him or not? It seems he still has your heart, but perhaps this need for revenge runs so deep that you can’t let go?
” He paused, then added, “Whatever you decide, that’s your choice.
But you can’t let hate rule your life anymore.
If you’re done with him, it has to be because your feelings are gone, not because you’re still punishing him.
That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you. You can’t lose yourself to it.”
“Yeah,” I said quietly. Maybe I’d been holding onto the anger too long, letting it take up space that should have gone to everything else. It was exhausting. I could see that now.
“So, what are you going to do now?” he asked.
I was quiet for a long moment, turning over every thought in my head. Then I looked at him and said, “I’m going to take your offer. I promise I will be damn good at it.” I sat up, feeling determination fill me. “I can do this, Stephen.”
His smile softened and warmed. “Of course you can. I believe in you.” His eyes held mine, full of something tender. “I wish I could be by your side as we go through it.”
“Of course you will,” I said, finally smiling. “After all, you’re going to be my boss.”
But he shook his head. “I won’t,” he said. “I’m going to be moving to Hong Kong. We’re planning an expansion across Asia. We think it’s time to focus on growing internationally.”
I felt my face fall. “Stephen…”
“It’s been in the plan for a while now, but I kept stalling. I finally said yes to Mother.”
Tears began to spill again. His gaze softened, and his hands cupped my cheeks, thumbs brushing away the wet streaks. “Hey,” he said gently, “I’m still around for another three months before I move. We’ll still see each other.”
I nodded, then crossed the space between us and held onto him without thinking. “Thank you,” I whispered. “For everything.”
There was nothing else to say. The words were too small for what I meant, and we both knew it.
I pulled back slightly, catching my breath, and said, “But I need to leave you here now. I have something I need to do.”
I was running along the sidewalk toward my car, frantically trying to call Grayson.
But he didn’t answer. His phone was off.
I tried again and again, but the result was always the same. Finally, I called Roe.
“Roe!” I practically screamed into the phone. “I’m trying to reach Grayson, but his phone’s off. You know where he lives, don’t you? Please tell me!”
There was silence on the other end, and for a moment, I thought I had dialed the wrong number. I glanced at the screen. No, it was right.
“Roe?”
“Ari,” she finally said, her voice cautious. “Sorry, you startled me a little. Grayson has moved to the city. A few days ago.”
“What?” I stopped in my tracks, my body stiffening. “He moved? Why?”
“He said he is going to find a job there.”
A chill ran down my spine. “A job?”
“Yes?” Roe sounded bewildered. “I thought you knew.”
I shook my head, though she could not see me. “No, I don’t.”
“And he did not just turn off his phone. He changed his number,” Roe continued. “His parents and Taylor have been harassing him, angry since the day he spoke at the town hall.”
“Town hall?” I echoed, remembering the meeting last week that I had skipped. I hadn’t gone because I thought it didn’t matter anymore. I assumed Grayson wouldn’t do it, since we weren’t going to be together anyway.
“Yes,” Roe said. “He announced that Hale Hospitality Holdings had acquired the Mercer Group and that you would be leading it.” Then she laughed, loud and sharp, startling me. “You should have seen his parents’ faces. I recorded it because it was epic. I will want to watch it again and again.”
She paused. “Why did you not come to the meeting?”
“Roe, can you send me the video?” I asked, ignoring her question.
“Sure,” she said slowly. “I’ll send it to you. However, I must say that it is good that his announcement made it clear that Hale Holdings is behind the takeover. His father is terrified of Sandra Hale because he deceived her badly years ago. With that, he would not dare to come after you.”
But I didn’t even know I would be leading it. Somehow, I had a feeling that Sandra had already shared her decision with him before Stephen came to see me.
“Roe, do you know his new phone number?”
There was a pause before she replied, “No, I’m sorry. Before he left, I asked him to message me as soon as he got the new one. I’ve been waiting for him ever since.”
“You don’t know where he’s staying either?”
“No, I’m sorry.”
“Thanks, Roe. Please let me know if you hear from him.”
“Sure.”
I ended the call and sank into my car, letting my thoughts spin around everything I had just learned. After a long moment, I picked up my phone again and dialed a number. “Toby? I need your help.”