Chapter 36
THIRTY-SIX
Ariana
Ilost count of how many times I watched it. Each replay hit just as hard as the first—awe and disbelief so tangled I couldn’t separate them. My mind couldn’t process it, couldn’t move past the one thought that looped endlessly, louder each time the video played.
I can’t believe Grayson did this for me.
And yet he had.
I knew he had done it for me because he loved me.
Yet even with that knowledge, the weight of it was staggering.
It felt like an act of both devotion and a public surrender, a declaration of defeat laid bare for all to see.
In front of the entire town, he announced that he had lost the fight and yielded everything to the Hale Group, with me standing at its helm.
What stayed with me most was not the surrender itself but what came after. His apology. He admitted that three years ago he had been wrong, that he had accused me unjustly, that he had humiliated me. To hear those words spoken aloud, clear and unguarded, was something I never thought I would see.
I sat with the phone in my hand, staring at the blank screen. I had promised myself not to watch it again, a promise I had already broken more times than I could count. Yet even after a dozen replays, the pull was as strong as the first. With a weary breath, I played the video once more.
The footage Roe had captured was shaky, the frame shifting now and then, but the scene was unmistakable, and so was his voice.
He stood at the podium, not shielded by the armor of a suit but in jeans and a navy sweater, his posture straight, his expression resolute.
The microphone rose before him like a marker of finality.
He cleared his throat twice before he began to speak.
“Good afternoon. My name is Grayson Mercer, though I believe most of you already know me. My family and I own the Mercer Group, which includes Belrose, a place that has long been one of this town’s icons, something we have all taken pride in.”
He paused, his gaze dropping to the podium before lifting again toward the crowd. Even through the shaky video, I caught the tension in his shoulders, the deep breath he drew before continuing.
“What many of you may not know is that we have been struggling for some time. For the past few years, the Mercer Group has been facing serious challenges. Financial problems that kept us awake at night, that made every day feel like another battle slipping further out of our control. We tried to manage it, to find a way through, but the truth is we were sinking deeper than we could handle.”
His tone was calm—measured enough to fool most people. But I knew him too well. There was strain beneath it, a faint crack in his voice that gave away what it cost him to stand there and say these words aloud, to admit weakness before the people who had once revered him.
Roe’s camera shifted toward his parents, seated one row behind her. Their faces turned pale, their bodies restless, unease breaking through their composure. Shock showed plainly, and anger followed, sharp in the tightening of their mouths and the furrow of their brows.
“So I, as the CEO of Mercer Group,” Grayson continued, his voice never losing its firmness, “have decided to hand over the company to Hale Hospitality Holdings. They are now the owner of Mercer Group, with Ariana Sutton taking the lead. My family and I will be stepping back completely.”
The room erupted in low voices, a ripple of disbelief spreading through the crowd.
Roe’s camera wavered between Grayson at the podium and his parents, catching fragments of reaction but never holding still.
Then I caught Grayson’s eyes searching the crowd.
I knew he was looking for me. He couldn’t find me, of course, but he kept going anyway.
“With this takeover, with Hale Holdings now standing as the largest name in the hospitality industry, I believe this town will finally see the kind of future it deserves,” he went on, his voice carrying a conviction I had never heard from him before.
“They will invest here, not just in buildings, but in people.
They will create jobs, open doors, and bring opportunities that stretch far beyond these streets.
They will build places where families gather, where memories are made, where our community can grow stronger together.
“And if there is anyone who can make this happen, it is Ariana. I have seen what she can do. We all saw it with Ana?s. Her vision, her relentless drive, her refusal to settle for less—those things are not just business strategies. They are who she is. She builds to last. She builds for people. And I believe with everything in me that she will bring that same passion here. This town, this community, will be better because of her.”
Roe’s camera shifted back to his parents. His father shook with fury, his hands locked tight around the back of the chair in front of him, while his mother sobbed openly, no longer caring who saw her. Their faces told me everything—they had not known.
Grayson noticed too. His eyes lingered on them for a moment before he spoke again.
“I made this decision on my own, without my parents’ knowledge. The company’s control was in my hands. But the debts had been building for years, long before I took over, and they only grew worse. In the end, there was no way for us to carry them any longer.”
Roe kept his camera trained on Grayson, who stood poised and resolute. The pressure behind his words was palpable, a weight that could have broken another person, yet he remained utterly in command.
“And I know many of you must wonder why I trusted Ariana so completely when…” He paused, drawing in a deep breath. “When you all remember what happened between us three years ago.” His gaze moved slowly across the audience, unflinching, his expression set with firm resolve.
“The truth is, I was wrong. Utterly and shamefully wrong. I accused her of something she never did. I chose to believe lies, the words of someone who twisted the truth, instead of standing by the woman who had trusted me, who had given me nothing but her love. And because of that weakness, because of my betrayal, I destroyed her name in this town. I humiliated her. I made her carry a burden that should be mine to bear.”
His voice faltered then, the first crack breaking through his composure. He swallowed hard, his hand gripping the podium.
“And that,” he said more softly, “is something I will never forgive myself for. Ariana deserved better than what I gave her. And today, before all of you, I stand here to own my mistake, completely and without excuse.” He drew in another breath, his eyes shining under the lights.
“I wronged her, and I will carry that shame for the rest of my life.”
My phone rang suddenly in my hand, making me jump. Toby’s name flashed across the screen, and I answered at once.
“Where are you?” he asked.
“In my room at the hotel. Did you find him?”
“Yes.” I could hear the grin in his voice. “Even better. He’s sitting at a table behind me.”
“Tell me where.”
“Check your message.”
The line went dead. I grabbed my shoes and bag, then bolted for the door.
I jumped out of the taxi and sprinted down the sidewalk.
The car had been crawling through traffic, still blocks away from where I needed to be, and I could not stand the pace any longer.
My bag slapped against my side as I ran, weaving past strangers who turned their heads at the sound of my hurried steps.
The noise of the city rose around me, honking horns, fragments of conversation, the rumble of engines, but it all blurred into the background.
All I could focus on was getting there, closing the distance with every pounding step of my feet against the pavement.
When I finally stopped in front of the café, my lungs burned, and my legs ached from the run. I stood there for a moment, pulling in a shaky breath.
Toby was perched on a high chair by the window. The instant he saw me, his face lit up. He grinned, lifting his hand in a quick wave. I stepped inside, the warmth and the faint scent of roasted coffee wrapping around me.
Then I saw him. He sat just beyond Toby, his back to me, broad shoulders outlined by the soft café light. I did not need to see his face to be certain. I would have recognized Grayson anywhere.
Toby slid off his stool and walked toward me. I stayed frozen where I was, my eyes locked on Grayson’s back.
“Hey,” Toby said softly. “You look nervous.”
“I am,” I whispered.
“What for?” His brow furrowed, his voice carrying genuine confusion. “He’ll be happy to see you.”
“I don’t know why I’m so nervous,” I admitted.
“Just take a deep breath,” he said.
I obeyed, drawing in a long breath that filled my lungs, though it did little to calm the pounding in my chest.
“Just so you know,” Toby continued, “he’s staying at a hotel for now. Probably hasn’t decided if he’ll remain in the city. But he has been looking for a job. He went to an interview this morning.”
I nodded, eyes stinging. “Thank you, Toby.”
“You’re welcome,” he replied gently. A small smile tugged at his mouth. “Now go to him.”
I made myself move, my feet carrying me toward him as if on their own. He sat with his eyes fixed on the coffee in front of him, not noticing anything else.
I drew in a breath before stepping around the table to face him.
He looked up, surprise flashing across his face before his eyes widened, as though he couldn’t quite believe I was real.
“Ari,” he breathed.
“Hi,” I said quietly.
His mouth parted, but nothing came. For a moment, he only stared at me, stunned into silence.
“May I sit?”
He blinked, the question pulling him back to the present.
A quick nod followed, almost frantic. He shifted forward in his chair, the legs scraping faintly against the floor, his fingers tightening around the table’s edge as though holding himself in place.
When he finally found his voice, it was low, rough, and uneven.
“Of course. Please.”
I sat down across from him, and for a moment we only stared at each other. With every passing second, the tension in his gaze eased, and just from the way his eyes held mine, I could see it clearly—he missed me.
“You’re probably wondering why I’m here,” I began.
He let out a soft chuckle, shaking his head slightly. “I haven’t even gotten that far. I’m still trying to wrap my head around the fact that you’re sitting in front of me.”
“I was looking for you,” I said softly. “You left without telling me.”
“I tried,” he replied. “I called, but you wouldn’t answer. I texted, but you never wrote back.”
“You texted me to say you were leaving?”
He shook his head. “No. I texted to ask if we could talk.”
Guilt settled heavily. I had read his message and chosen silence. “I’m sorry,” I said, not quite able to meet his eyes.
He shook his head with a grin. “I don’t care about that. I’m just glad you’re here… and that you came looking for me.”
I smiled at him too, feeling my chest ease just a little.
“So,” I cleared my throat, “I was looking for you because…” I trailed off.
“Because…” he echoed, his eyes lit with hope.
I sighed. “You know why, Grayson.”
His grin widened. “No, I don’t. I want to hear you say it.”
“Oh, come on…”
“Say it, Ari,” he urged softly. “Please.”
The silence stretched. Then, quietly, “Because I missed you.”
He smiled so wide it looked like it almost hurt.
“And?”
I was smiling too, unable to stop myself. “And because I’m still in love with you.”
His eyes shone, his happiness overflowing. “And?”
I let out a shaky laugh. “And I want you in my life.”
His expression softened, his smile trembling as if he were holding back tears. “Ari… you don’t know how much I needed to hear that.”
“I know…” I said softly.
Grayson reached across the table, his hands closing around mine. “I love you so much,” he whispered. He bowed his head for a moment, then looked back up at me, eyes burning. “I’m not going to screw this up again. I swear it. I’ll never doubt you. I’m yours, completely, absolutely yours.”
His grip tightened, thumbs pressing into my knuckles like he was afraid I might disappear.
When he spoke again, the words came out raw, stripped of everything but the truth.
“I want to marry you, Ari. I want that more than I’ve ever wanted anything.
” A beat of silence, then quieter, “To wake up with you every day. To build something with you. To never have to let you go again.”
Tears blurred my vision as a laugh slipped out, shaky and full of joy I couldn’t contain.
“Grayson…” I whispered, tightening my grip on his hands. “You don’t have to convince me. You don’t have to fight so hard for me anymore. I already know. I already feel it.”
Something shifted in his eyes, a spark breaking through the storm. Then he stood abruptly, leaned across the table, and cupped my face in his hands before pressing his lips to mine.
The kiss was hard, almost desperate, as if he had finally let go of years of restraint. My breath caught, but then I melted into it, my hands clutching at his wrists as if to hold him there.
When he finally pulled back, his forehead rested against mine, his chest rising and falling with uneven breaths. “We need to get out of here before the manager throws us out, because I don’t think I’ll be able to stop kissing you.”
I let out a shaky laugh, grinning through the tears. “Then let’s get out of here.”