Grayson’s POV-
I always went for the best.
It wasn’t vanity but a necessity born from knowing what I deserved. Yet, there was a wide gap between what I considered worthy of my attention and the cheap illusion of perfection people so often tried to present. Perfection, after all, was a myth -a lie fabricated by those too weak to embrace their flaws.
And standing before me, this restaurant practically reeked of it.
Smarble floors gleamed like they had been polished every hour, chandeliers sparkled with an almost desperate brilliance, and every server moved with an air of manufactured grace. I hated places like this-too perfect, too curated. But then again, wasn’t that the very essence of the Pierces? A family built on a foundation of façade and pretense, masquerading behind their so-called perfection.
Today, however, there was only Evelyn Pierce to contend with.
The hostess opened the door for me, her gaze briefly catching mine before she looked away, the faintest tremor in her hands betraying her nerves. My reputation preceded me, as it should. Without a word, I strode inside. The moment I stepped into the restaurant, heads turned-not because I demanded attention, but because my very presence commanded it.noveldrama
Evelyn Pierce sat in the far corner, dressed in her signature suit, poised and immaculate as always. When her eyes locked onto mine, a smile of calculated superiority spread across her face.
“I see I finally have your attention,” she said, her voice slicing through the quiet atmosphere of the restaurant like a blade.
I walked toward her table with deliberate, measured steps, circling to take the seat opposite her. “And I see that your definition of ‘better uses for your time’ now includes poking at wolves you don’t understand.”
Evelyn’s perfectly arched brow twitched, but her composure held as she set the menu down with care. “Your… tainted aura is polluting the atmosphere here, Grayson. Let’s get to the point, shall we? I want my daughter back, and you are going to hand her over to me.”
leaned back in my chair, the corner of my mouth curling into a faint, cold smile. “I didn’t realize I was holding Ava hostage. She’s free to make her own decisions, last I checked.”
Her nostrils flared, but her tone remained icy. “I don’t know what lies you’ve fed her, or what tricks you’ve employed, but this ends now. You will let her go.”
your “Let me make sure I have this straight,” I said, my voice laced with dry amusement. “You hired some lowlife to target my assistant’s boyfriend, thinking you could gather intel on my company. Predictably, I caught him, and he confessed name under the smallest amount of pressure. And now you’ve called me here… what? To demand that I return Ava to you? A woman you disowned without hesitation? You’re losing your touch, Evelyn.”
→ Her calm façade cracked for a fleeting second, rage flickering in her eyes before she reined it in. “I will not engage with the likes of you. This is your one warning, Grayson. Send her away, or-”
“Careful.” My voice dropped an octave, the air around us growing heavy. “Choose your words wisely before you say something that will ruin my mood.”
Her hand fluttered to the pearls around her neck, adjusting them as though they were suddenly too tight. The faint flash of
12:36 Fri, 3 Jan
fear in her eyes didn’t escape me.



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