Page 81 of Sealing the Deal

She rushes into me, and I barely have time to brace before she’s in my arms, clutching the front of my coat like it’s the only thing holding her upright. I wrap her into me instinctively, breathing her in, needing to feel the steady warmth of her body every bit as much as she needs mine. And however much I want to stay like this—to be here, to give her what she deserves—my heart breaks in this moment, because I know I can’t. My bags are packed. Hunter is waiting to drive me to the airport. The jet is ready to go.

New York and my obligations are pulling me away, and I can’t turn my back on that.

I tell myself this is what responsibility looks like. That sometimes doing the right thing means walking straight into the wreckage and letting it hit. I won’t shy away from it. I can’t. Even as the weight lies heavy in my chest, even as the heartache cuts deeper with every second I delay, like a blade I’m pressing into my own skin.

“What’s happened? Is Izzy OK?” I ask.

“We don’t know. All we know is that the birth isn’t progressing as it should and there’s some kind of complication. Dylan’s with her.” She tightens her grip on me. “I’m scared, Grayson.”

So am I. Not just for Izzy or for how much this is affecting Flic. But everything Flic doesn’t know yet. I hate myself for how loud my own heartbeat feels right now.

How do I tell her this? How do I hurt her?

I don’t regret what we’ve built in these weeks we’ve spent together. Not for a second. Living and breathing this woman—letting myself feel something real—has been the best thing that’s happened to me. Period. It just means what I have to do now is almost impossible.

“Can we talk?” I murmur.

She nods, her hand slips into mine, and we step into the corridor, finding a quiet corner by the entrance. The hum of vending machines and distant footsteps filling the silence.

“The phone call at the event—what happened?”

I tell her about Helena’s call. My father in the hospital and the board of Ashborne Holdings scrambling.

Her hand flies to her mouth. “Grayson, I’m so sorry.” She steps closer. “Are you OK?”

I let out a short, humorless breath. “I don’t know. I hate him, Flic. I’ve spent years wishing he’d retire. Or die. He’s the worst of humanity.” My voice falters. I can’t quite say the rest.

Flic continues when I can’t. “But he’s still your father.”

And that’s the problem. Because no matter how much damage he’s done, my life has been shaped by trying to clean up his messes and atone for him. It’s ingrained in me now, whether I want the responsibility or not.

“You need to go to New York,” she says.

It’s not a question. It’s a statement, and I nod.

A part of me wonders if I should’ve raced to the airport the second Helena called me. But it’s not my father’s bedside I’m rushing to. It’s his company. And it can wait an extra hour for me to do this right.

“I can come—” she starts.

I shake my head before she can finish. “You need to be here with your family,” I say.

“And you need to be with yours. I’m fine, Grayson. Go. Call me when you can. If everything is OK here, I can join you tomorrow, or call me when you’re back.”

The word “back” slices through me. “Flic.” I say her name the way I do in the mornings, low and soft, like it belongs to me. Like she belongs to me. I swallow down the hurt, hating myself for what I’m about to do to her. “The board of Ashborne Holdings are holding an emergency meeting tomorrow,” I say. “They plan to appoint me as the new CEO.”

Her eyes widen. Shock first. Then understanding. I wish I could explain it better, untangle the mess in my head, but I’m still reeling. My father being forced at last to step away. I’m being asked to take over. It’s exactly what I’ve spent years preparing for. Dreaming about. A chance to dismantle everything the Ashborne name has stood for.

“They want me to be in New York permanently,” I say. “The vote is tomorrow, but it’s a sure thing. I can’t be CEO of Ashborne Holdings from here. I need to be there full-time. At least for the foreseeable future.”

“You’ll get to change the company from within, just like you always wanted.” Her voice is small.

It’s all I can do to nod as the hope fades from her eyes, replaced with a hurt she’s trying so hard not to show. It almost breaks me. And maybe I can never regret what we’ve had these past weeks, but I hate how much I’m hurting her. I hate that it feels like I’m breaking her heart right alongside my own.

“What does that mean for us?” she asks.

“I don’t have all the answers,” I say honestly as my chest feels like it’s cracking wide open. “But I can’t turn down this chance. Ashborne Holdings has spent decades destroying companies and people’s livelihoods. It’s my legacy, and one I’ve always wanted desperately to change. This is my chance to do that.” I gesture helplessly around us. “And this is your home. I can’t ask you to leave that. Your life is here, Flic. We said we wouldn’t ask each other to change, remember?”

I brace myself for the fight. For her to tell me I don’t have to save everyone. That I don’t have to do this. Don’t have to take on this burden just because it’s in my family name.