Chapter 157

Grayson’s POV

The silence following my words was deafening. Then he walked over and handed me a glass, his hand lingering a second too long before releasing it. I took it, even though the anger burning in my chest hadn't subsided. It was habit, or perhaps the faint glimmer of sincerity in his eyes kept me from letting the glass fall.

“You should know,” he began, stepping back and gesturing for me to sit, “that I’ve always been on your side. From the start. No matter what.”

I glanced between him and the couch, debating whether to sit or stand. My instinct was to stay on my feet, to keep my guard up, but the weight of everything pressed down on me. With a sharp exhale, I sat, the leather creaking under my weight. Liam took the seat opposite me, his own glass cradled in his hands.

He studied me for a moment, his gaze steady but wary, before speaking again. “What would you have done?” His voice was calm but pointed. “Given us your blessing? Or would you have stopped us?”

I raised the glass to my lips, taking a small sip to buy myself time, though the burn of the whiskey did little to dull the fire in my veins. “You didn’t even give me the chance.”

Liam leaned forward, resting his forearms on his knees, the glass dangling loosely in his hands. “I know. And I admit—I should have. But Grayson…” He hesitated, his gaze flickering to the floor before meeting mine again. “I love Elaine. I really do.”

The words hit me harder than I expected. I’d known Liam most of my life, but hearing him say it aloud made it feel real in a way it hadn’t before. Still, it did nothing to quell the sting of betrayal.

“I know mating with her in your absence was wrong,” he continued, his voice softening. “But when I brought it up—casually, I swear—I didn’t expect her to jump at the idea. I thought she’d shut it down immediately, but she didn’t. When I said you were missing and there were many things to worry about, she brushed it off. Said it didn’t matter. That we should go ahead and do it. And Grayson…you know how Elaine can be when she’s made up her mind about something. She’s relentless.”

That stung. More than I wanted to admit. Elaine wasn’t just my cousin—she was family in the truest sense of the word. We’d been through too much together for her to dismiss me like that. I didn’t think she actually meant what she said on the night of Ava’s ball.

“I’ve seen Elaine angry before,” Liam continued, shaking his head. “But this? This was on another level. I don’t know if it was to spite you for everything you’ve done, but she was set on it.”

I took another drink, letting the whiskey burn its way down my throat as I tried to process what he was saying. Leaning back against the couch, I let out a bitter laugh. “So what, you just went along with it because she told you to?”

Liam’s jaw tightened, and for a moment, I thought he might snap back. But instead, he took a slow breath and said, “No. I went along with it because I love her. And because I thought—maybe foolishly—that it would all make sense when you came back. That you’d see it wasn’t just some rash decision. That you’d understand.”

I stared at him, the anger still simmering beneath the surface, but now it was laced with something else—disappointment, confusion, maybe even a hint of sadness. “You’re asking me to understand a decision that was made behind my back,” I said, my voice cold. “You’re asking for forgiveness for something you didn’t even give me the chance to weigh in on.”

“I’m not asking for forgiveness,” Liam said firmly, his eyes locking with mine. “I’m asking for you to try to see it from my perspective. To understand that this wasn’t about betraying you.”

Chapter 157 (Continued)

A tense silence settled over the room, heavy and suffocating. Liam watched me, waiting for me to process everything that had just been said. Finally, I broke the quiet.

“And my company?” My voice was sharp, cutting through the stillness like a blade.

“Everything is as you left it,” Liam replied smoothly, though there was a flicker of something else—a twisting of words, making things seem worse than they are.

Another beat of silence followed, and I let his words hang in the air. Twisting words. I’d been gone too long; those around me had used my absence as an opportunity. The anger I’d been trying to suppress boiled over. I had to get up; I needed space, air—anything to clear my head.

“This is a lot to take in,” I muttered, rising to my feet. My hands were clenched at my sides, my body humming with barely contained frustration. I glanced around the room, my gaze finally landing back on him. “Where is it?”

“At Monica’s,” Liam answered, too quickly.

Irritation prickled under my skin, sharp and unrelenting, but I pushed it down. Another outburst wouldn’t help anything. I placed the empty glass on the table with a little more force than necessary. “No more surprises, Liam,” I warned, my voice low and controlled. “I mean it.”

His eyes flickered, betraying a brief flash of unease. He swallowed hard, then downed the rest of his drink in one swift motion, as if bracing himself for what came next.

“There’s one last thing you need to know,” he said finally, his voice quieter now, almost reluctant. He paused, his gaze darting everywhere but to me. For a moment, I thought he might not say it, that he’d let the silence swallow the words whole.

But then he spoke.

“Elaine is pregnant.”