Chapter 49

"Look at that!" Kayla exclaimed. "Grayson's actually eating his vegetables!" Her astonishment was genuine, as if she'd witnessed a miracle.

Even Dominick paused, watching his son. He knew Grayson's stubbornness around food. Paisley, his late wife, had waged countless battles over his eating habits—to no avail.

Grayson swallowed the greens, then reached for more, devouring them without hesitation.

Lauren gasped, tears welling. "My sweet grandson is growing up," she whispered. Reginald’s face, though less demonstrative, shone with quiet pride.

Marissa smiled, puzzled. "Sonny, do you like these vegetables?"

Grayson shook his head. "No. I don't like them." He preferred meat and seafood.

"Then why are you eating them?" Marissa asked.

"Because I need to eat more vegetables to be healthy," Grayson replied, the unspoken "She said so" hanging in the air. He speared another forkful.

"More vegetables for better health!" Lauren beamed. It was a miracle.

Dominick’s gaze lingered on Grayson. Two days with Paisley, and his picky eating is gone. What did she do? he wondered.

Marissa, distracted by the scene, found her own meal tasteless.

"Grandpa would be so happy," Kayla sighed. "His health's been declining for years."

"It's not just him," Lauren admitted, touching her face. "Your father and I haven't been well either. My skin..."

Lauren's once flawless complexion now required two beauticians and a small arsenal of high-tech beauty devices. Nothing seemed to work.

"Same here," Kayla lamented. "I used to pull all-nighters. Now, I'm wiped out after a few late nights. I guess I'm getting old."

"Don't be ridiculous," Lauren snapped.

"And Dom's always got a headache or stomachache," Kayla continued. "Typical CEO syndrome. What's wrong with us? We're all so weak! Maybe we should burn some sage."

Reginald cut her off sharply. "Enough with the sage burning! We're not hippies." Kayla fell silent; her father was a staunch atheist.

After some further chatter, Reginald turned to Dominick. "Nathaniel Beaumont's opening a club. Launch party this weekend."

Dominick nodded. "I know. He invited me."

"You should go," Reginald said. "We're planning a project with Axion Enterprises. It's good to maintain ties."

"Got it," Dominick replied, calmly plating his food. Another task. This one, however, involved the powerful Beaumont family.

"Take Marissa and Sonny," Lauren suggested. "Make it a family outing."

Marissa readily agreed. "What about you?"

Kayla waved a hand. "Nah. I'm busy." Lauren shook her head. "Reginald and I are too old for that. We'd be in the way."

And so, the plan was set.