3 - Marry or lose everything

Gabriel’s POV

Marry or lose everything.

That was the choice my grandmother gave me. It wasn’t a suggestion, not even a request. It was an order.

“You’re running out of time, Gabriel,” she had said last week, her frail hand gripping mine tighter than I expected. “The board needs stability. The family needs a leader. And you, my dear boy, need a wife.”

A wife. As if I could snap my fingers and one would appear. This wasn’t about love or finding someone to share my life with. It was about control, appearances, and the family’s obsession with legacy.

The company my grandfather built, and my father almost destroyed, now rested on my shoulders. And apparently, on my marriage.

The Deveraux Group of Companies was founded by my grandfather, Richard, sixty years ago. He started it in a small office above a grocery store, just a dream and a handful of employees. By the time he handed it down to my father, it had grown into the largest real estate development firm in San Francisco, shaping the city’s skyline.

But my father… he wasn’t the man my grandfather was. He was reckless with money and careless with decisions. By the time I was old enough to understand, the company was drowning in lawsuits, debt, and scandals. He nearly destroyed everything my grandfather worked for.

My grandmother, Helen, was the one who saved it. At seventy, when most people would have retired, she returned to the company and dragged it out of the abyss. Her determination rebuilt its reputation, made it stronger, and cemented her as a legend in the family and the city.

My father wasn’t part of that redemption. After years of spiraling out of control, he walked away. Or maybe “walked” isn’t the right word. He drank himself into oblivion and became a ghost of a man.

Now, he lives somewhere in Nevada, in a house far too large for one person, living off the trust fund my grandmother grudgingly allowed him to keep. I hadn’t seen or spoken to him in years.

As for my mother… she’d died when I was twelve. A sudden aneurysm took her from us, and with her went the last shred of stability in our family. My father fell apart completely after that, and my grandmother became the only parent I had left.

Now at eighty-five, frail and fading, yet still the most formidable person I knew. The doctors said she didn’t have much time. That’s why this marriage mattered to her so much. To her, it wasn’t just about me, it was about securing the Deveraux legacy before it was too late.

I’m the only one grandma trusts to step up. My older brother, Ethan, on the other hand… well, he’s been a mess for as long as I can remember. He’s careless with everything—his finances, his commitments, and especially the future of the company. He’s always been more interested in his own pleasures and comfort than the family or the business. The idea of him running things is laughable. So, it’s on me now.

Jonathan’s text played in my head again:

“Found someone. Spilled wine on me, so I figured she’s perfect.”

At first, I thought it was one of his sarcastic quips. But no, he’d actually handed a random waitress a $10,000 check and offered her a role in this charade.

I should have been angry. Who would gamble with something so important? But Jonathan knew what he was doing. If he thought this woman could work, I had to trust him.

Jonathan came into my office then, I totally forgot he was going to come and update me. “She’s downstairs,” he said. “Aria is ready to meet you.”

As I walked out, I saw Grandma’s nurse coming from the hallway. “Your grandmother would like to join the meeting soon,” she said.

I shook my head. “Not necessary,” I said quickly, wanting to stay focused.

I walked down the stairs, ready for the meeting. But when I saw the so called perfect bride, I froze.

She was the woman who had embarrassed me in front of my important guests. She had messed up a simple event so badly that it caused a delay in a big project I was counting on. It ruined a partnership I needed to grow the company.

We looked at each other, and I could see it in her eyes. She remembered me, just like I remembered her. I could feel the anger rising inside me again.

Jonathan, who was standing next to me, seemed nervous.

“Do you know who she is, Jonathan?” I asked, my voice loud. “Did you even do a proper background check before handing her a $10,000 check? How incompetent and lazy can one be?!”

Jonathan didn’t respond. His silence was enough to tell me that he hadn’t done his job. That only made me angrier.

Aria stood there, calm but obviously annoyed. “I didn’t ask for your help, Mr. Deveraux,” she said, her voice tight.

“You think this is help?” I shot back. “You ruined sonethung big for me and you now think I should smile with you?”

I couldn’t stop hinking about how ridiculous this all was. From the 10k to Jonathan bringing her here. None of it made sense.

Aria didn’t react. Instead, she removed the check from her purse and threw it right in my face. “Keep it,” she said coldly. “I don’t want it.”

I was still looking at the check Aria had thrown at me when I heard the sound of a wheelchair. I turned and saw Grandma coming into the room.

In her weak voice, she asked, "What’s going on here? I was hearing a lot of noise."

She stopped when she saw Aria, and both of them froze. They stared at each other, and I could tell right away they recognized each other.

I watched as Aria stopped in her tracks, her face draining of color. Grandma’s voice was soft but clear when she said, "Ari?"

Aria’s eyes widened, and she took a step back, almost as if she couldn’t believe what was happening.