Chapter 5

Six years later 

You know that feeling you get when you finally succeed, no matter the odds that were stacked against you?

That was the same way I felt as I sat on my cluttered desk, taking a sip of jasmine tea. 

It was 8:00 a.m. in Madrid, the weather cosy and calm, with a gentle breeze brushing against the window. 

I exhaled a deep breath as I returned my gaze to my laptop, slowly sifting through proposals until I was distracted by the sudden buzzing of my phone. 

I glanced at the screen, a soft sigh escaping my lips before I picked up the call. 

“Hello, Tessy?” I said firmly. “Please, could you call me back in about thirty minutes?”

“I understand, Ma’am, but I’m not calling because of Harlow’s holding project,” her voice came through, firm and sharp. 

“Really!” I exclaimed softly, raising a brow. “So why did you call?” 

“Okay, ma’am,” she said, keeping her voice steady. “Mr Grayson would love to meet with you tonight. He has made dinner reservations for you two at El Encanto by 7 p.m.” 

I smiled faintly, caressing my hair gently. 

“Okay, Tessy, I will be there,” I said firmly before she hung up. 

I couldn’t refuse a dinner date from Mr Grayson, I mean, he is the only reason I am where I am today. 

After he sponsored my medical bills, I permanently moved to Madrid, determined to start a new life for myself.

The rehabilitation process wasn’t easy at first, as there were no noticeable improvements in the first few months.

I had to give birth through a Caesarean section, and six months after Maurice was born, I gave my best shot at regaining my leg function—and it worked.

I had invested the million dollars given to me into real estate, as I was very much in love with it. Damon had often sought my advice on some of his projects, and since I had basic knowledge about it, I gave it my all.

Today in Spain, I was the leading firm in real estate, delivering hundreds of projects effortlessly. The struggles and sleepless nights were there, but I was able to scale through with the help of God and hard work.

A soft knock on the door snapped me out of my daze. 

As the door was pushed open, Jane, my secretary, came in with a stack of documents in her hand. 

“Good morning, ma’am. Here are all the proposals concerning the project you requested,” she said softly, forcing a faint smile.

I gestured for her to drop them on the desk, and as she turned to leave, she halted just at the door. 

“Mr Johnson also made a special request,” she muttered, meeting my gaze. “He pleaded to get feedback by tomorrow.” 

I nodded, a soft sigh escaping my lips. “It’s alright, Jane. I’ll see what I can do,” I said firmly as I dismissed her.

I let out a shaky breath, leaning back into my chair when the door closed behind me. I had so much work to do, with just a little time to do it. 

Nevertheless, I accepted it because it was only through sacrifices and hard work that greatness could be attained. 

The rest of the day was mainly about going through proposals and attending meetings without any time for myself. 

I had totally forgotten about the date with Mr Grayson until my phone buzzed with a text message. 

It read, “Good evening, ma’am. This is a reminder about your dinner date with Mr. Grayson at 7 p.m. today.” 

I pressed a hand over my mouth as the realisation settled on me. Drifting my gaze to my wristwatch, it was 6:35 p.m., and it was going to take over an hour to get ready.

Without a second thought, I closed the laptop and grabbed a few of the things I needed at home before walking out the door. 

As I settled into my car, I leaned back and exhaled a shaky breath, waiting for the chauffeur to join me.  

“Take me to El Encanto,” I informed him when he got into the front seat. I watched him nod through the rear mirror before bringing the engine to life. 

The drive to the restaurant was exhilarating because I was anticipating the dinner with Mr Grayson. 

I would have loved to change into something better, but I couldn’t go home as I was already running late. 

When I arrived at the restaurant, I was directed by one of the staff to where he was sitting in the VIP section. 

He wore a black tailored suit, his beard well-shaved, looking like he was in his late twenties, even though he was a decade older than me.

He stood and gave me a hug, his perfume lingering in my nose, thick and intoxicating, before gesturing for me to sit. 

“So sorry for being late,” I apologised as I glanced at my watch and realised it was already 7:54 p.m. “I had lost track of time working at the office.”  

He smiled faintly, leaning into his seat. “It’s fine, Clara. At least you’re here now. What would you care for?” He asked, beckoning to the waiter to come over.  

“Please get me Tortilla Española,” I told the waiter, who took both our orders before leaving. 

He returned with the order items after a few minutes. “Would you like anything else?” He asked firmly. 

“No, that’s fine for now,” Mr. Grayson replied, his voice dismissive. 

As the waiter left, I picked up my fork and began to eat quietly, the aroma of the food thick in the air. 

Mr Grayson joined me, and in the next few minutes we ate in silence until it was broken by him. 

“I must congratulate you, Clara. You have been able to single-handedly buy over fifty percent of the shares from Damon’s company. That’s really a massive victory.”

My heart swelled up with excitement, my lips curling into a warm smile as I basked in the acknowledgement of my victory. 

“Thank you, Leonard. I wouldn’t have gotten this far without your help,” I muttered softly. “I couldn’t be more grateful.”

He placed his spoon on his plate, raising his face to meet my gaze. “You have said those words a thousand times already, Clara. Anyways, your flight to New York has been booked, you will get the tickets soon.” 

“Thank you,” I said softly. “It was time to say hi to Damon Adams.” 

For a moment, I wanted to reconsider my decision to go back to New York. Was there a need to return to a place that had given me so much pain? But then, I needed to settle the scores with Damon Adams.