Chapter Four

Grayson

I barely paid any attention to whatever was coming out of Benjamin's mouth.

I was trying so hard to concentrate, but the more I tried, the more I failed miserably.

How was she here?

I ran a hand over my face.

"Could you stop talking?"

Benjamin stared at me. His expression was a mixture of surprise and worry.

"Is everything alright?"

"I'm fine. I'm just restless."

"Why?"

I didn't respond because after that night, I couldn't get that girl out of my head.

Whenever I closed my eyes, I saw her. Her smile. The way she begged for my touch.

And I wanted her again.

I wanted her so badly.

"I need your help."

Benjamin closed the folder in front of him.

"I need you to look into someone for me."

"Who, Alpha?"

"She attended the party last night. She was the one who left early."

"The girl?"

I nodded.

"Sure," he said, standing up abruptly, but before he left, he turned to me. "What about the meeting?"

"Cancel it all," I said, not wanting to hear anything that had to do with work or anything else. "Tell the investors some other time. I am not in the right mental state to be having any business discussions."

He gave me a small nod before walking out.

And I just stayed there.

I couldn't bring myself to think of anything else apart from her.

I just wanted to be near her.

I wanted to be close to her.

What the hell was wrong with me?

Usually, I'd go for any woman I wanted, but I only used women for pleasure. I was here for a good time, not a long time, and women didn't usually cross my mind more than once.

But this girl was living rent-free in my head.

A knock landed on my door, and my heart quickly skipped a beat.

I hoped it was Benjamin with some good news, but that would be too fast.

Instead, Hudson walked in.

I leaned back in my chair.

He stood by the door without stepping in.

"Why don't you have a seat?" I said, pointing to the chair in front of me.

And he did.

He looked nervous.

I leaned forward, tilting my head slightly.

"What's going on?"

"I need to ask you for something," he said, his voice not as audible as it used to be.

"Did something happen?"

"No, but I want to go see someone."

I sighed in relief.

"Oh, you should have said that."

"Okay, Dad, I'm lying. Mom wants to come have lunch with us."

"Dad, please. Can't she come? Only this once?"

I stared at Hudson, unable to speak.

This was the first time in a year that he was bringing up his mother.

"You've been in contact with her?" I asked, my voice cold.

"Yes. She contacted me," he said with a stutter.

"And you didn't deem it fit to let me know?"

"Dad, I'm sorry, but she misses us. She wants to come home. And I knew if I told you any of that, you wouldn't be in support of it. I thought if time passed, then at least—"

"At least what?" I snapped. "Hudson, your mother left us. She fell out of love with me, and she cheated. Did she tell you that?"

But I knew Hudson already knew all of that.

Talking about it made it feel like something was clenching my heart.

"If you can forgive her that easily, I can't. Your mother and I are divorced, and I have full custody of you. And it is going to remain that way. I don't want to see her close to you. I do not want you to be in contact with her. Not anymore."

"But Dad—"

"Hudson, no. That woman is a monster, and the sooner you realize that, the sooner you can get over whatever this is."

"But she's my mother."

"And she was my wife and my mate, yet she still cheated."

It felt like I had been holding my breath, and thinking about Clarissa just brought back a lot of memories I wanted to stay buried.

"You know what you're doing isn't fair, right?"

"What isn't?" I asked, already starting to get angry.

I was trying so hard to keep my temper in check, but it seemed like my son didn't want that.

"Mom is trying to be a better person."

"Your mother is trying to get back into our lives because she has no money left. Once she has enough money, that woman will drop you so fast, the same way she dropped me. She doesn't care about you. Get over it."

I hated that I had to talk to Hudson like this, but if it was the only way he was going to listen, then so be it.

I spent the rest of the day lost in thought.

Then Benjamin came back.

"Do you have something good for me?" I asked, my tone strained.

It wasn't like I had done anything taxing today. What's more, I'd just been trapped in my own head, yet somehow it felt like a serious task.

"You will not like what I have to say," Benjamin replied, his expression unreadable.

"Say it."

"The girl... she's actually your son's fiancée."

"What?"

"Alpha Grayson, you do not ask me to look into women for you. You ask me to look into business partners and shady people. And when you asked about the girl from last night, I knew you were interested in her.

"But I am telling you this not as your beta, but as your friend. She belongs to someone else. Stay away.

"That person is your son."

I leaned forward on the table, unable to hide my smile.

"I want her."

My smile widened.

"And I am going to get her."

"Grayson, listen to me. Don't do this to Hudson."

"I had seen the way Hudson treated her last night, and no woman deserved that. And I was going to do better because that was what she deserved."

I leaned back in my chair, still grinning from ear to ear.

"I understand your concern, Ben, but I've got everything perfectly under control.”