LOGINChapter 132Tessa Ford ~•~“Just get straight to the point, Sabine. What are you doing here?” I asked as soon as Grayson stepped out of the office. Sabine was silent for a while. Then she moved around my office for a moment, touching several things before she finally turned back to me. “I saw a design you sent to one of your clients.” I folded my arms, staring at her in anticipation. “Okay? And?” I asked, my voice sharp. She let out a breath. “That was my design. You stole my design,” she answered, voice steady. I couldn’t hold back a scoff. As soon as she stepped into my office uninvited, I knew she had come to cause trouble. “I stole your design?” Sabine nodded. “Yes, you stole my design.” I scratched the back of my head. “What design is that? Show me.” I demanded, knowing fully well that I didn’t steal any design from Sabine. When was the last time I even saw any of her designs? She pulled out her phone from her purse and scrolled through it for a moment, then she shov
Chapter 131Grayson Grant ~•~“What are you guys talking about?” Sabine asked as she stepped into the office. My breath hitched. I hope she hadn’t overheard our conversation. “How long have you been standing outside?” Tessa asked, taking a few steps closer to her sister. Sabine’s expression was unreadable. “Long enough.” “What did you hear?” I asked, my brows furrowed. “I heard enough,” she replied with a mischievous smirk plastered across her lips but I couldn’t tell if she was being for real or if she was bluffing. If Sabine really heard something, then I had messed up badly. What was she even doing at Tessa’s office? “What do you want? Why are you here?” Tessa demanded, ignoring her response. The irritation on her face was evident. Sabine pinched the bridge of her nose. “I came to see you.” “See me?” Tessa frowned. “What do you want to see me for?” she asked, eyes flashing with curiosity. Sabine’s eyes darted between Tessa and me before she continued. “It’s a privat
Chapter 130Tessa Ford ~•~An unbelievable scoff escaped my lips. “You want me to do what?” Grayson avoided eye contact as he replied. “I wouldn’t be asking you if I had another choice, but it’s less risky if you’re the one cleaning the money.” I shook my head, still stunned by his audacity. “I just started my business and you want to jeopardize it?” “No, no… the fashion business is like the easiest avenue to clean the money. No one is going to get suspicious.” The fact that he was still trying to defend himself and convince me was baffling. “No one is going to get suspicious?” I repeated, blinking my eyes. “You really want to put my life in danger just because you made a terrible decision that you can’t handle?” He dragged his hand down his face. “I made that decision for all of us. Now I need your help, Tessa.” I could tell that he was frustrated. Maybe the conversation wasn’t going according to how he had imagined it. He probably expected me to agree without thinking twice
Chapter 129Tessa Ford ~•~“So how long are you going to ignore me for? Please call me as soon as you listen to this.” I let out a sigh as I left what seemed like the millionth voicemail for Zane. Ever since we had that conversation in his car, he had been acting weird towards me. He barely called, texted, responded to my text, or even hung out with me. I had to admit that I missed him. And I wanted him around, but I wasn’t ready to be in a relationship with him. It wasn’t about Grayson, but it was because I felt it wasn’t the right time to get into a relationship. I needed to focus on raising my kids and taking my career to the next level. Zane wasn’t a distraction from all those things, but I could get carried away sometimes. Why wouldn’t he just understand me and be patient? I tossed my phone and got out of bed. It was early and I had to prepare myself for work and get the kids ready for school. I hated school days because it was a lot of work, but I loved doing it for my k
Chapter 128Grayson Grant ~•~Just as I finished dinner, my phone rang. I frowned as I saw the name on the screen. Daniel Brooks. One of the senior analysts at the office. Why was he calling me after work hours? “Daniel?” I asked in a skeptical tone as I answered the call. “Hey, Grayson,” he said. His voice sounded tight and I couldn’t help but wonder if there was a problem at the office. “Do you have a minute?”Something in his tone made me stay still. “Yes, I do. What’s going on?” He hesitated for a while before responding with a deep exhale. “I was going through some recent transfers linked to one of our big clients,” he continued. “The meridian account.” My chest tightened. I knew exactly why he called and what he was about to say. But maybe I could be wrong. “What about it?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. “They just don’t look right,” Daniel said with a hint of concern in his voice. “The money keeps moving between different companies… really fast. It’s not
Chapter 127Tessa Ford ~•~I didn’t expect my peaceful afternoon to spiral into chaos, but somehow Grayson Grant had that effect on my life — whether he tried or not. As if it wasn’t enough that he showed up at the restaurant, he was also trying to steal one of Zane’s biggest clients. We didn’t even stay back to eat our food because Zane was too upset and didn’t want to be in the same space as Grayson. Could I even blame him? Grayson knew exactly what he was doing. As we walked back to my office, he got into his car. I didn’t go inside; I stayed in the car with him, even though he insisted I leave. “I’m so sorry about everything.” I apologized even though it wasn’t my fault. Zane’s jaw was still hard. “Why does he always act like that? I know we were rivals when we were younger, but I’m not that guy anymore.” He dragged a hand through his hair. “Ever since I came into your life, I haven’t even done anything to upset him.” Zane didn’t know that being with me alone was enough t







