All Chapters of The Bet That Ruined Us : Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

"Ayven, you'll be late for school!" Shayla shouted from the kitchen, her hands moving swiftly as she packed her son's lunch box with practiced efficiency. Sandwiches cut into triangles because he insisted they tasted better that way, apple slices with a sprinkle of cinnamon, and the granola bars he'd been obsessed with for the past month."A minute, Momma!" Ayven's voice echoed from down the narrow hallway of their two-bedroom apartment.Shayla chuckled, shaking her head as she zipped the lunch box closed. A minute in Ayven's world could mean anything from thirty seconds to ten minutes, depending on what had captured his attention. Her son was seven years old, with a mind that never stopped racing and a maturity that sometimes unnerved her. He was tall for his age, all long limbs and boundless energy, with the kind of pouty lips that made strangers stop and comment on how adorable he was.What they didn't know—what they couldn't know—was that those lips were a carbon copy of his fathe

Monday morning came faster than Shayla was ready for.She stood in front of her closet—well, the corner of her bedroom that functioned as a closet—staring at the limited options hanging before her. Professional attire wasn't exactly her strongest wardrobe category, considering her usual uniform consisted of coffee-stained aprons and supermarket polo shirts.But today was different. Today required her A-game.After applying on Saturday afternoon, she'd spent the rest of the weekend convincing herself nothing would come of it. These things took time—weeks, sometimes months. She'd prepared herself for the waiting game, for the inevitable disappointment.Then Sunday evening happened.The email had arrived at 6:47 PM, subject line: *Interview Invitation - Personal Assistant Position - GC Group of Companies.* Shayla had read it three times to make sure it was real, then screamed loud enough that Ayven came running from his room asking if she'd seen a spider.Interview scheduled for Monday, 1

The first document was straightforward: an overview of her duties as Personal Assistant to the CEO. Managing his schedule, coordinating meetings, handling correspondence, screening calls. Standard PA responsibilities.Then came the details.“The PA may be required to work extended hours, including weekends, depending on business needs”Okay. That was fine. She'd expected that.“The PA may be required to attend off-site meetings and represent the CEO in certain professional capacities”.Also fine. She could handle that.“The PA may be required to work from the CEO's home office as needed”.Shayla blinked.His home office?She re-read the line twice, then kept going.Apparently, the CEO worked from home occasionally—high-profile clients, confidential meetings, whatever the reason—and when he did, she was expected to be there too. As his assistant.At his home.That felt... invasive. But maybe that was just how things worked at this level. Maybe this was normal.She kept reading.The sala

Shayla locked herself in the furthest bathroom stall and tried to remember how to breathe. In. Out. In. Out. Her hands were shaking so badly she had to press them flat against her thighs to make them stop. Her heart was hammering against her ribs like it was trying to escape her chest, and black spots danced at the edges of her vision. Not a panic attack. Not here. Not now. In. Out. In. Out. Why him? Why, of all the companies in all the cities in the world, did it have to be his? GC Group of Companies. Grayson Cross. How had she not made the connection? How had she been so stupid, so blind, so completely oblivious— A sob broke free before she could stop it, raw and jagged, tearing up her throat. She'd spent seven years running from him. Seven years building a life where he didn't exist, where the past couldn't touch her, where she was safe. And in one second, all of it had crumbled. The tears came before she could stop them, hot and relentless, spilling down her cheeks as me

The hospital waiting room smelled like antiseptic and fear.Shayla paced back and forth, her heels clicking against the linoleum, her purse clutched so tightly in her hands that her knuckles had gone white.They'd told her Ayven was stable. That the allergic reaction had been caught in time. That he was going to be fine.But she wouldn't believe it until she saw him."Ms. Hale?"She spun around. A nurse stood in the doorway, clipboard in hand, expression kind."You can see him now. Room 304."Shayla didn't walk—she ran.Room 304 was at the end of the hallway, the door half-open. She pushed through it and found Ayven sitting up in the hospital bed, looking small and tired but blessedly, beautifully alive."Momma!" His face lit up when he saw her."Baby." She was at his side in seconds, her hands cupping his face, checking him over with the frantic energy of a mother who'd just had ten years scared off her life. "Are you okay? Does anything hurt? What happened?""I'm okay, Momma. I promi