All Chapters of The Bet That Ruined Us : Chapter 161 - Chapter 170

[ANGEL'S HOSPITAL ROOM - 2:00 AM]Grayson could not go to Ayven's room. The doctor had been very clear about that. No visitors except medical staff. No noise. No stimulation of any kind. Ayven's body needed complete and total rest to have any chance of healing.So Grayson went to check on Angel instead. His daughter. His little girl who had been through so much.Her room was on the pediatric floor. Third floor. Private room with its own bathroom. Security guard posted right outside the door. The best care money could buy.Angel was asleep in the hospital bed. She had been sedated hours ago after her examination. The doctors said she had been completely inconsolable. Screaming for Ayven. Having panic attacks. Reliving the trauma over and over.So they had given her something strong to help her sleep. To give her brain a break from the horror.She looked so incredibly small in the big hospital bed. So young and fragile and vulnerable. The white sheets and blankets made her look even tin

[GRAYSON CROSS MANSION]Grayson finally drove home at exactly 11:59 PM. Beyond exhausted. Running on nothing but coffee and determination and sheer force of will.He had not slept in over forty hours. He had barely eaten anything. Was operating on fumes.But he needed clean clothes for tomorrow. Needed to shower and brush his teeth. He needed to try to be somewhat human before going back to the hospital.Grayson pulled into the circular driveway. Parked his car. Got out slowly. His whole body ached.He walked up to the front door. Reached for the handle.And noticed something strange.The house was completely dark. Every single light was off. Not a glow anywhere.That was weird. The mansion had automatic motion-sensor lights. Human energy sensors. They were supposed to turn on the moment someone got close.But nothing. Just total darkness.Grayson pulled out his phone. Turned on the flashlight function. The beam cut through the dark."Matthew?" he called out.The chef should be the on

[GRAYSON'S PRIVATE HOLDING FACILITY - UNDERGROUND SECTION, SAME TIME]The heavy metal door opened with a deep grinding sound. Grayson walked down the concrete stairs. Each step echoing in the enclosed space.This facility was not on any official records. Not registered with any government agency. Not known to the police or FBI or anyone in law enforcement.It was completely private. Completely off the books. The kind of place that did not officially exist.The guards here were different from the ones at his mansion or the hospital. These were private contractors. Specialists. People who asked no questions and followed orders without hesitation.Most of them were Asian. Women. Highly trained. Extremely dangerous.Grayson reached the bottom of the stairs. A woman stepped forward immediately. Short black hair. Sharp eyes. Military bearing."Welcome, Boss." Kim. The head of the female guard unit. "She is this way."Kim led him down a narrow hallway. Concrete walls. Dim lighting. Cold. Cli

"I want to eat ramen," Shayla said through her tears.Grayson just stared at her. Completely confused. "What?""I want ramen!" Shayla cried harder. "I am craving it so badly! I need it right now!""You are crying because you want ramen?" Grayson could not believe what he was hearing."It is the baby!" Shayla sobbed. "The baby wants ramen! And I cannot stop crying about it! I do not know why!"Pregnancy hormones. Right. Grayson remembered reading about this. Weird cravings. Emotional outbursts. Crying over strange things."Okay, okay. I will cook ramen for you right now. Just stop crying, please." Grayson started to get out of bed."Nooo! I do not want you to cook it!" Shayla cried even harder."But you just said you wanted ramen." Grayson was so confused. "If you want ramen, I will make it for you.""I do not want you to cook it! I want you to go get it from the Korean restaurant! The real authentic kind! Not the packet stuff!"Grayson looked at the clock. It read 12:47 AM."Ayla, it

[GRAYSON CROSS MANSION GARDENS - AFTERNOON]The mansion gardens were beautiful. Sprawling green lawns. Flower beds bursting with color. Tall trees providing shade. A perfect peaceful oasis.Shayla had set up a picnic area. Blankets spread on the grass. Pillows for comfort. Baskets of food. Painting supplies. Everything they needed for a relaxing afternoon.Ruby had arrived earlier. Driven over with Ricardo who then left to go handle some business. Her baby bump was visible under her flowy dress. About four months along.The three of them sat together. Shayla, Ruby, and Angel. Just enjoying the sunshine and each other's company.They had decided to paint. Something fun and creative. Something Angel would enjoy.Ruby was terrible at painting. Absolutely awful. She held up her canvas proudly. Showed what she had created.It was supposed to be a rose. But it looked like a red blob with a green stick. The petals were uneven. The proportions were all wrong. It was objectively terrible.Shay