Page 52 of The Enemies With Benefits Deal

It was supposed to be something I spoke about with Grayson before the final decision was made. He wasn’t supposed to hear anything about it.

And the CEO position was never supposed to be part of the deal.

Grayson arches an eyebrow. “I thought that this would have been something you talked about with me. I would have thought that we had both gotten past that childish behavior.”

My body tenses, the urge to tell him where to go and how to get there on the tip of my tongue. “Look, I don’t know what conversation you had with Leo, but I have no interest in becoming the CEO. I’ve told you that before. I thought we were at the point where you trusted me.”

He scoffs. “How could I trust you after everything you’ve done to me?”

“I’ve apologized.” I keep my tone even, but it feels like everything we’ve been building together over the last few weeks is being ripped to shreds.

For the last week, I’ve thought about telling him how I feel. Maybe asking him if he wanted to turn this into something more than just sex.

Somewhere along the line, strings attached, and I should have severed them before they snapped.

I should have known better than to get attached to Grayson Harris.

He’s nothing but a heartbreaker. Always has been, always will be.

Grayson clears his throat. “You have nothing to say for yourself, do you? You’re the same person you were in college.”

“No.” I lean forward, slightly over the desk. “I’ve become an entirely different person, but you’re still the same little boy chasing after your daddy’s approval and doing whatever you think you need to for it. You don’t give a damn about other people, and you never have.”

He flinches, but his gaze hardens at the same moment. “That’s rich coming from you. Yet again, you’re here, pulling the same underhanded tricks.”

“You don’t have a clue what you’re talking about. I want nothing to do with this company beyond helpingyousucceed. Why the hell do you think I even took this job in the first place? I wanted to make amends for what happened in college. I know how much this company means to you.”

He shakes his head slightly, and I know there’s nothing I can say to make him believe me. He’s crafted a narrative of how this is going to go, and I’m sitting here without a script.

“Jade, let’s not pretend that this is anything other than what it is,” he says, his attention turning to the papers on his desk as he shuffles through them.

With a disbelieving scoff, I sit back in my seat, arms crossing. “Why don’t you tell me what this is. Because I think you and I are seeing two very different situations right now.”

Grayson glances back up at me, and when he does, it’s like I’m looking into an abyss. There is no emotion in his eyes, no lines of worry or regret that crease his face.

He stares right past me. “I think you saw an opportunity. You knew that with a business going under, a new CEO would be named after they decided to save it. You saw that you could sink your talons into a multi-billion-dollar company, and you did.”

“I haven’t been a journalist in eight years.” My tone is sharp, cutting through the tension in the air.

He shrugs. “Does that matter? You have your own digital journalism empire.”

“I have a fiction one too, but you don’t see me out here writing books. I love fiction and journalism, but my passion lies in running those two companies, not walking into failing ones and doing everything I can to save them. Even calling on contacts I’ve built good relationships with over the years and hoping they would help.”

“You did this all for your own benefit.”

My blood boils, my nails biting deep into my palms. “No. I didn’t, but at least now I know what you really think of me.”

“I think what I always thought. You were good for a bit of fun, and regardless of what you had to do where you are, you’ve been nothing but a snake, coiled and waiting for your opportunity to strike.”

Little pinpricks tease the corners of my eyes, and my throat grows thick. I push down the urge to cry, knowing that it will only give him more power in this situation.

I can’t believe that he’s sitting here and saying all these things to me, but I do know that I’m not going to continue putting up with it.

I’ve worked too hard to get to where I am to be torn down like this.

“Grayson, I have no desire to insert myself into your life and take over what you’ve been chasing for years. I think you deserve better than to be constantly overlooked, regardless of what you might think of me based on something that isn’t accurate.”

“You didn’t speak to Dad about renewing your contract?” he asks, his tone cold and his knuckles turning white as he grips the pen in his hand.

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