Page 73 of Falling for Mr. Grump, the Big City Billionaire

"I want to manage our small-town acquisitions from Seaside Cove.”

"You want to what?" Mona asks, her voice sharp enough to slice through steel.

I take a deep breath, straightening the navy Brioni suit that used to feel like my armor. Now it just feels like a costume from a life I'm no longer certain I want. "You heard me."

Mona's perfectly manicured nails tap against the glass conference table.

My presentation is meticulously prepared, each slide a calculated argument. I've spent nights drafting this proposal, fueled by coffee and thoughts of a certain sassy food truck owner who's turned my entire world upside down.

"Look," I begin, my voice crisp and professional, "our traditional acquisition model is becoming obsolete. Small townslike Seaside Cove aren't just real estate transactions. They're ecosystems."

Lillian raises an eyebrow. She's always been the quiet one, but she's sharp. "Ecosystems?"

"This isn't just about preserving some quaint little town," I say, my voice gaining intensity. "It's about a sustainable business model that respects local economies."

Mona lets out a sardonic laugh. "Since when did you become a small-town romantic? You hate small towns. You've said, and I quote, 'Small towns are economic dead zones that resist progress.'"

She's not wrong. Or at least, she wasn't wrong until Seaside Cove. Until Skye.

"Things change," I say coolly, refusing to let my sisters see how much this means to me. "Our company needs to evolve. Drew has already proven we can successfully integrate into smaller communities without destroying their essence."

I pull up a slide showing Seaside Cove's community metrics. "In the last three quarters, towns we've traditionally approached with pure corporate strategy have seen a 40% resistance rate. Seaside Cove? Different story."

My mind drifts momentarily to Skye - her passionate town hall speeches, her commitment to preserving local businesses. The way she had looked at me when I first revealed my true purpose, her eyes blazing with a mixture of betrayal and determination.

I clear my throat. "By establishing a local presence, we can understand these communities. Adapt. Drew's already proven this model works."

Drew, who fell in love with Meg and became part of Seaside Cove's fabric, represents exactly the approach I'm proposing. The irony isn't lost on me. I, who once scoffed at small-town sentimentality, am now its biggest advocate.

"The potential for positive PR alone is significant," I continue, my corporate persona firmly in place. "We're not just acquiring properties. We're becoming community partners."

Mona looks skeptical. "And this has nothing to do with a certain food truck owner?"

I stiffen. Professional. Controlled. "This is a strategic business decision."

Drew all but spits out his coffee in uncontrollable laughter. I give him what I feel is a well-deserved evil eye, but he’s still sputtering and grinning like the Cheshire cat.

“Okay, we all know it's more than that. Skye Martinez has gotten under my skin in ways I never expected. Her fierce independence, her creativity, her absolute refusal to be intimidated by my corporate persona - she's everything I didn't know I wanted.”

"I'll prove it works," I say, my tone leaving no room for argument. "Give me one year and I’ll demonstrate, no prove, how our approach can revolutionize our acquisition strategy."

The silence is deafening. Then Lillian speaks, a rare smile crossing her face. "You're in love."

I begin to protest, then stop. Because for once in my meticulously planned life, she’s right.

My phone buzzes. A message from Skye:When are you coming back?

And just like that, my carefully constructed professional demeanor cracks. I'm going home - to Seaside Cove. To her.

Chapter twenty

SKYE

The ocean breeze hits my face as I make my way down to the beach, my feet sinking into the warm sand with every step.

The late afternoon sun casts a golden glow over everything, and the waves are a steady, calming rhythm in the background. Normally, I’d be taking in every second of this, breathing it all in like it’s the last day of summer. But right now, I’ve got a hundred different thoughts racing through my mind, all of them centered on one person.

Troy.

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