Page 48 of Falling for Mr. Grump, the Big City Billionaire

Slowly, I raise my head.

Troy stands in the doorway, looking impossibly good in a casual blue button-down and jeans. His hair's messy like he's been running his hands through it – something I know he does when he's stressed. Not that I should know his habits. Not that I should care.

The room goes silent. Everyone's looking between us like they're watching one of those telenovelas my abuela loves.

"What are you doing here?" The words come out sharper than I intended. Or maybe exactly as sharp as I intended.

He takes a step forward, hands raised like he's approaching a wild animal. Which, okay, fair. I might bite.

"I heard about the meeting." His eyes lock with mine. "And I think I know who's behind the buyout."

My heart's doing the cha-cha in my chest, but I keep my voice steady. "Oh, really? Do tell."

"It's not what you think, Skye." Another step closer. "It's not my company."

"Then whose is it?"

"If you'll let me explain.”

The bell chimes a third time, and this time it's Drew – Troy's brother – bursting in, looking worried. "Troy, we've got a problem. Richardson Corp just made their move."

And suddenly, everything clicks into place. The mysterious buyer. The aggressive timeline. The way Troy's been looking more stressed than smug.

He wasn't lying.

He wasn't the threat.

And now he's here, offering to help, while I've spent the past week plotting ways to destroy him.

Well, shoot.

The café erupts into chaos faster than my food truck during the seafood festival. Everyone's talking at once, and I'm still stuck on the fact that I've spent a week mentally villainizing the wrong person.

"Richardson Corp?" Katie's already pulling up searches on her phone. "Aren't they the ones who turned Pine Harbor into that awful resort town?"

Meg walks in behind Drew, little Willow (I think that’s what Mrs. Delmar told me was the little angel’s name some days ago) sleeping peacefully against her chest in one of those fancy baby wraps. Elliott is holding Drew’s hand solidly and plants himself near Drew’s legs. Even in the middle of all this drama, my heart melts a little. Those kids are seriously too cute for their own good.

"Sorry to crash the meeting," Meg says softly, bouncing slightly as the baby stirs. "But when Drew heard about Richardson's plans..."

"It’s worse than we thought," Drew cuts in, pulling out a chair for Meg before taking the seat next to her. "They don't just want the waterfront – they want everything. The whole town."

I'm trying really hard not to look at Troy, but it's like my eyes have a mind of their own. He's still standing there, looking at me with those intense dark eyes that make my stomach do backflips.

"So, what's their plan?" I finally ask, proud that my voice comes out steady.

"Total transformation." Troy moves closer to the table, and I catch a whiff of his stupidly expensive cologne. "They want to turn Seaside Cove into the next big luxury destination. Shopping malls, high-rise hotels, golf courses..."

"Over my dead body," Zoey mutters from her perch.

Willow makes a tiny snuffling sound in her sleep, and we all instinctively lower our voices. It's kind of funny how one tiny human can control a room full of adults.

"Look," Troy says, softer now, "I know I'm probably the last person you want help from." His eyes meet mine, and there's something there that makes my heart stutter. "But I know how Richardson operates. I know their playbook. And I know how to stop them."

"Why would you help us?" The words slip out before I can stop them.

He doesn't look away. "Because some things are more important than business."

Oh.

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