Page 8 of Falling for Mr. Grump, the Big City Billionaire

"Hey, Mr. Jenkins! How's your back feeling?"

"Sarah! Love the new haircut. Very Seaside chic."

"Coach Wilson! Ready for the big game on Friday?"

Finally, we snag seats near the middle, as Mayor Thompson clears his throat.

"Alright, folks, let's get started. First order of business: the upcoming Sandcastle Festival."

For the next half hour, we debate the burning issues of our little town.

Should we allow inflatable castles this year? (No, after last year's "Bouncy Castle in the Bay" fiasco.)

Can we extend the boardwalk? (Maybe, if we can convince Old Man Grump to give up three feet of his beachfront property.)

I'm about to doze off during a riveting discussion about seagull-proof trash cans when Mayor Thompson's tone turns serious.

"Now, I'm afraid I have some... concerning news."

The room goes quiet.

Even Mrs. Hanson stops knitting, which is like, end-of-the-world levels of serious.

"We've heard rumors that a large corporation is eyeing several of our town landmarks for a potential buyout."

Wait, what?

I sit up straight, suddenly wide awake. Zoey grabs my arm, her eyes wide.

"The details are still unclear," the mayor continues, "but we need to be prepared. This could change the face of Seaside Cove as we know it."

The room erupts into murmurs. I look around, seeing shock, confusion, and anger on familiar faces.

This isn't just business – it's personal. These are our homes, our livelihoods.

A buyout? Of our landmarks? Oh hell no.

My mind's racing a mile a minute. Change Seaside Cove? Our little slice of paradise? Over my dead body.

I raise my hand and begin talking, ignoring protocol. "What can we do to stop this?"

Mayor Thompson gives me a tired smile. "That's what we're here to discuss, Skye."

I listen as people throw out ideas. Some good, some... less so.No, Mrs. Hanson, we can't merely "shoo away" big corporations like seagulls.

But the whole time, I can't shake this feeling in my gut. It's like a storm's coming, and we're all standing on the beach, watching the clouds roll in.

As the meeting wraps up, I hang back, my mind buzzing. This buyout thing? It's big. It's bad. And it's got me worried.

But if there's one thing Seaside Cove's taught me, it's that we don't go down without a fight. And boy, am I ready to fight.

I hope it's enough.

The meeting wraps up, but the buzz in the room doesn't die down. Everyone's still talking, voices a mix of worry and determination.

"Well, that was... something," Zoey says, stretching as we stand to leave.

I nod, my mind still racing. "Yeah, 'something' is one way to put it."

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