Page 59 of Owned By a Billionaire

No amount could fill the black hole left in its wake.

“Oh my god, what’s happened?” Manon asked, sitting close and placing her arm around my shoulders.

I slowly regained composure as the storm rocking my foundations subsided. And I studied my granddaughter, seeing myself at her age, freshly married and presiding over a dynasty.

From the ashes of desperation and indigence, this bright, beautiful girl had been born, and I couldn’t have been prouder.

There was something gratifying, miraculous even, in seeing someone rise from nothing to greatness. Like a unique flower growing from a patch of grime.

Manon poured me a whisky, and after I swallowed it down, I told her about Cary’s sudden departure.

Manon frowned. “Then you have to talk to Crisp and find out what he knows.”

“He wants Elysium.” Just saying that was like a concrete curtain slamming down on me. The thought of another struggle made me want to roll into a ball and sleep.

Her jaw dropped. “But you can’t. Savvie and I are having a ball turning it upmarket and hip.”

I had to smile at her determination. “I’ve noticed.”

Pushing aside the bleakness that had fallen upon me, I regarded Manon and the ambition dancing in her eyes, a heartening reminder that the Lovechilde empire lay in excellent hands.

Welcoming any distraction, I asked, “About the techno dance club. Won’t that be noisy for some of the older guests?”

“We’re planning on holding it in the function room at the back, which is soundproofed. Only once a month, mind you, and Elysium gets booked out by rich, young things. We’ve got to think of the future, Grandmother. They won’t always be young, but most will always be filthy rich and need somewhere like Elysium to visit, and they already love the spa. It’s a perfect fit.”

“And what about the party drugs? Cocaine?”

“Oh, that already happens. The oldies drink like fish, and I often smell weed. Not to mention the endless little white streaks everywhere.”

I sighed. “Well, darling, I’m afraid Elysium will soon no longer be in our hands. You could try to secure your position there by talking to Rey.”

“What?” Her face scrunched in horror, like I’d suggested we bulldoze the property.

I explained how he had me over a barrel, without going into the finer details. No one knew those.

“But that’s fucked.” She bit her lip. “Sorry.”

“I agree. It is fucked.” I puffed, wringing my hands.

“Can’t you do something?”

I shook my head slowly.

Oh, I could do something, all right, but I wasn’t about to air the ominous solution developing within me. A plan that, with every breath, had turned into an invasive weed, suffocating any trace of goodness.

“Sorry, I shouldn’t be talking about dance clubs while you’re dealing with a broken heart.” Manon’s doe eyes filled with sympathy.

“I’ll live.” I forced a smile. Rising, I ran my hands over my hair, which had lost its shape during my tirade. “I hope the staff aren’t wondering what that was about.” I stared at the broken ceramic bits on the floor.

“Oh, you destroyed the horses.”

“Yes, Harry spent a fortune on those. One-offs.” I shrugged. “They’re only possessions. And it wouldn’t have done to have broken something cheap.”

Manon’s attention shifted from the scattered pieces to me, and her lips curled. “That’s so true. Even though you’d be hard-pressed to find any worthless crap at Merivale.”

She went to inspect the damage. “Maybe they can be glued back together. I can see if I can fix them.”

I smiled and thanked my lucky stars that I had her around. “We’ve got cupboards filled with pretty things.” She sat down again, and I stroked her cheek. “Thanks, sweetheart. You’ve made me proud.”

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