Page 141 of Grand Love

I haven’t beento the estate properly since my father’s funeral, and a part of me wishes I had, just to make this moment less public. The marquee is full, and people spill out onto the manicured grounds. It looks like something out of a movie. Only in my head, it’s a horror film.

Businessmen, most of which I despise, nod their heads at me in greeting. My parents were respected in the property business, and now that I sit at the helm of it I’m expected to smile and greet them with the same professionalism my father showed.

When I took over the company six years ago, I knew I wasn’t going to be a pushover like mine and Elliot’s fathers were. They were the nice guys, and now we are the assholes, but also the assholes that sit at the top of all the competition.

All eyes follow the five of us through the crowded marquee as we make our way to the bar. Charlie orders a round of drinks, and I scan the crowd.

“Anyone see the girls?” Elliot asks, standing a solid two inches above me.

“No,” I deadpan, turning to retrieve my drink.

“I’m going to go find them,” he says, disappearing back the way we just came.

Ellis will be in the house, and I want to go and see him, but I feel safer out here.

Where the fuck is everyone?

I text Nina asking her where she is.

She told me she would be here, Ellis too, and now Elliot has fucked off.

“Mr Lowell Jr.”

I exhale on a deep sigh, looking to the ceiling before turning. “Mrs Mills.” I smile, turning to her husband. “Fred.”

“Good to see you, Mason, great evening you’ve put on tonight,” Fredrick says, shaking my hand. “Did you see Millerton have moved in on Berkley’s territory. I knew they would but not this fast.”

Fuck my ever-fucking life.

“I did. Doesn’t surprise me one bit, they always have been greedy in their market.”

“Well, your father would’ve been outraged. It was these very movements Anthony put a stop to.”

“Anthony isn’t here anymore, Fred.”

“I know, but—”

“Excuse me, I see someone I need to speak with. You enjoy your night.”

I’m almost clear of the bar and back to Lance, Charlie, and George when Rupert Hemmings intercepts me.

I shouldn’t be here.

I don’t want to be here.

“Mason, how are you, son?”

“Rupert.” I nod, shaking his outstretched hand.

“I haven’t seen you in years. I’m sorry to hear about your father.”

Rupert Hemmings was one of my father’s biggest competitors for over thirty years. When a scandal sent his company into bankruptcy, he decided to start asking my father for financial aid. Like I said, my father was the good guy, so he helped him. But when I took over the company, I put a stop to it and had him pay back the money he owed.

There’s no place in business for family and friends.

The old man isn’t doing bad for himself either, he had more than enough money to pay us back. If I remember rightly, he made the call from his yacht in the Maldives. Had his PA do the transfer. Safe to say old man Hemmings had his priorities in all the wrong places.

“No, it has been a while… I don’t think I saw you at the funeral.” Not that I’d know if he was there or not, but something tells me he wasn’t.

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