5 - Fate.

Gabriel’s POV

I watched Grandma’s hand tremble as it rested on the arm of her wheelchair. Her eyes, still sharp despite her age, softened when she looked at me.

“Do you remember that day, Gabriel? The day I collapsed in the parking lot?” she asked, her voice calm but serious.

How could I forget? That day was burned into my memory, not because of what happened to her, but because of the chaos it caused in my life. I was in Tokyo at the time, closing an important business deal, when I got the call. They said Grandma had collapsed and needed help urgently. I had to drop everything, board the private jet, and rush home, fearing the worst.

“Of course, I remember,” I said, keeping my tone short. “You scared me half to death that day.”

She chuckled softly, a sound that felt out of place in this suffocating room. "Yes, I imagine it was quite the ordeal for you. But it wasn’t your quick return that saved me." Her gaze shifted to Aria, who looked as if she wanted to vanish into thin air.

My eyes followed Grandma’s, and the pieces began to click together.

"She’s the one," Grandma said, her voice brimming with emotion. "This young woman, standing right here, is the reason I’m alive today."

I frowned, my mind scrambling to process what she’d just said. Aria? This fraudulent, infuriating woman?

“What do you mean?” I asked, my voice sharp.

Grandma took a deep breath. “The day I collapsed, Aria found me in the parking lot. She could have ignored me. She could have walked away like so many people do. But she didn’t. Even though her father had just died.”

I froze.

“She had just lost her father,” Grandma continued. “But instead of going home to grieve, she stayed. She got me to the hospital, made sure I was cared for, and waited until the doctors said I would be fine.”

I didn’t know what to say. I looked at Aria, who stood stiffly, her face hard to read. She didn’t seem comfortable hearing any of this.

“Why didn’t you tell me this before?” I asked, frustration creeping into my voice.

“I was unconscious for most of it,” Grandma said. “By the time I woke up, she was gone. I never got the chance to thank her. All I remembered was her name. I’ve been trying to find her ever since.”

I clenched my jaw. That day has always been a terrible memory for me. A day when I had to leave an important deal behind and fly back in a rush. Now it was tied to something deeper.

“And now she’s here,” Grandma said, her voice full of emotion. “She walked into this house today for a reason, Gabriel. Don’t you see it?”

I didn’t see it. Not yet. And I wasn’t sure I wanted to.

And why does she trust this scammer so much? The shambolic company conference and gala cost 155k dollars, what are we doing here?

Grandma straightened in her wheelchair, her voice calm but firm. “Aria walking into this house today is no coincidence, Gabriel. It’s fate. And I’ve made my decision.”

My chest tightened. “What decision?” I asked, my voice sharp.

She looked at Aria briefly, then back at me. “She’s the perfect person for you. Not just for your personal life, but for the company as well.”

I blinked, certain I’d heard her wrong. “What?”

Grandma raised her chin, her tone resolute. “I’m leaving the company and the family inheritance to both of you to handle together.”

A heavy silence fell over the room. I felt my stomach drop as her words sank in.

“You’ve lost your mind,” I said, my voice rising in disbelief. “Grandma, do you even hear yourself? You can’t be serious!”

She held my gaze, her expression unyielding. “I’m completely serious, Gabriel. Aria is selfless, kind, and resilient. She’s everything you need to balance your stubbornness and arrogance. She will ground you.”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. “Ground me?” I repeated, almost laughing at the absurdity. “This is ridiculous. You’re asking me to marry someone I just met and hand over the future of the company based on what? A gut feeling?”

“It’s not just a feeling,” she said firmly. “It’s the truth. She saved my life. And now she’s here for a reason.”

I ran a hand through my hair, my frustration boiling over. “Grandma, stop being barbaric for goodness sake! If you want to reward her for what she did, fine. We can forgive the lawsuits. We can give her financial help to restart her business. Hell, we can write her a check that’ll set her up for life! But marriage? And the company? That’s crossing the line.”

Grandma didn’t flinch. “Oh well, the lawsuits have been forgiven as far as I am concerned and none of those things would truly honor what she did. And they wouldn’t do for you what she can.”

“You’re being irrational,” I snapped. “You’re basing the future of this family and the company on some fairy tale about fate. It’s reckless!”

Grandma’s voice cut through my protests like a knife. “It’s my final wish, Gabriel. And you will respect it. Or I will never rest easy again.”

You know when your heart drops and you can feel it? That was exactly what I felt.

I looked over at Aria, who had been standing looking like she wanted to protest, finally spoke up. “With all due respect, Ma’am, I didn’t come here today for all these. I don’t want any of those things. Please let me leave, I beg. I did what I did out of selflessness and you don’t have to repay me. Please.. Excuse me.”

I could see her trying to leave, and I couldn’t blame her. This whole thing was ridiculous.

She grabbed the door handle, her fingers shaking a little. “I’m sorry,” she said quietly, not looking back.

“Please my child, wait!” Grandma’s voice grew louder.

She froze but didn’t turn around.

“If she walks out of this house, Gabriel,” Grandma said, her voice cold and sharp, “I’ll change my will. Everything will go to charity instead.”

I couldn’t believe what I’d just heard. My head was spinning.

“What the fuck, Grandma?” I shouted, slamming my foot on the floor. I wasn’t trying to be dramatic, but damn it, this was too much.

I didn’t even look back. I didn’t want to hear it anymore. I matched to my room and slammed the door behind me, the sound echoing through the house.

Marry her my foot!