SLYVIA'S POVAs we drove home, I tried to keep the conversation light, asking about their day and their friends, anything to keep my mind off the looming legal battle. Their innocent chatter and laughter were a balm to my frazzled nerves.Back at home, I set the kids up with a snack and some coloring books before retreating to my home office to make some urgent calls. I needed to get ahead of this lawsuit and figure out what was going on.My phone buzzed with a call from Lisa. "Sylvia, I've calmed everyone down and got them back to work. Do you want to go over the details of the lawsuit now?""Yes, Lisa, thank you. Let's get our legal team on this immediately. I need to know what we're dealing with," I replied, my mind already shifting back into work mode."Will do. I'll set up a call with them right away," she assured me.Hanging up, I leaned back in my chair and took a deep breath. One crisis at a time, I reminded myself. The lawsuit was a hurdle, but I had overcome worse. I looked
GRAYSON'S POVI tried to step into the house, but Slyvia blocked me. Her face was a mix of anger and confusion. "What the hell is this, Slyvia? Are you okay? Did anyone hurt you or the kids?" I said, reaching out to hold her shoulders, but she pushed my hands away."What are you talking about?" I asked, bewildered by the sudden, out-of-context question. "I drove like a madman here to see if you were okay and why you didn't inform me that you were taking Zenith and Zendaya back from school today."Her face twitched at the mention of the kids' names. "Answer the damn question, Grayson. Did you buy out Raymond's Agency?" she spat."Yes, yes, goddamn it, I bought it! But what does that have to do with anything?" I replied, frustration bubbling over."The reason you don't know why that has to do with anything is exactly why I should have set firmer boundaries about our working relationship," she said, her voice trembling with anger."Working relationship? What the fuck are you talking abou
GRAYSON'S POVJust when I thought things couldn't get any worse, the flashing red and blue lights outside the bar told me otherwise. The cops had shown up, probably called by the bartender while we fought. Great. Just what I needed.An officer approached me, his expression stern. "You're coming with us," he said, grabbing my arm."Wait, this is just a misunderstanding," I tried to explain, but it was no use. The other guy was on the ground, nursing a bloody nose, and the bar was a mess. There was no talking my way out of this one.They cuffed me and led me outside, the cold metal biting into my wrists. I could feel the eyes of the onlookers burning into me, their judgment palpable. They shoved me into the back of the squad car, and I slumped against the seat, my head throbbing from the fight and the alcohol.At the station, they booked me, charged me with assault, and threw me into a cell. The clang of the metal door closing behind me was like a final nail in the coffin of this disast
GRAYSON'S POVI stumbled into the mansion, barely aware of my surroundings. The grand entryway, usually a symbol of stability and wealth, felt suffocating. Alice and William were in the living room, their conversation halting abruptly as they caught sight of me. I could feel their eyes on me, taking in my disheveled clothes and the blood still crusted on my face from the bar fight."What the hell happened to you?" Alice's voice was sharp, and honestly I don't have her time.William just stared, his expression a mix of shock and curiosity.I ignored them both, my only focus on getting to my room. The weight of the evening pressed down on me, and I couldn't muster the energy to engage with either of them. Their judgmental glances were the last thing I needed right now."Grayson!" Alice called after me, but I kept walking, my steps heavy and unsteady.I reached my room, shutting the door behind me with a thud that seemed to reverberate through the silence. Leaning against the door for a
JOCELIA'S POVI picked up my phone, a smirk already spreading across my face. Alice, sitting across from me, noticed immediately."Oh oh, you have that smirk again. What are you about to do?" she asked, her tone a mix of curiosity and amusement."Hastening the Sylvia breakdown," I replied, dialing my contact in the news. As the phone rang, I could already envision the chaos this would cause for Sylvia. When my contact picked up, I didn’t waste any time."Hello, it's Jocelia," I began, my voice low and conspiratorial. "I have a tip for you. There's a new lawsuit against Sylvia's company—fraud and false advertising. I need you to leak this story, make sure it gets maximum coverage. Destroy her credibility, ruin the reputation of her business."I could hear the excitement in my contact's voice as they agreed. They knew a good story when they heard one, and this one had all the makings of a scandal."Consider it done," my contact said before hanging up.I put my phone down, still smirking
SYLVIA'S POVI drove back home, my mind still spinning from the confrontation with Grayson and the looming lawsuit. I had to pull myself together for the sake of the kids and the business. As I parked the car and walked inside, I mentally prepared myself for the day ahead.Once inside, I headed straight to the bathroom. The warm shower was a brief respite from my thoughts, the water washing away some of the tension. I quickly dried off and picked out a plain blouse and skirt from my wardrobe, something that matched the somber mood I was in. No bright colors today—just the basics.Dressed and ready, I headed back to the car and drove to the office. As I walked in, I was greeted by Lisa, my ever-efficient assistant. "Good morning, Lisa," I said, trying to sound more upbeat than I felt."Good morning, Sylvia," she replied with a warm smile. "Can I get you anything?""Yes, please. Could you bring a coffee to my office?" I asked, grateful for her support."Of course, right away," she said,
SYLVIA'S POVLisa knocked on the door and poked her head in. "Sylvia, have you seen the news?" she asked, her voice tinged with concern."Yes, Lisa. I have. This is a full-blown attack on our reputation," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. "I need you to call an emergency meeting with the PR team immediately. We need to get ahead of this.""On it," she said, disappearing down the hall to make the calls.I took a deep breath and tried to gather my thoughts. This was more than just a legal battle now. It was a fight to protect my integrity and the integrity of my business. I couldn’t let whoever was behind this win.A few minutes later, the PR team filed into my office,"Alright, everyone. You've seen the news. We need to respond quickly and decisively," I began. "First, we need a statement denying these accusations and asserting our commitment to transparency and honesty. We need to show our clients and the public that we stand by our work."One of the PR managers, David, nodded.
GRAYSON'S POVI woke up with a loud grunt, the hangover from the night before pounding in my head like a jackhammer. My face ached from the bruises I’d gotten in the bar fight. I squinted against the harsh morning light streaming through the window and reached for my phone on the nightstand. The screen lit up, showing five missed calls from Stewart."Great," I muttered, rubbing my temples. I dialed him back, and he picked up on the first ring."Grayson, finally. Have you checked the news?" Stewart's voice was tense."No, I just woke up. What's going on?" I asked, already feeling a knot forming in my stomach."Turn on the TV or check your news app. It's about Sylvia," he said.I groaned and swung my legs out of bed, shuffling over to the TV. I grabbed the remote and switched it on, flipping to a news channel. My heart sank as I saw the headline: "Lawsuit Filed Against Affordable Housing Project. Protesters Claim Fraud."The screen showed footage of a small crowd outside Sylvia’s office