Chapter 14

Chapter 14

MAX POINT OF VIEW 

I pulled up to my grandfather's huge house, feeling like I was gonna be sick. The big gates, the perfect lawn, the weird quiet, it was all the same, but today it felt different. Today, my stomach was in knots.

I got out of the car and fixed my suit. It was cold, but that wasn't why I was shivering. My grandfather's phone call last night scared the crap out of me. When he calls me to the family house, it's always serious. And from how he sounded, I knew this was gonna suck.

I barely got inside before the butler showed up. He took me to the study the same room where my grandfather made all his big deals and control everyone around him. It's where he built the company I'm supposed to run now.

When I walked in, the door clicked shut behind me. There he was, sitting behind his big desk like always. He didn't even stand up when I came in. He never does. Even when he's just sitting there, you can feel how powerful he is.

"Maximilian," he said, all deep and bossy. He pointed at the chair in front of his desk. "Sit down. We need to talk."

I sat down, feeling like I was under a microscope. "What's this about?"

He squinted at me. "It's about Sara."

My stomach dropped. Of course. This wasn't about work. This was about the mess I'd made with Sara.

"You think I don't know what's going on?" he said, sounding disappointed and pissed off at the same time. "You think I can't see what's happening with you two? Showing her off like that, while your wife sits at home, feeling like crap. What the hell are you doing?"

I went stiff, but I didn't say anything. I know better than to interrupt him when he's mad.

"You've made yourself look like an idiot," he snapped. "And worse, you've dragged our family name through the mud. You're making us look weak and messed up."

My jaw was so tight it hurt, but I kept my mouth shut. I'd heard this speech before about how everything I do makes the family look bad, how every little thing I do has big consequences. But this was different. This was personal.

"You're supposed to take over after me, Max," he said, leaning forward and staring right into my eyes. "You're supposed to be the future of this family. But if you think for one second that I'm gonna let you ruin everything we've built because you can't keep it in your pants, you're dead wrong."

I swallowed hard. The room felt so tense I could barely breathe.

"I'm telling you right now," he said, his voice cold as ice, "stay away from Sara. End whatever's going on with her, or you'll be sorry. I won't think twice about cutting you off. You got that?"

I stared at him, feeling anger bubbling up inside me. He was threatening to cut me off? From the family, from everything? Over Sara?

"Grandfather, it's not that easy-"

"It is that easy!" he yelled, cutting me off. "You made a promise when you married Eva. I don't care if it was arranged or if you think she's weak. She's your wife, and you owe her some respect. You don't get to make her look like a fool in public and expect me to just watch."

My hands were in fists, but I bit my tongue. Fighting with him wouldn't help. When he makes up his mind, that's it. There's no changing it.

"And let me make this really clear," he added, his voice low and scary. "If you don't get your act together, I'll make sure you lose everything. You won't have the family name to hide behind. No money, no business, nothing. You'll be on your own."

His words hit me like a punch in the gut. He wasn't kidding around. He meant every word.

"I understand," I said through clenched teeth.

He leaned back in his chair, looking at me like I was something gross on the bottom of his shoe. "Good. Because this is your last warning, Maximilian. Fix your life, or I'll fix it for you."

I nodded, feeling so angry I could barely see straight. But I kept my face blank. There was no point in fighting with him now.

"Now get out of here," he said, waving his hand like I was a fly he wanted to swat away. "And think real hard about what you're gonna do next."

I stood up, my heart pounding so hard I thought it might burst out of my chest. I left without saying another word. As soon as the door closed behind me, I let out a big breath I didn't even know I was holding.

As I walked back to my car, my head was spinning. Sara. Eva. The marriage. The business. It all felt like it was closing in on me, like I couldn't breathe. And my grandfather's threat just made everything worse.

By the time I got to the bar later that morning, I'd gone over the conversation with my grandfather a million times in my head. Each time, I felt the same anger, the same frustration.

I sat down at the bar and ordered a drink without even thinking about it. The bartender put a glass of whiskey in front of me, and I drank it all in one go.

I couldn't stop thinking about Eva, about how she looked last night. The way she stared at me, her eyes all full of hurt and betrayal. For a second, I almost felt bad for her. Almost.

But then the anger came back, and I slammed the glass down on the bar. None of this would've happened if it wasn't for her. If she hadn't said yes to this stupid marriage, I wouldn't be in this mess. If she wasn't so weak, so easy to push around, maybe things would be different.

I waved for another drink. The alcohol was making my thoughts fuzzy, but not enough to shut them up completely.

This wasn't my fault. It was hers.

This whole thing, the mess with Sara, the fight with my grandfather it was all because of her. Because she wasn't strong enough to handle it. Because she was too soft, too breakable. She was never the woman I needed, and now I was paying for it.

I took another big drink of whiskey, feeling it burn all the way down. I leaned back in my seat, staring at all the bottles behind the bar.

"Stupid Eva," I muttered to myself. "Stupid, weak Eva."

The bartender glanced at me but didn't say anything. He was used to guys like me, I guess. Guys with too much money and too many problems.

I thought about Sara. Beautiful, strong Sara. She understood me. She knew what it was like to have all this pressure on you. But now I had to end it with her? Because my grandfather said so?

"Bullshit," I said out loud, making the guy next to me jump a little.

I ordered another drink. The bartender hesitated for a second, but then he poured it. Smart guy. He knew better than to argue with someone like me.

As I sat there, drinking and getting madder and madder, I started thinking about what I was gonna do. I couldn't just give up Sara, she saved my life and I couldn't go back to that cold, empty life with Eva. But I couldn't lose everything either.

"I need to talk to her," I said to myself. "I need to see Sara."

I didn't know what I was gonna say to her. I didn't know how I was gonna fix this mess. But I knew one thing for sure I wasn't gonna let my grandfather or Eva or anyone else tell me what to do. I was Max... Fucking.....Graves, and I make my own choices.

Even if those choices were gonna blow up in my face.

I took another swig of whiskey, the liquid burning down my throat, and leaned back in my seat, staring at the rows of bottles lined up behind the bar.