sh over her. She got in the car, her assistant driving, and leaned her head back

familiar scent of her mother' s cooking filled the air. It wa

," she ca

, wiping her hands on her apron. "Ava, you

e newspaper, and her older brother, Daniel, was scroll

g was off. The usual light chatter was missing. Her parents ke

d, putting down her chopsticks

husband. Robert folded his news

voice serious. "There's som

. Ava felt a knot form in

ade a long time ago," Grace said softly.

The Grayson family? You

r. Grayson were very close friends. They made a prom

marriage? An arranged marriage? It sounded like somethin

, finally looking up fro

a handshake that had been honored for generations. He explained that the Graysons were a respe

of explosive, world-ending shock she might have expected. Her life was already so public, so

mness surprising even her

t her, stunned by h

is?" Grace asked, her v

a small shrug. "It's a promise. It's important to you. And

ieved. "Thank you for

th this soon," her mother added gentl

icker of curiosity finally breaki

's the CEO of Grayson Corp. A very capable man. From what I've h

eyebrow. "Ha

trying to ease the tension. "You'll see.

ly. "Okay. This