He texted his mother to meet him that night to talk. Then he pulled up the address for Kate’s old professor, Alan Von Breuer. He was up the street from Holbrook Enterprises, teaching at Columbia. Grant decided to pay him a little visit. Maybe once Kate had complete assurances she was safe, things would work out between them. Or he could always have Brandy. He gagged a little.
After his last meeting of the day, Grant knocked on the door of Alan’s house. When the older man opened the door, he didn’t seem as terrified to see Grant as Grant would have liked.
“I haven’t contacted Kate anymore,” he said, leveling his gaze at Grant.
“See that you don’t.”
“You don’t know what you’re playing at here,” Alan told him. “You better be careful.”
“No, you need to be careful,” Grant shot back.
Alan smirked at him as he closed the door.
“One down, one to go,” Grant said to himself.
He went to a bar across town and slipped into a booth.
“I ordered you a drink,” Danielle said sweetly.
Grant ignored the beer. He wasn’t eating or drinking anything from her; he did not trust her at all.
“We can finally be together,” she said dreamily. “After all that I’ve done for you, my dear sweet baby, I think I’ve proved that I want to be the mother you deserve.” She took his hand and stroked it gently. And was a hint of a tear in her eye?
Grant could see how someone more naïve could have been reeled in by Danielle. She seemed so sincere, but he was used to his toxic adoptive parents and the multitude of lying marines under his command, and he had built up immunity to bullshit and manipulation.
“I want us to have a relationship,” Danielle continued, “a real one.”
“Honestly, that’s never going to happen,” Grant said, keeping his face carefully devoid of any expression.
Danielle’s façade started to crack. “I helped you.We had a deal.”
“Yes, you did.”
“Don’t you want to learn about your half-siblings?” she asked desperately.
Grant smirked. “I have a feeling you’re lying about that. If there’s any information, Walter will tell me. I don’t need you.”
“I’ll ruin your contract,” she snarled.
“No, you won’t,” he said. “It’s ironclad, and the president of the mining company likes me. You didn’t think just because you were friends with his daughter that suddenly you controlled him, did you?” He laughed. “No. We’re done, Danielle. I got what I needed from you. Now leave me alone. I’m being adopted tomorrow officially by my father. You lost. Bow out gracefully.”
“You’re going to be sorry!” Danielle screeched at him as she snatched up her purse and stormed out of the bar.
He probably should have played it closer to the vest, but he was frustrated about the Kate situation. Why was she still fighting him?
The next day was the big day. He would no longer be Grant Jones. He would officially be Grant Holbrook. He didn’t know how he felt. Maybe after this, Kate would want him.
Who am I kidding?he told himself.You’re being stupid and pathetic. She doesn’t want anything to do with you.
“Your watch has arrived,” Stefan said when Grant showed up at his father’s house. “I know you will want it for the adoption ceremony.”
“Let me see,” Grant demanded.
“It’s at the dealer. It will need to be picked up.”
“Grant can’t,” Walter said, coming out of the study. “We need to go over some of the sales numbers.”
“Why did they send the watch to the dealer?” Grant asked, frustrated.
