Chapter 22: Filthy Rich Bosses: Chapter 22

I stand in the doorway of Grayson’s office, watching him stare at the wall like it holds the secrets of the universe. His broad shoulders are tense, his jaw clenched tight. I clear my throat, hoping to catch his attention, but he doesn’t even blink.

‘Hey, Gray. Earth to Grayson,’ I call out, my voice echoing in the silent room.

Finally, he turns his head slightly, his dark eyes unfocused. ‘Chase,’ he says, his voice low and gravelly. ‘Go away.’

I can’t help but feel a pang of hurt at his dismissal. This isn’t like him. Sure, Grayson’s always been the serious one—and, yes, he has been emotionally stunted since he lost Sarah—but he’s never shut me out like this before.

‘Come on, man,’ I try again, taking a step into the office. ‘What’s going on? I saw you with Tessa, Grayson.’

Grayson’s gaze drifts back to the wall, and it’s like I’ve ceased to exist again. The ticking of the clock on his desk seems to grow louder with each passing second of silence.

I run a hand through my hair, frustration building. ‘Fine,’ I mutter. ‘If you won’t talk to me, maybe you’ll talk to Cole.’

Without waiting for a response, I turn on my heel and stride out of the office. My footsteps echo through the hallway as I make my way to Cole’s office, determination fueling each step.

I find Cole hunched over his desk, typing furiously on his laptop. He looks up as I burst in, his eyebrows raised in question.

‘We need to talk to Grayson,’ I say, grabbing his arm and pulling him to his feet.

‘What? Chase, I’m in the middle of something,’ Cole protests, but I’m already dragging him out the door.

‘Trust me,’ I say, guiding him down the hallway. ‘Something’s up with Grayson, and we need to figure out what it is.’

Do I leave out the fact that this is more of an intervention than a friendly chat? Maybe.

As we approach Grayson’s office, I feel Cole’s reluctance, but I know this is something that has to happen. Grayson can’t do this alone.

I take a deep breath as we enter the room, and the tension in the air is thick, like a fog rolling in. I steel myself, preparing to say what needs to be said.

‘All right, enough is enough,’ I declare, my voice firm, cutting through the stillness. ‘We all want Tessa, and it’s time we do something about it before we lose her for good.’

Grayson’s head snaps up, his eyes finally focusing on us. The intensity in his gaze is almost unnerving. Cole, on the other hand, lets out a dramatic sigh and rolls his eyes.

‘The girl’s good for sex and nothing else,’ he drawls, his tone dripping with disdain.

My blood boils. My fists clench at my sides as a surge of anger rushes through me. I whirl on him, my voice low and dangerous. ‘Don’t you dare talk about her like that,’ I growl, the words tasting like acid in my mouth.

Cole just shrugs, completely unfazed. His words cut deeper than they should, because I know he’s using them to deflect. It’s his defense mechanism—push people away before they can hurt him. But that doesn’t make it okay.

I take a steadying breath, trying to calm the storm inside. ‘Look, I know we’re all scared of getting hurt—”

“Not scared.”

“—But Tessa…she’s different. She’s special. And if we don’t act soon, we might lose our chance with her.’

The room falls silent, the weight of the words hanging in the air. I can see the internal struggle in Grayson’s eyes, his usual stoic demeanor slipping just enough to let me see the uncertainty. He’s stuck in the past, not ready to move on just yet. But I can see the way he feels about Tessa—even if he doesn’t want to feel anything for her.

As for Cole, he’s still deflecting, arms crossed, eyes narrowed.

I glance at Grayson, watching as his fingers absently toy with his wedding band, twisting it around and around. It’s a habit I’ve seen before, a tell that betrays the depth of his pain.

‘Gray,’ I begin, but he doesn’t react. His mind is somewhere far beyond us, lost in memories of a life that no longer exists. It’s like he’s retreated into himself, leaving just an empty shell in that expensive leather chair.

Cole, however, isn’t done. He leans forward, his voice sharp. ‘You want to talk about Tessa? Fine. Let’s talk about her,’ he says, his eyes narrowing. ‘She’s worked her ass off to get where she is. Started from nothing and clawed her way up. And you think she’s going to settle for someone like you?’

His words hit me like a punch to the gut. ‘What’s that supposed to mean?’

The punch lands in my gut, and I stagger back a step. ‘What the hell does that mean?’ I bite out, trying to keep my voice even.

‘It means,’ Cole continues, his lip curling into a sneer, ‘that you’ve never had to struggle for anything. Not a job, not a relationship, nothing. When’s the last time you actually worked for something, Chase? Really worked?’

I open my mouth to argue, but the words die in my throat. Because as much as I hate to admit it, there’s a kernel of truth in what he’s saying. I’ve never had to struggle the way Tessa has. The way Cole has.

‘You don’t know what you’re talking about,’ I manage finally, but it sounds weak even to my own ears.

Cole scoffs. ‘Don’t I? Face it, Chase. You’re not in her league.’

I glance at Grayson, hoping for some support, but he’s still lost in his own world, his fingers absentmindedly spinning that damn ring. I feel my frustration flare, but I try to keep it under control.

I run a hand through my hair, trying to gather my thoughts. Cole’s words sting, but I know he’s just lashing out. He doesn’t want to confront his feelings for Tessa, so he’s deflecting all of it onto me.

‘You think I don’t know how amazing she is?’ I say, my voice low but intense. ‘How strong and passionate and…incredible? It’s not just the sex—though that is mind-blowing. It’s her.’

I can’t help the smile that tugs at my lips as I think of Tessa’s fierce determination, the way she lights up when she talks about her animal rescues. But then the smile fades, replaced by the gnawing feeling in my gut.

‘There’s something holding her back, though,’ I admit. ‘Something in her past. I can feel it.’

Cole’s eyebrows raise slightly, a flicker of interest breaking through his hard exterior.

I continue, ‘She feels our connection, I know she does. But she’s scared. And maybe…’ I swallow hard, hating to give voice to my doubts. ‘Maybe you’re right. Maybe I’m not enough for her.’

The office feels suffocating suddenly. I walk to the window, pressing my forehead against the cool glass. The estate sprawls below, reminding me of how small I feel in this moment.

‘I’ve never had to work for anything,’ I whisper, more to myself than to Cole or Grayson. ‘But for her? I’d do anything.’

I turn back to face them, my heart pounding with a sudden rush of determination. ‘Okay, then put me to work,’ I declare, my voice stronger now. ‘I have a stake in the company, don’t I? Give me a job to do.’

Cole scoffs, crossing his arms. ‘You? Work? That’ll be the day.’

I ignore him, focusing on Grayson instead. He’s still spinning that damn wedding ring, lost in his own world. I snap my fingers in front of his face.

‘Hey, Gray. Earth to Grayson. I’m serious here.’

He blinks, finally meeting my eyes. ‘Chase, you don’t know the first thing about running a business.’

‘So teach me,’ I counter, leaning forward on his desk. ‘I’m a quick study.’

I can’t help but think of Tessa, of how she lights up when she talks about her dreams. I want to be worthy of that light. I want to prove I can be more than just the lazy playboy I’ve always been.

‘Look,’ I continue, ‘I know I’ve been…well, me. But I’m ready to step up. To prove I can be more than just the fuckboy.’

Cole snorts from the corner. ‘I’ll believe it when I see it.’

I spin to face him, frustration bubbling up. ‘What’s your problem, man? You want me to be better, but when I try, you shoot me down. Make up your mind.’

Cole’s still looking at me like he can’t believe what he’s hearing. Hell, maybe I can’t either. But I’m not backing down. Not this time.

“I’ll believe it when I see it,” Cole repeats, his voice colder than before.

I grind my teeth together. But before I can snap back, Grayson finally speaks.

“Enough,” he says, his voice low but firm, cutting through the tension like a knife. “Both of you.”

We both fall silent, and for the first time in what feels like forever, Grayson actually looks at us. His eyes are heavy with exhaustion, but there’s something else there too. A flicker of…hope, maybe? It’s barely noticeable, but I catch it.

“I’ve lost my wife, Chase. I’ve lost her, and I’ve been trying to bury that for three fucking years.” He leans back in his chair, eyes flicking to his wedding ring again. The way he does it makes my stomach twist. “I don’t know if I can do this…this with Tessa. I don’t know if I can open myself up to that again.”

Grayson’s voice cracks slightly at the end, and it’s like the air in the room vanishes. I’m used to seeing Grayson as this solid wall, the guy who never flinches, never shows weakness. But in that moment, he’s just a man—our man—standing on the edge of something he’s terrified of.

I take a deep breath, walking over to the desk and placing a hand on it. “Gray…you’re not alone in this. Not anymore. Tessa’s not Sarah, man. She’s not going to replace her, but she might be the first step you need to take to feel something again. And you do, Grayson. I saw you with her. You feel something.”

I’m not sure where those words come from, but they feel true. I look over at Cole, who’s still standing near the door, arms crossed. His eyes are hard, but there’s something else in them too. Something that tells me he’s heard me—he just doesn’t want to admit it yet.

“You know,” I continue, trying to keep my voice calm despite the growing frustration, “we’ve all been through shit. You with Sarah, me with—” I stop, because that’s a whole other can of worms I’m not ready to open, and I don’t think Cole’s interested in hearing it anyway. “But Tessa…she’s real. She’s here. And we can’t keep pushing her away.”

“I’m not the one pushing her away. Neither are you,” Cole grumbles.

Grayson’s face twitches, like he’s about to argue, but then he just sighs, a long, tired sound. He runs a hand through his hair, looking older than he did just a few minutes ago.

“I’m scared,” he admits, barely above a whisper. “I don’t know if I’m ready for this. For her. None of us are ready. That’s the point.”

I run my hands through my hair again and take a step forward, my eyes steady on Grayson. “You think we’re all lining up to take a shot at Tessa because we’re all perfect? Because she’s perfect? Because we’ve got everything figured out? No. We’re doing it because we know what it feels like to lose something—or someone—worth fighting for. And we’re not letting her go without a damn fight.”

There’s a pause. A heavy, suffocating silence.

Grayson looks from me to Cole, his eyes searching. It’s like he’s weighing the truth of what we’re saying. Finally, he exhales slowly, his gaze returning to the ring on his finger, spinning it once again.

“I don’t know if I can…I don’t know if I can love her the way she deserves,” Grayson admits, and it stings more than I expected it to.

“Then try, Gray,” I say, my voice quieter now. “You owe it to her. And hell, you owe it to yourself.”

Grayson looks at me, really looks at me, for the first time since we walked in. And I can see it in his eyes. That flicker of something breaking free.

Cole clears his throat, breaking the moment, and looks at me with that damn smirk. “You act like we’re the ones pushing her away. We’re not. If you recall, you’ve spent all week moping like a little bitch because she turned you down.”

“She’s scared. We just need to show her there’s nothing to be scared of.”

“I’m not showing her shit. I don’t want her. It’s sex, nothing more.”

“That’s bullshit and you know it. Now who’s scared?”

Grayson chuckles, the sound rough and strained, but it’s there. A crack in the armor.

I’m not letting her go without a fight. I love her.