For the past week, I've been mainly busy with my business associates. Attending countless meetings to discuss how my engagement with the multibillionaire Wright family's son will affect our deals and the future my company holds.

Hence, I've been able to avoid Spencer to some great extent.

I have nothing to fear from him, but seeing him daily, being so close to him yet so far, is not as comfortable as I thought it'll be.

I suppose it's true when psychologists say once you fall in love with someone, you'll always love them, no matter what. Even if one day you find someone else for yourself, you'll still keep on loving the previous person. The only difference is, you learn to love the new person in a new way, giving a separate piece of your heart to them.

Hesitantly, I open the door to the office room and peer inside. Spencer is nowhere in sight. Sighing in relief, I step inside and shut the door behind me. My needle heels make sharp clicking sounds and my feet hurt like hell.

I sink into my chair, letting out a deep groan. The last meeting was excruciating. Thank goodness I had Mason with me to handle half of it, taking off the pressure.

Three sharp knocks straighten me in my spot and I purse my lips, stopping myself from rolling my eyes.

Ever since Erika found Spencer and me in a not-so-acceptable situation, she's been behaving weirdly. With a huff, I call out, "Come in." 

Gingerly, she opens the door and peeks inside. Spotting me behind the desk, a relieved smile tugs at the corner of her lips.

"Ma'am," she starts as she enters the room. "Mr. Wright wants to see you."

I scowl at her. "There are three mister Wrights in this goddamn building," I snap and pinch the bridge of my nose. "You have to be more specific than that," I grumble.

"Yes, I'm sorry. Mr. Wright, the chairman."

William.

Internally groaning, I lean into my seat. "When?"

"Right now."

I curse under my breath and push myself to my feet. "Did he say what's the meeting about?" I ask as I round the desk, barely keeping myself upright.

"No, ma'am."

I push my hair behind my shoulders and tilt my head back, glancing at the dark ceiling with hidden lights dotted around it, asking for strength and patience from the heavens.

Thank God it's Friday. At least I'll two days to myself, and don't need to put up with these people.

Maybe a shopping spree to Milan and then Paris will fix my mood and uplift my spirits. All this stress is driving me insane.

For the time being, maybe I can make do with a spa day, perhaps on Saturday.

I trot down the hall and head straight to the elevator, ascending a floor and making my way to William's room.

I nod to myself. Yes, a spa appointment for tomorrow, until I empty my schedule for a week and fly over to Milan, then go to Paris... from there, maybe I can even head to London. An entire week to myself.

That'd be incredible.

The longer I think about it, the more I realize how badly I need a vacation, even if it's just for taking my mind off of my problems.

I shake my head and halt in front of William's room. I knock on the door and his voice from the other side calls me in.

Pulling over a mask of indifference, I open the door and enter. I barely stop my eyes from widening as I survey the room.

Spencer is seated on one side of the long desk placed in the office's corner, his chair is slightly pushed out, facing towards William. Kristian is two chairs away from his father and William, as expected, is sitting at the head of the table.

"Good afternoon," I greet them curtly as I walk across the room.

With a moment of hesitance, I consider where to sit and end up choosing the chair two seats away from Kristian, almost across from Spencer.

A wicked smile arches Kristian's mouth as his dark eyes rove over my body and linger on my cleavage way longer than it can be appropriate.

I resist the urge to pull my black dress' plunging neckline together. Instead, I lean into my seat and cross my legs, planting my arms on the armrest. Kristian doesn't deserve a reaction from me.

From the corner of my eye, I catch Spencer clenching his jaw and shooting a death glare to oblivious Kristian.

I bite my bottom lip to stop the smile threatening to spread across my face and shift and focus on William as he sorts three files in front of him.

My brows pull together, but before I can ask anything, he explains.

"We made a deal, and I'm a man of my word, Gracie. I told you I'll help you with Benjamin. I'm upholding my side of the deal." He splays his fingers atop a folder and pushes it in my direction until leaving it before Kristian, and he slides it to me.

My frown deepens. "And I'm not upholding my side?"

William shrugs. "If I can find a way to bring down Ben, be sure you're no exception."

I grit my teeth and turn to Spencer.

A corner of his mouth twitches up in a smirk as he slowly lifts his eyes from the other file still in front of William and smugly meets my gaze.

I ball my hand; my nails dig into my palm as I pull the blue folder closer to myself. The cover is blank and I flip it open.

"Do you remember that boy... Johnson's son... what was his name..." William's voice trails down as he thinks.

Uncomfortably, I gulp and shift in my spot. "Nathan," I mumble.

"Ah, yes." William nods and leans over the desk, planting his arms on top of it and intertwining his fingers. "I had told him a couple of years ago, while your father was still alive, to inform you of my suspicions... which he did."

I scan the file in front of me, not understanding a single word of it. It's just a long list of names and places. With confusion, I glance up and quirk an eyebrow at William.

"Your accident, the one that left your brother paralyzed for over a year, I'm talking about that."

I press my lips into a thin line. "I got that part. What's your point?" I hold up the file, waving it slightly. "And what's this?"

A satisfied smile curls his mouth. "That is the first clue, to prove Ben Stewart was behind it."

My eyes widen and my head snaps to the file. I bring it closer to me, inspecting the other pages.

"My investigators have been working on it for quite some time now, but they believe Ben is growing suspicious, so he's destroying whatever evidence is left. I did my part, but since that particular aspect of this revenge is entirely on you, I'm handing over whatever I've found. The rest is your choice."

I frown and shut the file, fixing a hard stare on William. "What do you want in return?"

"We will tell you when the time comes," Kristian replies instead.

Sensing Spencer's burning scrutiny settled on me; I glance at him. He's observing me as though trying to discern what my next move is going to be. I hold his gaze for a moment. Realization slowly ebbs into my system. This entire setup is his plan, otherwise, he has no reason to be present.

Perhaps he wants to distract me for the time being until he figures out the ins and outs of the business he's now the CEO of, then start the actual fight.

I raise to my feet and mutter, "Thank you."

"Remember, your time is limited. Ben has already started wiping out the evidence." William smiles at me, but it doesn't hold an ounce of kindness.

I curtly nod and exit the room.

I'll be damned if I let that happen.

Once I'm back on my floor, I rush to my room and hurriedly call my lawyer, telling her everything. As I explain what I have in my hands now, my nerves grow jittery. This is it. This is the opportunity I've been waiting for all these years.

After we end the call, I scan each paper with my phone and turn it into a pdf, sending it to her. Five minutes after she has seen the file, I delete it. In case anyone ends up hacking my device, they won't be able to access the data easily.

I can barely sit still as I wait for her to get back to me and tell me what to do. No matter how hard I try, I can't focus on my work.

Almost two hours go by while I struggle to read this damn report I've brought up on my computer.

The door opens, startling me. I glance over the monitor, as Spencer enters the room and locks the door.

I frown with confusion and tilt my head as I slide my chair away from the screen to be able to look at him easier.

"You're welcome," he says as he walks to his desk and sits on the edge, crossing his arms in front of his chest as he locks his eyes with mine.

"So it was your idea." I pick up a pen before I lean into my seat and twirl it around.

He nods. "This," he pauses and inclines his chin to my desk. "Is different from business."

I scoff. "Is it now?"

"You don't believe me?"

"Of course, I don't." I fake a smile at him and he returns the favor.

"Well, what are you going to do?"

"Remind me why the hell should I tell you that?" I lift my eyebrows.

Spencer shakes his head and rolls his eyes.

My phone rings and I almost jump out of my seat. I snatch the phone as though it'll run away if I don't grab it as fast as humanly possible.

"Yes?" I put the pen down and razor my bottom lip between my teeth.

My lawyer, Sophia, heaves a slow sigh, causing my heart to pound harder. "Unfortunately, William Wright is correct... Benjamin is destroying the evidence, which is not good. The things you've sent me cannot be used in court. They're legally not valid, and you're on a tight timeline too..." her voice trails down.

My leg keeps anxiously jumping as my gaze darts around the room, sweeping past Spencer over two times. "Okay, let's get past the obvious things and go straight to the point. What do you suggest?"

She releases another slow exhale, and I frown at the rustling sound it carries through the line. "Things are not good... I wanted to suggest hiring your own investigators, but finding someone trustworthy on such short notice is impossible. I can't ask from the police because we don't have any proof to begin an official investigation."

I plant my elbows on my desk and pinch the bridge of my nose, squeezing my eyes shut. Even though I can sense Spencer's eyes boring into me, I can't bring myself to care. "Is there anything we can do?"

"Surprisingly, yes. You know, how they say 'when you want something done, you've gotta do it yourself'? Now we're going to do just that."

My eyes fly open and I tilt my head, chewing my bottom lip and furrowing my brows as I stare at the thin line separating two black marble tiles from each other.

"We can't find anyone to do this for us, but no one said we can't do anything about it."

A slow smile tugs at the corner of my mouth.

"But," she sharply says and my mood sours again. "It's a shady place, I don't even know how Ben found these men from these places, and it might not give the result we're looking for-"

"But it's worth a try, right?" I interrupt her.

"Absolutely."

At last, a slow smile spreads across my face, my shoulders relax, and I lean back into my seat. I glance at my computer screen and ask, "When do we start?"

"I was thinking about this weekend," she answers.

My smile falls again. Looks like my plan for a spa day has to be postponed. Internally groaning, I nod before realizing she can't see me. "Sounds good."

"But don't come alone, bring someone with you."

I roll my eyes. "I can't. Mason is busy for the weekend and I can't drag my mom into it."

"Find someone, anyone."

I open my mouth to complain, but she beats me to it.

"I'll book the hotel rooms and send you the address. Start moving tonight. The town is in Nevada, a few hours away from Vegas... Winchester, I think, was its name."

"Vegas!" I half shout, my eyes bugging out of my head, but instantly regretting it as I notice Spencer's eyebrow quirking up in intrigue.

I roll my eyes and look away, settling on glowering at the window on my left.

"Oh, and North Las Vegas too," she adds.

I bite my lip to stop myself from huffing.

"I'll see you in Vegas. Start moving tonight. I've booked my plane ticket, too. It's in three hours. I wanted to get there before you. Be in Vegas before sunrise, okay?"

I huff a laugh. "You were sure I'd agree to this madness."

She chuckles. "One hundred percent. See you tomorrow?"

I sigh. "Yeah, see you, and thanks."

"No problem." Sofia hangs up, and I place my phone on my desk and pick up the one belonging to the office.

I dial Erika's desk number and she picks up on the first ring.

Not allowing her to get one word out, I tell her, "Call my pilot and tell him to prepare the jet for tonight."

"Sure ma'am, for when?"

Just as my mouth opens for an answer to readily tumble out, my mistake dawns on me. Slowly, I meet Spencer's pleased gaze. His lips twitch into a ghost of a smile. Screaming from the inside, I force a half-ass smile.

"Ma'am?" Erika calls out.

I close my eyes and inhale deeply. "Erika, at night," I mutter.

"But the pilot needs a bit more specific details," she hesitantly says.

I roll my eyes, running my thumbnail over the length of a pen. "Yes. Count it for me."

"I'm sorry?"

I grit my teeth and glare at Spencer's widening smile. His dark blue eyes glint with amusement. "Count down the hours for me."

"Uh... seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven-"

I cut her off, "Yup, that's it."

"Oh! Okay, eleven pm it is."

"Good," I mumble and cut off the phone.

"So you're going to Vegas," Spencer muses, pushing himself off of the desk.

I squint at him. "It's none of your business," I snap.

A slow smirk creeps across his full lips, tugging a corner upwards as he shoves his hands into his trousers and approaches me.

Not wavering one bit, I glare at him harder.

"As a matter of fact, it is. When are you leaving?"

I purse my lips. "I'm not answering that either."

"No matter how hard you try, I'll find the details I need to know to reach you."

I huff and cross my arms in front of my chest. "You won't."

"What time?" He stops in front of my desk, gazing down at me.

"Why do you care?"

"Because I'm coming." He leans down over the desk. "So, I'll ask again, when are you leaving?"

I stare at him blankly. "You're not."

"I don't trust you enough to let you go on this mission alone. Who knows... you might make a move against William while you're away."

I narrow my eyes and lean over the desk, ignoring how hard my heart is thumping in my chest. "So you're going to babysit me from now on for a dad you didn't give a flying fuck about until five years ago?"

A bitter smile slashes across his face. "The time?"

I scoff and shake my head.

He takes off one hand from his pocket and drums it on my desk. "MK industries' entire net worth is about 900 million dollars. If we assume fifty percent of that one million dollars you started everything with belonged to me, half of MK industries belong to me. Add the past four years' profit to it and you have to pay me about 600 million dollars to get me off of your back."

He plants his other hand on the desk and leans even closer to me, lowering himself until he reaches my eye level. "Tell me, Gracie Stewart, can you afford to pay me 600 million dollars? Because if William finds out, he will chuck out that money from you."

I clench my jaw and glower at him. "You fucking bastard. Instead of going through your own company's details, like a stupid stalker you've been analyzing mine?"

He snorts. "An hour's work is hardly called stalking."

I scowl at him as he smirks back at me.

"What can I say? I'm good with numbers." He flashes me a smile, his eyes spark with an emotion I can't decipher.

But the stupid smile makes my even stupider heart flutter and the damn room grows hot.

"What time, Gracie?"

"If you're so good with numbers, why don't you figure it out yourself?" I smugly say back as I rise to my feet and grab my bag. "Now if you'd excuse me, I have a trip to prepare for."

I walk around the desk, feeling his intense eyes burning holes into me as I saunter out of the room, hoping against hope he doesn't find out the time and place.

❦ ♥︎ ❦

Hehehe, who thinks Spencer will find a way to join Gracie and her lawyer on this little mission =D

I hope the chapter wasn't too long for comfort and I hope you enjoyed it. Vote if you did and comment your thoughts! [On a side note, I've decided to add a bit more smut to this book, because why not! XD So in a couple of chapters from now, we're going to have a steamy scene or two. Can you guess whose it will be? =) Fret not, I'll leave a warning at the top of the chapter for those of you who'd like to skip]

Commenting reminds me of, bloody hell! I did not expect so many people comment on the previous chapter just to say give these 2 idiots a happy ending! xD Frankly, I'm blown away, I was honestly surprised so many people are following Gracie and Spencer's story :")

Hence, I have decided something. What that is? Well, do you remember The Solution's A/Ns, where I used to say how many chapters are left? =) Well, I won't be doing that for this book. Instead, you guys will be guessing =D Today I came up with 3 plot points and I wanna see how many of you will be able to guess if that's the ending or not. It's way more fun ^.^ Also, do keep in mind, this book is dual POV so anything can happen...

Well, all I can say is, thank you sooo much for reading this story! You cannot imagine how much it means to me! Thank you *.*

Tomorrow we'll have a double update (I think 👀)

Stay safe, lots of love, happy reading! ♡♡♡