Chapter Thirty-Two

**Greyson**

Gen goes over everything with me on the way back to the apartment, and my hands are gripped so tightly to the wheel my knuckles are white.

If Gen wasn’t here, I would have turned this car around and gone right to his house. I knew he was a snake, but I didn't think he could sink this low, all for something so trivial like your name on a building.

Truth be told if I really asked myself, I wasn’t interested so much in the tech aspect of this company more so what we do with the money. We have always donated huge amounts to large charitable organisations, while they do great work, I’ve always felt the money would benefit some of those smaller ones, the ones that really help people at ground level.

The rest of our journey home is silent, I cannot say anything though of what I might do to max running over and over in my mind.

Pulling outside the front Gen slides out and stands on the sidewalk waiting for me to follow, I contemplate driving away but I could not do that to her after all she has done tonight.

I get out and follow her inside, keeping silent until both of us arrive at the apartment. Beverly is waiting and Gen and her exchange words before she gives me a small smile and grabs her coat to leave.

“I thought you would want a little privacy”.


Gen's voice is like a siren call pulling me out of this tunnel of anger. Looking at her she is twiddling with her fingers the same way she does when she is nervous.

I can’t help but smile, she has no idea how beautiful she looks in these flashes of vulnerability that she rarely shows.

“Thank you”.

She grabs my hand and pulls me to the sofa to sit, my body is rigid still from anger, shoulders still clenched up high.

She takes off her shoes and coat before she begins to undo my shoes sliding them off my feet.

“Erm, what are you doing?”

“Will you just be quiet? It is something my mum did for me when I was small. Sometimes you don’t even know you need help to calm down until you do”.


She takes off the other shoe then pushes me forward so I can take off my coat, helping me to pull out my arms, next she straddles me lifting my jumper and pulling it over my head.

I cannot help but grip her thighs.
“Your mum did this?”

I raise an eyebrow and she slap me across the chest.

“No. Let’s just say this is something extra for you now close your eyes”.


She grabs my shoulders and ribs, pressing deep into the muscles and I cannot help but let out a small moan of satisfaction.

She carries on and lies my head back and just enjoys it. She finally pulls away and shimmies back onto her butt on my lap.

“See you just needed a little help”.

She smiles at me again, but it is different this time somehow it feels more personal. I Grab her, pulling her towards me, kissing her.

She resists in shock for a second before her body relaxes into my own, I momentarily forget all my worries while holding her.

She brings calmness to me when I feel like I am drowning, she is the hand I grab to pull me back up.

Breaking away her forehead resting on my own.

“What are we going to do about your brother?”

“I don’t know, I don’t know how he has gotten someone to edit those images Gen”.

“You know I was thinking about it on the way back, what if we could get copies of them. I think I could edit them back the original or at least edit his face back on them you know “

I stare at her eyebrow raised.

“How?”

“I swear you forget I’m pretty tech-savvy Greyson. I do have a request though “

She cups my face softly rubbing her thumb over my cheek.

“I don’t want to hurt Brittany.”


“What do you mean, she’s part of this she lied”.

She must have sensed my anger as she carefully slides off me to sit cross-legged on the sofa next to me instead.

“But she has done all of this out of love for you Greyson, you might not return it but that does not make it invalid”.
“You can’t be serious she slept with my brother to try to get to me, she helped him to try and get the company”.

“No Grey, I don’t think she did. I think your brother fed a vulnerable person a stupid idea and promised her everything she could ever want. It just so happened that person was you”.

I contemplate her words for a few moments, does she really want me to go easy on her.

“Look Gen, she's just collateral damage she put herself in this crossfire. If she gets hurt, then it can’t be helped”.


She stands up furiously.

“You can’t, she didn’t ask for all this mess “

“Who cares she got into bed with Max and will have to deal with the fallout now”.

“I can’t believe you would be like this. Like him”


That sparks the suppressed fire, and it reignites causing me to stand to.

“Don’t you dare! Done you dare compare me to him, Gen, I am nothing like Max “

She does say anything she simply avoids my gaze. Then she mutters under her breath.

“But you do the same thing, you’re ruining her life because she acted on impulses she can't control. You are doing the same thing”.


She looks at me again, defiant in the face.

“I won’t let you; I won’t let you do what he did to me”.

She turns to walk away still muttering.

“I’ll help, I’ll be there for her “

She slams her door shut and it rattles the whole apartment. Turning on foot I head into my office pouring myself a large glass of whisky and taking a seat.

What was she talking about, what did Max do to her?

I chuck the whisky back, glass after glass going over every detail of Max's plan and working out how I am going to deal with it.

I spend a few hours in the office, my thoughts always pulling back to Gen. I want nothing more than to go to her.

But she was mad, and I can’t work out why.
I must have fallen asleep as I wake to the sound of the door slamming. I scramble to get up, still wearing yesterday's clothes the taste of alcohol ripe in my mouth.

I stumble to the door only to be met with a furious looking Beverly.

“What did you do to her?”


“What?”

She smacks me on the arm.

“Genevieve, what on earth did you do to her?”

“Nothing. I didn’t do anything; now will you stop hitting me “

“Well, she’s gone, whatever you did her has made her leave”.


Beverly hits me again; I feel like I’m being scolded by my mother.

“BEVERLY. “


She stops and puts her arms down by her sides staring up at.

“What do you mean she has gone, where is she?”

She folds her arms at me.

“She left Greyson, whatever you said to her last night made her pack a bag and leave this morning”.

I rush past her and into Gens room, her bed is empty, and her draws are half-open.

“When did she leave?”

Beverly stares at me again, this time a look of concern on her face.

“She left when I got here, I saw her in the hallway with her bag. I asked her where she was going. She just said out, but I know the look of someone fleeing Greyson”.

“When. When did you get here?”

“About... About twenty minutes ago”


I do not wait for her to finish instead I rush outside the door and into the lift hitting the ground floor button over and over.

About halfway down I realise I am not wearing shoes. It does not matter though all that matters is her and getting her back.

What could I have said to her last night that would make her so mad at me? Mad enough to just leave.

As soon as the lift touched the ground, I'm out of it heading for the door, Jack is standing in his usual place waiting for me.

“Mr Maddox are you alright”.

“Where is she, Jack?”

“Mr Maddox?”

He looks at me confused and it does nothing but annoy me.

“Genevieve, where is she? She just left”.

“I’ve not seen her Sir”.


“What do you mean you’ve not seen her she came down the lift not 20 minutes ago”.

“I have not seen her, I only arrived 10 minutes ago”.

I am gripping onto his shoulders begging for him to tell me the answer I longed to hear but he does not. I pull away and scan the streets for her, hoping to catch a glimpse of her.

I pace outside the apartment for 10 more minutes and I come up with nothing, patting myself down to look for my phone. I resolve that I will call her.

Heading back inside and hitting the buttons for my floor I impatiently wait for it so I can get my phone and find out where she is.



**Genevieve**

I wait till I can hear his voice any longer, then sit up in the back of the car. Thank god for tinted windows.
A few moments later Jack slides into the front seat.

“You know if I’m going to cover for you again, you at least have to tell me why Gen”.

“It's nothing. We just disagree”.

He turns in his seat to face me, eyebrow raised.

“I’ve worked for that man for many years. I have never seen him as stir crazy as he was just then. This is more to him than a disagreement”.


My phone starts to vibrate in my hand. Greyson’s name flashing across the screen.

“Jack, I need to ask another favour of you”.

“Okay what is it, I don’t think I’m going to like it though am I “


“I just need you to take me somewhere and I need you to not tell Greyson”.

“Gen I don’t know if I.”


“Okay okay, how about you take me there and I’ll call him myself and tell him where I am, or you can”.

I am lying. I have no intention of telling Greyson anything. All I need is to help Brittany before he destroys what little self-worth she probably has left.

“Okay fine, but if he asks me again where you are, then I’ll drive him directly to where I drop you off”.


I nod in agreement as he turns to face the front again.


“So where do you need me to take you?”

“To the hotel, Brittany is staying in”.

“You aren’t serious”.

“Oh, I’m as serious as the day is long, no drive Jack you promised “

He grunts and then faces forward.

“You'll be the death of me Genevieve Maddox”.

A short while later and we are outside the hotel she is staying in, as I step onto the sidewalk my phone starts ringing again.

Greyson’s name once again flashing on the screen. Holding it up to jack so he can see I press the phone to my ear and begin talking.

Jack watches me for a few moments before driving away once more, as soon as he is out of sight, I pull the phone away and hit decline.

I walk up to reception asking for Brittany, the woman behind gives me a funny look and points into the doorway of another room and that is when I see her at the bar.

A skin-tight dress, makeup slapped on her face and she is holding a sparkling glass of champagne as she looks doe-eyed at the man in front of her.

I gasp holding my breath.

“Alex”
I back away hoping neither of them has seen me.

How do they know each other and what they hell are they doing together, moreover Greyson was right about her all along?