𝐒𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 || Grayson Hawthorne

Thirteen

❥ 𝐀𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐘 𝐖𝐎𝐍 𝐁𝐎𝐓𝐇 𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐂𝐇𝐄𝐒 𝐀𝐆𝐀𝐈𝐍𝐒𝐓 𝐓𝐎𝐁𝐘 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐄𝐕𝐄.

This was natural for her. None of this was natural for me. The way her hands moved across the board with ease and the way her mind worked out each play.

She was born for this.

Not me.

"Evelyn, it's your turn," Vincent called out with a smirk staining his face. "You can play Toby first."

Avery stood up from her chair, eyeing me carefully. Maybe she could tell something was off with me, but It didn't matter now.

I slid into the chair she was sat in with ease, watching as Toby took Eves place. He didn't want to do this. He had lost to Eve on purpose.

"Play, now," Vincent instructed.

And so we did.

"I don't want to do this," I whispered to Toby.

He was a face I knew growing up. Granted, I had known him as Harry for most of my life, but I still knew him.

He loved me more than my biological father did.

"I know, but I also know you know what to do."

I smirked. "That's a lot of knows, Toby." My humor was a mere attempt to take my mind off the problem we had at hand. We were practically being held hostage at this point.

"Clever girl," he said.

He was going easy on me. Anybody could see it, because if he were going is hardest, the game would already be over.

Vincent was smart though, and he picked up on Toby's lack of efforts right away. Leaning in closely to Toby, he said, "Keep it up, and i'll gladly slice Eves arm open."

Fuck.

Eve visibly stiffened.

If Toby played fair, he would win. I would loose everything.

But there was something else I could do. My original plan. Avery was going to fucking kill me.

"Wait," I said, standing up. "There is something else I can do. We don't have to play this game." My gaze was fixed on Vincent Blake, and nobody else.

"What are you doing?" Grant sneered.

"You, have no right to tell me what I can and can't do," I turned to face Grant. "If you had ever cared about me, you wouldn't have left me to the wolves when I was a kid." I wanted to hurt him. Every. Single. Word.

He stopped talking.

In that moment, I looked Vincent Blake right in the eyes. "How would you feel about a deal?"

"Ev," Avery said, "what are you doing?"

Sorry Av. I'm going off the script.

Vincent looked bored. "Girl, what could you possibly have to offer me?" He gestured toward his house. "I have a stellar amount of money."

This man was fucking cocky. "My name is useful, you know." Her name is power. "Do you know
how much my name is worth?"

I had vincent in the palm of my hand now. "Imagine if the world found out that Grant Ruth, the illusive criminal, had a daughter?"

"This is ridiculous," Grant said. "Sit down, Evelyn."

"Shut up, Grant," Vincent hissed.

Grant slugged in his chair.

Vincent eyed me cautiously before saying, "What are you proposing?"

Maybe it was crazy, and maybe it was the dumbest idea i'd ever had, but it could work. It could very well change everything.

Or not.

Exhaling deeply, I let out the words that had been on my tongue.

"What if I took the Vincent name?"

"Evelyn," Avery warned.

"I could live with you," I continued, ignoring Avery. "My father is powerful, clearly, and you could use me to get assets in many ways."

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Grayson cut in. "Ev, this Is crazy, even for you."

But it didn't matter, crazy or not, because it was the kind of crazy Vincent wanted. I could see the clocks ticking in his brain.

"What would you do for me?" Vincent asked.

"Assets, security, Hawthorne Foundation?"

"Evelyn, sit down, now," Toby half yelled.

"Let the girl speak," Vincent sneered. "You have no grounds to speak on, Toby. After all, you have just lost your two games, right?"

"He hasn't lost them all," Avery said.

Vincent's mouth crooked into a small smile.

"I think he has, now at least."

Avery furrowed her eyebrows. "What? But Evelyn—"

"Evelyn doesn't need to play," Vincent said. "Because I just accepted her deal."

Grayson stood up from his chair, only to be restrained again by Vincent's bodyguards.

Vincent locked eyes with me again.

"Welcome to the family, Evangeline."
—

a/n:

back after 2 months 😍👏🏻

so sorry for not updating in forever!! i had exams and then i was so tired i just stopped writing and i also had huge writers block but i'll try and upload as quick as possible!! there is only one more chapter to this book 🥹🥹 it's been such a long journey from writing in the school library during lunch bc school sucks to now 😘😘 but look out for bonus content for this book!! coming soon <3

i still have so many more stories coming too, involving the jameson one i'm still writing and updating, and a celebrity one.. which i've been planning for a whole month.

see you guys soon!!!!💜💜💜💜