I watch in complete repulsion as this guy, this Phillip Gray Aldaine walk towards the stage with Anthony Grayson by his side. I tried to block every feature of this Gray that would make me dredge up him. I don't want to see anything that would ascertain that he really is my Gray Aldaine.
My Gray aldaine that is supposed to be dead.
The smile on this guy's face was full of pride and eagerness, something I wasn't familiar of. He hopped to the last step on stage as they handed him his plague. He took it and proceeded to the microphone.
"Thank you" he started.
My heart started breathing so fast that I could hardly keep up with it. Seeing his entire face upfront started to scare me because no matter how I tried hindering him from poking back that dreadful memory, I fail so hard.
It's been years since I heard that voice but it still is so familiar to me that it crumples my heart being able to hear it again. I especially despised the picture of him with Anthony Grayson by his side all grin that it almost reached his ears.
"I can only say thank you for this." He continued smiling, looking at the plague in his hands. "But this can never happen if not for the trust of my boss—actually let me correct that. This will never happen if not for the trust of my father. Mr. Anthony Grayson has been trusting me so much that I want to offer this to him. I know a lot of you in this hall did not believe this Asian partnership to work but he trusted me with it and here I am. This is for you." He finished turning the plague over to his father. Grayson gave him a hug as he took the plague and they both headed down the stage back to their seats.
My eyes followed them and I saw Gray look at our direction. Our eyes connected for a millisecond and it happened. The tingling sensation I get when Gray looks at me. The effect of his deep gray eyes when connecting with mine where it takes me to a whole new universe even for only a split second.
Alec's cuff-like grip on my hands was the only thing that was preventing me from sprinting away from this place.
"Don't Gabby" he whispered. "Not in the presence of all these people. I'll take you out of here as soon as I get a cleaner opportunity. Hang in there."
I looked at him and I saw how surprised and confused he was as I am.
Why wouldn't we?
All this time we thought that he was dead, that he died for me. For the past 7 years I have been building everything that I have and everything that I am for him, to avenge him. It's like the only reason I continued existing was to die in the end but this time I was desperate to take Anthony Grayson with me to the grave.
I stayed in England, lost like the girl I always am. I screwed everything up and set aside that part of my life. I set aside that huge part of my life. I disregarded the opportunity of finding my own father. I screwed fighting for the Grayson Communications that I was supposed to own. I shoved the old Gabriella away.
I slept every night of the past seven years with the picture of him that night we got shot together and I'd wake up in the morning full of hatred and desperation to burn Anthony Grayson down. I hated how he could kill just about anyone because of money, of power.
Everything was because of Gray.
Now he shows up and talks of his endless gratitude to the man who once wanted to murder us both.
Did he know that I would be here?
Did he perhaps know that I managed to survive and has been mourning for his false death for seven freaking years?
