Chapter 5

I said while taking his cold hand in mine, "Don't rush into any decisions yet.

"I'll go with you to visit your grandma at the hospital tomorrow. Maybe it's not as bad as it seems."

Grayson suddenly yanked his hand away, his voice getting louder. He said, "You just don't understand. This isn't about whether I go see her or not. I don't even have a choice!"

His eyes were red, and he swallowed hard, his voice shaking. "I spent four years busting my ass, studying and working every crappy job I could find.

"I did it to escape that tiny town so I wouldn't have to spend my life constantly worrying about pleasing others or stressing over my next meal. But now..."

His voice caught, and he turned his back to me, staring into the pouring rain, his shoulders trembling.

I had never seen Grayson like this. He was so vulnerable, angry, and desperate, like a cornered wild animal.

I put down the umbrella and stepped right in front of him, letting the rain hit my face.

"Grayson, look at me." I held his face in my hands, making sure he couldn't look away. "You do have a choice."

Rain ran down his cheeks, and I couldn't tell if it was just rain or if he was crying. "What choice?"

I said firmly, "You can go report to the company first, and at the same time, hire the best caregiver for your grandma.

"After you finish your training and things settle down, you can bring her to the city for treatment. That's what your grandma really wants.

"She wants to see you make something of yourself, not to have you throw away your future just to stay by her side and wait for the worst."

Grayson's eyes widened a little, like he'd never even considered that possibility. "But the caregiver's fee..."

"Just use my scholarship money." I cut him off. "Since I've already secured my spot in grad school, I don't need that money anyway."

"No way." He shook his head hard. "I'm never using your money!"

I insisted. "Then just think of it as a loan. You can pay me back once you start making big bucks.

"Grayson, you deserve this chance. Don't let the shackles of your past chain down your future."

The rain was coming down even harder now, and we stood there under the awning, soaked to the bone, just staring at each other.

Eventually, the defence in Grayson's heart melted away. He pulled me into his arms, hugging me so tightly I could barely breathe. My ribs ached from the force.

"Raven..." he kept whispering my name in my ear in a trembling voice, "Why are you so good to me?"

I leaned my head against his wet shoulder, breathing in the scent of rain and the faint trace of soap on him. "Because I like you, dummy."

Grayson's body stiffened for a moment, then he hugged me even tighter.

"Wait for me," he said, his voice low and steady, "Once I've got my life together, I'll marry you."

Rain mixed with tears trickled into the corner of my mouth, salty with a touch of sweetness. "I'll wait for you," I whispered.

In that moment, we stood at a crossroads in our lives, believing that as long as we had love, we could overcome anything.

Little did we know, fate had already planted its seeds in the shadows, quietly foreshadowing what was to come.

Three months later, Grayson passed his internship assessment and officially became an analyst at the company.

As for me, I got to stay at school thanks to my guaranteed spot in grad school.

We rented a tiny apartment near his office and moved in together, starting our life as a couple.

"Raven, I'm home," Grayson said, pushing the door open at one in the morning, his voice heavy with exhaustion.

I jolted awake on the couch and quickly got up to greet him. He was still in his suit, but his face was pale, and his eyes were bloodshot.

"You've been working late again?" I asked, taking his briefcase from him. It felt surprisingly heavy.

Grayson loosened his tie and collapsed onto the couch.

He said, "Keith Pearce deliberately dumped the toughest client on me and only gave me two days to come up with a proposal."

Seeing the dark circles under his eyes made my heart ache. It was already the third time this week he'd stayed up all night.

"You should eat something first. I kept some food warm for you," I said.

When I brought out the food from the kitchen, Grayson was already fast asleep on the couch, his tie still hanging loosely around his neck.

I gently woke him, and he sleepily took a spoonful, almost on autopilot.

"How about I take the day off tomorrow and go with you to meet the client?" I suggested suddenly.

Grayson paused mid-motion. "I can't. The company has strict rules. No outsiders are allowed."

"Just say I'm your assistant." I pressed. "Keith is obviously making things difficult for you. You can't deal with this all by yourself."

Grayson set his plate down and gave me a conflicted look, a storm of emotions flickering in his eyes. "I don't want to drag you into this. Office stuff is a mess."

"But I want to help you," I said softly, reaching out to take his hand, "Let me give it a shot, okay?"