Chapter 4 4

The days that followed that conversation were filled with a quiet tension. Grayson didn't push her away, but neither did he open up. Jade had expected some shift in their dynamic after their talk, some sign that things might change, but instead, the silence between them stretched even further. It was as if they had each taken a step closer to understanding the other, only for both of them to retreat into their own corners of the world.

Jade had learned to read Grayson's moods, to recognize the subtle shifts in his demeanor. When he was at his most distant, his jaw tightened, and his eyes took on a faraway look, as though he were lost in thoughts he wouldn't share. When he allowed himself to engage with her, he seemed like a different person-a man caught between the past he couldn't let go of and the present he didn't know how to face.

Despite this, Jade couldn't shake the feeling that something was happening. She couldn't explain it, but it was there-an undercurrent of change. The more time they spent together, the more Jade found herself searching for the man beneath the cold exterior. She wanted to understand him, wanted to be the one he could trust, but there was so much more to him than she had realized.

Her time spent at the penthouse had become a strange mix of routine and isolation. Grayson was often busy with his business dealings, leaving Jade alone with her thoughts. But in these quiet moments, she found herself trying to piece together the fragments of his past-the part of him he kept hidden. The man who had suffered, the one who had lost someone important, the one who had vowed never to open himself up again.

One morning, Jade woke up earlier than usual. The sun was just beginning to rise, and she could hear the soft hum of the city outside the window. For the first time in a while, she felt restless. She couldn't shake the need to do something, to take control of her own life in a way she hadn't done since her wrongful conviction. It had been so easy to fall into the pattern Grayson had set for her-to play the role of the dutiful wife without questioning it-but something in her was pushing back against that.

She slipped out of bed and quietly made her way to the kitchen, where she found a pot of coffee already brewed. Grayson's usual routine was to wake up before her, but today, she needed to find something for herself. She poured herself a cup, letting the warmth of the liquid spread through her.

The soft clink of the kitchen door opening caught her attention. She turned to find Grayson standing in the doorway, his silhouette framed by the early morning light. His eyes were already sharp, alert, even though it was still early.

"Couldn't sleep?" he asked, his voice low, but not unfriendly.

Jade shook her head, taking a slow sip of coffee. "No, just... needed to clear my head."

Grayson nodded, walking over to the counter to pour himself a cup of coffee. His movements were deliberate, precise, as though he was operating on autopilot. There was no anger in him, but there was a coldness-a distance that had become all too familiar.

For a long moment, they stood in silence, neither of them speaking. Jade wanted to say something, to break the stillness that had settled over them, but she couldn't find the right words.

Grayson spoke first, his tone softer than usual. "Are you happy here, Jade?"

The question took her by surprise. She had expected small talk, a passing comment about the day ahead, not something so direct. But his question made her pause. Was she happy here?

She had everything she needed-luxury, security, safety-but happiness? No, that was something she hadn't felt in a long time. She didn't know how to answer him. She wasn't sure if she could.

"I don't know," she said honestly. "I think I'm still figuring it out."

Grayson's gaze lingered on her for a moment longer, as though weighing her response. His eyes softened, just a fraction.

"I don't want to be the one who holds you back, Jade," he said quietly. "I promised you a life here, and I've kept my word. But I can't give you everything. I don't know if I can."

Jade's heart clenched at his words. She had never heard him sound so vulnerable, so uncertain. Grayson, the man who had built an empire, who had been so commanding and self-assured, was standing in front of her with a raw honesty that she hadn't expected. For the first time, she saw the weight he carried-the burden of a past he couldn't let go of.

"You're not holding me back, Grayson," she replied, her voice gentle but firm. "I'm not asking you to give me anything you're not ready for. But I need to know... I need to know you, not just the man who's made this deal with me."

He didn't respond right away. Instead, he took a slow sip of his coffee, his expression unreadable. It seemed like he was processing her words, weighing them against his own emotions.

Finally, after a long silence, Grayson placed his cup down on the counter and met her gaze. "You really want to know?"

Jade nodded, her heart racing. This was the moment she had been waiting for-the moment when she would finally get a glimpse of the man behind the cold exterior.

Grayson's eyes softened, but the pain in them was undeniable. "I lost someone a long time ago, Jade. Someone I loved more than anything. I thought I'd never be able to move on, that I'd never be able to trust anyone again. That's why I don't... do this. I don't let people in. I don't let myself feel anything."

Jade's breath caught in her throat. She could see it now-the way his past had shaped him, how it had built the walls he kept around himself. He had loved someone so deeply that the pain of losing them had cut him to his core. No wonder he couldn't let go. No wonder he had made this deal with her-because he couldn't bear the thought of opening himself up to someone else.

"I understand," Jade said softly. "But you can't keep carrying that burden forever, Grayson. It's not healthy. And it's not fair to you."

He didn't argue with her, though she could see the conflict in his eyes. He was torn-caught between the past that haunted him and the present that was slowly taking shape.

"I don't know if I'm ready," he admitted, his voice almost a whisper. "But I don't want to lose you. Not in the way I lost her."

Jade stepped closer to him, reaching out to gently touch his arm. She could feel the tension in his muscles, the way he was holding himself back. She didn't know what to say to make him feel better, to make him understand that she wasn't going anywhere. She wasn't asking him to forget the past, but to live in the present.

"We don't have to move fast, Grayson," she said softly. "But we do have to move. We can't stay stuck in this... place of silence. We both have things we need to let go of."

His eyes met hers, and for the first time in a long time, Jade saw something other than guarded detachment. It was a glimmer of hope, faint but there. She didn't know if he was ready to let go of his past, but she knew that he was willing to try. And that, in itself, was a step forward.

Grayson didn't say anything more, but the look in his eyes spoke volumes. Jade knew that things wouldn't be easy. They had a long way to go before they could truly understand each other. But for the first time, she felt like there was a chance for them both. A chance to heal, to move forward, and to create something real-something that wasn't defined by the pain of their pasts.

They stood there together, two people bound by circumstance but slowly learning to trust in the possibility of something more. Neither of them knew what the future held, but for the first time in a long while, Jade felt like they might just find a way to face it-together