Chapter 3 The Power Struggle

When Elliot left the room, Grayson Wolfe fell into silence, tight-jawed with hands and fists clenched below the tabletop. The familiar knot of anger twisted in his chest. It wasn't just Lila Bennett's refusal; it was the memories Willow's Corner brought back to the surface. Memories have been buried over a lifetime; now, however, is not the moment to revisit emotions. There was a meeting in which he needed every side of his focus and self-control.

A knock at his office door brought him out of his reverie. His secretary, Sarah, came breezing into the office as always with that efficient briskness. Sharp green eyes focused on him, quiet but expectant.

"Sir, you have a meeting; everybody's waiting," she said, holding a tablet and a leather file.

He breathed out through his nose and hardened his features into his usual mask of control. "Yes, Sarah, I know. Let's go."

He rose with moves precise and deliberate and found himself adjusting the cuffs of his tailored suit. Sarah was spiritedly behind him, heels clicking softly on the floor as she clutched the prescribed documents and his laptop. She didn't say much. She rarely did, but Grayson valued her quiet competence. She was one of the few people who understood his expectations without needing constant direction.

Grayson stopped and straightened himself as he neared the conference room. The large, glass-collecting doors slid open to the sleek, modern space inside. It had a long, polished table around which plush chairs were lined. A view of the city skyline came in, but the people sitting at the table weren't paying any attention to it; that utterly shifted focus onto Grayson, who now strode in, radiating the confident air of the man who owned the room.

With a curt nod, he greeted the assembled crowd of investors, lawyers, and project managers as he took his seat at the head of the table. Sarah settled behind him silently, file in hand.

He then allowed the weight of his presence to hang a bit longer in the air before speaking, "Ladies and gentlemen, my gratitude for your time. I know you are all quite anxious to receive updates on Project X, so let's cut!"

He was leaning over, resting his forearms upon the tabletop. "So far, five of the twenty properties required for Project X have been acquired. Compensation has been given to the individuals concerned, and transactions have been closed through our legal team."

Silence hung heavily in the air with the soft scrawling of pens across notepads. Grayson had a very calm and measured tone, yet the tension in the room was palpable-the man sitting two chairs down from him on the left felt it. Halter Martinez, his cousin and marching investor of Project X, watched with a barely concealed smirk.

"But you just think you have won a great victory," Halter's incredulous words rang out to break the quiet.

"Five properties?" said Halter, his tone dripping with incredulity. "Five? Twenty, wasn't it? "Then don't tell us you now have five and think this is a victory to rival a battle: do you?"

Grayson's gray eyes flicked toward Halter, his face inscrutable. Objection was predicted from cousin Halter, who had made it clear from the very beginning that he thought Grayson wouldn't be able to pull out this project all by himself. Personal jabs were nothing new but still got on Grayson's nerves.

In a steady tone, Grayson said, "Halter, I'd appreciate it if you did not confuse anyone any further. Obtaining these assets is a delicate process, and terms must be mutually agreed upon and legally sound. Any lapses could lead to lawsuits, delays, or worse outcomes."

Halter reclined in his chair, crossing appendages, and sporting a smug look. "You're Grayson Wolfe. You close deals; you don't leave them open for interpretation. But since you had to know, the investors here have had interesting reservations over your process, and as of this morning, they've agreed that I should take over the process of acquisition."

A ripple of murmurs passed through the room as multiple heads bobbed in concurrence. Under the table, Grayson's fingers made two tight fists, though his countenance remained devoid of emotion.

"What are you talking about?" Grayson asked sharply.

Halter smiled, obviously relishing his position. "It's simple. "Your legal department has proven incompetent, and the investors have decided that I'm more fit to handle the acquisitions. In fact, he gestured toward the group." Why don't we make it official? All in favor of me taking over, please raise your hands."

And Grayson swept his gaze over the room, and one by one, hands went up. It was a shy stab, but his face was calm as it processed what he was facing. Glancing around at the corner of his eyes, he saw Sarah's expression-in disbelief, she shook her head subtly, a silent reminder of the warnings she had given concerning Halter.

Grayson pushed his chair away and stood, demanding attention. "Fine," he said coldly. "You want control? You have it. But know this: If you guys cannot consolidate the remaining fifteen properties in the next month, this entire project falls down, and I am going to make sure that each one of you feels the effects."

Silence fell in the room, for his words were heavy in the air. For a split second, Halter's smirk faltered, but he collected himself.

"Deal," said Halter in a voice with just a slightly sharpened edge.

Grayson didn't waste another second on him. He turned on his heel and strode out of the room, his movements brisk and purposeful. Sarah trailed behind him, her face carefully neutral as they made their way back to his office.

Once the door closed behind them, Sarah spoke. "I told you Halter wasn't a good option for this project."

Grayson shot her an edgy look, but the anger evident on his face was not for her. "Don't remind me."

She dumped the file on his desk and folded her arms. "So, what's the plan now?"

Grayson was silent for a while. He walked to the floor-to-ceiling window and stared out at the city, his own reflection staring back at him like a ghost. His mind was already racing ahead, formulating contingencies and strategies to regain control of Project X. No one, and certainly not Halter, would come between him and his vision.

After a long pause, he finally decided to speak. The words were low but firm: "Now, we wait. And when Halter fails, I'll be ready to clean up his mess."

Sarah nodded, all confidence in him. "I'll start preparing the files for damage control."

Turning away from the window then, Grayson had gray eyes which were sharp and unyielding. Do that, and Sarah kept an eye on Halter. I want to know every little move he makes. "

"Yes, sir," she answered while already shortlisting things on her tablet.

And as Grayson moved to sit at his desk, his thoughts wandered back to the problem of The Willow's Nook. Halter's meddling was an annoyance, but the refusal of his little Lila-three weeks ago-turned into a personal challenge which he had intended to carry.

Any challenge is a welcome invitation to Grayson Wolfe.