His To Consume

Lena's POV

I couldn't stop smiling. This was everything I'd ever dreamed of. The fancy gala, the people, the prestige. My parents were sitting proudly in the front row, watching me like I was the crown jewel. And tonight, I was.

The Reynolds family, once modest and humble, was now a top-tier name, thanks to me, Lena Reynolds, soon to be Lena Wells.

"Lena, the board is already discussing the upcoming mergers," my father said, his voice filled with pride. "Grant has done wonders for the company, but now that you're engaged, we're seeing even bigger deals come through."

I nodded, trying to suppress my grin. "Everything's falling into place, Dad. This is just the beginning."

My mother, Barbara, chimed in, her eyes sparkling with excitement. She'd always been a party lover. "You've made us so proud, darling. And that ring," she said, taking my hand, "it's stunning."

I smiled and touched the diamond ring on my finger. It sparkled under the lights. Everything was perfect.

Until Verena appeared.

"Well, well, well, I hope I didn't break this little family chat" Verena's voice was shrill, just like I'd always known her. She sauntered over to the circle, her lips curled into a mocking sneer. "If it isn't the woman of the hour. Did you really think I wouldn't find out?"

I blinked. "Excuse me?"

Verena scoffed at my surprise. "Oh, come on, Lena, don't play dumb now. You must've known this wouldn't stay hidden forever."

"What are you talking about?" I'd always known Verena didn't like me, but to confront me here, now, on my big night? That was low, even for her.

My mum folded her arms. "Verena, don't you have anything better to do than try to ruin your son's happiness? Get a life."

Verena snickered. "Oh, Barbara, sweet naive Barbara. You honestly think Grant's going to marry her?" Then she leaned closer and whispered to my mother, "Never, just watch."

Before I could respond, I saw him - Grant Wells. CEO of the Wells family and my husband to be. He'd just walked into the hall, tall and commanding, looking every bit the man I'd fallen in love with.

Relief washed over me. I was about to greet him when his eyes locked onto mine. But instead of the warmth I expected, there was fury.

Grant didn't stop. He didn't smile. He didn't even acknowledge me. He grabbed a folder from his personal assistant and then yanked me to the corner, his grip tight.

"Grant, what are you-" I started, but the look in his eyes silenced me.

"Explain this, now." he growled, throwing a stack of pictures at me.

I looked down, my heart racing. There I was, in one photo shaking hands with a rival company's executive, and in another, sitting with one of Grant's closest friends in a restaurant. Dressed in a low cut red dress, his hands on the small of my back.

"Grant, no, this isn't what it looks like! I swear"

Shut up," he snapped, his voice ice-cold. "I should've known better," he shook his head like I was a total disappointment. "I should have known you were a gold-digging snake, just like the rest. Was this your plan all along? Get close to me, use me to climb the social ladder, and then stab me in the back?"

Tears stung my eyes. "Grant, what are you talking about? They're people looking," I tried to calm him as I saw the cameras begin to flash.

"Don't lie to me, Lena!" he barked, unfazed by the crowd. "I'm done with this charade. I'm done with you."

He turned, marching toward the stage. My heart pounded in my chest as I rushed after him.

"Grant, please, don't do this!" I was lost, confused and nearly having a heart attack.

But it was too late. He grabbed the microphone, silencing the crowd.

"Everyone, I have an announcement to make," he said, his voice chillingly calm. "The engagement is off."

The room went still. I froze, unable to breathe.

"I'm not marrying a liar and a cheat," he continued. "Lena Reynolds is nothing but a gold digger, a fraud, and a whore."

Gasps echoed around the room, cameras flashing. My heart shattered into a thousand pieces.

"No," I whispered, stepping forward, reaching out to him. "Grant, please, this isn't true. Someone is trying to ruin us. Let me explain-"

"Explain?" He scoffed, "I've seen all I need to. I don't need any more of your lies, Lena."

Grant tossed the microphone away and marched off, leaving me with the crowd, the flashing lights and the nosey journalists in my face.

My worst nightmare was playing out. I couldn't believe my eyes.

As if I hadn't had enough, Verena stepped in. "Take off the ring," she hissed sharply. "You don't deserve it."

I stared at her, my vision blurry with unshed tears. "What?"

"The ring. Now." Verena smirked, stretching her palms. "You heard my son, the wedding is off. There's no way I'm letting a leech like you keep the diamond ring."

"Mother-in-law please, just let me explain! I didn't do any of this. It's a misunderstanding."

"Don't you ever!" She snapped in my face, "Ever! Call me that again. The Reynolds family could never get tangled with the Wells. Did you really think you would weasel your way into his life while still being a whore and a bloody backstabber? Conniving with a rival company, how low of you!"

I shook my head, the tears of trying so hard to hold finally falling freely. Streaking down my face. Ruining my makeup.

"Take it off, Lena. Don't make me call the security."

My fingers trembled as I reached for the ring. My entire world was crashing down around me, and Grant was letting it happen.

My mother stepped in, trying to intervene. "Verena, please. My daughter would never do that."

"Stay out of it, Barbara," Verena snapped. "After all, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree."

My parents, once so proud, now stood in shock and disappointment, their faces pale and horrified.

Mom, dad, I didn't... I didn't do any of this. You have to believe me."

But they didn't respond. They just stood there, defeated.

I pulled the ring off, my hands shaking, and placed it in Verena's outstretched palm. She smiled cruelly, turning to the crowd.

The Wells family will never mix with charlatans," she laughed.

I staggered, grabbed my purse and fled the gala.

Lena's POV

"Lena, that went incredibly well," Damien's voice was full of pride as he walked beside me, matching my pace.

I smiled, still riding high from the successful meeting. "It did. The Asian market is tough to break into, but we nailed it."

"You won them over without even trying hard," Damien said with a grin. "How could they not sign the deal? You were brilliant in there." I smiled. Damien wasn't economical with his compliments.

I shrugged, smiling. "That's what I'm here for."

His eyes seemed to sparkle as he glanced at me. "Speaking of which... How about we celebrate tonight? Dinner? You know, something to unwind."

I swallowed and paused. "Damien, I appreciate the offer, but I've got a lot of unfinished work on my desk to think about something else. "

He chuckled softly, not backing down. "Come on, Lena. You work too hard. You need to let loose sometimes. What harm could a dinner do?"

"I'm sorry," I replied, my voice firm. "I'm not ready for such distractions just yet. We still have major deals to seal."

Damien had been a good partner in the last two years. But I was okay with that - just partners.

Damien smirked, seeing through my facade no doubt. "I get it. But you'll change your mind eventually. Maybe you're just stressed. I can help with that."

I rolled my eyes, quickening my steps. "The Wells partnership is critical, Damien."

"Right, right. I'm looking forward to seeing how this plays out. I'm sure you'll do a wonderful job yet again."

Before I could answer, we reached the conference room. I saw the tables empty and only a young woman who clearly looked like a secretary was seated at the long table, typing away on her tablet.

My eyes narrowed. "Where's your partner?"

She looked up and offered a handshake. "Mr Wells was called back to the office for something of the utmost importance. He'll be with us shortly," she said. He glanced at her watch.

Unbelievable. "This is an important meeting. What could be more relevant than this? I will not speak with a secretary."

The secretary winced. "I'm sure he's on his way, Ms. Reynolds."

"That's unacceptable," I replied coldly. "This meeting will be rescheduled until your boss is ready to act responsibly."

"I've been called a lot of names, not irresponsible," a voice said from behind me.

I froze. That voice. That familiar baritone. I could tell it from an ocean away.

I turned slowly, my heart dropping into my stomach. Heart hammering wildly.

There he was. Grant Wells, the man who had ripped my life apart two years ago. CEO of Wells Inc., and my ex-fiance.

Grant's smirk was in place as he stepped inside the room, every bit the confident business person he always was. "Good to see you, Miss Reynolds."

I straightened, forcing myself to remain composed despite the shock. "We have a meeting to conduct, Mr. Wells. Shall we?"

Damien, standing beside me, extended his hand toward Grant. "Welcome to Mega Hawk. Good to see you again, Mr Wells."

Grant shook his hand. Both men clearly knew each other. "Likewise."

I tried to focus on the task at hand, but my pulse raced. Grant's sudden appearance and calm demeanor made me want to pull my hair out. How could he stand there as if nothing had changed?

"Let's get started," I said, my voice clipped. "We've reviewed the proposal, and while the numbers look promising, I'm not convinced this partnership is the right move."

Damien faltered and looked at me in confusion. "Lena, I think we decided the Wells deal was acceptable.."

I ignored him, my eyes focused on Grant. "That was before he showed up late for such an important meeting and," I added, "And it wasn't good. On second thought, it's rather a weak offer."

Grant leaned back in his chair, arms crossed. "That's funny, I had the impression we were coming to finalize, not debate over this anymore."

Damien raised an eyebrow. "Lena, are you sure about this?" he mouthed mutely.

I didn't answer, my eyes locked on Grant and I stood up, grabbing my purse. "We're done here. Let the security escort you and your secretary out."

I was out of the room before Damien could ask all the questions that were no doubt floating in his head. Thankfully, he didn't argue with me. He trusted my judgment that much.

He stepped inside the elevator, exhaling slowly as the doors slid shut. But just as I thought I'd escaped, Grant appeared, stepping inside with me.

I stiffened.

"It's good to see you Lena," Grant's voice was casual, but I could feel the emotions in them.

"I can't say the same."

He laughed softly. "Is that why you refused the deal?"

I gritted my teeth, refusing to engage. "It's a trashy offer."

"Lena," his tone shifted, ego wounded. "You know this partnership is a good move. Why not look past this pettiness?"

I finally turned to face him, my eyes cold. "Because I'll never work with you, Grant. Ever."

His jaw tightened. "You're letting your personal feelings get in the way of a business opportunity."

"You think this is about feelings?" I snapped. "You have no idea what you did to me."

Grant's eyes darkened, but before he could respond, the elevator doors opened. I stepped out, refusing to let him see how much he still affected me.

But he wasn't done. As we stepped outside, Grant grabbed my arm, pulling me to a stop. "Lena, listen to me-"

"Let go of me!" I hissed, yanking my arm free.

"Why are you still being so stubborn?" Grant's voice was high now. "We could work together-

"I said no!" I shot back, my voice sharp. "Get lost, Grant.

Just then, I heard footsteps behind me. "Lena?"

I turned to see Damien, his expression concerned. I pulled away from Grant, plastering on a smile.

"Damien, I was just heading home."

"You forgot these," he said, handing me my keys.

Before I could react, he grabbed my face softly, and kissed me. Hard. I was stunned.

Later, Mr Wells," Damien

He said, wrapping an arm around my shoulders and leading me to my car, leaving Grant standing there, speechless.

Lena's POV

I walked into the office the next morning with a straight face. The kiss with Damien never happened. At least, that's what I kept telling myself.

This was business, nothing else. Quietly, I sat at my desk, flipping through the papers from yesterday's meeting.

There was a knock.

"Miss. Reynolds?" It was Grant's secretary, holding a file in her hands and wearing that annoyingly polite smile.

I didn't look up. "What is it?"

"Mr. Wells asked me to deliver the final draft of the contract. He's very eager to hear back from you."

I sighed, finally glancing at her. "Tell Mr. Well, that I'm not interested in the partnership."

Her smile faltered. "But, Ms. Reynolds, this deal is very beneficial-"

"I'm not inclined to take any business advice from you, missy," I cut her off with a stern voice. "Now, unless you have something else, I suggest you leave."

The secretary blinked, taken aback, then she gave a tight nod. "Very well, I'll let him know."

As she walked out, I sighed. This was all too much. I had a meeting to get to, and I wasn't letting Grant back into my life or my world.

A few hours later, I was done with the meeting. It was raining heavily as I stepped out. I checked my phone - no messages from my driver. Where was he? I sent another text, then tried calling. Voicemail. My battery was running out.

"Great," I muttered under my breath, slipping my phone into my bag. I wasn't about to wait around, though. I grabbed my coat and headed out into the street. Hoping to find a cab.

My jacket soaked through in minutes. I pulled it tighter around myself, trying to shield my face from the cold wind. My phone was now dead, and every taxi that passed was either full or didn't bother stopping. I had no choice but to walk back to the office, at least for shelter.

I was halfway down the block when I heard a car horn. Turning around, I saw Grant's sleek black car pulling up beside me. The window rolled down,

"Need a ride?"

I hesitated, water dripping down my nose. "I'm fine."

"You don't look fine. Get in, Lena. You're going to catch pneumonia out here."

"I'll manage."

Grant sighed. "Lena, stop being so stubborn. You're soaked, your driver's not here, and there's no taxi in sight. Just get in the car. I'm not leaving you out here."

He was right. There was no way I was getting back to the office without a ride, and I was freezing. With a reluctant sigh, I yanked the door open and slid in.

Grant handed me a towel from the backseat. "Here. Dry off."

I took it without a word, dabbing at my face and hair. I could feel his eyes on me as I stared out the window, watching the rain pour down.

"You know," he said after a moment, "this could've been avoided if you'd just agreed to the deal."

I shot him a look. "Not everything is about you, Grant."

"It could be," he muttered, his hands gripping the steering wheel stiffly.

We drove in silence for a while. I was drenched, and despite the towel, I was starting to shiver.

"Where's your driver?" Grant asked, breaking the silence.

"I don't know," I replied, trying to keep my teeth from chattering. "I'll deal with it tomorrow."

Grant glanced over at me, noticing my shivering. "You're freezing."

"I'll be fine," I said through clenched teeth, but the truth was, I wasn't. My body is shaking uncontrollably now.

Grant's jaw tightened. "No, you're not. We're not far from my place. You need to warm up and get dry."

"What? No. Just take me to the office-"

"I'm not letting you freeze to death in the back of some office building, Lena. It's after work hours. You need to change, and I'm not dropping you off until you do."

I opened my mouth to argue, but I knew it was pointless. The man could be infuriatingly stubborn. "Fine," I muttered.

We pulled up to his apartment building. It wasn't the one I knew. Clearly, he'd bought a lot more in the past few years. I followed him inside, dripping water all over the polished floors. Grant led me upstairs, and I stood awkwardly in the entryway as he disappeared into another room.

A few moments later, he returned with a sweatshirt and sweatpants. "Here," he said, handing them to me. "You can change in the bathroom."

I hesitated. "I don't need-"

Lena, just change. You're soaked."

Grumbling under my breath, I took off my clothes and went into the bathroom. After peeling off my wet clothes and slipping into his much-too-big sweatshirt and sweatpants, I felt slightly warmer, though still numb.

When I came back out, Grant was in the kitchen, pouring two cups of coffee. He handed one to me as I sat down on the couch.

"You're lucky I'm not calling an ambulance," he said with a smirk.

I rolled my eyes, taking a sip of the hot coffee. "I'm fine."

"You're stubborn," he corrected, sitting down next to me. "But that's nothing new."

I ignored him, sipping the coffee and trying to get warm. The heat from the cup felt good, but I was still exhausted.

"Lena..." Grant's voice was softer now, and I glanced over at him. "Why are you so against this deal? Are you still running from everything?"

"You're delusional." I replied, slurring. I couldn't feel my fingers or my feet, or any part of me at all. I was numb from the cold.

"Hey, don't die in my living room." He said with a smirk and moved to sit beside me, carrying my feet on his lap.

I struggled, but he hushed me with a finger on my lips. "Let me warm you up just a little." He said, his hands rubbing down my legs.

Stop. Take me home." I swung my feet off the couch.

"You live alone, Lena. It's not safe. Come on, just rest, I'll take you back when you're better. I promise." His voice was serious. At least he was a man of his word.

I stared at him for a moment, skeptical. The exhaustion, the cold, the anger, it was all too much. I can't deal with this right now. I finally laid back down.

Grant smirked. "Don't worry," he said quietly. "I won't lay a finger on you. Not unless you beg me."

I fell into a peaceful slumber.