Chapter 65: His Reasons

\[Grant’s POV\]

I stare at Gianna, waiting while she clenches and unclenches her fists.

It is clear that she wants to hit me and honestly, I don’t blame her.

What I was saying and doing was certainly a lot, but since I already started this game, I fully intended to continue forward with it.

“One year,” I say now. “That’s all I’m asking. After that year, we will cut ties and never have to cross paths again.”

“Never cross paths,” Gianna repeats. “Have you forgotten that you are the CEO of my modeling agency?”

“I haven’t.”

Even if I was the CEO, once I was finished cleaning up my stepmother’s mess, I would be heading overseas once more where I planned to settle.

I was only fixing things here for Anthony.

Even if he didn’t show any interest in joining the family business and wanted to live a quiet life, I just couldn’t sit back and watch as he didn’t get everything he deserved.

As the eldest son, naturally, he would be the first in line for everything, but because he messed up a long time ago while he was attempting to show father he was worthy, the place of next CEO was thrown at me. Because of that, I always had to live with the guilt of taking Anthony, including his first love Rachel, but it was that first love that led to his ruin because Rachel always had her eye on me.

This was the reason that I refused to fall in love, but even despite that, I couldn’t stop the attraction I felt when it came to Gianna.

Somewhere deep down I knew that it was dangerous to get closer and that the thing I should do is let her go, but I was a selfish man and when I wanted something, I wanted it.

I could only hope that maybe once I got my fill of this woman I would finally be able to stop thinking about her and move on with my life.

Famous last words. The small voice in the back of my head says. And what makes you think that she will even give you the time of day after you pull this stunt?

I would have to worry about that when the time came.

For now, the only thing that I was concerned with was completing my task and keeping Rachel far away from me.

“While we are together, I will make sure that you go higher than you ever thought.” I say now. “Once that happens, you will naturally move on to another agency.”

At my words, Gianna gives me a look that almost screams she doesn’t believe me, but I was much more capable than she would think.

“I don’t want anything by underhanded means.” She says slowly. “I want to be able to do it myself and…” She continues, narrowing her gaze on me. “I intend on retiring within the next month or so.”

Frowning, I take in what she has just told me while trying to determine why on earth she would do such a thing.

Wasn’t she just starting to become a big name in the world of modeling?

Why on earth would she suddenly retire?

“Did something happen?”

The question is leaving my lips before I can stop it and when Gianna gives me a look that says that’s none of your business I know she isn’t going to tell me.

“Find someone else,” she says now, her voice firm. “I don’t have any interest in playing with you.”

“Shouldn’t you at least consider it?” I ask her. “You’re as aware as I am that our picture will be everywhere in the morning, right?”

“I don’t care,” she shrugs. “If I have to I will claim that the CEO of my company took advantage of me.”

Fair. I think, appreciating how stubborn she was, but if she thought I would let it go that easily, she was wrong.

“We’ll see,” I smirk. “I’m certain that when all is said and done you will come running to me to agree to my offer.”

“Keep dreaming.”

Finished speaking, she gives me one final look and then starts moving and unlike last time, I don’t follow.

For now, I would let her go since she was too angry about everything to think too hard about my offer, but once she calmed down and thought things through, I was certain that she would come running back.

At least, that was what I thought, but when our picture appears on the news the next morning, she continues to keep her distance despite the rumors that have begun to spread.

And she continues the next day and the next and when I think that maybe, just maybe she will cave, she doesn’t.

She was a stubborn one. That was for certain, but that was one of the things that drew me to her even more and when the third day comes and Anthony comes to visit, I wonder if maybe something happened that made Gianna even more determined to stay away from me.

“To what do I owe the honor?” I ask as my brother enters my office and takes a seat. “You usually try to avoid this place.”

“Usually,” Anthony agrees. “But my wife insisted that I come and speak to you.”

“Tonya?” I ask, raising a brow. “And what on earth would Tonya want you to say to me?”

“Well,” Anthony begins, looking around as though there is someone nearby who can hear us. “The thing is…”

“It’s safe here,” I tell him. “I’ve had the whole place redone to make sure there aren’t any mics or cameras hidden to spy on me. You can speak freely.”

“Alright,” Anthony says almost relaxing. “Then here’s the deal, I need you to give up on this weird game of chase you’re having with Gianna.”

“Oh?” I ask. “And why would I do that?”

Honestly, I understood. How could I not when Gianna was my stepniece, but that didn’t mean much to me.

My brother married Tonya, he didn’t marry the entire family.

“Tonya is worried about you and Gianna getting involved.” Anthony explains. “She doesn’t want her to be brought into the power struggle that you are currently going through.”

“She won’t,” I assure him. “My business is my business and it has absolutely nothing to do with Gianna.”