Grayson Pierce and Eloise Caldwell novel Chapter 5

Chapter 5 A Bastard Son

Eloise had clenched her teeth and pushed through that period. Beckett was a well-known playboy, chasing after any woman that caught his eye, including those close to him. He had tried it with Eloise, too.

Then Eloise had punched him. She’d only managed it because he had been dead drunk and out of his mind. If he’d been sober, she wouldn’t have stood a chance.

Eloise had been sure she’d be fired on the spot. But to her surprise, Beckett had apologized the next day, sounding sincere.

“Ms. Caldwell, I’m very sorry. I had too much to drink last night and mistook you for someone else. Can you forgive me?” he had said.

Eloise had forgiven him, because she had needed the job. After that, Beckett had never stepped out of line with her again. She had chosen to believe Beckett really had been too drunk to know what he was doing that night.

A sharp click of high heels echoed down the hall. Eloise snapped out of her thoughts.

A woman stormed into the company, furious. She wore a pair of stilettos, had a head of thick wavy curls, and was dressed in a tight red mini dress. Her figure was striking.

Eloise sighed to herself. ‘This must be another woman Beckett has messed with. Old habits die hard. My peaceful days are over again.’

The woman yelled at the top of her voice, “Where’s Beckett? I want to see him. Tell him to come out now!”

Eloise had never seen anyone so bold. The woman walked toward the general manager’s office and asked, “Is Beckett in the office?”

As Beckett’s secretary, Eloise was used to dealing with this kind of scene. She stepped forward with a polite smile, blocking the woman’s path. “I’m very sorry, but Mr. Hayes isn’t in the office right now.”

The woman frowned, clearly not buying it. “I don’t believe you. He’s definitely in there.” She tried to push past Eloise.

Eloise moved to block the woman again. “Madam, you can’t just walk in.”

“Get out of my way.” The woman shoved Eloise hard. Eloise stumbled, barely keeping her balance. She tried step in and stop the woman again. After all, she took her secretary job seriously.

The office door swung open. Beckett’s eyes went to Eloise first, and then to the woman in red, his expression turning cold. “What are you doing here?” he asked.

Tessa Hayes looked at him with open scorn. “Beckett, who told you to come back? Get out of Ekloland and go back to Ucrevine.

“This position belongs to my brother. You’re just a bastard son. What gives you the right to take it?”

Besides Eloise, there were two assistants in the secretarial office. They watched Beckett nervously, holding their breath. Everyone knew Beckett was the son of Cyrus Hayes’s mistress, which meant he was a bastard son. But no one dared say it to his face.

Cyrus’s wife had been afraid Beckett would try to take the company, so she had sent him off to the Ucrevine branch. It was only after Beckett’s older brother ran into serious trouble that Cyrus called Beckett back to Ekloland.

This woman in red was Tessa, the youngest daughter of Cyrus’s wife. People said she had a hot temper. Her loud scene today proved the rumors right.

This was family business. Outsiders like Eloise were better off staying out of it.

Beckett’s eyes, usually bright and playful, had turned ice-cold. Eloise saw the veins standing out on the back of Beckett’s hand. He was clearly holding his temper in check.

“Dad called me back,” Beckett said.

Tessa yelled, “So you come running just because he snaps his fingers? Would you jump off a bridge if he told you to?”

“Tessa, you’ve crossed a line,” Beckett said.

“So what? You’re just a bastard son. Do you even have the right to stand in this building?” Tessa pressed.

Beckett took out his phone and made a call. A moment later, Tessa’s phone rang. She glanced at the screen, shot Beckett a hateful look, and answered it.

Whatever was said on the other end worked. Tessa stormed off in a rage. Beckett took another call right after and left the office too.

When Beckett returned, he looked at Eloise as if about to speak. Then he suddenly turned to one of the assistants instead. “Gather your things. You’re coming with me to VirtuFusion Group.”

‘VirtuFusion Group. The Pierce family’s company,’ Eloise thought, freezing for a second. ‘Was Beckett about to ask me to go? Why did he change his mind?

‘Oh well. It’s never smart to guess what the boss is thinking. Besides, I really don’t want to go to VirtuFusion Group anyway. Running into Grayson would be beyond awkward.’

*****

At VirtuFusion Group, Finn Truman, Grayson’s secretary, walked into his office. “Mr. Pierce, the representatives from Hayes Group are here.”

*****

Eloise held the file tightly and made her way to VirtuFusion Group. The company’s headquarters stood tall in the busiest part of the city center. The building was imposing and grand, seeming to touch the sky.

Eloise walked up to the front desk. “Hello. I’m from Hayes Group. I’m here to deliver some documents to Mr. Pierce.”

Two well-dressed young women stood behind the desk. They gave Eloise a quick look. “One moment, please,” one of them said and made a call.

A short while later, a man came down the stairs. Eloise recognized him. He had been with Grayson at the dinner that night.

“Ms. Caldwell. I’m Finn Truman, Mr. Pierce’s secretary. Mr. Pierce is in a meeting right now, but I’ll take you up to his office,” he said.

Eloise didn’t move. “Mr. Truman, could I just leave these with you? Then you can pass them to Mr. Pierce,” she said.

Finn shook his head. “I’m afraid not. It’s better that you hand them to him in person.”

Finn had no idea what his boss was thinking, but he knew this whole thing was just a way to get Eloise here. He wasn’t about to let her slip away.

Eloise had no choice but to follow Finn upstairs.

“Ms. Caldwell, Mr. Pierce’s meeting should be over soon. Please wait for him inside,” Finn said.

Then the office door clicked shut behind her. Surrounded by the richly decorated yet coldly formal office, Eloise stood there, confused. It seemed as if Finn had tried to lock her in, afraid she might run off.

She didn’t dare touch anything or even look around too much. She walked to the sofa and sat down properly, hands folded in her lap.

Finn had said the meeting would end soon, but Eloise waited for twenty long minutes. When she checked the time once more, the door swung open. Grayson’s tall, straight frame appeared in the doorway.