Please Me Daddy (Gracie) novel Chapter 117

**Across Distant Skies Lies Hope Waiting To Be Found by Kade Rowan Flint 117**

He dared to bring her flowers.

—

Apollo

My gaze fixated on the phone cradled in my palm, my face a mask of neutrality. To an onlooker, I might have appeared completely unfazed, but the tension in my grip told a different story. My fingers curled tightly around the device, the glass screen protesting under the strain, as if it were about to shatter from the weight of my emotions.

Austin was seated beside me, a quiet observer. I didn’t need to lift my eyes to sense his scrutiny. His gaze was a palpable force, eager for the slightest hint of my reaction.

But my focus remained locked on the image displayed on the screen.

It should have been just another mundane photo, a fleeting moment shared in the endless stream of our company chat, but it was far from ordinary.

In the snapshot, Grace stood there, her hand clasped in that boy’s, an expression of discomfort etched across her features. It was as if she were trying to pull him away, her body language screaming unease. The angle from which the photo was taken felt intentionally deceptive, designed to distort the reality of the moment.

As I scrolled through the accompanying comments, my jaw clenched tighter with each passing word.

The remarks were more repugnant than I had anticipated, a festering pool of gossip that tarnished both her name and mine. Even River’s name had been dragged into the muck, a casualty of this malicious rumor mill.

I skimmed through a few more lines before the screen dimmed in my grip, my reflection barely visible against the inky blackness.

What incited my anger the most? Was it the fact that this boy had dared to show up at my company after I had explicitly warned him to steer clear of Grace? Or perhaps it was the disheartening reality that she had become ensnared in a web of rumors involving not just one, but two other men? No, the real offense lay in the audacity of these people to sully her name in such a revolting manner.

“Mr. Apollo…” Austin’s voice sliced through the heavy silence.

I remained fixated on the screen. “What’s your estimate on how many people in the company are perpetuating this nonsense?”

Austin hesitated, the sound of his throat clearing echoed in the stillness. “A-about fifty percent, sir.”

Fifty.

Half of the entire company.

I was on the verge of responding when Austin rushed to add, his words spilling forth as if he had anticipated my next move.

“Sir, before you make any decisions, you cannot fire them.”

I slowly shifted my gaze to meet his, my brow arching in disbelief. “Are you attempting to dictate my actions, Austin?”

“No, sir, I would never presume to do that.”

“Then enlighten me.”

He inclined his head, a gesture of respect. “If you terminate half the staff in the wake of this scandal, the company will suffer considerably. And moreover…” His eyes flickered to the phone still clutched in my hand. “You would be placing Miss Grace in an incredibly uncomfortable position.”

Austin continued, “If you dismiss a significant portion of the staff right after this incident, it will only serve to validate the whispers circulating that your relationship with her lacks professionalism.”

I remained silent, knowing he spoke the truth, yet my frustration simmered beneath the surface. I could watch the company crumble and still find a way to rebuild it from the ashes. I was Apollo Reed, a solver of problems. But this situation was different.

For her sake, I had to tread carefully. I wasn’t afraid of the rumors; I feared the repercussions they would have on her life. That realization gnawed at me, a persistent irritation that I couldn’t shake.

Leaning back against the plush seat of the private jet as it ascended higher into the sky, the steady hum of the engines filled the silence that enveloped us. My gaze drifted to the clouds outside, yet my thoughts were miles away from the serene sky.

That woman was driving me to the brink of irrationality with each passing day.

Her smile flashed before my eyes, and I found myself momentarily paralyzed, unsettled by the intensity of my reaction.

What had compelled her to greet me with such warmth this morning? She was typically so reserved around me, always cautious, like a deer caught in the gaze of a predator. But today, she had beamed at me, as if the weight of the world had lifted from her shoulders.

It was just a simple smile, yet it stirred something deep within me, a feeling I couldn’t quite comprehend or wanted to understand.

Frustrated, I ran a hand through my hair, trying to dispel the confusion swirling in my mind.

“Apollo Reed,” I muttered under my breath, “what in the world are you getting yourself into?”

I loathed how she infiltrated my thoughts, how her image eclipsed everything else—my past, my pain, even my logic.

“Is this important?”

A dramatic sigh echoed from the other end. “How many times must I remind you? Responding like that makes people wary of approaching you! Can’t you just be charming for once and tell your old man how much you’ve missed him?”

“If this is just another one of your usual tantrums, I’m hanging up.”

“Wait, wait! Don’t be so quick to hang up on your father,” he urged, his voice rushing. “This isn’t a tantrum; it’s different this time!”

I pinched the bridge of my nose, bracing myself. “How different?”

“I’ve finally found her,” he declared, his tone brimming with self-satisfaction.

“Found who?”

“The perfect match for you, of course! Your extraordinary father has done it again.”

A headache began to form behind my temples. Another woman. Another so-called perfect match. The last time he had tricked me into a date, within five minutes, the girl had called me “babe” and asked for a yacht before dessert.

“Not interested,” I replied flatly.

He chuckled, undeterred by my dismissal. “Oh, you’ll be interested this time, son. This girl is different. I can feel it. She’s perfect for you.”

I raised an eyebrow, intrigued despite myself. He had never sounded so certain before. Whoever she was, she must have done something remarkable to earn such confidence from him.

“I heard you’re traveling for work soon,” he continued. “A week or so, right? When you return, I’ll introduce you two.”

“Don’t bother—”

“This time,” he interrupted, his voice suddenly resolute, “you will marry this woman and have a child with her, if it’s the last thing I do.”

I stared at the ceiling in silence, fighting the urge to hang up mid-sentence.

Would getting married truly bring him happiness?