Please Me Daddy (Gracie) novel Chapter 89

**TITLE: Across Distant Skies Lies Hope Waiting To Be Found by Kade Rowan Flint 89**

“Didn’t your father teach you any better, kid?”

Apollo

As soon as her name escaped my lips, the atmosphere in the room shifted dramatically.

Father and son stood before me, their expressions a mixture of shock and bewilderment, as if I had just uttered some ancient incantation. Their eyes were wide, struggling to comprehend the weight of my words. I held their gaze, unwavering, allowing the silence to stretch uncomfortably between us.

Grayson was the first to break the stillness, his voice barely a whisper. “What…”

Before he could elaborate, Charles shook off his stupor. He pushed his father aside with surprising force, causing the older man to stumble back, taken aback by the sudden display of strength. Charles advanced toward me, his palms crashing down onto the table with a thud that reverberated through the air.

His voice trembled, a mix of anger and disbelief. “D-did you just say Grace? How do you know my fiancée?”

That word hung in the air like a bitter aftertaste.

Fiancée.

It rolled off his tongue with such casual ownership, and I felt my jaw tighten involuntarily. My eyes darkened as I regarded this trembling boy, who dared to utter her name, completely oblivious to the storm brewing within me.

“Fiancée?” I echoed, my tone flat yet laced with an undercurrent of menace.

Charles gulped, the fear evident in his wide eyes. I could see the instinct to retreat clawing at him, yet he stood his ground, fists clenched at his sides.

“Yes,” he insisted, his voice gaining volume. “Fiancée. Grace and I are getting married. She is mine. It makes no sense for you to tell me to stay away from her when she belongs to me.”

The table fell into a heavy silence, punctuated only by the sound of my fingers drumming against the polished wood, a rhythm that slowed with each passing second.

And then it hit me—I was furious.

I rarely allowed myself to feel anger. I was methodical, always calculating my next move before I acted. Yet, in this moment, I felt an overwhelming urge to put this naive boy in his place, to teach him a lesson so harsh that he would never dare speak her name again.

Austin, sensing the tension, spoke up from behind me, his voice low and cautious. “Mr. Apollo—”

I brushed him off, my focus solely on Charles, who continued to ramble, blissfully unaware of the tempest gathering around him. “Oh, I think she’s working at your company, right? Is that why you’re here? You don’t have to worry; we’re just having a little argument, but we’ll settle it soon, Mr. Reed—”

A laugh escaped my lips before I could stifle it.

The temperature in the room plummeted.

Charles froze, his words caught in his throat, the bravado draining from his expression.

I leaned back in my chair, fixing him with a steady gaze.

He paused, searching my expression for a hint of truth.

“Forgive me if I’m wrong,” he added hastily. “But I require clarity. Why would you, Mr. Reed, take such measures to protect that girl?”

I regarded him with a blank stare. “It’s amusing how people think they can demand answers from me. Perhaps I’ve been too private lately. They forget just who I am.”

Grayson flinched, his hands balling into fists as his composure cracked for the briefest moment.

“My apologies, I didn’t mean—”

I glanced at the clock, then rose, brushing the wrinkles from my suit jacket with an air of indifference.

“This concludes our meeting. I trust that was sufficient warning.” My gaze bore into his. “You wouldn’t want to lose everything you hold dear, Mr. Grayson.”

His jaw clenched, yet he remained silent.

I turned to leave, slipping my hands into my pockets. Just as I was about to step away, I paused, my back still facing them.

“Oh, about that question you posed,” I said casually, a faint smirk playing at the corners of my lips. “If there’s anything between me and that woman, let me assure you, you’ll face far worse consequences if you ever dare to lay a hand on her. I’m not one to forgive easily when it comes to what belongs to me.”

“So heed my warning, Grayson. You and your family’s lives hang in the balance. I wouldn’t hesitate to dismantle everything you’ve built in a single day.”