Please Me Daddy (Gracie) novel Chapter 90

**TITLE: Across Distant Skies Lies Hope Waiting To Be Found by Kade Rowan Flint 90**

“You’re disgusting.”

“You’re disgusting.”

**Grayson**

My heart raced violently, each beat echoing like a drum in my chest, as though desperate to escape the confines of my ribcage. Beads of sweat trickled down my forehead, dampening the hair at my temples. My hands were balled into fists, the tension so intense that it sent sharp pangs of pain shooting through my fingers. Yet, I couldn’t release my grip.

The sound of the elevator doors sliding shut reverberated through the restaurant, a stark reminder of my isolation in that moment. It was only then that I allowed myself to exhale, a shaky breath that felt like a release from a dam about to burst.

Leaning forward, I gripped the edge of the table, my knuckles turning white as I fought to keep my legs from collapsing beneath me. The situation felt utterly surreal. My thoughts swirled chaotically, each one colliding with the next until clarity eluded me entirely.

Impossible.

Never in my wildest dreams did I envision facing that monster.

For as long as I could remember, I had expertly navigated around him. I was acutely aware that Apollo Reed harbored a deep-seated disdain for me, and I had learned to accept that bitter truth. I kept my distance, resolutely avoiding any notion of engaging in business with him, despite the allure of his lucrative offers. The reality was undeniable; Apollo Reed was the most formidable player in the business world, a man whose influence spanned every conceivable industry. He possessed the uncanny ability to construct empires overnight and dismantle them by dawn.

I had witnessed even the president himself tread carefully when Apollo’s name surfaced in conversation.

So, when I received the unexpected news that he desired a meeting with me, disbelief washed over me like a cold wave.

Why me? Why now?

Two possibilities flickered through my mind like shadows. The first was a glimmer of hope—perhaps he had reconsidered his stance and was finally willing to collaborate with me. That was precisely why I had brought Charles, my son and heir. If there was even a sliver of a chance to forge an alliance between our families and tap into Reed’s vast network, I was determined to seize it.

The second, far more sinister possibility was that I had unwittingly crossed a line, and now he was here to obliterate everything I had built.

But what unfolded before me was beyond any scenario I could have conjured.

Apollo Reed, the embodiment of coldness and ruthlessness, had come here not for business, nor for vengeance, but because of a woman.

And not just any woman.

My son’s fiancée.

Grace.

My mind reeled at the absurdity of it all. Why her? What could possibly draw a man like him to someone so seemingly ordinary?

The very reason I had encouraged Charles to pursue her was rooted in practicality: her parents were avaricious fools, willing to barter their own daughter for the right price. Grace herself appeared to be the perfect candidate—compliant, innocent, and easily swayed. A woman who would serve as a convenient cover for my son’s hidden truths.

She was someone I believed I could manipulate.

Or so I had thought.

When she severed ties with Charles after uncovering the truth about him, my anger flared like a wildfire. I had assumed that with a little pressure, she would relent, just like everyone else had before her.

God, how wrong I was. She wasn’t some fragile thing, waiting to be crushed.

She had a champion.

Apollo Reed himself stood firmly behind her.

I clenched my jaw, a mix of fury and dread surging through me. What kind of twisted game was this? Grace, merely a pawn in my grand design, had captured the attention of the one man who commanded fear and respect across the nation.

Wiping the sweat from my brow, I felt my hand tremble.

No. I had to put everything else aside. If I dared to lay even a finger on her now, my life would be irrevocably shattered.

With a long, measured sigh, I pinched the bridge of my nose, attempting to regain my composure as I straightened my posture. My patience had evaporated.

Pathetic.

I yanked my leg free from his grasp, glaring down at him. “What a fool you are. You couldn’t even hold onto the only woman you’ve ever had feelings for. You ruined it, just like you ruin everything else you touch. She could have been the perfect wife for you. But you destroyed it all because of another man.”

Charles looked up at me, breathing heavily, his face pale with humiliation. I was acutely aware that my words struck deep, but I felt no remorse.

“It’s disgusting,” I spat. “You’re disgusting.”

“Father…”

“I couldn’t care less about your feelings. If you can fall for one woman while being what you are, then you can certainly do it again with someone else. I will find another suitable match for you. And if you ruin this, if you ever allow her to discover your true self, I swear I will end you, Charles.”

With that final declaration, I turned away, finally done with the sight of him, leaving him crumpled on the floor, a mere shadow of the disappointment I had come to expect.

Grace.

What was it about that girl that made her so special?

She had accomplished what no one else could: capturing the attention of Apollo Reed. Even more absurdly, she had managed to ensnare my son’s heart, despite all the odds stacked against her.

A woman capable of captivating both a heartless devil and a man who preferred the company of his own gender…

A faint smirk tugged at my lips, my disgust giving way to a flicker of curiosity.

I would uncover her secret. One way or another.

**Elija**

**Author**

What do you all think of this chapter? I can’t help but feel a twinge of sympathy for Charles.