The Invisible Girl's Revenge (Harper) novel Chapter 183

Chapter 183

Chapter 183

Grayson

I drove towards one of my hotels at 12 PM. I was having lunch there with my parents.

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Had it been any other day, I wouldn’t have been in the mood, but I had a reason to celebrate as I believed that Claire must have handled the situation by now.

I’d been checking in on her since Monday, making sure she had access to Maddox. I set up the right timing, the right settings when it came to public encounters and private proximities. Everything had been strategically placed and that Thursday, which was the previous day, was supposed to be the breakthrough.

I was picturing how Harper would burst into tears upon realizing how right I was about Maddox when my phone rang through the car speakers. It was Claire. I smirked because that was perfect timing.

Tapping my earpiece, I said, “Tell me you’re finally got somewhere.”

I expected her to reply right away, but she hesitated, making my smirk fade.

“It didn’t work,” she said.

“What do you mean it didn’t work?” my voice turned a little impatient.

“I tried everything,” she said with a breath of frustration. “I sat close and touched him. I reminded him of things we used to do to each other. I even invited him to come upstairs with me.”

My jaw clenched. “And?”

“He turned me down and barely looked at me in the way that I hoped. And when I finally got him alone, he got an emergency call and just rushed off.”

“Where did he go?” I asked, my tone sharp.

“How the hell should I know?” she scoffed.

My grip on the steering wheel tightened. “You better watch your tone,” I warned her. “You should’ve done the job by now. I didn’t put you in that position so you can prove to be useless. Get things done.”

She began to say something else, but I ended the call before she could finish.

I inhaled slowly, my grip on the steering wheel tightening even more until my knuckles turned white. Why the hell was Maddox turning out to be more disciplined than I expected? It was annoying, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t eventually give in.

While I was glad that I’d planted doubts in Harper’s mind, it wasn’t enough. I needed more pressure.

I exhale slowly, loosening my grip on the steering wheel.

Things would’ve moved faster if Juliet were in town. I didn’t regret telling Harper that Claire and Juliet were both in town at the same time, even though they weren’t. The idea alone made her uneasy. I was getting impatient and needed to think of something else.

Maybe it was time to stop relying on Claire alone and bring Juliet into the equation for real. Because if Maddox wasn’t going to fall for temptation, I was going to create a situation he couldn’t walk away from and this time, Harper wouldn’t just doubt him. She would leave him and that would give me a clear opening.

1/3

11:22 am PPD

Chapter 183

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As I imagined myself being right there when she would break, I finally arrived at the hotel and turned into the driveway, the valet already stepping forward.

I stepped into the lobby while I adjusted my jacket and when I stepped into the restaurant section, I immediately spotted my parents at their table near tall windows. My mother was dressed in white silk, a diamond necklace around her neck. My father was in a tailored navy suit and those color combinations actually make them look good together.

They rose to their feet as soon as they saw me and I shared a warm embrace with each of them before we took our seats.

My mother reached for the menu, looking down at it as she said, “Tiffany must really love you to let you take over this hotel. Remember what I always tell you. You must never hurt my daughter–in–law. Otherwise, you’ll have me to deal with.”

I laughed softly. If only she knew what the deal between Tiffany and I was.

So far, it had only been working in my favor and she had been watching me thrive.

“Your mother is right,” my father said. “It is thanks to the most recent shares that I’ve been able to establish myself in the oil business now. You know what they say, connections matter.”

“They do,” I replied calmly.

My mother nodded, wanting to add to the conversation. “That’s right. Looks like we never needed Margot.” She waved her hand dismissively. “I wonder how she’s doing. I haven’t heard from her or seen her since last week. Even when I go to check up on my daughter–in–law, she’s never there. She must still be stuck on losing out. Who cares anyway?”

She kept talking about Margot, but suddenly, her voice faded and her eyes looked right past me.

She then leaned forward slightly and whispered, “Well, speak of the devil.”

I turned out of curiosity and there she was, walking into the restaurant in oversized sunglasses and not as elegant as usual. Her chin was lifted, but not quite as high as we were all used to. There was also a lack of confidence in the way she moved, like she was aware of every pair of eyes that might recognize her. The divorce hearing has done its damage.

She chose a table alone and for a moment, I thought she wouldn’t see us, but only a few seconds later, she spotted us at our table and immediately got up from her seat and began to approach us.

“Why is she coming over here?” my mother asked quietly.

I didn’t answer because my own comfort had just faded. The memory came flooding into my mind before I could stop it. I was never going to forget the sting of the palm of her hand against my cheek and the way it echoed that day.

When she reached our table, she didn’t ask if she could sit down. She simply pulled out a chair and took a seat like she owned that place.

I glanced at my parents and they looked just as stunned as I was.

“Have you ordered yet?” she asked, setting down her purse. She didn’t even remove her sunglasses.

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