Page 51 of Forbidden Billionaires: Vol. 10

I collapsed on my bed. I remembered being upset after getting my silver medal.

Bryce had held me. He made me feel safe and secure.

Like nothing bad would ever happen to me.

Like he'd be there making sure it didn't. I needed him.

I closed my eyes and tried to imagine what it felt like with his arms around me again.

But all I could see was the hurt expression on his face.

Kristen entered my room a second later. She sat down on the bed and put her hand on my shoulder. She didn't have to say anything. I knew she didn't mean to set my dad off like that. She was just trying to help me figure out if my parents knew.

"I can't believe he sold it," I said.

"Maybe it's not final. He was probably just lashing out because he was mad at you. He'll probably come to his senses in a few days and cancel the sale."

"I don't think so. He's never looked at me that way before. He hates me."

"He doesn't hate you," said Kristen. "He's just adjusting to the fact that you're all grown up."

"That's a nice way to put it. But I really think he hates..."

A knock on the door interrupted me. I was about to tell them to go away when my grandma poked her head in. "Can I come in?"

"Of course." I sat up and Kristen scooted over to make room for her on the bed.

She was looking down at her hands. "I'm sorry I didn't say anything in front of your father."

"You don't have to apologize. I know how upsetting what I did was for all of you. I'm so sorry."

To my surprise, Grandma laughed. "That's not why I didn't say anything. I just didn't want to embarrass your father."

I looked over at her.

She laughed again. "I understand what happened completely."

"What do you mean?"

"Do you girls promise that what I say will never leave this room?"

Kristen and I looked at each other. "We promise."

"Well," she said and lowered her voice slightly.

"Before I dated your grandfather, I was dating this handsome farm boy.

" She smiled, remembering him. "Two of his friends worked on the farm too.

And they all shared a small house right next to the farm.

They were all gorgeous. Tan from the sun, ripped muscles from heavy lifting.

Short days, long nights. Very long, very cold nights.

" She sighed. "Some of the best nights of my life. "

I just stared at her and then looked over at Kristen. Her jaw had dropped. "Wait, are you saying..."

"That I know what it's like to give into my hormones? To be shared? That feeling that you're already in so deep? And that all you want to do is satisfy everyone the same way they're satisfying you?"

"Um, yeah."

"Let's just say those were some of the best nights of my life. Up there with when you were born, my beautiful, Alina." She put her hand under my chin.

I didn't know what to say. "But only you and them knew. Not the whole world."

She waved her hand in the air. "And the next scandal will come soon enough.

Everyone will forget. It's a burden that you'll carry alone, making it a monster in your own mind.

I carried mine and lived through it. It'll be the same for you.

But really, once you settle down and have children, you'll remember it more fondly.

You'll think back and know what it was like to be so free with your body.

To know what it was like to truly live." She sighed.

Oh my God.

"And your regret will turn into a memory. There's only moving forward. Stop looking back, Alina."

I was still having trouble processing the fact that my grandmother was into foursomes. I shook away the thought. "How can I look forward when Dad just took my future away from me?"

My grandmother shook her head. "Your father is incorrigible. I signed over the lease to him years ago. He didn't even ask me. Don't worry, I'll be giving him a piece of my mind. That bakery was for you. All I've ever wanted was for you to take it over."

None of us said anything for a long time.

"So you think he'll get over it and change his mind, right?" asked Kristen.

"I think the deal closed this afternoon," replied Grandma. "He was serious when he said it was done."

It was what I had been fearing. "I can't believe it's really done. I always thought it would be mine." My voice sounded small.

"There's other ways. You'll start your own bakery somewhere else. You'll make your own legacy."

"But my dream is your bakery."

My grandmother nodded. I knew she understood. The bakery had probably been even more important to her than it was to me.

"One day at a time, dear granddaughter." She patted my knee. "Now, who is Bryce?"

I sighed and leaned my head on my grandma's shoulder. "The most amazing guy I've ever met."

"You know, I got together with your grandfather right after dating my farm boy."

"Did he know about your time on the farm?"

"I told him everything."

"And he was okay with it?"

My grandmother laughed. "I think he liked that I was a little wild."

What I had done was probably classified as more than a little wild.