The realization hit them hard. Grant said under his breath, gripping the edge of the desk, that his own brother had done it. Michael had always resented him, always felt overshadowed by the brother who inherited their father’s business empire. And now he had decided to remove Grant from the picture for good. Anna’s heart tightened as she said aloud that Michael had wanted him gone. Jaw set, Grant said he would make sure his brother answered for it.
That same evening, Grant and Anna arranged to confront Michael face to face. In the dimly lit study of the Bennett family estate, Michael lounged in a leather chair, slowly turning a glass of whiskey in his hand. When they walked in, he smirked and greeted his brother with a cutting remark about his return. Grant’s eyes were hard with anger as he asked Michael directly why he had done it. Michael took a slow sip and said Grant already knew the answer.
Anna stepped forward and told him he had gone after his own brother for money and control. Michael’s smirk disappeared, and he said coldly that he had done it for what should have been his in the first place. He let years of resentment spill out, calling Grant the golden child, the heir who had everything handed to him. Michael admitted he was tired of waiting his turn. Grant’s hands tightened into fists as he asked about the sabotage of the car.
Michael gave a short, humorless laugh and admitted he had not expected his brother to survive, but figured miracles happened. Anger rose in Anna, but before she could speak, the door opened. Two uniformed police officers stepped into the room, and Michael’s face went pale at once. One officer announced that Michael Bennett was under arrest on charges related to a planned criminal act resulting in severe bodily harm. Michael turned toward Grant in panic, accusing him of setting him up.
Grant tilted his head slightly and answered in an even voice that Michael had set himself up. Michael was led away in handcuffs, shouting empty threats as he went. When the door shut behind him, a heavy silence settled over the room. Grant finally let out a breath, and for the first time since waking up, his shoulders relaxed. Justice had been done, and he was finally free.
The Bennett estate had always felt grand, imposing, and cold — a fortress of wealth built over generations of power. But that evening, when Anna walked into the softly lit dining room, everything felt different: warmer, more welcoming. Candlelight flickered across the elegantly set table by the tall windows overlooking the evening lights of the city. The air carried the scent of fresh roses, and a bottle of wine chilled beside two perfectly arranged place settings. Anna caught her breath and asked Grant what all this was for.
Grant stood behind her with his hands in his pockets, his blue eyes soft but steady. He simply said it was dinner for the two of them. Anna’s heart tightened with emotion. The past few weeks had been a whirlwind: his recovery, the truth about his brother, everything that followed. But now that the storm had finally passed, there was only this quiet moment.
And somehow that made it feel even more overwhelming. When they sat down, Anna could not help noticing the way Grant looked at her. It was as if he were memorizing every detail of her face, as though she were something fragile and deeply precious. With a faint teasing smile, she pointed out that he was being unusually quiet. Grant exhaled and turned his wineglass in his hand, admitting he had been thinking.
She joked that this was probably dangerous, but he did not laugh. Instead, he leaned forward, and his gaze held hers. He asked Anna if she knew how many people had turned away from him while he was in the coma. Her smile faded, because she had seen it herself — relatives who treated him like a burden, so-called friends who had simply moved on. The only reason he had made it through that darkness was because one person stayed.
And that person was her. Grant said quietly that Anna had been there day after day, caring for him when he could not even open his eyes. To everyone else, he had been a hopeless case, but she had refused to give up on him. Anna felt a lump rise in her throat, because she had never thought of it that way. She had only done what she believed was right. But to Grant, it had meant everything.
He leaned a little closer, his fingers brushing her hand on the table. Gently but firmly, he told her he had everything — money, influence, power — but none of it meant much without her. Anna caught her breath again as Grant asked her to let him finish. His hand closed around hers, and his thumb moved slowly, tenderly across her skin…
