Page 46 of In A Mood For Mr. Wrong

I smirk right back. “Oh, you’ll survive, King. You might even like it.”

Tessa clinks her champagne glass against mine. “You’ll be nesting in no time.”

Grayson exhales dramatically. “So, let me get this straight, marriage means constant debates about home organization and admitting defeat in every argument?”

Elliot nods. “Welcome to the rest of your life.”

Grayson glances at me, eyes filled with amusement and something softer beneath it. “I think I can handle that.”

My heart flutters in response, but before I can say anything, my phone buzzes in my clutch. I pull it out, my stomach tightening as I see the name flashing across the screen. Olivia.

I glance up at Grayson, who immediately picks up on my shift in mood. “What is it?”

I unlock my phone, reading the message, and suddenly, the laughter and warmth of the evening vanish.

Olivia:Margot, we have a problem. Eleanor is making a move. You and Grayson need to see this now.My heart clenches.

Grayson steps closer, sensing the tension in my posture. “Margot?”

I look up at him, my pulse pounding in my ears.

“It’s Eleanor.” My voice is barely above a whisper. “She’s coming for us.”

His easygoing smirk fades instantly, replaced by sharp focus. “What did she do?”

I swallow hard, looking down at the screen again. “I don’t know. But whatever it is, it’s big.”

The champagne in my hand suddenly feels too heavy. The golden glow of the ballroom feels suffocating.

Elliot and Tessa, still laughing moments ago, notice our expressions and instantly sober.

“What’s going on?” Tessa asks.

Grayson exhales sharply. “We’re about to find out.”

And just like that, the warmth of the evening turns ice cold.

34

GRAYSON

My gut tells me this isn’t going to be good. Margot’s fingers tighten around her phone as we step out of the ballroom, the lingering laughter and music fading behind us. My mind races ahead, trying to anticipate Eleanor’s move before we even see it. She doesn’t strike randomly, she waits, plans, and attacks when it benefits her most. Which means whatever we’re about to see? It’s calculated. Margot and I stop near a quiet corner of the hotel’s corridor, the hum of the party distant now. She finally tilts her phone toward me, and my jaw clenches at the bold black-and-white email headline splashed across the screen:The King Family’s Biggest Lie—Grayson King’s True Parentage Exposed.

My stomach drops. I skim the email, my heartbeat pounding in my ears. The details are all there, how my father isn’t really my father. How I was raised as a King under false pretenses. How, legally, I have no claim toPerfectly Matched.I can’t move. I can’t breathe. This has to be a mistake. Some desperate attempt by Eleanor to create chaos. But the more I read, the worse it gets. It’s not just speculation. The email cites"confidential sources close to the King family," with birthrecords, insider confirmations, even a timeline of my mother’s affair. Someone leaked the truth. No, notsomeone.Eleanor.

“She knew,” Margot says, voice tight. “She’s probably known for years and waited for the right moment.”

I exhale sharply, running a hand down my face. “And now the entire board knows too.”

Margot swipes up, scrolling through the endless paragraphs of carefully constructed scandal: "Industry sources claim this revelation calls into question Grayson King’s leadership ofPerfectly Matched, and board members may reconsider his position."

There it is. The reason she did this.

“She wants you out,” Margot says, echoing my thoughts.

I let out a dry, humorless laugh. “Of course she does.”

Before either of us can say more, Margot’s phone vibrates again. Olivia.

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