The Grey Heir

THE GALA NIRA POV The last thing I remembered from my past life was the sharp edge of the wooden stairs hitting the back of my head while David’s voice shouted above me, his leather shoe stepping over my bleeding body as priya’s high laugh carried down the hallway while they both left me there to die on the floor. I woke up gasping and grabbed the edge of the sofa beneath me, my heart racing as I looked around the room and realized I was no longer lying on the cold floor where I had died. The room was a private dressing room with bright lights around a large vanity mirror, and when I looked into it I saw a younger version of myself wearing an emerald silk dress with my dark hair falling in soft waves around my shoulders. I touched my face slowly because I had not looked like this in years, and after spending so long hiding beneath oversized scrub tops because of David’s comments about my body, seeing the emerald silk fitted over my curves made me realize how much of myself I had allowed him to take from me. Then I looked down at my left hand. The thin silver wedding ring was still there. I checked the clock beside the mirror and froze when I saw the time. It was seven in the evening, and when my eyes moved to the date, I knew exactly where I was and what night this was. The annual charity gala. The night my entire life had started falling apart. The door opened and David walked inside while checking his phone with a small smirk, and when the screen turned slightly toward me I caught a message from Priya before he quickly moved it away. When are you ditching your fat wife and coming to my place? He shoved the phone into his pocket and looked at me. “Stop staring like a peasant, Nira,” he said. “I paid eight hundred dollars to squeeze you into that dress so people could see Dr. David Vance with a proper wife instead of some chubby scrub nobody. Priya actually knows how to wear a dress and make a man look good. Smile and pull your stomach in or you will regret it when we get home.” In my old life I would have lowered my head and apologized, but this time I smoothed the silk over my hips and looked him directly in the eyes. “Don’t touch me, David.” He stared at me as if he had never heard me speak to him that way before, but the ballroom doors chimed before he could answer. We walked into the large room filled with crystal chandeliers, champagne and expensive gowns, and I immediately noticed the change in the crowd as people began looking toward the marble staircase. A tall man stood there in a black tuxedo with dark hair pushed back from his forehead and cold gray eyes that moved across the room without showing much interest in anyone. Six bodyguards stood around him while cameras flashed, and an older silver-haired man watched from a few steps behind. “Who is that?” I asked. David grabbed my arm. “That’s William Grey, CEO of Grey Enterprises,” he said. “He’s worth thirty billion, so don’t embarrass me by going anywhere near him. Men like him look for slim heiresses, not women like you.” I looked at William for another moment. I remembered him. Not because we had spoken that night, but because this was the night everything around him started to change. Ten minutes later David’s attempt to impress a senior partner failed, and the man walked away without giving him the deal he wanted. David’s face changed. I knew what came next. His fingers closed around my wrist and he dragged me away from the crowd, pushed aside a heavy curtain and pulled me into the glass conservatory. The room was warm and humid because of the plants filling the space, and the soft sound of the indoor fountain was the only thing I could hear as David turned toward me. “You embarrassing useless b***h,” he said, slamming me against a stone pillar. “You just stood there like a sack of flour while I talked to Sterling. Priya would have used her charm to help me.” “I don’t even know him,” I said, looking straight at him. “And leave Priya out of it.” “Shut up.” He raised his hand. I watched him without moving. I knew what was supposed to happen next. Before his hand could come down, a harsh roar tore through the conservatory followed by a heavy metallic crash. David flew backward across the gravel and hit the ground hard. Blood ran from his mouth. I looked past him. William Grey stood there with blood dripping from his right fist, his jacket gone, his white shirt torn at the collar and his bow tie hanging loose around his neck. His gray eyes were wide and unfocused while his chest rose and fell quickly. I recognized the signs immediately. He was having an acute episode. As a psychiatrist, I knew I needed to keep my voice calm and avoid making sudden movements. “Mr. Grey,” I said carefully. “Look at me and take a slow breath.” His eyes moved toward mine. I took one step forward. That was when everything went wrong. William’s hand came toward me with frightening speed. I barely had time to react before it struck my collarbone and sent me flying backward into the marble fountain. Pain shot through my hip as the stone edge caught me, and I landed hard on the wet tiles with cold water soaking through my green dress while my palms scraped against the floor. “Jesus Christ!” David scrambled away on his hands and knees, staring at William in fear. “He’s insane. Completely unhinged.” He did not look at me. He did not ask if I was hurt. He simply ran through the curtains shouting for help. I stayed on the wet floor for a moment, one hand pressed against my collarbone while the pain spread through my body. The curtains opened again. Three security men rushed inside with Ethan right behind them. “Master William, get him away!” The guards grabbed William before he could take another step, with two holding his arms while the third wrapped both arms around his chest. William fought against them, his eyes still moving around the room as if he could not understand where he was. Ethan stepped closer. “William, listen to me. It’s me, Ethan.” William slowly turned toward him. His body began to relax. Ethan continued speaking in a quiet voice while the guards held William steady, and after several moments his breathing began to slow. “Get him out through the side exit now,” Ethan ordered. The guards moved William away while Ethan followed them. No one came back for me. I sat beside the fountain with my wet dress clinging to my body and looked at the silver wedding ring on my finger. Once, I had believed this ring represented my family. Now I knew better. I pushed myself to my feet and picked up my clutch. Tomorrow morning, Halo would come to Saint Jude’s with a contract from the Grey Estate. In my previous life, I had accepted it because I needed somewhere to go. This time I would accept it because I knew exactly what I could do with the opportunity. I would get away from David, protect my medical license and make sure he paid for everything he had done. I walked out of the conservatory without looking back.