Chapter 3

Miguel walked into his family estate after paying the cab driver.

As he walked through the corridor, tense and drenched in humility, he reflected on his attempt to win Anabelle's true love and how he had failed.

"You should have been patient for just five more minutes for me to get that call, Annabelle," he thought to himself.

"You would have been my queen." But then he considered, "You have proven to be a gold digger anyway and would never stay with me if I should become poor again."

Just as he finished thinking, he walked into his father's chamber, pushing the door knob lightly.

The moment he entered, the man in the brown suit with grey hair who sat behind a desk doing paperwork raised his head.

They both froze. There was silence as Mr. Grayson slowly stood up from his desk, spotting a son he had not seen in a year.

Mr. Grayson’s heart was bruised when he saw the clothes his son was in.

Not that the clothes were torn or dirty. The clothes were neat and decent, but not up to 20% as expensive as the clothes his son used to wear about a year ago.

"Son?" Mr. Grayson called out, his voice filled with disbelief. "Is that you?" He asked again, his steps shaking as he approached his son.

Miguel grew cold, filled with emotions and memories of the day his father had turned his back on him for making the wrong choice for love. Miguel nodded slowly without saying a word.

Mr. Grayson kept approaching Miguel slowly, as if he couldn't believe his eyes.

Suddenly, when he was near, he wrapped his arms around Miguel and pulled him into a tight hug.

“My son...”

"My son is back," he whispered.

Miguel nodded as they pulled apart.

He glanced at his father's face and his eyes moved to the walls, scanning the office and remembering old memories.

Everything seemed different to him now as it had been more than 12 good months since he left.

"I'm so sorry, son, my pride won’t let me come for you even when I started to regret my decisions, " his father said, holding his shoulder.

"I should never have made the choice to disown my own son, whom I love so much, just because of his choice of love. I know it will be difficult to trust me as a father once again after the choices I've made, but I am okay with you taking your time," he added and Miguel sighed heavily.

The truth was that Miguel knew how difficult and stubborn his father was, he had not even expected his father to ever take him back.

Mr. Arnold Grayson was a man of his words, a quality that made him surpass every of his competitors in the business world.

Miguel shook his head disapprovingly. "You shouldn't even say that. Everything you did was for my own good, but I was too blind to see it. I mean..." Miguel said halfway, the words too heavy to be let out.

His father looked puzzled and confused about his son’s statement. "What are you talking about, son?"

Miguel fell silent, still in shock from what had happened with Anabelle and the Adolfos in general just moments ago.

He was embarrassed to admit that his father was right.

Seeing the tension rise within his son, Mr. Grayson asked, "Where is your wife, Anabelle?"

Miguel was silent, rubbing his forehead in regret. How could he tell his father that he was right about Annabelle?

"Didn't Mr. Donald inform you that I had accepted Anabelle as my daughter-in-law and was ready to meet her?" his father asked.

He was eager as he had never met Annabelle in person. Miguel had told Annabelle he was an orphan just to stop her from asking questions about his family.

Miguel gulped.

“Son, what is wrong? Don’t tell me something happened to my daughter-in-law...” Mr. Grayson’s breath thickened in his chest.

"You were right about Anabelle and her family," Miguel finally said.

"An hour ago, Anabelle took another man's ring while she was still married to me, to make things worse, it happened right in front of me."

Mr. Grayson's eyes widened in shock. They got married just a year ago.

"She could no longer keep up with my poverty, so she went for a wealthy man," Miguel continued. "Anabelle asked me to come back tomorrow morning to sign the divorce papers."

Mr. Grayson stood there, processing Miguel's words. His shock slowly turned into a deep sadness, both for his son’s heartbreak and for the validation of his earlier fears.

This was what he feared. He had predicted that if his son went to present his money to her, then that would be the only reason she would marry him.

"Miguel," he said softly, "I'm so sorry you had to go through this."

Miguel shook his head, his eyes filled up with anger. "I was so determined to prove you wrong, to show you that love could conquer everything. But I was wrong. You were right all along."

His father placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Sometimes, in our desire to prove a point, we overlook the reality staring us in the face. You did what you thought was right, and that takes courage."

Miguel sighed heavily. "It feels like I've wasted so much time and effort on something that was never real. And now... I don't even know what to do next. I could have remained here, building this empire with you, but I left to be with a low-life family who thinks they are rich just because they have a single third-level company in town. All to get my love betrayed by Annabelle?"

Miguel’s heart was full of regret. The wealth of the entire Adolfos was nothing in comparison, not even close to 10% of what he was denied by his father for making a wrong choice and going to marry Annabelle.

"It doesn’t matter son, what matters is that you are back in your place, this empire.... You are in the right place now."

Miguel looked into his father's eyes, feeling a little hope rising again. "But what about...?"

Mr. Grayson interrupted, "Forget about the past for now. We'll deal with the divorce first and everything else one step at a time. What's important is that you're back where you belong. We can rebuild from here."

Miguel was relieved. He thought his father would have some form of punishment for failing the bet of making Annabelle remain with him despite being poor.

Miguel nodded, finally allowing himself to feel a sense of relief. "Thank you, father. I don't deserve your kindness after everything."

"Nonsense," Mr. Grayson replied. "You're my son, and nothing will ever change that. Now, come with me. Let's get you settled in. We have a lot to catch up on."

As they walked out of the office, Mr. Grayson continued, "Oh! This place has been so empty without you, son.”

Miguel took a deep breath, feeling the weight of his recent past begin to lift. As they made their way through the grand halls of the estate, the sense of home and belonging began to fill the void left by Anabelle's betrayal.

"One more thing," Mr. Grayson added with a smile, glancing at Miguel who walked by his left hand side. "It's time to unfreeze your accounts and restore your access to your properties. You have a legacy to rebuild, and I have no doubt you'll rise from this stronger than ever."

Miguel managed a small smile, grateful for his father's support. "I'll do my best, father."

"I know you will."

"Son, there's something else," Mr. Grayson said with a serious tone. "you came home at just the right time."

Miguel looked at his father with curiosity. "What do you mean by right time, father?"

His father smiled. "I'm retiring."

Miguel's eyes widened in shock. "What?! Why? You're still active and agile, and you love your job. You always said you'd never retire at sixty."

Mr. Grayson chuckled. "I know, I know. But I'm tired of working. I've been doing the same thing for years. The company has been growing so fast, and now the wealth and everything else have begun to grow beyond my control. It's giving me pressure, son."

Miguel listened intently, trying to process this unexpected news.

His father continued, "That's the essence of having a son. You, Miguel, will be taking over everything tomorrow evening after you come back from the Adolfo mansion."

Miguel was stunned. "Father, I—"

He said, unable to articulate his words of shock and gratitude.

Mr. Grayson held up a hand to stop him. "Save it, Miguel. There's no need to express your gratitude. The transfer on paper is just to ensure it's legal and for formality. Even without signing anything, you should be aware that everything that belongs to me is yours."

Miguel nodded, still overwhelmed by the magnitude of what his father was saying.

"The only thing," his father continued, "is that the accounts and all the businesses might be too much for you to handle alone. But don't worry, I'll get you a trusted assistant if you need one."

Miguel was stunned. "Thank you, father. I won't let you down."

Mr. Grayson squeezed his shoulder. "I know you won't. You have the heart and the mind to lead this family and the business. Now, let's get you settled in and prepare for tomorrow. It's going to be a big day."

As they continued walking, Miguel felt like he was living a dream. Just a moment ago he was being insulted by the people who thought he was actually poor, especially his own wife.

But now, he was the CEO of Grayson Empire.