Penance - Uncovering the truth, Secrets and confessions, and Twisted pasts

Chapter 33

The following morning, Grayson woke up to the soft rays of sunlight peeking through the curtains. He yawned, stretching his arms as he slowly became aware of his surroundings. Then, he remembered Alison. He turned to look at the bed beside him and found it empty.

Panic momentarily gripped him, but his eyes caught sight of a note taped to his right cheek. Grayson reached for it and read Alison's hasty handwriting.

"I owe you — Alison."

Confusion clouded Grayson's thoughts. Why had Alison left so suddenly? He looked around the room, searching for any clues, but everything appeared unchanged from the previous night. Then he remembered Emily, realizing he had completely forgotten about her due to Alison's presence. But was that a good or bad thing?

Grayson settled back onto his bed, placing a pillow beneath his head for comfort. Closing his eyes, he hoped to clear his thoughts, but the sudden lingering scent of vanilla in the air was impossible to ignore.

The smell surrounded him, a gentle and soothing aroma that seemed to hang in the room.  The fragrance reminded him of Alison, as she always ate ice cream.  It wasn't strange or intrusive; it was...comforting in a sense to Grayson (a bittersweet scent that stirred up a mix of emotions within him).

Grayson pondered over his feelings for Alison. It wasn't love, he knew that much, yet doubts started to creep in.  It was something different, something he couldn't quite grasp. Their encounters had been filled with tension, a blend of attraction and frustration, but beneath it all, there was an unspoken understanding.

He wondered if his feelings for Alison were genuine or if they were merely fuelled by curiosity, or solely driven by the desire to come out on top, to win at any cost.

The idea of delving into Alison's family in West Virginia came to mind. It seemed like a logical way to learn about her background and her connection with Mason.

With a sigh, Grayson got out of bed and reached for his phone on the bedside table. He was skilled at gathering information, but this time, he had to be cautious. Mason would likely be aware if Grayson tried to contact Alison's family. Their wealth and influence made them both formidable opponents in this game. But would this approach bring him closer to the truth about Alison and Mason? And more importantly, would it help him understand his own feelings for her?

As Grayson began his search on his phone, he discovered that Alison's parents were divorced for 3 years. Her mother, Charlotte Emrys, had moved to New York along with her twin sons, Hudson and William, who were the same age as Nash. Meanwhile, her father, Jefferson Emrys, remained in West Virginia near the Kentucky border, working on a farm.

Grayson's mind was flooded with suspicions as he read through the information about Alison's family. The fact that her parents had divorced around the same time Mason left Harvard University raised countless questions in his mind. Why had her mother decided to move to New York? Were there any connections between Alison's family dynamics and her involvement with Mason? Did her parents' divorce influence her choices?

Grayson pondered these questions, recognizing that Alison's family might hold the key to unravelling more about her and her connection to Mason. It seemed like a crucial piece of the puzzle, one that he needed to explore further to gain a deeper understanding of her circumstances and motivations.

Paying a quick visit to Alison's mother, Charlotte Emrys, in New York, wouldn't be such as bad idea. Grayson considered the flight duration. It was relatively short, only about 45 minutes by private jet. This meant that he could swiftly make the trip and return to Boston, leaving little trace of his presence if Alison or Mason were to ever discover his absences. He reminded himself that this wasn't an invasion of Alison's personal life, but rather a search for answers that could shed light on this mystery. As a Hawthorne, driven by his competitive nature, Grayson was willing to go to great lengths to satisfy his hunger to win.