Love in Denial: Outline and Chapter 1

Hi, everyone this is my new story, I have included a brief outline of what the story might be about as well as the first chapter, let me know what you guys think.

Synopsis

For the Grayson sisters nothing has ever been denied to them, they were on top of the world,

Delana Grayson (30): oldest sister, the one their father can depend on. She has the intention of running her father's Magazine Empire. Things become complicated however when her father brings in Carter Mathews to oversee operations.

Dreya Grayson (27): Middle child, the more reserved out of her sisters, she is still haunted by her mother's suicide. Will Dreya ever be able to let go and start living her life?

Danni Grayson (23): Model socialite and youngest of the Grayson sisters Danni has already been married once and is on her way to a second marriage. She wouldn't know real love if it hit her in the face, that is until she meets the brother of her soon to be husband

This is the story of three very different women all tied together by blood, and secrets and a desperate need to find peace in their lives

Chapter 1

Danville Times

Looks like there's trouble on the horizon for the Graysons as Gregory Grayson announced today his early and much anticipated retirement from an industry that he has managed to dominate for the past 40 years. The question on everyone's mind is who will rise to take on the burden of running the publishing house that has been crippled with mismanagement and bad decisions? Will it be the slightly reserved and prudish Delana Grayson, who as you all recall stepped in to lend her father a helping hand or will it be in the form of Carter Mathews, infamous for his ability to step in and bring companies back from the ashes... either way its sure to make for interesting social conversation for the rest of us...stay tuned

Delana Grayson read the article and then flung it across the room watching as the newspaper fluttered messily to the floor. This was just what she needed, how could he do this to her? Not only did she have to find out in the news that her father had retired but she now also had to worry that she might not be running the company. Who was this Carter Mathews anyway? Restless she picked up her mobile and pressed the automatic redial button "I want to speak to him" she barked into the phone and waited expectantly

"I'm sorry Ms Grayson but your father has asked not be disturbed" As usual she was being stonewalled by her father's watchdog of an assistant

"Damn it Clarke I'm his daughter not the press now put me through or I swear you won't have a job to come back to in the morning"

"That's just a risk I'm going to have to take" Clarke snipped and then the line went dead.

Delana held the phone away from her ear unable to believe that she had just being hung up on. Things must really be serious back at home. Damn it why had she let her moronic sisters talk her into taking a break when she had known that this was a crucial time in the company. She needed to be present and accounted for, if she had been back home she would be with her father right now demanding to know what was going on. Instead she was trapped on this god-forsaken island in the middle of nowhere.

"There you are" Danni, her younger sister breezed into the room, wearing something that Delana suspected was supposed to be a bikini, except it barely covered her naturally tanned, toned body "Are you working?" she eyed the open laptop and piles of paperwork on the table.

"Yes unlike you, I actually have a real job" She was of course referring to her sister's profession as a model. Though if Delana allowed herself to, she would admit that her sister had reached cult status. If the concept of the supermodel still existed then Danni would be it.

Danni feigned hurt "I happen to bring in just as much money as you do" she huffed "and at least I don't rely on daddy to find employment"

"Let's get one thing straight, I could get a job anywhere I wanted to, I chose to work at Grayson Publishing. It is what mom would have wanted. And at least I don't get dad's blood pressure high from being splashed across the tabloids dancing on tables, or kissing random men"

Danni laughed, "It must kill you that despite all of that, I'm still his favorite. That no matter how well behaved you are or how many hours you put in at the office he will still never notice you"

Delana blinked "that was low Dan and you know it" Danni shrugged in response, Delana's eyes narrowed "Pack you things we're going home"

"But..." Danni opened her mouth and then snapped it shut, she knew who had the authority here "can I just ask why?"

"No now get going I don't have all day, I want to be back home by this evening" She watched as her sister's shoulders slumped and then she was gone, probably to complain to her friends on whatever social site she was obsessed with at the moment.

"Don't you think you were a little bit hard on her?" Delana whipped around and found Dreya standing at the door "why didn't you just tell her that dad retired? She would have wanted to go back home just as much you do"

Delana shrugged "Until she decides to act like an adult I'm going to treat her like a child"

"Come on Lana, she's not that bad" Dreya bit her lip as she said it trying to hide her smile.

They all knew that Danni would never grow up as long as she had two older sisters and a host of Grayson employees on hand just waiting to clean up all her messes. And there had been a lot of them. Delana remembered the bitter divorce battle that had ensued after her sister had decided that she had gotten bored of her husband of only six months. They had ended up paying for that little mess. And who had taken care of everything? She had not Danni, no Danni had to be in Rio or she had a photo shoot in Paris. She said as much now

"How many more of her messes do I have to clean up?" she asked her sister "Do you know how hard it is to be the sane one in this family of clowns? If you're not off at some rehab center battling depression over mom or pumped up with anti depressants, she's caught flashing the entire world."

"You make it sound so terrible"

"Isn't it Dreya, isn't it?" She sighed, she didn't want to get into the dark secrets that haunted her family not now "Just be ready in an hour, I'm calling the mainland to organize a chopper"

As the chopper passed over the ocean Delana let her mind get consumed by what awaited her back home. Before they left she had tried once again to get hold of her father but yet again she was given the same response, only this time Clarke had come right out and told her that her father specifically didn't want to speak to her. Delana was thrown, what did it all mean? She looked at her sisters wondering if they were just as concerned as she was. Dreya had taken a painkiller and was passed out her head lolling against Danni's shoulder; Danni stared sullenly out the window avoiding eye contact. No she supposed she was the only one who actually realized just how big this was.

"We're approaching the mainland now Ms Grayson" the pilot looked over his shoulder

Delana nodded, just a few more hours and she would be back home and then there would be hell to pay.
***
"Ms Grayson!"

Delana ignored the warning in Clarke's voice as she marched passed his desk and towards her father's corner office,

"Ms Grayson please" Clarke came running up beside her "I told you this isn't a good time"
Delana ignored him and snapped the door open storming in ready for the attack; only it wasn't her father that looked up from behind the massive mahogany desk.

The man must have been in his mid thirties, he had dark brown hair that complimented his naturally tanned skin and was stylishly slicked back away from his face, he had very distinct eyes, brown but with a touch of amber, they glinted back at her as he rose and she was greeted with his tall, lean frame swathed in an expensive gray suit. "Ah Ms Grayson" he looked passed her at the hovering Clarke "It's okay Clarke I'll handle it from here"

"I'm very sorry sir it won't happen again"

"I know it won't" the man stated tonelessly and Clarke bowed his head as he exited shutting the door behind him

"Sir?" Delana echoed as she fixed her eyes on the man "just what the hell is going on here and who the hell are you?"

He rose perfectly shaped brows in amusement, but the hard line of his mouth showed little or no amusement for her outburst "Ms Grayson, you must be exhausted from your trip, otherwise I am sure you would never allow yourself to barge into the CEO of Grayson Publishing's office."

Delana froze, had he just said CEO? She swayed feeling the walls close in on her, this couldn't be happening; this was not how it was supposed to go down. She was meant to be CEO, how had the board allowed this to happen? Her father must be mad to bring in an outsider, for all they knew he had no experience in publishing whatsoever.

Carter's pov

He watched as she first lost all color in her face and then began to sway, was she going to faint? That's just what he needed, the daughter Gregory Grayson to faint here in his office at nine o' clock in the evening. If the press got hold of that bit of information no telling what the write up would be. He moved from behind the desk, and grabbed her by the shoulders "Sit down before you have a heart attack" he ordered and forcibly shoved her into a chair. He went over to the drinks cabinet standing at the far end of the office and searched for something that would put the color back in her. He eventually settled on scotch and poured a healthy helping into a glass, before walking back to where she sat a dazed expression on her face. She looked doubtfully up at him and then at the glass he pushed into her hand before raising it to her dry lips. She coughed and he sighed in frustration. "Finish it" he told her quietly when she attempted to place the glass on the side table. She obediently finished the drink and he was glad to find that her cheeks had regained some of their former color.

She cleared her throat "who did you say you were" she asked raising an enquiring brow

"I didn't" he responded, choosing to take the chair opposite her rather than to continue standing in such close proximity.

"Well are you going to tell me or do I have to guess," she snapped but then smiled sweetly as an attempt to cover up her irritation

Carter smiled, she was feisty, she would be trouble if he didn't keep an eye on her "Carter Mathews" he extended his hand but she only stared at it, he shrugged off her rejection withdrawing his hand to place it on the arm of his chair.

"You don't look like any of the Mathews I'm familiar with, who is your father?"

A typical play of old money he thought. She knew damn well that he wasn't of any Mathews she knew but she wanted him to say it so she could paste that sympathetic yet judgmental look on her face as if to say, ah you poor thing. "Its actually my mother's maiden name" he told her instead rather than directly answer her question. He didn't have to explain himself to her, he had come from nothing but he had made his first million by the time he was 22 and he hadn't looked back. Who was this spoiled little heiress to judge him.

"Ah" she murmured "Well I'm sorry Mr Mathews but it sounded to me like you said that you were the CEO of Grayson Publishing" she laughed as if to make it sound like he had made some silly mistake that could be easily rectified

"That is what I said" he leaned back in his seat and watched only this time she controlled her emotions, she sat up straighter and clasped her hands in her lap. The rich were amazing he marveled, he could spend hours watching them they never ceased to fascinate him with their need to maintain control and order. Yet she had let slip a moment ago and he had caught a glimpse of someone else, not the poised, expressionless woman sitting in front of him now.

"Well surely you are mistaken, you see until this morning my father was the CEO of Grayson Publishing"

"Yes and now I am, I was appointed by the board last week, it was of course only made official this morning"

"Last week" she murmured, "of course how stupid of me it must have slipped my mind with all hype and excitement"

He felt sorry for her, she obviously had no clue what her father or the board had been planning in fact she had thought she would be CEO. He watched as she rose and straightened her suit "I suppose I have outstayed my welcome" she looked at him "I'll be back in the morning to clear this up" He narrowed his eyes catching the hidden meaning, what she meant was that she would be back in the morning more prepared, and definitely ready for a round two.

"I look forward to it," he said as he rose, she nodded and without so much as a good evening she turned on her stiletto heel and glided out of his office.