I don't know if I'm just prejudiced, but if I was James, I won't even be the slightest threatened by Grayson's proposed scheme. Not to demean anything from the overarching story, sis. It's just that I think Grayson has already crested as a character. For me, at least. He started out as this manipulative uber-douche then he flirted with becoming a changed man, only to fall back on old habits from time to time. I guess somewhere along the line, between peeling off his layers, he kind of became this overcompensating weakling for me. I see no upsides for Ary, and he's more of a liability at this point.

What I found more compelling is the dynamic between Ary and James, which serve as stark contrasts of one another. Their game has been playing out ever since the start of the story, even before they knew they were playing. The ultimate prize would be Grayson, which is kind of a letdown, but it is what it is. For some reason, Ary is head over heels for him, and James, well, he's the heir apparent, so the stakes are higher. It would be a nice twist if the story flips the trope on its head and made Grayson the damsel in distress the two sides fight for though.

Has it been mentioned before why James never had other children? I remember it being discussed in the earlier chapters, but I seem to have forgotten the reason.