Grace“ You said you would give my child to Lily if I was pregnant because I didn’t deserve to be a mother. ” I state, as a matter of fact, not sparing him a glance.I hear his breath hitch and smile wider. He is so good at his ‘hurt’ act. “ Don’t be hurt. You gave the child to Lily, after all. She wanted it gone and you did just that. ” I lean back and continue to stare out. “ Do you think I don’t mourn the loss of our— ”“ Don’t. ” I snap, pulling my wrist out of his palm. “ don’t go there, Ethan. ”To my relief, he goes silent and doesn’t push it. Our journey ends in silence but his eyes remain on me, making it impossible for me to not feel disdain.When the expensive hospital comes into my view, I straighten up. Out of nowhere, Ethan grabs my hand again and places a file in it.I lift my brows and finally direct my gaze to his face. His eyes meet mine, softening once more.“ Take it. ” He whispers. I eye the file and open it without delay. “ Everything you think I snatched fr
Grace“ Maybe I should…take it to the court after all. ” I mumble under my breath, my brows pinched in concentration.My lack of horror towards stabbing Ethan and hurting Lily surprises me. But I still can’t bring myself to regret it.Instead, I regret not doing it sooner.“ Or I should— ”A warm hand around my wrist makes me pause. I look down, to find my hand still holding onto to Tristin’s wrist.My lips purse, my eyes narrowing on my trembling fingers. It’s so stupid that I haven’t stopped trembling.It’s like something inside me is screaming at me to wake up, but I am still lost in an abyss, unable to think about anything else but the damn divorce.The sooner Ethan divorces me, the sooner I can leave this awful world. I can be at peace. I—Tristin pries my fingers off his wrist and turns my hand around to look at my palm. I blink at the deep gash on my hand that is bleeding profusely. The scissors must have hurt me too.After all, it’s not possible to hurt someone else and not g
GraceI couldn’t guess what Tristin really meant by destroying Ethan this time. But in the days to come, I got to know the depth of his words and threats. First, an employee from the Calder Corporation became a whistleblower. He revealed the under-the-table deals that got Calders most of the contracts they bid for. Their stocks plummeted after the news aired. It didn’t stop there. Several people came forth, with accusations of workplace harassment the next day.On the third day, another executive decided to disclose that some of the material used in the construction of the Calder projects was of poor quality, which could become the reason for a building’s collapse under any minor straining condition. I watched new things on the news channel every day. Corruption charges, embezzlement charges, harassment charges, and so much more that I couldn’t even keep up with. Lawsuits after lawsuits, secrets after secrets…everything started drowning Ethan’s name. Whenever the reporters caugh
GraceI thought about telling Tristin but I couldn’t bring myself to approach him. Silently, I slipped out of his mansion and sat inside the car awaiting me. It felt unfamiliar.While we were pretending to be a happily married couple, Ethan never made the effort to bring me to these events. He used to ask me for formality and I always refused because I was not comfortable. That’s it. He never insisted or asked me why I was not comfortable going to these events. He never cared to know that the high society people called me a whore, schemer, or shameless sister. Despite everything I did to save my family’s reputation and Ethan’s special day, I became the villain in everyone’s eyes. Which sister takes her sister’s groom—people used to ask me. And I had no answer to this.Sighing, I got out of the car in front of the building where a famous designer’s boutique was. In the next few hours, I was forced into a sparkly silver dress, that clung to my skin and shimmered under the lights. My
Grace“ Ethan, I need to— ”“ Stay. ” Ethan holds on to my waist, nudging me in the direction of the influential men approaching him.He doesn't let me go, no matter what excuse I present or how I try to pull away from him. In the sea of irrelevant people, I find myself constantly searching for Tristin and when I locate him, I can not look at him for long. The web of search resets, pushing me to continue the same cycle of push and pull again.My heart is beating too fast and my hands are sweating, making me unable to hold still. “ Look at her. Isn’t she Lily’s sister? ” I hear a group of women talking from somewhere behind us.Ethan is engaged in a tense talk with the two expensively dressed men in front of us, while his arm remains around me, keeping me in place.“ Didn’t she recently report her sister for attempted murder? ”“ I bet she was jealous of her and thought Ethan would ditch her for Lily after all. ” Another one sneers.“ Lily is better in every sense. This bitch just pr
Grace“ Tristin, you need to listen to me. ” Instinctively, I leap behind him.He takes long strides, walking away with a predatory ease that makes my heart heavy.Before I can reach him, a hand closes around my wrist and pulls me back. I glance at the hand, and then the face of the man holding me back.Anger simmers beneath my skin, threatening to spill over. Desperate, I take my eyes off Ethan and look in the direction where Tristin disappeared.He didn’t even spare me a look. Not even once.“ Was it you? ” Ethan asks, his fingers digging in my flesh.I wince and jerk my hand free. “ I wish. But you are just too stupid to fight Tristin, Ethan. You should give up now. ”“ This is only the start. A little setback can not stop me, Grace. ” Ethan says, grabbing my wrist again.I grit my jaw, ready to retort but a familiar voice makes me halt. I move towards the railing, my wrist still clenched between Ethan’s hands.Lily stands on the stage, wearing a glittery black dress that highlights
GraceEthan doesn’t look shocked this time. He grits his jaw and looks back at me, his eyes raging.Suddenly, Ethan grabs my arms and pulls me towards him. Silence falls in the Hall, all eyes on us, waiting for this formidable man to take his revenge.“ What? ” I smirk. “ Do you not like your wife anymore? Do you want to kill me? ” “ Forget about it. ” Ethan hisses under his breath, his hold tightening over my arms.“ What?” I search his face.“ Forget about the divorce.” He whispers and pulls me closer. “ Even if you beg and cry— ”“ Ethan.” Lily screams.My brows lift as my gaze rises to Lily. She grabs the side of her head and faints close to the edge of the stage.Before she can drop from the height, Ethan crosses the distance between them and catches her in his arms. “ Lily. ” Concern reflects in his voice, and in the way he holds her body close to his chest.The silence breaks as people start whispering among themselves. “ Did you see that? ” “ Mr. Calder clearl
Grace“ You just never change. How many times has it been already? ” I murmur, attempting to get up but he hovers above me, pressing me down with his weight.“ I will never let you go. ” Ethan seethes, leaning in to press his lips to mine. I turn my head away and glance at the lamp placed on the side table. Ethan grips my chin harshly and makes me face him again. I hold my breath, staring into his half-lidded eyes. “ Your lover boy knows you are here with me. Josh caught his men spying on your whereabouts. ” His lips curl into a sinister smirk. “ what do you think about that? ”I blink, my hands going still by my side. My blank face makes Ethan frown.“ He doesn’t give a fuck if you sleep with me or what I do to you here. ” He hisses, grabbing my left wrist to pin it above my head. “ Why do you think I care about it? ” I sigh, finding it hard to panic.He is on top of me, drunk and furious, yet I find it hard to react. His Tristin talk doesn’t bother me either. Tristin probably re
Grace“ A woman…like that came here. But she didn’t come alone. She came with her husband. ” The man blurts suddenly, making me freeze in my spot. Husband?For a moment, everything stops. But I can’t think too much. I have to check. I push open the door to the cabin. Luca is right behind me, pulling the man along with him. The air inside is thick, heavy, and the dim light from a single lamp makes everything look wrong.I don’t think. I just move.I open the door to the only room. And then my heart stops.There she is. Grace.The world around me comes to a stop, and everything inside me turns upside down.She is lying in bed. Bare shoulders exposed to the light, the blanket barely covering her. For a moment, everything feels distant. Is this real, or is it my hyper imagination tricking me again?I don’t understand what I am seeing. My eyes move down, and I see a man’s arm wrapped around her. Holding her. Pulling her close.No one does that. Only I do. She will never—never let anyone
TristinWas it my fault? I keep thinking about it. Maybe it was. If I had kept a better eye on her instead of spending all my time looking for my son, she wouldn’t have been lost now.I just found our son. And before I even got to tell her the news, she was gone.What do I do? Why do I keep failing? I continue to ask myself, blame myself, but I continue to move too. I can’t stop. I have left my son at home with my mother and a fleet of guards who will ensure nothing happens to them now…But nothing puts me at ease.The night stretches on, and I keep pushing through the woods, my boots heavy in the mud, the cold biting into me. I don’t even feel it anymore—the cold, the exhaustion—everything blurs together. The only thing in my mind is Grace. She has to be unharmed—she just has to be, or I don’t know what I will do because, without her, I will feel no need to be a better man. Or maybe I never had to be good. Because it does not suit me. If I was still the same man I was before I
EthanI swallow again before marching out of the room. If I stay, I might not be able to hold back.The moment I step out and close the door behind me, Fred steps forth, his curious eyes stealing a glance at the door. My jaw grits. Noticing that, he instantly averts his gaze towards the floor.“ Everything is done, Boss. The bottles were exchanged. ” He informs, his voice low.I nod, walking towards the couch in the distance. Every sign of the drugged liquor has been removed. And the drugs won’t be detected in her blood. She can tell Tristin that she simply took a few sips and then blacked out, and he might believe her. But when he finds no proof, a man like that fucker won’t believe her for long. Once he loses his trust, he will show her his true colors. Faced with the monster she thought was an angel, I wonder how she will react. I tilt my head and regard everything with a curious glint in my eyes. Cracks will appear in her form. Undeniably, everything about her perfect life will
EthanTristin. She keeps calling his name. Even when my lips find their way to her stomach, she whimpers again. “ Tristin. ”I kiss the scar under her belly, and she continues to think it’s him. Leaning back, I stroke the horizontal line with my thumb, noticing the way she arches for more.She almost died giving birth to his son. And now it will be hard for her to bear another child. Did he tell her that?No, he didn’t. The first thing he did was to ask the doctor to keep it a secret from her. He does all that. Hides things, lies, pulls strings from the background…Yet, she keeps calling on him like she can’t get enough. If I had done that, would she have forgiven me as easily as she does for him? No, she would never. So, I will not let her forgive him either. I will make sure she finds out everything he has done to her. She won’t recover from one secret, and the next truth will be ready to unleash. So many lies, so many secrets…so many…fuck ups…Even if she forgives him for a f
Grace“ That’s unfortunate but it’s also a relief that you were not targeted by any animals. ” Fred takes his seat on the rundown couch and sighs. “ First thing in the morning, I will take you to the nearest road so you can contact your family. That’s where you will get a signal. ”My shoulders droop as my gaze switches between Ethan and Fred. How many hours are left till morning? I want to ask, but I don’t.I just lower my head and stare at the labelless bottle of liquor. I don’t even know what it is…but my body is freezing and I really…“ It’s safe, girl. You can drink a little. ” Fred reads my thoughts and shoots me a warm smile. I watch him for a moment before muttering. “ Fine. Just a little. ”The first sip burns like fire, searing all the way down, but it spreads warmth through my chest. A false warmth, but warmth nonetheless.Then, I am taking more sips unable to stop myself. I am sure I have taken just a few sips, but my head is already beginning to grow heavy. My vision blu
GraceEthan’s gaze snaps to mine, cold and unflinching as a blade. “ Fine. Go. Do whatever the fuck you want because I am not responsible for you and I sure as fuck won't stop you from getting eaten by any wild animal. ”I stand there for a moment, just glaring at him. Then, it clicks. I don’t expect anything from him, and he doesn’t owe me anything either.I spin around and start walking, my heartbeat quickening with each step forward. My steps are uneven, my body aching from the cold and exhaustion, but I push forward. Each step sends sharp jolts of pain through my legs, my wet clothes pulling at my skin like dead weight.It’s fine. I can do this. I have to.Then I hear it—a low growl, rumbling through the trees like something ancient and hungry. I freeze, every muscle in my body locking up as my breath catches in my throat. My head snaps toward the sound, eyes narrowing to see in the darkness. The wind howls around me, carrying the sound of several animals.I glance back toward
Grace“ Ethan. ” I whisper, my voice trembling. “ Look there. ”My hand is on Ethan’s sleeve before I even realize it, the rough material of his coat brushing against my palm. The contact is fleeting—a moment of impulse I immediately regret. He stops walking and looks down at where I am gripping him. Slowly, his gaze shifts up to my face, his expression unreadable as always. The sharp angles of his face are shadowed under the pale moonlight, making him look even more distant. I follow the trail of his eyes and immediately release his sleeve like it burned me. My fingers curl into a fist as I pull my hand back to my side, my heartbeat drumming in my ears. He starts walking again, and I follow him without saying a word this time. We are dripping wet as we approach the lone figure in the distance. The man stands still as a statue. My chest tightens at the sight of him. Something about the way he is just… waiting puts me on edge.“ Stay here… ” Ethan mutters suddenly, holding his han
GraceMy heart stops. My life flashes before my eyes—Seb’s laughter, Mom’s warm hugs, Ania’s teasing smile. And then Tristin. His face is the last thing I see in my mind, his voice the last thing I hear, telling me he loves me.I should have told him more often how much he meant to me. I should have…The gunshot rings out, and I flinch, bracing for the pain. But it never comes. Instead, there is a thud, and when I open my eyes, the kidnapper is falling to the ground. Ethan stands a few feet away, his gun still smoking. Unconsciously, shock makes me stumble back. I barely have time to process what’s happening before my foot slips on the edge of the cliff. “ Grace! ” Ethan yells my name, panic raw in his voice, but gravity pulls me down. The icy water rushes up to meet me. It doesn’t happen like it happens in the movies—a slow fall that never comes. It happens fast. One moment I am suspended in air, and then I am in the water. It swallows me whole and I am falling deeper into the
GraceEverything feels like it’s happening in slow motion. My breaths come out ragged like the air has turned too heavy to draw in. I can’t focus on anything except the sound of footsteps thundering behind the cabin. Ethan’s men are chasing the kidnappers, their loud voices echoing through the quiet forest.And then, through the chaos, he walks towards me.His dark, stormy eyes lock onto mine, and for a second, I am unsure if I’m relieved or terrified. His jaw is clenched, his movements controlled, but there is an edge of violence about him that’s hard to ignore. He stops in front of me and without a word, pulls the tape off my mouth. I wince, a burn spreading over my lips and the skin around it.Then, he starts untying the ropes binding my wrists. My skin burns where the ropes had cut into me, and as his hands work quickly, I finally manage to utter. “ What are you doing here? ”“ I could ask you the same thing. What the fuck are you doing here, Grace? ” His voice is loud, filled