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
GraceI sit on the floor silently and stare at the blood that still stains my hands. After the rush of emotions, everything has gone numb inside me again.“ They have asked us to make life difficult for you. ” Detective Marlo stands on the other side of the bars and reveals.“ Did Ethan’s family return from abroad? ” I wonder.“ They want you to suffer for hurting Mr. Calder. Eventually, they will bring some people inside and get them to torture you. ” He discloses, without answering my question.I nod. I expect nothing less from the Calder family. Ethan usually kept them out of the country because they were problematic but now that they are back, and Ethan is not conscious, they will do everything to make life hell for me.“ I didn’t expect you to be such a woman. Why did you do that Mr. Calder? ” He sighs.I don’t know why he came or why he is being so nosy. “ You could have run away instead of calling the police and ambulance for him. Mr. Calder’s people would have dealt with the
GraceI push myself to my feet, ready to defend myself until the end. The woman on the right lunges for me.I raise my arm in front of my face protectively. A gasp erupts from my mouth as the blade slashes across my wrist. The other two surround me and grab my arms. I thrash, trying to free myself but they have more strength than me.They pull my arms down, exposing my face to the one with the blade. I twist and turn, and watch as she shoots me a vicious look.The glint of the blade appears terrifying in the darkness. My throat dries as I direct my gaze to her face.She grabs my cheeks and squashes harshly. “ Now stay still, Bitch. You don’t want me to poke your eyes. ”I grit my jaw and shake my head, refusing to stop fighting. She grabs me harder and brings the blade closer to my face.Instinctively, I lift my leg and kick her in the stomach. She shrieks, stumbling a few steps back. “ You slut! ” The one holding me from the left smacks my head so hard that my vision blackens for a
GraceFor another day, I stay locked up and the man stands guard. The Calders try to cause trouble, but their people are handled easily by the Robertos. As their power game continues, I find myself in a trance. He says Tristin had an accident right after leaving the event. This means he got into an accident when I was thinking of reaching out to him. Did Ethan really cause his accident? My heart clenches at the thought. But then, I am forced to think about the sudden disappearance of Lily.If…Ethan caused Tristin’s accident and Tristin is unconscious…Who took Lily? Did someone take her or she disappeared? The mystery around Sebastian Roberto’s death and the secret that Lily holds has become more confusing. In the end, the detectives call me to the interrogation room and ask me the dreaded questions. Where is Lily Whitlock? What did I do to Lily Whitlock? No matter how many times I tell them that I did nothing to Lily, they don’t believe me. I have no alibi. Ethan’s men destr
Grace“ Did you… ” I swallow the lump in my throat to prepare myself for asking the terrifying question. “ …try to kill Tristin? ”Ethan’s hand falls by his side as a cold look flashes across his droopy eyes. “ he is all you care about… ”“ Did you? ” My chin wobbles. “ did you do it because of me? ”Ethan stares into my eyes. I don’t know what happens, but in that moment, the look in his eyes becomes detached and it feels like we have finally chosen a separate path at the crossroads. We are no longer lurking on the edges, desperately trying to stick together. Now we know, there is no going back. Maybe, we knew, when I tried to kill him. Maybe he realized the truth when he almost ended up dead.“ No. ” Ethan shakes his head and looks away from me first. “ I had nothing to do with his accident. ”The weight on my shoulders becomes less heavy. The numbness leaves my body and my eyes water. I have been so scared in there. The voices still ring inside my head. But the thought that haunt
Grace“ What are you doing here, Grace? ” Alma blocks my way to the room Tristin is staying at.The reception people refused to talk about his condition so I had to come up personally. But before I could go inside, Alma appeared before me and refused to step away.“ Alma. I am here to check up— ”“ I heard what happened. ” She says, not letting me finish. I was about to tell her that I would check up on Tristin and then leave, but she didn’t look ready to hear any of it. She looks…different. Her eyes are not kind, and her lips are not smiling anymore. My chest tightens. “ Ethan…didn’t cause that accident. ”She must be angry because she thinks I am responsible for Tristin’s condition. “ I know. ” Alma blinks calmly, surprising me.“ Do you know who did this? ” Unconsciously, I step ahead and ask.Alma looks down at my feet and then looks up. A cold glint flashes across her eyes but it’s gone before I can understand the reason behind it.“ It was an accident. A drunk truck driver hi
GraceI sit on his desk for what feels like forever, staring at the door Tristin just disappeared behind.He was hell-bent on devouring me just some time ago. And when I brought that girl up, he just…left me behind. My fingers curl around the edge of the desk. My legs feel weak, my skin still tingling from his touch. But my chest is tight, my breath uneven. The way he looked at me before leaving…Distant. Cold. Like I was a burden.It makes no sense.Just days ago, we had made up. After everything that happened at the event, after the arguments, after the pain—he had held me. He kissed me like he would never let go. He told me everything was fine.Now, it feels like a dream.But it was not. We did make up. We did talk. We discussed things. Everything was fine as he said. Then why is he acting like this now?My guts twist. Suspicion creeps in, slow and poisonous. I clench my jaw and force myself to swallow down the hurt, the jealousy, the anger clawing at my insides.Something is wr
Tristin“ Why are you—mad at me now? ” She croaks, her wrists struggling beneath my tight grip.Realizing it, I release her and grab her hips instead. Her hands drop to my shoulders and shake slightly.“ Tristin… ”I swallow, not saying anything. How do I even begin to tell her that her ex-husband is sending me pictures of their naked bodies pressed together, threatening me with them, and making sure my hands remain tied?I…She put me in this position. But I can’t bring myself to tell her the truth or get her involved. Lost in my thoughts, I almost miss it when a knock sounds on the door. But she does.“ Tristin, someone is here. Hurry up, get off me. ” Grace squeals.My lips twitch as I push myself up, and look down at her, spread on my desk, my cum dripping down her hole, and my cock still inside her. The sight is enough to get me hard again.The door behind me opens. She sits up and hides her face in my chest. The anger inside me melts as I realize she still seeks me for protecti
TristinShe has no idea what’s going through my head. The more I take from her, the more I need. It’s an endless need, an itch that can never get scratched completely. And when she looks at me with those wide, innocent eyes, as if she is not the reason I am being dragged through hell, my control snaps again.I focus on her body trembling beneath me, on her breath hitching as I shove inside her without warning, on the way her slick pussy clenches around me in desperate protest.I do not give her time to adjust. I do not give her time to breathe.A strangled moan escapes her throat as I grip her thighs, spreading her wide on my desk, leaving her no room to escape. Her nails scratch against the desk, trying to find some spot to hold, trying to ground herself as I slam into her over and over again. Her back arches, but I do not slow down. I cannot.She has finally done this. She made me like this.My jaw tightens, my fingers digging into her inner thighs. Her body shudders beneath my p
GraceMy scream fades into breathy gasps, my body arching against the desk as he grips my hips, pulling me closer to his body. The heat between us is unbearable—my skin flushed and damp, my trembling body molding perfectly to his hard one.“ God, you feel…so damn good… ” Tristin growls, his voice rough, barely human. I only get a moment to breathe. And then, he is moving at an animalistic pace. The office air becomes thick with the sound of our bodies colliding, of my soft moans blending with his harsh breathing.I don’t know what’s wrong with him. I don’t know why he is gripping my hips hard enough to bruise, or why he is thrusting inside me like he wants to lodge himself deep in there. But I know…this feels so good. My hands claw at the desk, my nails scraping the smooth surface as I try to brace herself. But it’s not enough. My body slides up on the desk with each thrust, sending tremors down my back. “ Tristin—” I gasp, my voice breaking on his name. “ Slower…please…”He hear
Tristin“ You said you didn’t want to climb the ladder this way before… ” I blurt before I can stop myself.My help? She needs my help… The anger turns into something else—something like a stroke of deep-rooted satisfaction. It makes me shift in my seat again, my cock straining against my pants now. It’s too hard to hold back.“ I…don’t want to climb the ladder or anything like that. I am not asking you to favor us unconditionally. If you think our designs are up to your requirements, we just need you to consider us. That’s all the help we need. If you give us this chance, we will— ” “ Is it I or we? ” I rise from my seat and round the table.She leans back, her mouth parting and a breath leaving it. “ what? ”“ Who am I helping? ” I place my hand on the desk and lean down, my body tingling with the need to have her again.She has come to me for help. For the first time since she started that company. She doesn’t realize how important it is for her to say it’s her who needs me. I c
TristinMy gaze lands on her long legs, clad in a black pencil skirt. Then, lift to a white silk blouse that hugs her figure, highlighting her boobs that have grown bigger after giving birth to our son.“ Tristin… ” She calls my name, a little too squeaky.My gaze snaps up to meet her innocent black eyes, and I freeze. If I just look into her eyes…I will forget about the pictures, about the sting in my bones, and the anger in my blood.But the moment I focus on her nervous smile, her soft lips…I am pulled back into the spiral of memories. The marks on her body, the face in the pictures, the scent on her…It’s all too much.“ What are you doing here? ” I inquire, my voice louder and harsher than I intended.Her smile drops. She flinches and pauses, unsure of what she should do.I notice the way her shoulders drop, her hands shake, her mouth opens and closes as if she is trying to find the right thing to say…The sense of self-loathing rises inside me. I want to punch myself in the face
TristinI stare at the pictures lying on my desk as Luca continues. “ He is doing this to rile you up. He wants to drive a wedge between you and Mrs. Roberto. ”I tilt my head and try to take my eyes off them, but I can’t. It’s one thing to know the truth but it’s another to appease a man’s ego with it.I know Grace has done nothing wrong. Yet, the man in me feels wounded every time I am forced to see her in another man’s arms in some fucked up pictures.I pick up the first picture and stare at her peacefully sleeping face. The blanket is pulled down to her bare upper chest, and his arm is snaked around it. He is hugging her from behind, holding her as close as he can.I let it drop from my fingers and glance at the other one. He didn’t forget to have someone click a picture of them having lunch—Alone.Curling my hands in a fist, I take my eyes off the similar pictures and look out the window. The clouds are rumbling. It’s about to rain.“ Boss, you shouldn’t— ”“ He is not trying to
GraceSeb’s breath grows steady, his body soft and warm against mine as he drifts off to sleep. I hold him close a moment longer, feeling the rise and fall of his tiny chest. A fragile sense of peace settles over us.I rise from the couch slowly, careful not to wake him, and tuck him into bed. His small fist curls into the soft blanket as I smooth it over him. Just as I turn around, my breath catches in my throat.Tristin is leaning against the doorway, one shoulder pressed to the frame, his arms crossed. His eyes find mine with a quiet intensity that sends heat rushing to my cheeks.“ You are back… ” He says, his voice low and husky. I swallow hard and nod. “ I am back. ”The silence between us stretches. My heartbeat quickens, and memories swirl inside my head—his rough hands on my skin, his harsh mouth claiming me, the weight of his body. The air thickens with everything unspoken.Tristin’s gaze flickers, a subtle shift of emotion I can’t name. “ I thought you would stay and see y
Grace“ Mommy, I missed you! ” My son snuggles into my neck.He has been clinging to me since I came back unannounced. Now, I know my baby has one more similarity with his Daddy. He only pretends to be fine when I am away. It makes me reflect back on all the times when I was not there for Seb. Sighing, I kiss the side of his head and pull him in my lap.“ I missed you too, Baby. ” He grins, his cute two front teeth showing, before he wraps his small arms around my neck and hangs there. My heart melts. No matter what I am going through in life…Having my son cling to me can make it all better.“ Did you listen to Grandma? ” I ask, stroking his hair.“ Yes. I did. ” He nods, leaving my neck and sliding down my lap to settle on the couch beside me.I notice the sudden change and look down at his face to see him staring at his hands. An invisible, cold hand grips my heart.“ What’s wrong, Seb? ” I stroke his hair, fixing a few strands that have fallen on his forehead.“ You said…you wi