Grace“ I just felt like… ” Tristin trails off and swallows. “ coming to see you. ”I don’t need to ask how he found me. If he wants to, he can find me anywhere. I stay still, staring up into his out-of-focus eyes. He is looking right through me as if thinking about something. My eyes lower to the sleeves of his jacket, getting caught in the drops of water dripping down the edge. I look down at his feet and sigh. “ The rain stopped more than an hour ago. Why are you drenched? ” I frown. Tristin’s gaze follows my eyes and lands on the pool of water around his feet. His shoulders slump, making me blink. This is the first time I have seen him like this—dejected and lost. “ I can ask Luca to come up with a suit and— ”I grab the sleeve of his jacket and pull him inside the apartment. The coldness of his hand seeps into my fingers that brush against his skin.Leaving him standing beside the wall, I close the door and sigh, lowering my gaze to the floor. I thought I wouldn’t see him a
GraceI don’t say anything, just turn my back to him and start brewing tea again. I should only feel some sympathy for him, and his family…But I keep doing more than that.My heart clenches every time that I realize what Tristin must be feeling right now. It hurts more when I think about Alma and Ania. It’s sick to feel anything for Alma…but I can’t help myself. Tristin stays behind me for a few moments. Then, leaves and sits on the couch. I shoot him a side glance, watching his lowered head and his fingers brushing his wet hair. “ The…worst fact in life is that… ” Tristin murmurs in a low voice. “ you can not choose your family. ”My parents’ faces flash before my eyes. He is indeed right. If I could choose, I would have chosen to be born to anyone but them. I would have chosen anyone as my sibling but Lily. “ If that’s not enough…you can’t even change their past or go back to make them choose something else. ” Tristin whispers.I blink and pour the tea into cups before walking
Grace“ The PR is taking down the articles and pulling the video from social media. They will be done soon but I think the damage is already done. ” Tristin sighs, closing his eyes.I look down at his face. I am still trying to understand how his head actually landed in my lap. I scratch my ear and hum. “ How did the video release? From what I know Lily is still…kind of missing? ”“ That wench is not as smart as I thought. She made sure my cousin had a copy of the video in case she went missing. She used it as leverage to keep herself safe all this time. But Carlos didn’t wait for whatever she had in mind. As soon as he gathered enough people to back him at the company, he released the video to weaken my position. ” He grumbles, moving his head to rest in a comfortable position.My hands hang in the air as I blink a few times. “ Uh…Carlos? Your cousin wants to— ”Tristin snorts. “ He wishes. He can bring hell to Earth and he still won’t be able to become the CEO of our business. At m
TristinShe looks at peace when she is asleep. I stare up at her face, filling my heart with the sight of her. I didn’t realize that I was that into her until she left and I had to spend all this time without meeting her or hearing her voice. My hand reaches for her cheek, caressing her skin. She shudders in her sleep, shifting her head on the headrest. My phone vibrates in my pocket, grabbing my attention. Sighing, I sit and pick up Luca’s call.It felt good to place my head in her lap and pretend that the world is not on fire but I must go back to that nightmare now.“ Boss, you were right. That girl didn’t approach Ms. Whitlock by chance. ” Luca reveals. He’s been investigating this new girl who has appeared by Grace’s side, pretending to be her soulmate, best friend. Grace is too innocent to understand that nothing of that sort exists in this world.“ It was him? ” I rise from the couch and walk towards the glass wall in her apartment.The rain has stopped but the temperature
GraceWhen I wake up the next morning, Tristin is already gone. There is no trace of him left in my apartment, other than his lingering cologne.For some reason, it makes me sad. He could have stayed to say goodbye, or at least left a note but there is nothing.I sulk in the shower, in the kitchen as I prepare my coffee, and in the lounge as I flip through different channels. It’s the weekend and I don’t have anything to do. Maybe, I should call Celine and see what she is doing today.I ponder over it for a while before I pick up my phone and open the messaging app. But, my fingers freeze on my screen when I see a new message from an unknown number.—You look beautiful when you sleep, Little Butterfly.An unconscious smile touches my lips. An image is attached under the message.As the picture loads, my eyes narrow into slits. Asshole! I huff. It’s me, in bed, pouting, and my hair all over the place. Does this look beautiful to Tristin? As my fingers move across the keyboard typing
GraceSo many people have found out about me staying here somehow. It’s time I change this place too and find somewhere else to go.But then…How far can I run before they hunt me down again? How much time can I spend hiding only for someone to start threatening me again? I ponder, standing on the sidewalk and staring at the Cafe in front of me. The night has fallen and the streets have turned cold. The glass wall of the Cafe gives the perfect view of my parents sitting on the table. Like me, they are also staring back at me. The disdain in their eyes is so clear even here.Standing on the dark side, I heave a heavy breath and narrow my eyes. Now, how do I go about this? If I give them money and let them know I am scared of their threats, they will continue using my weaknesses against me.Maybe, I should use Lily as a bargaining chip. I can tell them that I know where she is and she will only be alright as long as they leave me alone.That will bring about two results.A—They wil
Grace“ What— ” I yelp, finding my lost voice. It’s scratchy and weak, but I can speak.“ Oh finally, Ms. Whitlock. It turns out you needed a little motivation before talking to me. ” The man on the other side laughs again.Tears well in my eyes but they don’t fall. I croak in a quivering voice, “ who…who…are you? ”“ That’s not the right question, Ms. Whitlock. ” He says, sounding all happy and calm. “ You should ask what do I want from you? ” The fist in my hair tightens, breaking a few of my strands. Tears leak out of my eyes at last, as the pain increases in my scalp.“ What…do you…want? ” My throat hurts. It’s like someone slammed a fist in it and now I can not talk without a pause or without feeling like my throat is bleeding.“ It’s simple, Ms. Whitlock. I just want you to convince your boyfriend to call off the shareholder meeting. ” His voice becomes sharp in the speaker.Boyfriend? I want to shake my head, but I can’t dare to.“ I…have…no… ”“ I am talking about Tristin Rob
TristinI stare at the people sitting around the conference table, all waiting for me to start talking or to give them a chance to talk.But I can’t do anything.I stare at the screen of my phone.It’s been three days—three days since I failed to protect Grace and she disappeared.One more failure. Another person I care about is gone. I know who did it, but I have been sitting here like a fool, instead of turning the world upside down to find her and bring her back to my side. Panic threatens to bubble in my throat but I push it down, hide it behind the facade of indifference. People stare at me, trying to gauge my emotions, but all they meet is ice. Yet, my heart is…Burning.Every second that passes brings me closer to losing my grip on my sanity.I tell myself that I just need a little time. And it sounds similar again. The phone on the table starts ringing, and my cold hand reaches for it. I pick it up and place it against my ear.Heavy breathing sounds from the speaker. My mu
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