GraceI sigh, shifting my attention to the roses beside me. “ So you do care about them. But if you care so much, why do you keep hurting them? ”Ania glares at me for a moment longer, then turns to leave. I glance at her back.“ Keeping yourself locked up in your room or hating your family won’t solve your problems, Ania. The truth will not go away, and you won’t stop hurting. ” I whisper, a lump forming in my throat.I shouldn’t be interfering, but I can’t help it. If Ania keeps hiding herself like this, soon, she will find herself unable to break through this wall. I don’t wish for her to find herself in a state where she finds it hard to even get up from the bed.“ How does it stop then? You are talking as if you know a better solution! Are you not as pathetic as me? Your own family hates you, and you— ”“ That’s right. ” I interrupt and look down at my hands. “ You are right. My family hates me, and I am far worse than you will ever be. ”A moment of silence passes between us, b
GraceAlma just can’t leave me alone. I can tell that she is working hard to establish a better connection between us.It feels weird but not bad. “ What do you think about working again if you get bored? ” Alma asks, sitting beside me on the couch in the lounge.I take my eyes off the news channel on the TV and look at her. “ I want to complete my Masters first. ”“ Are you thinking about returning to— ”“ No, Alma. ” I interrupt her before she can go all full panic mode on me. She leans back, giving me the chance to explain what I plan on doing. I smile, noticing how she forces herself to calm down because she doesn’t want to scare me again.“ I am thinking about transferring to a college here. It might not be easy, but— ”“ You have nothing to worry about. I will tell Tristin to handle everything. ” She grins, making me sigh.“ I want to handle this on my own, Alma. He already has so much to deal with, and I can’t continue to rely on him. ” “ Then you can rely on me. I will make
Tristin“ Did you take care of everything? ” I ask Luca without taking my eyes off Grace, who is standing in the distance.“ Yes, Boss. Ethan will be in for life for everything he did. ” He says.I nod, the weight finally lifting off my shoulders. With Lily gone and Ethan paying for everything he did, Grace is now safe. Still, I can protect her from the physical harm, but I can not shield her from the emotional damage.Lily’s death has had a significant impact on her. I didn’t think she would want to involve herself in her family’s affairs anymore, but she proved it to me.Last night, when she told me that she wanted to arrange a funeral for Lily, I was surprised. A little angry, too, but mostly just surprised.Did I miscalculate Lily’s importance in Grace’s life? Did Grace still hold a soft spot for her evil sister? I kept wondering, but in the end, I couldn’t bring myself to ask her any of those questions.It was clear to me. She needed this. So I didn’t get angry or make her unc
GraceI feel a little uneasy.What will Alma think when she finds out, I held a funeral for Lily and spent a whole day by her grave? I don’t need to explain everything to Alma or anyone. But something in me just doesn’t want Alma to be sad. I don’t want her to think that I don’t care what Lily did to the Roberto family. “ You are back. ” The moment we step inside the mansion and get close to the lounge, Alma’s voice stops me.I grimace, imagining the look on her face. She is definitely going to be disappointed. I should have told her before doing all this.“ Alma. ” I turn around to find her walking towards us. “ Did you take care of everything? ” She turns to Tristin and asks.“ I did, Mom. ” He nods in reply and rubs his shoulder.My gaze is drawn to Tristin’s shoulder. He must be tired. I can tell he didn’t sleep well last night, and from the morning, he was dealing with my issues.I sigh, feeling a little guilty over making him tired.“ How are you feeling now, Grace? ” Alma tu
Grace“ Good. ” Ania nods and straightens up. “ so my condition is… ”The silence stretches, and anticipation builds, making me hold my breath. “ I want to marry. ” Ania finally blurts. “ What? ” Tristin huffs. “ Marry who? ” Alma narrows her eyes.I scoop another spoon of fried rice and munch on it as I watch the interesting scene. Ania is moving at the speed of a train. What is she going to hit, I wonder?“ I want to marry… ” Ania grins and points her finger to our left. All eyes follow her finger, landing on the figure standing in that direction. I choke on the rice in my mouth before hurriedly swallowing it.Oh…wow.“ Luca?! ” Alma is the first to scream. “ You want to marry him? ”“ Yes. ” Ania says without hesitation.“ How long has this been going on? ” Tristin’s voice lowers.“ Since a long time. ” Ania giggles.I give her a thumbs up in my mind. Real smooth. “ What is my sister saying? ” Tristin asks Luca, who is standing there, confused and unsure of what is going on.
Grace~Six Months Later…A lot can happen in six months.Your life can change for the worse.But you can also turn your life around, make it so much better that the past stops to matter.Something like that has happened for me.I have finally managed to turn my life around.I am finally doing what I always wanted. I am studying for my Master's at a University near the Roberto mansion. I am living with the Roberto family, and Tristin can sneak into my room any time he wants.He says that is the only interesting activity in his boring life. And I can’t agree more.He works like a robot but still comes back home to sleep in the same bed as me. He clings to me like a lost puppy and makes me feel like I am someone precious with his words and his actions.“ I don’t want her to move away. ” Tristin mumbles, coming to stand beside me and breaking me out of the trance.I watch the perfect couple dancing in the middle of the dancing floor and sigh. It feels so…heart-touching to see Ania wearing
Grace“ How happy? ” Tristin asks as we both stare at the moon’s reflection in the lake.My loose, wavy hair sways with the cold breeze, and my heart swells with peace.“ I don’t know. I just know…I can feel the happiness deep in my heart, and it’s not a kind of happiness that’s fleeting. It’s a kind that will settle into my bones and become a part of me. Whenever I remember these moments, I will always smile, Tristin. ” I whisper, my eyes beginning to burn with the intensity of emotions.“ Do you remember what you said to me? ” Tristin grins, turning to face me.I take my eyes off the beautiful view and look at him, my heart fluttering at the sight. “ What? ”“ You said I should ask you when you are really happy, and you will say yes. ” Tristin smiles, the gesture reaching his eyes and brightening them like two stars in the dark night.My breath catches in my throat. Instinctively, I take a step back from him, my heartbeat escalating until it’s all I can hear drumming in my ears.“ S
Hi Lovelies, Many questions remained at the end of Grace and Tristin's story. How did Ethan kill Lily? Will Ethan stay in prison forever or return for Grace sometime in the future again? How will Grace and Tristin keep supporting each other in the future? To answer all those questions, I am writing a sequel for this story, "Haunting Love: Chased by my Ex-Husband." :) You can read the chapters in this same book right under this Author's note. Updates will be regular from tomorrow, so don't miss out on what's happening next! :) Synopsis: Just when Grace thinks she is finally free from the clutches of Ethan Calder, the man who tormented her in the best years of her life, he returns. But what is this? He claims he didn't kill Grace's sister and is a changed man now. But Grace has changed, too. She loves her husband, Tristin, and their three-year-old baby Sebastian. With her family by her side and her new business venture being successful, Grace has no time to focus on how much Ethan
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
Grace“ I just saw the way he looked at her when I went to meet him. Doesn’t take a genius to guess what’s going on. I thought I should let you know… as a gesture of…goodwill. ” Ethan’s voice lightens, a playful lilt to it. The audacity he has…It will never fail to baffle me.I turn to face him. “ Tristin is not you, Ethan. Send a million beautiful women his way, and he won’t look at any of them the way you are trying to make me think he does. But you? ”I shift my weight from one leg to another as he watches me with all his attention. He lifts his brows, silently urging me to continue.“ You lose your mind over every woman who says ‘I love you’ to you because you…you are not a man, Ethan. You are an insecure little boy who wants to feel loved. But the truth? You are…so disgusting that no woman can actually love you after knowing the real you ” I snicker, noticing the look in his eyes.Judging from the way his jaw clenches and his hand turns into tight fists…I have hit the mark.“
Grace“ This deal can’t go through, Mr. Renaud. It requires a long stay here and I can’t stay for that long. I have family back home, and I need to return immediately. ” I state my reason, and keep my gaze steady on him. “ I apologize for the sudden notice, but it will be better if you start looking for other companies. ”“ Mrs. Roberto… ” He looks at me, and then at Ethan as if silently asking him what to do.My lips stretch into a smirk. Of course. This is all Ethan’s setup. A trap to get me to stay away from my family and get close to him. He wants to strike me when I am already vulnerable. He thinks I will return to him if I am cornered.But he doesn’t understand. After my whole life turned upside down, Tristin…held it together…and if I lose him too, then I will never love another man. And even if someday I find the courage to move forward, it won’t be with Ethan. There is nothing that can ever happen between us.“ This is not very professional of you, Grace. Backing out after
GraceWhen I wake up in the morning, Tristin is gone. I shoot up in bed, and look around but don’t find him anywhere.A strange fear fills me and claws its way up my throat. Did he leave me here alone?In a hurry, I reach for my phone on the floor but before I can dial his number, my gaze falls on the note placed on the side table.I grab it and stare at the message he has left me. —Fred needs to be taken care of, or it will become a problem. I have to go, but I am leaving Luca behind. Stick close to him, and don’t go anywhere alone. Swallowing the bile rising to my throat, I sit on the edge of the bed and turn the note around. The note is written in such a serious tone. It lacks Tristin’s usual smiley.I place it back on the table and look at the floor. My shoulders droop. He has not really gotten over what he saw. Ethan didn’t sleep with me, but I was in bed with him—Naked, with marks all over me. It won’t be easy for Tristin and I to put that past us. But…I am determined to put
GraceRelief creeps in slowly, but it doesn’t stay. Panic follows, threatening to drown me. I lift my gaze to Tristin’s face, my voice breaking. “ Is—Is that why you came to me? Is that why you slept with me? Because you know…Ethan didn’t…sleep with…me? ”His frown deepens, and I try to slip back on the bed, but he is faster. Tristin rolls to my side and wraps his arms around me. His grip tightens around me, holding me firm. His chest presses against mine, steady and warm, before he rests his forehead against mine. His breath is ragged.Tears blur my vision. I hate how easily they come now. One slips down my cheek before I can stop it. “ You didn’t care…” I whisper, my voice trembling with hurt. “ You didn’t care what this did to me. How it broke me. You only care if Ethan touched what’s yours. You left me alone when I needed you and you didn’t…care… ”Tristin sighs. He brushes a kiss over my damp cheek as if that could make this better. “ I was angry because he touched you. Beca
Grace“ Grace— ”“ Don’t call me that. ” I interrupt and press my forehead against his chest before his glare burns a hole into me. “ Please don’t start calling me that now. I hate it…but it’s true that I have had a very bad experience before, Tristin, and every time a problem arises, or you stop calling me by the nickname…I get scared. I can’t help it. It’s…rooted in my head that I am useless, that I am not worthy of anything good and… ”Before I can continue, Tristin grabs my hair, tilts my head back, and slams his lips over mine. I gasp, my breath whooshing out of my lungs. He doesn’t push his tongue in my mouth, but he presses our lips together so hard that a shudder runs down my spine. “ I love you. ” He pulls back and breathes. “ If I wanted an heiress, I would have married one. If I wanted someone else, I would have married someone else, Little Butterfly. But I married you. Because…you are you. And I love you for who you are. ”“ What is there to love— ”“ If you are going to
Grace“ Pathetic…isn’t it? ” Tristin drawls, his hand caressing my thigh as he continues to move on that easy rhythm, slowly bringing pleasure instead of rushing it. “ Pathetic because you don’t want to hurt me? ” My hand reaches for his face, fingers brushing his cheek.“ Pathetic because…you can say and do things to hurt me but I can’t do the same. ” He grunts, his eyes growing half-lidded with pleasure.I lick my lips, feeling the waves of pleasure hitting me in soothing waves. “ I…never want to hurt you, Tristin. I love you. ”“ And how many times have you really said it in our three years of marriage? ” He rolls his eyes, his pace picking up as we draw near ecstasy—a pleasure tinged with pain. “ it’s always been me. I move around you like a dog who is eager to wag his tail at someone who doesn’t give a damn about him. ”“ Don’t say that. ” I cup his cheek, my brows furrowing. “ I…am sorry. I love you. I can…say it every day. I will—I will make sure to— ”His lips press on mine b
Grace“ Sore? ” He rasps against my ear as I lie curled up on my side, my back facing him.I don’t know how many times we have done it. After he took me from behind, he turned me on my back and had his way with me again. Then, he laid me down flat on my stomach and kept driving in and out until I was begging him to stop.I never knew he had this side to him. He has always been so sweet and gentle and nice, always putting me first whenever we are in bed.“ On a scale of one to ten, how sore are you? ” Tristin asks when I don’t reply.My throat feels scratched after screaming so much and my legs ache as if they are going to fall off any moment. And my insides? I think something is rubbed raw in there, burning and satiated at the same time.I grumble under my breath. “ Hundred. ”“ Good. ” He whispers right away, and his hand grabs my bare hip to pull me back into him.“ Are you not done yet?! ” I scream before I can stop myself, my breaths growing labored again.I feel like crying becau