GraceDread washes over me in waves. Instinctively, my body goes limp in his arms while I try to wrap my mind around how he got in.“ You pretended to be all innocent and loyal to me all this time. Yet, you were sleeping with every man you could get your hands on, right?! ” His dangerous voice hisses. “ You…You are trespassing. ” I swallow and start struggling again. “ Security will be coming up anytime and— ”He laughs, cutting me off mockingly. “Security? What fucking security, Dear Wife? They are all gone. ”My blood cools in my veins as I process his taunt. I know this tone, this cruel streak of behavior. “ What—What did you do, Ethan? ”“ Did you think he could keep me from reaching you? ” Ethan’s arm tightens around my waist.I groan, pain erupting in my lower belly. The wounds are still raw. It hurts. But he doesn’t care. “ And why must you reach me?! Haven’t you taken enough? Do you have to hurt me more? ” My voice becomes moist as I struggle to keep the tears at bay.All I
GraceI blink my eyes open. A familiar white ceiling comes into view. Everything feels like a nightmare. I never left this bedroom. Lily never came back. I never met Tristin.And Ethan didn’t betray me. It was a nightmare and I am awake now.“ Madam. How are you feeling? ” The voice breaks my trance. My heart shatters too. I direct my gaze towards Serena who is standing on my side, staring down at me worriedly. “ Why am I here? ” I ask in a hoarse voice.“ Sir brought you back. You were bleeding and unconscious so he called a doctor and had her look after you. ” She informs me politely.I grit my jaw. So, Ethan had his way in the end. He kidnapped me without a care in the world.“ You are fine, Madam. It’s not unusual to bleed— ”“ Why? ” I murmur, moving my gaze to the ceiling again.“ I didn’t get your question, Madam? ”“ Why did you tell Ethan that I took morning-after pills? You know I never did that. ” I whisper. Silence meets me as an answer. I clench my fists, my body b
EthanWhat if…What if the child was mine? My body stiffens. I stand in front of the wall-sized window in my office, glaring at the gardener tending to the flowers. Those flowers, the red roses, are Grace’s favorite flowers. I hate the fragrance of roses. But for her, I didn’t mind filling my garden with them. Yet, she cheated on me. Betrayed me. Lied to me. But what if…The child is mine? My throat constricts. Grace’s cold stare flashes before my eyes. These days, she looks like a feral fox instead of the cute kitten from before.How dare she act like that after what she did to me? She has no shame, no sense of remorse for her actions. Then how can I believe for a moment that the tears she sheds and the way she says that the baby in her womb was mine are not lies too? The housekeeper did report that she took pills every morning religiously.But I don’t fucking understand why.She stole me from Lily. Got me involved with her. I was happy with her.Then why did she keep cheatin
Grace As expected, the door is opened again after an hour. It almost comes off its hinges due to the force behind the push.“ Grace Whitlock! ” Mom fumes, strolling inside.Like an angry bull, she makes a beeline for me and grabs my hair. I stand up calmly and let her drag me forth.“ What do you want from us? From your sister?! Why won’t you let us breathe in relief?! ” She shrieks in my face, her eyes spitting fire.“ What did I do this time, Mom? ” I whisper in a composed voice.“ You?! ” Her face turns red. “ You are asking me what you did wrong?! ”“ Honey, leave her. ” Dad is quick to come inside and grab her shoulders. “ Don’t stress over an abomination like her. Your health is worth more than her. ”“ Leave me, James. I am going to kill this girl today! ” Mom jerks free and grips my hair harder.“ Mom, you are hurting me. ” I wince.“ You are here to take your sister’s man again? How can you be my daughter? How is that possible?! ” She screams, shaking me by my hair.“ He is
Grace“ Get your hands off my wife! ” Ethan roars, gripping my arm again.I break out of the trance and step away from Tristin, to get almost pulled back to Ethan’s side. His grip is harsh, meant to hurt my arm and leave bruises. I try to break free, but he doesn’t let go.“ Mrs. Calder… ” One of the old policemen steps forth, his brows furrowed. “ did you call to report a kidnapping? Are you held here against your will? ”“ Kidnapped? ” Ethan huffs. “ She is my wife. ”“ If you are not keeping me by force, you won’t mind me leaving right? ” I shoot him a cold glance over my shoulder.His eyes drip with an animosity that is directed solely at me. I grit my jaw, holding his gaze.Hate me as much as you want. It still won’t be enough to match my hatred for you, Ethan.It feels like a stand-off between us. The people seem to disappear in the background as we glare each other down.I understand why I hate him. But why is he angry over a misunderstanding? He should be happy that I am gett
Grace" Mrs. Calder, choose wisely. Don’t make mistakes. ” Josh follows after me.I halt and shoot him a glance over my shoulder. His eyes are hard on me, but when his gaze meets someone else’s eyes behind me, he swallows and takes a cautious step back.Instantly, I whip around to find Tristin staring at him coldly. The lust for violence behind his eyes is well-masked but it still sends shivers down my back.“ Let’s leave. ” I whisper, drawing Tristin’s attention back to me.He nods curtly and turns around. His hand closes around my wrist again, silently tugging me along.Frowning, I keep my eyes on his hand. I should probably tell him that I can walk on my own. I can walk even if my legs are trembling, even if my hands are turning cold and my heart is sinking.I was a fool to think Ethan was fighting to keep me. For a second there, when I found him clinging to me desperately, I thought…maybe, I am mistaken about some things. Maybe, just maybe, Lily brainwashed him. And Tristin is
Grace “ Your home? What do you mean by your home, Mr. Roberto? ” My mouth dries.“ My home means my home. The place where I live? ” He replies, with his eyes closed.My jaw drops. Is he serious? Or is he being sarcastic? For a few moments, I stare at him, completely confused and stunned out of my mind.“ I don’t understand. ” I whisper, folding my arms across my chest.“ You will be safer in my house than anywhere in the world. Ethan can’t come for you there like he came barging into the penthouse. ” He states as a matter of fact.A lump forms in my throat. The memory of finding Ethan in the room flashes across my mind again. It was terrible, to know that I couldn’t fight him and he just took me with him so easily.Closing my mouth, I turn away from Tristin and rest my forehead against the cold window. My fingers clench as I find myself at the crossroads again.How can I trust a stranger? What if he does something to me now that he knows no one will come to save me? How can I be i
GraceHis house is more luxurious than I anticipated. It’s like a castle straight out of a fairytale, painted blue and white. As the car pulls into the driveway, a man dressed in a black butler’s suit opens my side of the door. I peek up at the old man before stepping out of the car. My heart beats furiously inside my chest, protesting against these sudden changes in my life.“ Come on, Little Butterfly. ” Tristin urges, walking up the stairs like he owns the place. Which he does, I mean. Ignoring the strange feeling in my stomach, I follow him inside the white main door. My jaw hangs low just as I step in. Being a child of a wealthy family myself, I am never surprised about the extravagance of places but his house is something else.Every corner, the crystal chandelier that hangs in the middle of the sitting area, the white and blue themed walls, and the carefully designed interior—everything oozes power and money.“ Tristin Darling, you are late. You missed our dinner. ” A warm
GraceI don’t wait for her response. I slip out of the room, the trembling refusing to stop as I make my way to Sebastian’s room. My bare feet are soundless against the cold floor, the hallway stretched longer than usual in the dark. My head spins, my stomach curling into knots.I am not going to treat him like a child anymore. I need to know why he would try to kill my son. I push open the door, my breath catching in my throat. I prepared for every scenario. I thought he would be panicking or trying to hide—something a normal child would do after doing something wrong. But he…Sebastian is in bed, sleeping soundly.I freeze there for a moment, a frown etching between my brows. I walk closer to him and loom over his sleeping figure.He is sleeping as if he never got up from this bed. I glance towards the side tables and start checking them for the knife. I came in just five minutes. He couldn’t have gone and hidden the knife somewhere in such a short time.After looking inside the
GraceMy body moves before my mind catches up.I grab Sebastian’s wrist mid-air, my fingers squeezing around his skin as the knife nearly comes down. A gasp erupts from my mouth and I shove him back. The knife drops from his hand, and lands on the floor with the loud cling noise. My motherly instincts kick in. My other arm wraps around my son’s shoulders and I pull his face into my chest.Seb startles awake with a soft gasp. “ Mommy? ”Everything inside me goes on high alert. My heart slams against my ribs as I stare ahead, my breath hitched in my throat. Sebastian…He bends down, reaching for the fallen knife. The moment his fingers curl around the handle again, my stomach twists violently.Is this…a five-year-old child?“Sebastian… ” My voice is nothing more than a whisper, barely escaping my lips.I don’t understand. My breathing speeds up as I tighten my hold over my son’s head, and prepare to get up and push Sebastian away.But…He turns away from me and walks toward the door.
Grace“ Why did you need to return so fast? You should have stayed there for some days, Ania. ” I sigh as I sit beside Ania on the bed and watch Sebastian cooing at his new, little sister.“ I couldn’t stay a moment more in that depressing, shitty place. It reminds me of the foolish mistakes I made in the past. I think I can recover at home better. ” She grumbles, glancing in the direction of the cradle. I swallow the rest of the words when she mentions the past. Back then, she was constantly trying to hurt herself and often ended up in the hospital. Now, she has gotten out of that phase, and she is doing so much in life. I look in her direction, noticing how pale her face is before sighing softly.If staying at home helps her recover faster, then so be it. I will look after her.Silence falls in her bedroom as we watch Sebastian playing with the new baby. It feels like a rare moment of calm has befallen when a storm is still raging.If only I could stay here, and continue to watch
EthanThe satisfaction a person feels after watching the last piece fit into an impossible puzzle is unparalleled.That’s exactly what I feel right now. A deep-rooted satisfaction that is more intoxicating than any drug in this world.“ Theodore took Serena. It seems he will keep her locked up and torture her for a while. She won’t be returning anytime soon. ” I hear the report calmly, my gaze drawn towards the almost complete puzzle of her face.The last piece is still in my hand. And I have been holding back from fitting it in. But now, I can. I lean in and place the piece in the puzzle, completing the picture of her perfect face. In that picture, she is smiling so brightly at me that it makes me want to bring her to my side faster. “ Won’t that cause a setback in our plan, Boss? ” My assistant asks.I just shake my head. I know Grace must have told Tristin to simply send Serena away after adopting the boy and signing an NDA. But Tristin didn’t listen to her. He didn’t let Serena
TristinI didn’t even need to convince her. It felt like she was waiting for me to bring this up in front of her. After she signs the documents, a wide smile spreads across her lips. “ I was thinking…Tristin— ”“ Don’t call my name. ” I stare at her face calmly.Her smile wavers and she shudders before she continues. “ I was thinking Mr. Roberto…I can stay in the annex because it feels strange to live in the same house as Mrs. Roberto. This way I can stay close to Sebastian and I won’t be in Mrs. Roberto’s way either. ”I tilt my head to the right and study the fake nervousness painting her face. She thinks…after everything she did, and after she just signed the documents, I will still keep her around.Then again, I did tell her that after adopting Sebastian, I would let her stay. But I never mentioned… the place where I am planning on letting her stay.As if on cue, the door opens and Adler steps inside. Three other bodyguards follow him in, and instantly come to stand behind the c
GraceI take a seat on the wingchair in the corner and watch the boy’s back. He has been standing in front of the window for a whole five minutes now.He is desperately trying to ignore me, but his curled hands and tense body give him away. Children…shouldn’t have to try so hard to hide their emotions. But, for some reason, he is trying to exercise extreme control over his nerves.“ I heard you refused to eat. You broke the bowl of soup I sent to you. ” I break the silence.I have no idea how I am supposed to communicate with a child who acts nothing like a child. If I talk to him in a baby voice and attempt to treat him like a baby, it feels like he will get more offended.“ And you have been trying to bully Sebastian. ” I add, my shoulders tensing.He scoffs. “ Sebastian is my name. ”I sigh and run my fingers through my hair. “ You both share the same name. You are Sebastian and he is Sebastian. ”“ No. Sebastian is my name. It can…just be my name. ” He says, without turning to fa
GraceSilence falls between us. The steam lifts from the soup and hides his deep eyes for a moment.I take that time to pick up the tray so I can go to my son. “ Seb must be hungry. I need to— ”“ I gave him chocolates. He is sleeping now. ” Tristin interrupts, making me pause.“ You gave him chocolates for breakfast? ” My eyes narrow on him.He rubs the tips of his right ear and looks away. I want to tell him that Seb needs nutrients rich diet at all times because he was born weak, but I give up when I recall what happened earlier.I put the tray down and stand there, just watching the steaming soup. The silence between us stretches, and neither of us looks at each other.Then, as if sensing that it has been too long, Tristin breaks it first. “ I can bear anything as long as you and Seb stay happy and oblivious to how ugly things can get. This is not a sacrifice. This is my duty. ”“ If we use that logic, then isn’t it my duty to ensure that you don’t lose your sleep over your decisi
GraceAfter I am done cooking the soup, I have Ivan pack some for Ania and pour the rest into three bowls. One for Tristin, one for Seb…and the last one is for that devil spawn. No matter how horrified I am after learning what that kid did, I can’t really let him go hungry. “ Take this to that boy. ” I tell Mary.“ To…that woman’s son? ” She asks innocently, her wide eyes blinking.I look up at her, ready to snap and ask her who else she thinks I am referring to. Then, I realize how inappropriate it is to call a child ‘that boy’ instead of his name.But whenever I call him by his name, it becomes even worse. People ask who I am referring to. Frustrated, I nudge the tray towards Mary. “ Just take it. Don’t stand still here. ”“ Yes, Ma’am. ” She blurts, picks up the tray, and runs away before I can get more angry.I put my hands on the kitchen counter and lean down, my breaths coming out heavy and uneven. The detective has already replied with a small message.[Consider it done in t
GraceIn the past few days, something always comes up. And Tristin can never seem to make it. In my heart, I did wait for something to go wrong. I even worried that Tristin might not make it in time and my son will forever start believing that his father didn’t care about him.But, to my utter relief, Tristin came half an hour later. He asked me what was wrong, but I couldn’t say a word. I just stepped out of the bedroom and asked Tristin to go in and talk to Seb.He did that without asking any questions or trying to stall time. It was clear to me. I had been more absent than I thought, and now, my son had a stronger bond with his father than he ever did with me. But it didn’t faze me when I saw Tristin kneel in front of our son, only to have the latter jump into his arms. Instead, I felt relieved. At least, Tristin has always made up for whatever I was lacking. To think that I was going to take Seb and leave without telling Tristin…That thought just makes me shudder now. And it