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
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
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
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“ 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
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
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
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
GraceThe maids look for the knife everywhere they can, but after hours of search, they return…empty-handed. I sit by the window, just watching the sun rise in the distance as Mom questions the maids. After receiving the answer she wanted, she turns to me smugly.“ What do you have to say about it now? ” She asks, and I have nothing to say.I can only think in silence. My doubt has been confirmed. Someone in this house is helping that child do this. Was it Serena who planted this mole or was it Ethan? I couldn’t tell for sure before, but now, that doubt is cleared too.It has to be Ethan. Because Serena is gone as Tristin told me. And so, she can’t give any more orders, can she? So…Ethan Calder is still pulling the strings.He planted someone in our house, and she helped that boy get to my son’s room, without getting into the video of any CCTV camera installed in the corridors. Even the knife Sebastian used disappeared as if it never existed.The only person who ever saw that boy
Grace“ I took care of Serena. We are keeping that boy and she won’t return. ” Tristin says.He has been talking for some time, but I can’t really focus. He is telling me that he did just what I wanted…Yet…I feel like I have made a terrible mistake as if I have played right into Ethan’s hands once more.Did he want us to adopt this boy and push Serena out of the way? Was the real problem always…the child I decided to keep without giving it a second thought? “ What are you thinking and what were you doing in— ”“ The kid… ” I speak up for the first time, and glance out the window, towards the garden. “ he tried to harm our son. I woke up…in the middle of the night and saw him holding a knife, aiming it at Sebastian’s neck. I—I pushed him away, and he went back to his room and— ”“ What? What are you saying, Grace? ” Tristin is on his feet, his anger rising as he paces back and forth.I explain the situation to him again, and it becomes impossible for me to stay still. Just when he
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