GraceIt was nearly impossible to convince Tristin to adopt Sebas—That…child.But then again, Tristin was right in his own way.I couldn’t even bring myself to call that child by his name because…somehow, he shared the same name as my son, so how was I going to raise him? How was I going to deal with the hatred he had for me, and how was I going to lessen that hatred after pushing his mother away from him? I had a hunch.The adoption would prove to be just a setup for a bigger disaster in the future. What if…Sebastian and Seb turned out to be another Lily and Grace? What if one grew up to be used to snatching everything away from the other? There are too many questions.But there is no answer.I sigh as I watch Mom’s back. She is sitting in the dining room, piling up food in Serena and her son’s plates. The child keeps nodding, but he doesn’t smile—I notice.He is as serious as any adult who is weary of life or nearly done with it. A frown etches between my brows as I rest my si
Grace“ What? ” My heart misses a beat as I listen to her breathless cries from the other side. “ Ania, just hold on. Everything is going to be fine. Where are you right now? ”“ I—I am going to our hospital. ” She hisses, then screams in pain. “ and Luca—Luca is not here. Where is that asshole when I need him?! ” I open my mouth to say something when Ania starts cursing out and wailing as loud as she can. Panic grips my throat as I rush back to the dining room. My heart is pounding too hard in my chest. “ Mom! ” I shout, forgetting everything else, every grievance, every ounce of resentment. Right now, none of that matters.Mom’s head snaps up instantly. “ Grace? Why are you shouting? What’s wrong? ”“ It’s Ania… ” I say, barely stopping to breathe. “ She is in labor and on the way to the hospital. We have to go. Right now. ”For a moment, Mom just sits there, just staring at me. Then she jumps to her feet and gasps. “ My daughter is in labor? ”“ Yes. We need to— ” I start, but
GraceThe corridor outside the operation theatre is filled with tension. Mom sits stiffly on one of the chairs, her fingers twisting together, while Tristin paces back and forth, his jaw tight. Every few minutes, he runs a hand through his hair and squeezes his eyes shut whenever Ania’s screams echo down the hall. The air is thick, heavy with worry and helplessness.I stand still, my hands clenched at my sides, my stomach twisting into knots. This is really nerve-wracking.The doctors have not said anything good about Ania’s condition. And it has been a long time since she went into labor. I can’t help but feel that the longer it takes, the harder it becomes to control my nerves. The sound of hurried footsteps reaches me, and I snap my head up just in time to see Luca rushing toward us. His eyes are wide, panic written all over his face. He stumbles to a stop in front of me, his chest heaving up and down heavily. “ Where is she? ” His voice breaks as he looks around wildly, search
GraceTristin nods, his grip tightening. “ Is it really that painful? ”I smile softly. “ Do you not remember when I gave birth? I was screaming and— ”“ Stop. ” Tristin’s voice turns bitter. He turns his head, his eyes darkening. “ I don’t want to recall that, and I do not want you to go through that again. I would not even dare want more children after seeing you like that. ”I blink at him, caught off guard. Then I try to joke. “ That is because you already have two sons. Why would you want more? ”The words register after I have already said them. Silence falls between us right away—thick and uncomfortable. I regret saying it.Tristin looks at me for a long moment before sighing under his breath. “ That is not why, Little Butterfly. I just do not want to see you in pain ever again. ”I nod, swallowing the lump forming in my throat. We don’t talk after that. The awkwardness still hangs. We grab some sandwiches and coffee before heading back. I convince Mom to eat, and after a few
GraceI should have known. Serena won’t sit still. She has to keep provoking me because making me run away from Tristin is her final goal so she can take my spot and become the new Mrs. Roberto. With that goal in mind, she showed up at the hospital room with a fruit basket and flowers. Instantly, Mom, who had been caring for Ania, turns back into the sweet mother-in-law she insists on playing for her.Tired of the drama, I step out and walk towards a quiet lounge. It has been several hours since I have been running back and forth.Now, my head is beginning to spin.Rubbing my temple with my fingers, I take out my phone and dial Mary’s number. She picks up after a few rings, and her groggy voice sounds from the speaker.“ I apologize, Ma’am. I fell asleep just now, and I— ”“ Is Seb sleeping? ” I come straight to the point, too tired to listen to her ranting.“ Young Master? ” She gasps and then hurriedly continues. “ Yes, yes, the Young Master is sleeping. I stayed with him the whole
Tristin“ The reporter contacted us when he found out it’s about you, Boss. ” Adler, the lawyer who has taken Luca’s spot until he is with Ania, repeats what he told me before.I look at the file and the pictures. Serena didn’t wait—or it’s better to say—Ethan didn’t wait.Now that Serena and that kid’s presence alone has not worked in his favor, he has opted for trying to make this public. The article is not even about me. It's about her-my wife. It says that I had a son that I knew about and was forced to hide because my wife refused to accept him. This is aimed to make Grace become the third woman in our relationship because I have had that boy with Serena before she came into my life.To top it with a cherry, I knew Serena's sob story would be added later.It's clear that Ethan wants Grace to feel every kind of pressure, from every side, so she decides she can not take it anymore, decides that it’s better to leave me than to stick with me. She is right. Ethan is like a mad dog.
GraceThe moment I return home, I rush to Sebastian’s room. But before I can enter, the door opens, and Sebastian—that woman’s son—steps out.He pauses when he sees me standing there. A frown etches between my eyebrows as I glance at the door and then back at him.This time, I notice the small smirk playing at the corners of his lips. My guts twist with a strange feeling. I have never seen a kid so small, smirking like this. It is pure, undisguised evil.“ Why are you here? Why are you not in your room? ” I step forward, eager to go to my son.“ Grandma said I can go anywhere in this house. I do not need to ask for permission. This is my home. ” His smirk disappears, and he moves past me without sparing me another glance.I turn around and stare at his retreating back. For someone of this age, he seems a lot more bitter and strangely eloquent with his words than one expects.I shake that thought off my mind and step inside my son’s room to find him sitting on the edge of his bed. I ha
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
GraceI pick up the phone and press it against my ear. For some moments, silence sounds from the other side.I remain still, my muscles still, and my breath lodged in my throat. I can recognize him even if he doesn’t say anything to me, and just continues to breathe into the speaker.“ Tristin. ” I whisper, running a hand through my hair.He remains silent. I close my eyes, and release a heavy breath, my body shuddering. The moment of silence takes me back to the last time I talked to him before going to meet Ethan.When I had asked him to trust me, he had told me he would always do that.Just when he had begun to wonder what I was being emotional about, I told him what I had planned to do.‘I want to give Ethan what he wants. ’ That’s what I had said. ‘If he has me close, he won’t hurt others. He will…stop controlling our one son to hurt another. He will back off as long as I am with him. And while I am at it, you can find out who is working with Ethan, and I can find out how he is
GraceEthan’s Grandmother has always been a symbol of terror in the family. Despite her old age, the silver hair, the sunken eyes, she exudes a kind of aura that makes one squirm. She was the spitting image of her own son, who had died years ago—Ethan’s father. The man who had the reputation of a devil back when he was alive. I shake my head, breaking myself out of my thoughts. So, she is here. That must mean she is already mentally torturing her grandson.My lips twitch. What a weakness to have your own grandmother breathing down your neck and threatening your position with every word she speaks.As expected, when she stares at me a little longer, her eyes turn cold. She has never liked me. That’s why Ethan had sent her away when we got married. But he was still powerful back then. Now, after being sent to jail, and ruining the Calder Corp, I am not sure he can still call himself the powerful leader he once was.“ You lied to me. ” She hisses and moves past me to go confront Ethan
Grace“ You killed my sister. ” I state as a matter of fact, and feel a chill down my spine at the lack of any emotions towards the truth.“ You wanted her gone. ” He blinks, his face becoming a mask of calmness again.I swallow the bitter taste in my mouth and shake my head. “ that doesn’t change the truth. You murdered— ”“ Your so-called husband is not better than me. He is even worse. He had planned on killing your whole family from the start, and he would have done it if I hadn’t. I did you a favor by keeping your beloved’s hands clean of your family’s blood back then. ” His voice rises, frustrating etching into his features in the form of a deep frown.My breath catches in my throat. “ but he didn’t do it. ”Ethan’s frown turns into a cold smirk. He taps the table with his forefinger, falling silent for a moment.At that moment, a wave of coldness washes down my back, leaving me shuddering. Why the change of emotions all of a sudden? “ You know….and I know…it was never about Li
GraceMy phone keeps ringing. The familiar names on the screen just send a pang in my chest.Mom.Ania. Luca. Mary.Everyone has called. But Tristin has not. He must know everything by now and he won’t call me. He will never accept what I have done to deal with the mess Ethan was creating.Sighing, I turn the phone on silent and look out the window. Years ago, when I was still married to Ethan and under the illusion that he was falling for me, he had planted roses in the garden behind our house. When we fell apart, and Lily came back, he just ripped everything out and threw it away like it meant nothing.But now, the flowers are back. The garden looks so eerily similar to how it looked years ago that it gives me the ick. Even the things in the room—the decorations, the clothes…everything. It’s in the same place where I used to keep it. It’s like I have stepped back into the nightmare I barely escaped. The door to the room opens, and the familiar footsteps grow closer. I don’t t
GraceI groan, the pain in my arm registering before a strong headache. I try to move, but it’s like all my energy has drained, leaving me weak and helpless.Slowly, I take in a shuddering breath and look around. The room is too familiar. It makes me want to throw up, just so I can get the strong disgust out of my system.“ Did I faint? ” I murmur, glancing to my right. As expected, Ethan is sitting on a chair beside my bed, staring at me closely. I lift my brows, trying to judge his emotions from the look he is giving me but failing.Something is strange in his gaze.“ The doctor said you barely avoided the artery. You could have died… ” Ethan whispers, his gaze unfocused. A frown settles between my brows. I look down at my bandaged wrist before shrugging.I was not aiming to die, but…He should believe…I can go through it if he continues to push me around. This is good for special effects.“ Do you believe how ready I am now? ” My eyes narrow as I smile at his dazed face.Ethan pu
GraceI knew talking to him would be like talking to a wall. He will not be moved, and won’t understand what I am trying to say. He will just want me to do what he wants.“ My son has a father. He doesn’t need another. ” I murmur, then lean back on the couch. “ Then we have nothing to talk about. ” Ethan smiles, as relaxed as ever.He doesn’t feel an ounce of guilt over what he is doing. Instead, it’s like he feels proud that I am beginning to crumble under the pressure.Is this what…he calls love? I think it’s more of an obsession. I am the woman he once had, and he can’t bear that I am with someone else now. That’s all this is about. An obsession to get back someone that belonged to him before.“ I want you to stop now. ” I tell him, my head more clear than before. “ That wouldn’t happen unless— ”“ I want you to stop, Ethan. It’s enough. I don’t want to fight with you anymore. ” I clench my hands into fists and release a slow breath. “ You want me to go with you. Let’s go. I wil
GraceWhen you want to truly defeat someone who knows you better than you know yourself…You need to do something you would never usually do.And that’s what I am doing. I walk through the corridor of the VIP club, slowly approaching the private room I booked. Unlike my expectations, I don’t feel an ounce of fear. My heartbeat doesn’t escalate. My hands don’t shake. And my back never hunches. It’s like I have abandoned all emotions, and chosen to become a robot. As I reach the black double doors, I pause beside them. In the wall-length mirror, I stare at my reflection.I am wearing a plain black dress—something someone would wear to a funeral. It has a V-neck and reaches below my knees. It’s simple enough to not make him think that I was eager to meet him.I nod at myself and flip my hair to my back before entering the private room. Instantly, the familiar scent of an expensive cologne hits me.The control I had over my nerves slips, leaving me standing in the doorway for a few mome
GraceAs soon as Tristin and I enter our room, he grabs my arm and turns me around to face him. I continue to stare down, at his rapidly heaving chest. A sudden chill runs down my spine as the scene from last night flashes before my eyes. Ethan…can even harm my son to the point of no return. He had him kidnapped, and now he can even have him…No…“ What is happening inside that head? ” Tristin cups my cheek, and pulls my face up. “ why did you suddenly apologize? Why did you— ”“ Do you believe what I told you? ” I interrupt him, my voice barely a whisper.Tristin’s blue eyes peer into mine as if searching for something. I wait for him to hesitate, to avoid my gaze or give me any indication that he also believes I was dreaming last night, or worse, trying to implicate a child. But he just sighs and rests his forehead against mine.“ I told you from the very first day. That child was raised by a snake. He can never…come out all pure after spending so much time with someone like his mo
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