Hi Lovelies, How do you like Tristin in the story? Let me know in the comments :)
GraceI am back on that road, my nails clawing at the hard surface as I watch Ethan carrying Lily away. In my blurred, and bloodied view, I see her smirk at me smugly. They don’t stop for me and don’t care if I die. Or maybe, they want me gone so they can enjoy their life together. They had already taken my inheritance, my talent, my future…and now they want my life too.But why must they hurt my Baby too? I don’t even know if it’s a girl or a boy. I don’t even know what my Baby looks like yet. How can you take it away from me? As I bleed out, and slowly lose consciousness, I feel the warm hands on my shoulder—a savior’s touch.I gasp, sitting up on the bed. My eyes blink wide open as I look around the room. Cold air brushes against my naked skin, making me hyperaware of my state.Horrified, I look down at my bare chest, as the blanket slips away. Color drains from my face, the last night’s memories flashing before my eyes. I pull the blanket up right away, hiding every inch of my
Ethan“ The papers were delivered again, Boss. ” Josh informs as he places the papers on the desk in front of me.I take my eyes off the important contract I am supposed to sign to glance at the divorce agreement she sent. She has demanded I return her grandmother’s inheritance that she gifted me and refused to get any alimony from my assets. It is fucking clear. She wants me to return everything she thinks I took from her. I have no fucking problem with that. But if she wants everything of hers back, she should return my three wasted years.All this fucking time, she pretended to be in love and took advantage of my heart, my power, and my status. She should return all of that before asking anything from me.Anger threatens to burst out of my veins, but I can’t deny the lurking panic behind my eyes. It feels like she is desperate to cut ties with me, and I can not let that happen.Even if we remain sworn enemies, we must stay together. Even if we hate each other, we must not stop fee
Grace “ Yes, officer. ” I nod at the detective who is watching me keenly. “ Ms. Whitlock, you are saying that your sister and husband pushed you in front of a car, and tried to take your life and this resulted in your miscarriage? ” He asks, his old face neutral and professional. My breath hitches when I hear this aloud once more. “ I have proof. ” I whisper, handing the pen drive to him. “ I believe the viral confession was seen by every person in this country already. ” He offers me a small smile as he takes the drive from me. “ but it can’t be called concrete evidence, Ms. Whitlock. Your sister can always claim she was under the influence of alcohol or threatened and there is no mention of your husband being on her side either. ” My shoulders stiffen. “ So you mean to say that… ” “ It’s the Calder and Whitlock family we are talking about, Ms. Whitlock. Surely you understand they can bring in the best lawyers and get out instantly. Knowing that, do you still want to file the
Grace“ Disappearing on my second day of work won’t leave a good impression, right?” I nibble on my lower lip.Earlier, after talking to Ethan on the phone, I lost my mind and rushed to report him and Lily. I didn’t even inform Mr. Costello that I will be taking a day off.I don’t doubt he will have my head on a spike later for it.“ Your leave was approved by the CEO, Ms. Whitlock. Don’t worry. ” Luca answers instead of Tristin who is busy with his never ending documents.I steal a glance at his focused face and sigh. “ That only makes things worse.” Sulking, I slump into my seat and let out another exaggerated sigh. “ Luca, Ms. Whitlock is hungry. ” Tristin says, his tone busy and detached.“ Who said—”“ On it, Boss.” Luca interrupts.I press my lips in a thin line and fold my arms over my chest. It’s clear that no one is listening to me so there is no point in talking.After a while, I am stepping out of the car in front of a familiar expensive restaurant. Tristin str
Grace“ Come home with me, Grace. Come home and I will make it up to you.” He whispers, his eyes holding the longing, and plead.For a second there, my heart stops beating. My eyes search his gaze, now gentle, and focused solely on me.Didn’t I always want this? For Ethan to push Lily aside and reach me for once? I think.Then, I burst out laughing. “ Have you gone deaf on top of dumb, Ethan? Did you hear what I said, and do you hear yourself now? Come home? What home? ”“ Grace—” He takes another step closer.“ Leave me.” I whisper, interrupting him. “ and sign the papers, Ethan. I want nothing to do with you. Besides, you already got what you wanted from me, right? You took my grandma’s inheritance and got control over the Whitlock Corp. Now you are unstoppable.”“ No!” Ethan, grip tightens on my arm. “ I don’t want anything from you! Just come home, okay? I will return it to you. I will give you anything. I will forget you cheated on me and let you—”“ Are you serious right
GraceSilence ensues on our way back to Tristin’s home. I steal occasional glances his way to find his jaw clenched and his eyes glaring out the window.What Lily said is obviously a lie and it ticked him off. Before, I heard that she had killed Sebastian Roberto too.But...if she has murdered Tristin’s brother and Tristin is powerful enough to make her pay...Why is he not doing anything to her?What is he waiting for?“ Stop staring at me. ” Tristin mumbles.I flinch, realizing that I forgot to take my eyes off him this time.Awkwardly, I look out the window and watch the Roberto mansion getting closer. I thought what happened today will leave me shaken up again, but somehow, I am faring better than I expected.Once Lily is in, Ethan will do everything to get her out. But with Tristin’s influence, it won’t be easy.Sighing, I step out of the car once it stops in the driveway. Tristin moves past me, striding straight for the door without looking back.My eyes narrow. It fe
GraceThe next morning, I come out of my room, wearing another one of a grey pencil skirt and a white blouse sent by Alma. But, it fits me well now, instead of being painfully tight.Lost in my own thoughts, I walk down the stairs only to see Alma standing at the end of them, staring up at me. “ Grace. ” Alma calls me out and nods. “ I heard about your sister on the news. ”My body freezes on the second last stair as I look at her. Her eyes are soft, but there is a lingering wariness in them, which became a part of them after she realized that I am Grace Whitlock.“ I— ”“ I didn’t know they had done something like this to you before. Is that why you are staying with us? ” She interrupts me as if she can’t bother to hear what I have to say to her.My cheeks heat up. “ Uh—Yes, Alma. But as I said, it’s only temporary and— ”“ I don’t mind, Grace. This house is big enough for us to not cross paths even if we stay under the same roof. ” She cuts me again.I press my lips in a thin line a
GraceAs I stroll inside the RB tower, I notice the crowd gathered near the reception but don’t pay much attention.I take the elevator and go to my floor. When the doors ding open, some pair of eyes fall on me. Instantly, the atmosphere on the floor becomes chilling and uncomfortable as the always busy people gossip to each other.I have no doubt it’s about the direct approval of a mere leave from the CEO himself.“ How do you think she is connected to the CEO? ” I hear a Redhead talking in hushed voice to the two girls looming over her.“ How else? She probably slept with him. ”“ She is a looker, I must admit but Mr. Roberto can not take a liking to someone like her. He avoids women like plague. ”The comment piques my interest. Avoids women like plague huh? “ That’s true. I don’t think he is sleeping with her. Maybe it’s one of his personal assistants. ”The hushed gossips follow me until I sit down on my desk in the lonely corner of the floor, right beside Mr. Costello’s office.
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.
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
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
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
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
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
GraceMy body trembles with the intensity of the rage. I want to say so much more, but he releases a shaky breath, and I pause.“ I feel it too…We are drifting apart. ” His grip on me tightens, his voice dropping. “ But I won’t let you go. I can’t. Not when I have realized…that…my fears are…making us drift apart more than anything else. ”My heart clenches. I swallow the lump in my throat and shake my head. Unconsciously, I grab his wrist and lean into the warmth of his hand. “ What if I really insist on leaving? ” I want to know the answer, to know for sure where we still stand. “ Will you lock me up and keep me like a caged bird forever? Just like…you are doing right now? ”Something crosses Tristin’s eyes—a dark emotion. Then he swallows hard and shakes his head.“ If… if I can’t stop you…” He says, his voice hoarse. “ and you really leave…then I will…spend the rest of my life trying to win you back. I won’t let go, but I won’t try to…put you in a cage. Because you…will hate me fo
GraceTristin hangs up, and silence falls between us. He told Luca to bring the pictures from the office. My stomach twists. What pictures?My mind immediately goes to the ones of him and Serena. The ones Ethan sent me. Pictures meant to…break us apart.No.A cold shudder runs down my spine.Ethan wouldn’t… he wouldn’t send similar pictures to Tristin, right?But what could he possibly take pictures of? I didn’t…My vision darkens for a moment when I think about that night in the cabin. My throat closes up, making it hard for me to breathe.He…wouldn’t have fallen so low, right? I barely get a moment to process that horrifying thought before I feel something shift in the air. I blink, and Tristin is suddenly too close—too near, his cologne wrapping around me like a vice grip.I look up, only to see his hands at the collar of his shirt, unbuttoning it slowly. I blink, watching as he opens the last button and pushes the shirt off his shoulders with ease. My breath hitches in my thro
Grace“ No. It sounds tempting, but we are not doing it. You can not raise that boy, Grace. We can not- - - ”“ Why? ” I snap, cutting him off. “ because you want to raise him with Serena, who is unhinged and bitchy! ”Tristin’s lips press in a thin line. His eyes narrow as if silently reproaching me for saying it aloud.I stand beside the bed, just in my panties, and suck in a slow breath. Instantly, his gaze drops to my chest, and he sighs.“ Why would I want to do that? ” His voice softens.“ Because she is your mistress, and you are lying to me about everything you just told me. ” I fold my arms across my chest, hiding my body from him.We are in the middle of an argument, and his starved, heated look is not helping this. “ I did not lie to you about anything. ” Tristin whispers, then averts his gaze to the wall. “ Just like I told you, I just don’t want you to— ”“ Okay. ” I say, interrupting him. “ Okay? ” Tristin’s brows lift, his eyes still on the wall.“ Yes… ” I shake my he