From this angle, Xander looked somber. His face was dark and clouded, which made Grace feel alarmed. She couldn't help but straighten up and ask, "What's wrong?" Xander stared at her for a moment, lost in thought, and then relaxed. "The kitchen is smoky. You should wait outside." Grace hadn't expected him to say just that. She felt rather perplexed by his change in mood. "How long are you back for?" "I'm leaving early in the morning." Xander couldn't leave Fulton Group unmanned. One and a half days was his utmost limit."So soon?" Grace immediately stepped forward and offered, "Then I won't go out. I'll stay and help you with whatever you're doing." Her clinginess made Xander's mood lighten up, and he smirked. "How would I dare make you do things by yourself?" "I insist." Grace squeezed into the kitchen, took some cherry tomatoes, and began rinsing them under the faucet. Xander had no choice but to go over and roll up her sleeves for her. "Don't get your clothes we
Xander pulled out a chair for Grace. "How is it different?" Steam rose from the chicken soup on the table. Grace held a spoon and thought for a moment before answering, "You trust her a lot, and you guys have very good chemistry." Xander deftly changed the subject with a straight face. "Like you and Luke." "That's not quite the same. You two are ..." Before Grace could finish, Xander placed some side dishes in her bowl. "Eat up, then go to sleep." "But by the time I wake up, you'll have to leave." "Are you going to miss me?" He was merely teasing, but Grace's ears turned red."I didn't come back just to keep you awake. Be good." Grace, who was used to just bread and coffee for breakfast, suddenly felt a rare sense of satisfaction as she ate the warm soup. The room was warm, and the soup was also hot. So Xander took his jacket off, revealing his strong, muscular arms. He tapped his fingers on the dining table. "I heard that Matthew ended up taking Henry home." Grace
Grace watched as Xander's face rapidly darkened. His smile disappeared. "What?" In the next second, Grace threw a stack of photos at Xander, evidently angry. "I hadn't told you that I had attended Henry's birthday party, but you have photos of me there. What I ate, what I did, who I was with—you knew everything, but you never mentioned a word. "Xander, what are you trying to do?" Grace was in utter disbelief and filled with dread. Xander looked down at the photos scattered on the floor, all showing Grace at the birthday party. Most of them showed her and Benjamin. They were taken from compromising and intimate angles. Xander glanced at Hazel's bag and came to a realization. He bent down and picked up the photos one by one. "It wasn't intentional. I was watching Benjamin, and you just happened to be there. That's why there are photos of you."Grace couldn't wrap her head around it. She asked, "Why do you have people watching Benjamin?" "He was behind Byte Technologies'
Grace finally caught her breath. She placed a hand on her chest and eventually pushed Xander away. "I'm going back to my room. You should leave." As Xander's arms suddenly became empty, his expression darkened. He instinctively reached out and grabbed her. "I like you." Grace stood still. She had imagined this day and how she would respond with, "I like you too." But now she couldn't say it. "Why did you come back to Pamore?" She was sharp and got straight to the point. "I was afraid you would rekindle things with Benjamin.""I didn't—" Xander interrupted her, saying, "I know it's unlikely, but I'm afraid of the past repeating itself. It was just like this back then. I left for a while, and you went to him." His voice was low. Grace felt her heart ache as well. She pulled her hand away. "You're not thinking straight right now." She broke free and hurried upstairs. Her footsteps disappeared at the end of the hallway.… Hazel was waiting outside Grace's place.
Since Lydia had recently returned to Pamore, Grace had invited her out for drinks. However, the former looked rather tired. "You look so pale. What happened?" In the private booth, Grace held a half-empty glass of alcohol. "Sorry, Zoey and Emily are both busy. You're the only one I could call." She was half-drunk. "Why are you talking like I'm some stranger?" As Lydia spoke, she poured herself a glass and took a sip. "You haven't answered me. What's the matter?" Grace's face was etched with worry. "Xander came back." "Isn't that a good thing? Aren't you happy?" "He confessed his feelings to me."That hit Lydia like a bolt of lightning. She choked on her drink and coughed for a long time before she finally recovered. "Confessed? When, where, and what did he say?" She was very excited. Feeling frustrated, Grace massaged her temples and briefly recounted what had happened. She had assumed that Lydia would be outraged. So she was surprised to see the latter smiling
"It's not confirmed yet, so I can't say." Timothy wanted to keep it a secret. Grace chuckled. The next second, she thought of someone. Could Timothy's mystery woman be Noelle? After bantering back and forth, it seemed like they had become friends. But Grace had something on her mind. After sitting there for a while, she decided to leave. Timothy quickly stopped her. "The investment bank has been swamped recently, and yet I still find time to drink. Is Amirate Corporation that busy that you can't even sit for a while?" "I haven't slept all night. I need to catch up on some sleep." Frederick also chimed in. "You're the boss at work, so you can sleep whenever you want. Come on, finish your drink before you go." Grace frowned. "Are you trying to get me drunk?" "That's not what we mean." Timothy pushed her back down, winking suggestively. "We haven't seen each other in so long. Let's chat."…Meanwhile, at the club's entrance, a black Porsche pulled up. Two minutes lat
Benjamin and Grace looked up. To their surprise, they saw Xander standing there. He wore a black coat and looked dashing in the bustling atmosphere. Grace instinctively stood up and asked, "Xander, why did you come here?" Xander didn't answer her. Instead, he spoke to Benjamin. "Mr. Hawkins, you're in the way." Benjamin's long legs were stretched out, blocking Xander's path. He didn't retract them immediately. His presence was just as imposing as Xander's. "It's blocked because this isn't the way you should be going."The two exceptional men confronted each other, attracting attention from passersby. "Maybe it's not the path I should take. But the person I want is here, so I have to pass," Xander stated clearly. Benjamin frowned. "How do you know that the person you want also wants you?" At this, Xander laughed and looked toward Grace. "Are you going to stay here or leave with me?" Grace felt a chill run down her spine. She knew Xander rarely came to such places. He
Benjamin's gaze gradually darkened. He stood in place for a long time before he finally made a call. "When did Xander come back? Why wasn't I informed?" … Outside, the weather was cold. Grace stood at the door, her breath forming a wisp of white mist. Half of her face was buried in her scarf, only revealing a pair of coy eyes, which made her look rather pitiable. Xander walked up to her. "Why aren't you getting in the car?" Grace replied irritably, "I have a car." Xander looked at her and covered her hand with his own, warming it. "I haven't slept since last night. Humor me, won't you? Don't be angry." Grace grew even angrier. "Thanks to you, I haven't slept either!" Xander chuckled. "I'm sorry, it's all my fault."His complexion was already pale. Since he was wearing a black coat, it made his face look even more ashen—somewhat sickly even. Grace's heart softened a bit. "How did you know that I was here?" Xander glanced in the direction where Hazel was waiting. "