Celia's smile froze. "Nonsense, I was overseas at the time. Just because people are saying that doesn't mean it's true."If Susan hadn't asked Celia's grandfather, Tyler Hawkins, for help with bailing her out without Benjamin's knowledge, she probably would have actually gone to jail.Grace glanced at Celia impassively. "Now that you're free, do learn to behave. You can keep trashing my boutique as long as you don't mind being jailed again. I'm fine with it.""I said I never went to jail! Did you even hear what I said?" Celia marched forward, only for Emily to block her way. "It's two of us against one of you. Are you sure you want to pick a fight?"Both Grace and Emily were not to be trifled with. So, after some thought, Celia suppressed her anger and said with gritted teeth, "Why would I? I'm having enough trouble avoiding you as it is."After all, Benjamin had warned her not to pick fights with Grace."So you do know how to avoid us! Our Grace isn't someone a girl like you
Grace smiled mockingly and walked up to Celia. "Why did you freeze? Go on, call the cops. I'm waiting."Celia broke into a cold sweat, gripping her phone tightly. She didn't know what to do."Are you wondering how the bracelet ended up in your bag when it was supposed to be in mine?"Celia froze. "I have no idea what you're talking about.""Did you really think I wouldn't notice you slipping something into my bag?" Grace snapped. Back when Celia had done the deed, Grace had happened to witness it through a mirror's reflection. Hence, she had put the bracelet back in Celia's bag the moment the latter had turned around.It was only then that Emily realized what had happened. "Oh, Celia, they should start calling you Celia the Criminal! How did you come up with such an evil scheme at such a young age?""It looks like you haven't learned your lesson at all since the last time you got jailed. In that case, let me discipline you on behalf of your family," Grace said.Then, she tur
It was only then that Celia reluctantly walked over to Grace and said, in a voice softer than a mouse's, "Um … I'm sorry."Emily protested angrily, "Louder! We can't hear you."Celia's hands balled into fists as she raised her volume. "I said I'm sorry! I'm really sorry!"Then, she turned to look at Ben. "Is that enough, Ben?" she asked, looking like she had swallowed a bug.Ben replied coldly. "Ask Grace, not me." So Celia looked in Grace's direction pitifully."If apologies were enough, what do we even need cops for? Did I say an apology would spare you from the police? You think too highly of yourself, Mr. Hawkins," Grace said.Her smile was so full of mockery that Benjamin couldn't help but feel like he didn't understand her at all."Why should I let go of being accused without reason so easily? Is her status a Get Out of Jail Free card?" Grace said. After all, Celia was only this bold because the Hawkins had let her off the hook again and again. There was no way Grace wou
When Lydia saw how the audience reacted, she knew she had made the right choice to have Grace wear the collection's most important piece.Meanwhile, Timothy was just as in awe as the others. He hadn't expected to see Grace again. He had been sad and dejected before, thinking that fate had made him the butt of a cruel joke. He had deeply regretted rejecting his fated love, and he had decided to take responsibility for his mistake. So he had vowed to never bother Grace again.But when he saw her, his heart started pounding uncontrollably again, just like that night on the balcony … "Mom, look. It's that jinx again!" In the corner, Celia tugged on Susan's sleeve.However, Susan simply huffed, "I'm not blind. You didn't have to tell me.""Oh." Celia shut up immediately. She had gotten a huge lecture for getting arrested again, so nowadays, she would get yelled at for even breathing too loudly.As Susan looked at Tears of the Ocean, another idea blossomed in her head. Why not b
"Guilt, my foot!" Susan said with gritted teeth, then ran toward a secluded spot with Celia.However, the reporters followed them. In that moment, there were more people looking at them than those looking at the stage.After the exhibition ended, Grace went backstage and casually put Tears of the Ocean aside while Emily changed in a different dressing room.Grace sat there, looking at the photos Emily had shared in the group chat. "Look, babe! We were so pretty," Emily had texted."Love it," Grace replied."If it hadn't been for my overseas business trip, I wouldn't have missed it. Hugs," Zoey texted."Thanks for your hard work! Let's get together later," Lydia piped up."I almost died laughing today. The look on Susan's face when she got rejected had me in tears," Emily said."She loves haunting me," Grace replied.As if on cue, the door behind Grace opened. Both Susan and Celia barged in furiously while Grace smiled with mockery, as if she were looking at two losers. "What
"Believe me, Benjamin. Mom and I only got into this mess because that jinx started it." Celia was so worried that Benjamin wouldn't believe her that her face turned red.Susan was about to stand up and keep talking, but then she blacked out in her anger and collapsed again. Celia quickly caught her.Grace was already used to their tricks, so she smiled mockingly. "That's right. It was me," she said proudly. She didn't want to waste her time with these people, so she went back inside.However, Benjamin blocked her way with his brows furrowed. Grace stepped back to put some distance between them, then said indifferently, "Move."Benjamin took one look at Susan and Celia, who seemed half-dead, and changed his mind again. "How much longer are you going to stay angry?" he asked with a cold voice and narrowed eyes.Grace thought that was the funniest thing she had ever heard that day. "What's there to be mad about?""Aren't you attacking them because you still hold a grudge over bein
Unlike his previously carefree self, Timothy simply smiled gently. "It looks like you don't need a handkerchief."Grace remained stone-faced. "Of course not. I wasn't crying.""I thought you would be crying your eyes out like you had last time. I even prepared two handkerchiefs." Timothy took out a second handkerchief with a twinkle in his eyes."I came prepared, didn't I?" he asked.Grace recalled that night on the roof in Darai. She couldn't believe that she had cried in front of her nemesis, so her expression wavered a little. "I wasn't crying. You remembered it wrong."Timothy didn't argue with her and simply nodded. "I must have, then." Watching Grace's unhappy expression, he wondered if she had been crying over Ben that night."Do you want me to beat him up?" Timothy asked with a seriousness he rarely showed, then rubbed his hands together. "Your wish is my command.""That's your buddy we're talking about. It's already a miracle that you didn't side with him." Grace shru
"I was busy," Grace said with a smile. Hestia had always been close to Grace's mother. After both of Grace's parents had passed away, Hestia and her husband, Raymond Fulton, had been the ones who had taken care of Grace and her siblings.It was only after Grace had turned 18 years old that Hestia stopped worrying about her and started traveling the world. She had always been a mother figure to Grace during her childhood, so Grace had always considered her family.Grace looked around and smirked at Hestia. "Aunt Hestia, where's Uncle Raymond?""Why are we talking about him?" Hestia pretended to be angry. "Don't mention that guy.""Okay." Grace tried not to laugh. Hestia and Raymond Fulton were like cats and dogs. They would always bicker when they were together but worry about each other when they weren't.When they had been younger, they had gotten divorced in the heat of an argument. But Raymond had immediately regretted it. Thus, he had begun his hard-knock life of trying