To Xander, her words sounded like a veiled criticism of the complicated relationships in the Fulton family, hinting at her weariness and reluctance to deal with it.His expression darkened and his grip turned fierce as he pulled her into his arms. "And then? Go ask Dexter this. If you get into trouble today, would he sacrifice his future to protect you? Even if he's willing, can he protect you?"Grace felt both ashamed and furious. "I've told you, I can handle things on my own. If not for you, I wouldn't even be in this mess!""Do you regret it?" Xander bent down, his breath warm against her neck. "Even without these past two years between us, the previous decades can't be erased just because you say so."In the small space, their breaths mingled. Grace felt her body heat up as she listened to their intertwined breathing. He was like an immovable mountain, impossible to push away."If you want to break up with me, first sort out these accounts."As she listened to him, Grace felt
Everyone heard the noise, but it was quickly dismissed."Maybe we misheard."Without dwelling on it, they finished touching up their makeup and left.Grace hadn't expected Xander to be so bold and daring to act in such a place. She couldn't handle it and collapsed against him, crying softly, her voice hoarse.Xander gave a slight shake of his leg. "Why are you crying? This isn't home, so keep it down."Whether at her place or his, the spaces were large, and they didn't worry about being overheard. He always liked hearing her voice—hoarse, with a mix of coquettishness and pleading.The memories stirred something in him. Grace bit down on his neck. "I want to kill you."Her sharp teeth stung him. When he touched his neck, he felt the wetness of saliva mixed with a bit of blood."How are you going to explain to Mrs. Jarvis when you go out?""I'll say you were fooling around with a woman in the restroom.""Can I mention your name?"Grace's eyes were bloodshot as she glared at hi
Xander had also noticed and turned to look at her.He didn't say anything, but Grace felt his inquisitive gaze. She shook her head and extended her hand first. "Mr. Hamilton, hello."Seeing her take the initiative, Xander didn't linger. He headed toward the exit with a decisive stride.Dexter shook her hand. "Ms. Grace, or should I call you Ms. Lewis? Your name has been quite prominent lately."He was acting very businesslike. Grace cast a meaningful glance at Orson standing beside him. "Is that so? I'm honored to be recognized by Mr. Hamilton."Orson quickly avoided her gaze, looking flustered. Tanya didn't notice and quickly interrupted, "You silly boy. You're here to meet a lady, not to discuss work. Come in and sit down."There weren't that many formalities. Clearly, Tanya favored Dexter over Xander.Grace had only heard of Dexter by reputation. He was said to be a rising star, known for his integrity and influence in the political arena. Now, meeting him in person, he app
Grace was surprised. She hadn't expected all these things to be happening behind the scenes."But from what I saw just now, you and Mr. Fulton don't seem to be on good terms?" Dexter asked with a hint of sarcasm.He wasn't usually interested in prying into others' personal lives, but this case seemed far from over, making him curious about what they were planning. That's why he agreed to meet Grace today.Grace suddenly laughed.Dexter looked puzzled, his seriousness fading. "What's so funny?""I'm laughing at how smart Mr. Hamilton is. I should have met you sooner. If I had met you last time, I wouldn't have been taken advantage of.""What do you mean?""Some things are better left unsaid, but if Mr. Hamilton likes to investigate, why not give it a try? Maybe the clues I provide can be of great help."Grace left it at that and stood up. "Please tell Mrs. Jarvis I had to leave early. I look forward to our next meeting."As she walked out of Emblem Garden and into a corridor, a
Xander's expression seemed to resemble still water. He didn't answer her but opened the car door. "Get in."Grace had been sent by staff and didn't have her car. She couldn't argue with him with so many people around and got in silently.The driver raised the partition, cutting off all sound."What did he want?" Xander frowned.Grace's vision was blurry, and she was still angry. "Nothing.""The way he looked at you wasn't right. Do you want me to investigate, or will you tell me yourself?"He had noticed it early on but had refrained from acting out in front of others.Grace knew well that he never failed to uncover anything. She leaned back in the seat. "Dexter thinks highly of me and had his secretary chase me to arrange our next meeting."As soon as she finished speaking, her arm was yanked painfully. He pulled her onto his lap, forcing her legs apart.Xander made her look at him. "Liar.""Does Mr. Fulton trust me to go on a blind date with another man, or do you not belie
After a busy evening, Grace was indeed exhausted. As she walked through the door, guided by the housekeepers, she looked up. She saw Victor standing by the window, seemingly deep in thought."Victor?"Victor wasn't surprised to hear her. "He brought you back?"The car lights were very bright, and he had seen the whole exchange.Grace felt a bit uneasy and stared at her toes. "Things between us have gotten complicated."Victor walked up to her, gently tucking her stray hair behind her ear, and said in a low voice, "It's not you two that are complicated. It's Xander. If he can hide one thing from you, there will be many more. You need to see it clearly and decide if you want to continue."His attitude toward Xander was completely different from before, which surprised Grace. "Victor, did something happen?"Victor frowned, remembering the day he had left Grace and gone straight to the hotel to confront Xander.He had leaned on the desk, demanding answers. "How could you possibly c
With nothing better to do, Grace nodded. "Let's watch."Caleb led her out the door.The leading actress of the film they were heading to was a friend of Caleb's in the industry, which allowed him to visit the set under the guise of catching up. As their car parked at the entrance, they saw a throng of reporters pushing their way inside.Celia wore a hat and mask. She was dragging a suitcase, and she looked disheveled and desperate. "You can't fire me! I'm the second female lead! The film is almost finished! You're breaching the contract!""You caused a scandal. That's the real breach of contract. It's a good thing we're not asking you for damage compensation! Get out, get out!"The staff were shoving her out.Reporters swarmed her. "Celia, how do you respond to the video online?""Is it true you have a sugar daddy?""Celia, Celia!""Shut up!" Celia screamed, her hair a mess. "It's fake, all fake! I'm an actress, how could I do such things?""But the video…"Celia lashed out,
"What is it?""Ms. Lewis, I just received news that Orson from the municipal bureau is in trouble…"Grace's expression changed. She had just seen him last night. How could something have happened so suddenly? Her first thought was of Xander.Luke sent her a video.It was night time In the video, the street outside a bar was brightly lit, and neon signs flashed from the tall buildings. The place was bustling with people. The videographer had been capturing the night scene when suddenly, the sound of roaring engines was heard—Orson stepped out of a car, dressed formally, and entered a club discreetly. But within minutes, he was kicked out, landing heavily on the ground.Approaching him were five or six masked men in black, clearly part of an organized group of thugs. Orson screamed in fear, "Who are you?"Two men grabbed him, while the others began beating him badly. His screams echoed through the street, and it was clear they were showing no mercy.Blood pooled on the ground.