***"You must know why I called you here, right?" Mrs. Vera asked, still sipping her tea., *Why wouldn't I know? But there's no need for this pain in the ass to know, right?* Grace thought to herself and with a lovely smile, she replied, "I have no idea, ma'am!" Of course, she had to lie. Who wouldn't? She glanced at the lady sitting close to Mrs. Vera, who was focused on her cell phone."Then I will be blunt with you.""Please do, ma'am," Grace replied calmly."Then stay the hell away from my son, starting from this instant," Mrs. Vera snapped, her tone sharp.Grace half-expected this, but hearing the real thing hurt. "Your son? You mean Noah Creed right? My boss,” she said with a smile and then added. “'m sorry, ma'am, but I think there's a big misunderstanding because there is nothing to stay away from. We don’t have anything to do with each other; he is my boss, and I work for him; that’s all."”Is that so?” Mrs. Vera placed her hands inside her bag, and Grace’s eyes watched inte
***Grace sighed bitterly as she lay on her bed, thoughts consumed by the past few weeks. It had been hell for her.After the incident with Noah’s mother, she had never been the same again. The words Mrs. Vera uttered haunted her, and the inability to see Noah only worsened the situation.She tossed and turned in her bed, grateful that it was the weekend.Grace let out a loud sigh; what really bothered her wasn't just being confronted by Mrs. Vera, but the wording she herself had used. Now, she feared that Noah might find out, and it wouldn't be surprising if all her statements were being recorded.She sighed again, repeating to herself, "This is not the first time she has met someone like Vera Creed." She knew of a woman who, in order to break her son's relationship, confronted the lover and recorded everything said about the boyfriend's family, leading to the end of the relationship.Although she didn't have a perfect name for their relationship yet, she was still scared."No," she
***After her bath, Mrs. Hail ate and decided to rest a little before their discussion.In no time, she fell asleep. Grace sat nearby, silently observing her sleeping face, pondering the weighty matter she intended to discuss.Though Grace had an inkling of the topic awaiting discussion, the thought of any serious trouble back home filled her with dread. She had already seen enough, witnessing her father's death at a young age and seeing her mother reduced to dependence on medical equipment. Not to mention the challenges she faced simply by being in New York.Sighing, Grace made her way to the sofa. She too was starting to feel sleepy just by staring at Ms Hail, and without much thought, she decided to rest.It was a decision she would soon regret. If only she had known the direction her sleep would take, she would have stayed awake, distracting herself with movies or a stroll outside.As soon as her eyes closed, Grace was plunged into a harrowing nightmare, reliving the tragic deaths
***As Noah gazed at Grace's motionless form on the bed, his heart plummeted even further. The doctor's words echoed in his mind, ‘She needs to rest but call me when she wakes up,’ but it had been seven long days since she last woken up.He couldn't shake off the guilt and self-blame that gnawed at him. If only he had acted sooner, if only he hadn't loitered outside her apartment for hours.The audio clip his mother sent earlier that day, replayed in his thoughts. It was a conversation between her and Grace. Yes, it pissed him off that his mother would dare approach the woman he loved; he was glad she could stand up against her.While he admired her courage, her words stung. He knew she likely told them to protect him, yet they pierced his heart nonetheless. He couldn't avoid the truth any longer. He needed to hear it from her directly, no matter how painful it might be, or he wouldn’t be able to focus.Despite the pressing demands of an important conference in Paris and James's persi
***Grace thrashed in bed, once more haunted by a terrifying nightmare. The grip of fear held her tight, wrenching her from sleep. With a sharp cry, she bolted upright, drenched in sweat, her breath ragged.A warm hand enveloped her trembling form. "Grace, calm down," Noah's gentle yet urgent voice cut through the chaos of her mind. He tried to soothe her.But Grace, her eyes still clouded with the remnants of her nightmare, pushed him away. She was in a panic state, with an urge to flee. Grace stumbled towards the door, desperate for escape. Yet Noah, swift as a guardian angel, stood in her path, blocking her from the door.Thankfully, he had locked the door, when he came in, leaving Mrs. Hail and James outside. Noah gazed at Grace, her face filled with terror. "Snap out of it, Grace," his voice, a mix of frustration and concern, piercing through the haze of her panic. "Get a hold of yourself," he repeated.Grace lifted her head, her eyes still clouded with the remnants of her night
***Grace sighed as she gazed at Noah’s broad shoulders. He was indeed a man in every sense of the word.For a fleeting moment, she found herself unable to tear her eyes away as he answered his phone. But just as her thoughts began to wander, she shook her head, to avoid the creepy thoughts that were starting to sink in.“Wow, what a remarkable man you’ve captured,” Mrs. Hail exclaimed admiringly, seemingly materializing out of thin air. “Just like your mother, you have a knack for finding extraordinary things,” she added.Grace chuckled softly. Mrs. Hail wasn’t merely her father’s secretary; she was an old family friend, so, of course, she would know things about the Bush family that Grace herself wasn’t aware of. “Yes, but it’s not what you think,” Grace replied."What do you mean?" Hail asked, her expression filled with confusion.Grace hesitated for a moment, regarding Hail. She was the closest thing she had to a mother, and the thought of deceiving her felt wrong. Besides, perhap
****Grace gazed at the mountain of work awaiting her on the desk and sighed heavily. It had been two long months since Noah embarked on his soon-to-be-back trip, one from which he hadn’t returned yet.Mrs. Hail on the other hand, had left for Chicago a month ago, promising to keep in touch always.With her departure, the house went back to its empty demeanor. James was nowhere to be seen in his usual spot at the office, which was to be expected since he was with Noah.But she couldn’t help but wonder what his mother had said to him that made him disappear so suddenly.Over the next few months, things continued as they were, with her working tirelessly without a break. However, Grace did notice a few changes in her position and salary.She didn't know if it was because the CEO and his secretary were nowhere to be found, but the entire office started looking up to her for every decision that needed to be made.This was strange to her. She still prepared the meeting briefings as usual,
***Lora sighed in frustration. As much as she would love to snub the annoying excuse of an executive questioning her right now, she couldn’t—not if she wanted to keep her position.Damn Noah, he just had to make his sex mate an executive, a position higher than hers. Grace Bush, the nobody, was now automatically an executive, a few steps away from being the President of O.S. Publishing Firm. And if she wanted to be the new boss, it would be a piece of cake; Yeah! Like Mrs. Vera Creed would ever let that happen.But the most annoying of all was her stupid cousin, Susan, who just couldn’t do her damn job. Lora clenched her jaw, her disdain for Grace burning deep within her.Grace, with her undeserved rise to power, symbolized everything Lora despised about office politics and nepotism. Lora sighed hard again, “Well, Susan, you heard her. It’s time to return to your desk,” she said, her voice full of frustration and resentment, as she shot a venomous glare at Grace.“What? You are going