****Grace woke up with swollen eyes. For the first time in months, she had a peaceful sleep without the usual nightmares. “Thank God for that,” she murmured.She lay in bed for a few moments longer, savoring the rare calm that had settled over her. But the peace was fragile, and as the memories of the past months crept back, she felt the familiar ache in her chest.She knew she couldn’t avoid the reality of her situation forever, but for now, she was grateful for the brief respite.She walked over to the bathroom and sighed sadly as she stared at her reflection in the mirror. She was a mess. Though her sleep was undisturbed by her mother’s traumatic attacks, she still had trouble enjoying it. She couldn’t stop thinking about Noah and his engagement. She was too scared to call him now, not after the way she had left him hanging.Sighing again, she freshened up and decided to stay inside. When she realized Mrs. Hail was already there, her heart sank. She didn’t have the strength to dea
****Without wasting time, Noah took her into his arms in a tight embrace. He took a sniff of her hair; he had missed this closeness, he had missed her scent so much, and now that he smelled it again, he felt alive. In his arms, this was where she belonged, and he was never letting her go.Sobbing into his chest, Grace tried to apologize and explain through her tears. “Noah, I’m sorry... I should have said something, but... I—”“It doesn't matter, love," he interrupted, hugging her tightly. "You are in my arms now, and that's all that matters."She pushed back slightly and gazed at him. “I missed you,” she whispered, reaching out for him.Before Noah could reply, she kissed him hard on the lips, her tongue seeking his. He froze for a moment; this was the first time she had taken the initiative.Ahhh... she didn’t bail on him, he knew that for a fact. Then, he kissed her back.Embracing her tightly, his tongue explored the depths of her mouth. She was hot, warm, and sweet. He wanted mo
****While Mrs. Hail sat down on the sofa, sipping her hot coffee with ease, Mrs. Bush couldn't stop staring at the man sitting across from her. Despite his unreadable expression, she knew he was nervous; who wouldn't be?She didn’t need to look him up to understand what kind of person he was or the kind of world and power he possessed. Everything about him spelled wealth and power. No doubt, he could take care of Grace better than anyone else. Having been married into a wealthy family before, she knew the struggles her daughter might face. As a mother, she wanted the best for her child, and Lord knew, Grace deserved it.Sighing, she asked, "Seeing how you followed my daughter down here, you must really love her a lot?""Yes, I do," Noah replied without hesitation."You do know that both of you come from different worlds, and you're aware of the dangers it might cause her if things between you become public or go sideways?""I know, and I promise to protect her with everything I have,
*** The moment Noah led Grace into the room, he pulled her close, unwilling to let her go. As the door shut behind them, Grace clung to him, drawing her face near his. Before he could understand what was happening, she kissed him hard on the lips, moaning and crying out his name."Noah," she sobbed between kisses, her voice filled with a mixture of relief and desperation. "I thought I'd lost you."He held her tighter, his hands gently cradling her face. "I'm here, Grace. I'm not going anywhere."Grace's kisses became more fervent, her hands clutching at his shirt as if afraid he might disappear. Noah could feel the depth of her emotions, the raw fear and longing in every touch. He responded with equal intensity, trying to convey his own unyielding love through their shared embrace.Tears streamed down Grace's cheeks, mixing with their passionate kisses. She pulled back slightly, looking into his eyes, her gaze intense and searching. "I'm sorry for leaving like that, I didn't mean to
***Grace came downstairs and found not just Noah and her mother, but also Mrs. Hail, already seated around the dinner table. She knew something would happen; any meeting where Mrs. Hail was present signaled something was off.After exchanging morning greetings, she joined them."Wow, look who decided to join us. You look refreshed," Mrs. Hail blurted out, smiling.Grace blushed and turned her gaze to Mrs. Hail, frowning. "Why are you here again?" she asked."To eat, what else?" Mrs. Hail smirked."Enough, you two. The food will get cold," Her mom scolded them both.And just like that, Mrs. Hail stopped her teasing, and they all ate while chatting about random things.But for some reason, her mother remained silent. Noah and Mrs. Hail chatted away, talking about business and everything else. Grace peeked at her mother, who just continued eating in silence. It wasn’t like her to just eat without engaging in a conversation.Mrs. Bush raised her head and caught her daughter looking at he
***Grace took a deep sigh as she stared into space, her mind a mess. "I can't believe I'm going back to New York, or that Mother allowed me to go just like that," she breathed out.Noah took a deep, happy breath. He, too, was finding it hard to believe that the woman of his dreams was coming with him. "Yes," he managed to say, kissing her hand. "I love you," he whispered in her ear."And I love you too," Grace replied."Are you hungry?" he asked after a while."Yeah, thanks for asking," Grace replied with a smile."Sure, love." He called one host on the plane, and after a short wait, a mouthwatering snack was served.Grace devoured it without wasting any time, and he just laughed at the way she was eating.Now fully settled, she turned to him. "You never told me what happened between you and your mother," she said suddenly.Stunned, Noah turned to Grace, unsure whether to laugh or be serious. "You really do have a knack for knocking people out of their comfort zone," he said, shaking
***After an hour of driving, they finally arrived at the Creed mansion. And what a mansion it was. As she stared at it, Grace wondered why it was even called a mansion; the place was as expansive as her entire neighborhood. It would probably take a day or two just to walk through it, she concluded.They drove into the compound, and judging by the way the guards and maids were acting, it was clear Mrs. Vera Creed knew they were coming.Without lingering outside, they went in. Noah seemed to be in a hurry, no doubt eager to get it over with, and Grace felt the same way.But the moment he opened the door, a heavy slap landed on his face."What the—" Grace began, but Noah shot her a look, signaling her to stay silent. He sighed as if he had been expecting it."Good to see you too, Mother," he said with an air of resignation, walking in.Grace, still stung by the harshness of the slap, bit her tongue and followed him inside, as did James.
***Noah stared at Grace in disbelief, while James laughed uncontrollably at his expression.The way she was speaking, so assertive and unwavering, sounded like his mother, and he didn’t like the feelings that came along with it. Ignoring James' laughter, Noah turned to Grace.“You really want us to stay here?” he asked, still reeling. He had assumed she was joking, but the determined look in her eyes made it clear she meant every word.“Yep,” Grace replied, walking over to the kitchen, guided by the maids present.“And why the hell would you want that? There’s a big, comfortable house waiting for us, and you want us to stay in this gloomy place?” he demanded, following her into the kitchen. “Yes,” she answered firmly, turning to inspect the kitchen. Despite being swarmed with maids, the pots looked unused. She walked over to the refrigerator and opened it, finding it empty. She turned shocked eyes to Noah. “What does your mother eat?” she asked out of nowhere.The question caught hi