Belle was afraid of falling and tightened her arms around Grayson's neck out of reflex. "Grayson, what are you doing?"Grayson ignored her cries and just continued upstairs.Meredith could not help but smile at the sight. Belle's face, however, turned red as she shouted, "Grayson, put me down! You stink of sweat! Put me down right now!"Grayson angrily retorted, "Keep yelling, and I'll kiss you again!""You … asshole!"He continued upstairs after he had successfully "persuaded" her.Xenia bit her lips as she watched the scene unfold before her. She had expected Grayson to stand up for her when she saw him angrily walk toward Belle.She briefly experienced a moment of happiness, only for it to be shattered when Grayson swept Belle upstairs in a princess carry.Her heart sank further when she heard Grayson saying he would kiss Belle again if she did not cooperate.Xenia was crying from envy after witnessing the scene.On the second floor, Grayson carried Belle into the mast
Grayson continued, "But it is a fact that you made her cry today. More troubles would come if she were to tell Grandpa and Dawson about this.""Are you scared?""What could I be afraid of? I just don't want to make things difficult for myself. And I don't want to make things awkward for Grandpa either."Belle pouted and remained silent upon the mention of Finneas.Grayson further explained, "Grandpa is already arranging for her marriage with Dawson. Once their wedding is confirmed, things should settle down. I'll do my best to expedite it, and you just need to maintain peace for a few more days.""Peace, my ass!" Belle angrily replied. "Her engagement with Dawson never stopped her. Why do you think a marriage certificate will do the trick?""A marriage certificate is just some government-issued documentation that loving couples hold in high regard. It doesn't mean jack shit for the people who actually have eyes for another."Belle continued with an example, "For example, you and
Xenia glanced toward the second floor periodically. Upon confirming that Grayson was not coming back down, she inched closer to Belle and whispered, "Listen, Belle. I've had a few friends under similar circumstances as you. "Their husbands could not make it work, and the wives were left full of stress. And when the stress finally tips over, they then go outside to find another."Belle was speechless and just stared at Xenia.Xenia failed to convince her to divorce, and she immediately tried to convince her to cheat in a relationship.Belle finally uncovered Xenia's plan. If Belle were to follow up with finding another, Xenia would report this to Grayson. Subsequently, Grayson would proceed to divorce Belle, and Xenia would assume the role of Mrs. Page upon its vacancy. Belle could not help but laugh inwardly. Still, she pretended to be interested in Xenia's advice."For real? Did her husband allow it?""Her husband was sick and could not do much about it. You just don't ha
Belle's spirits lifted as she observed Xenia in a state of panic.It wasn't that Belle derived happiness from witnessing Xenia's distress, but she didn't harbor any remorse for causing Xenia's anxiety, either.Since she couldn't remove Xenia from the situation at the moment, she resolved to torment her out of sheer boredom.She found it funny how Xenia went from delighted to depressed throughout the conversation. It was as if she was teasing an animal with treats.After a while, Belle finally got bored of teasing Xenia."Relax, if you don't want me to tell Grayson about it, then I won't tell him about it."She recognized that merely informing Grayson about it wouldn't serve a purpose. Furthermore, she hadn't recorded their conversation to provide concrete evidence of Xenia's words.Xenia could easily deny everything, and even if Grayson were to believe Belle wholeheartedly, it might not necessarily prevent Xenia from causing further disruptions in their lives.And thus, Belle d
Grayson was on cloud nine as he indulged in Belle's every request. Xenia witnessed the entire scene unfolding before her. It hurt her heart to witness Grayson playing the role of a doting husband to another woman.The couple's performance was so convincing that Xenia began to think Grayson favored the cute and compliant type of women over the gentle and dignified ones.And so, she attempted to adjust her approach."Grayson, the cookies made by Meredith sure are tasty! Do you want one?"Grayson turned toward Xenia and frowned. "What's wrong with you? Is your throat okay?""Huh?""You're not speaking clearly like usual. You sound really weird just now. It gave me the creeps."Xenia was speechless.It was just fine when Belle was doing it. And now when she attempted it, she was called creepy. Xenia felt hurt by his remarks, but she merely covered it up with a cough and took a sip of water. "I had a dry throat for a moment there. I'm okay now. Do you want a taste of this cookie
While awaiting Belle's return in her dance costume, Xenia quickly shed her dress, revealing her dance attire, and entered the dance practice room.She had long, beautiful legs paired with a slim waist. Her dance attire also further enhanced her already beautiful body.Xenia took great pride in her beautiful physique, confident that she could capture Grayson's heart with it.She looked at herself in the mirror to check for any imperfections. She then took some deep breaths before turning toward Grayson.He had changed into a white shirt and a pair of trousers. He crossed his legs as he sat on the sofa before the window, reading financial magazines. The sunlight shone on him, adding a touch of warmth. He looked even more attractive now.Xenia's heart started to race as she observed the scene unfold. She believed that only a man like Grayson could be her equal.Consequently, she felt that only a woman like her could be a match for Grayson. In her perspective, they were a match mad
Grayson ushered Belle into the nearby gym room, and upon entering, he pressed her against the wall. He remained somewhat agitated."You know that I don't like her. Why won't you believe me? How can I make you trust my words?""Huh?" Belle was perplexed. Grayson wore a somber expression, and he was slightly out of breath."Why don't I take these pants off and have them tested to see if it's water or my sem—""Shut up! How can you say something like that with a straight face? You're shameless! You're a dirty pervert!" Belle quickly interrupted him. Her face was bright red.His lips twitched as he delivered a cold explanation, saying, "All of this is because of you. Despite my repeated explanations, you simply wouldn't believe me. You've always claimed not to like me, yet you're the most jealous woman I've ever encountered!"Belle was shocked. "Jealous? Me? When did you ever see me being jealous over you being with another woman?""Nonsense! What else, if not jealousy, made you s
The interlude ended, and nobody brought it up again. When Grayson returned in clean clothes, he still ignored Xenia.He looked at Belle and asked, "Why haven't you changed your clothes?"Belle got annoyed at the mention of that. She had never worn a dance costume before this. She felt naked wearing it. It also made her uncomfortable. Belle said, "Can't I just wear normal clothes for practice?"Meanwhile, Xenia thought that Belle was embarrassed to wear such a revealing outfit because she didn't have a nice figure."It's not that you can't, but wearing a dance costume makes your figure and poise stand out more. It also makes it easier to spot mistakes. You've just started learning, so you must wear a dance costume. You don't have to once you're more experienced," said Xenia.Belle frowned with a reluctant expression. Grayson thought she looked cute when she was embarrassed, and he smiled subtly. Belle noticed and thought that he was making fun of her, so she pouted and glared a