《Falling for My Contractual Wife》 Chapter 1 A Deal In a fancy room at the Francis estate, romance filled the air. Grace Shermany on the big, soft bed, traces of kisses on her neck barely visible. She turned to the man beside her and tentatively asked, ¡°Can you stay tonight?¡± Brian Francis, in the middle of tying his tie, paused. He slowly looked up, his icy gazending on her face. ¡°Three more months, and our three-year engagement is over. It¡¯s just a deal between us,¡± he said coldly. A shiver ran through Grace. Her heart stung sharply. She understood it was all just a deal. Three years ago, her parents forced her to marry Brian in the countryside to raise money for her younger brother¡¯s congenital leukemia treatment. All she had to do was be married to him for three years to get 600 thousand dors. So, she had no right to ask him to stay. As Grace bit her lip, her hand under the nket quietly curled up. She felt a bit lost. Her hand, hidden beneath the covers, slowly caressed her belly. She was pregnant with Brian¡¯s child. Grace tightly gripped the nket, took a deep breath, and said, ¡°Brian, today is my¡­¡± She wanted to say it was her birthday, really hoping Brian would stay with her. But before she could finish, Brian interrupted her. ¡°There¡¯s something I need to tell you. She¡¯s back.¡± Grace heard those words, and it felt like thunder. Her heart shook. Her mind went nk, a buzzing sound like a swarm of bees lingering in her ears. She hadn¡¯t expected that woman toe back. Grace knew who Brian meant by ¡°she¡± too well. Brian was willing to spend money on marrying Grace because she looked like that woman. In these three years of marriage, he had been affectionate and tender towards her. Grace had more than once believed they would spend their lives together. However, six months ago, while she was drunk and entwined with him in bed, she heard him call out another woman¡¯s name. Although his voice was very vague, she knew he wasn¡¯t calling her name. At that moment, she woke up from the dream, having to face the harsh reality. She understood she only looked like the person he loved, and their marriage was just a deal. If she developed feelings, she would break the deal. She understood that Brian treated her so well and showered her with love only because he loved that woman, and his heart belonged to her. She and him were only bound by a paper contract. She found it utterly ridiculous and amusing. Grace lifted her eyes. ¡°We¡¯ve got three months left in our contract. You can¡¯t back out, not even a day less.¡± Brian shot her a cold nce and left the room. His tall figure exuded a chilly aura. Grace watched him go in silence, smiling bitterly. The next day, Grace set up a table full of dishes Brian liked, watching the clock tick on the wall, one second after another. Soon, she heard a faint braking sound, her eyes brightening instinctively. The door swung open, revealing a familiar slender figure. ¡°Brian¡­¡± Before Grace could finish her sentence, she saw another woman standing beside Brian. Her eyes were gentle, her face delicate, dressed in a light pink knee-length dress and white boots, her long hair tied up, elegant and graceful, strikingly beautiful. There was a slight resemnce between this woman and Grace. Grace immediately realized she was the woman Brian loved. She hadn¡¯t expected Brian to bring this woman home. Brian looked at the woman with tenderness in his usually stern eyes, the same way he used to look at Grace six months ago. Seeing this, Grace felt unbearable pain inside. ¡°Louise, wait for me. I¡¯ll change and be right down.¡± He bent, speaking softly to the woman, a tone that made Grace jealous. Brian gently kissed Louise¡¯s forehead before stepping away. ¡°Okay,¡± Louise softly replied, smiling gently, nodding. He passed by Grace without a word, going upstairs, treating her as if she were invisible. Grace shivered, her face paling, aching in her chest, struggling for breath. At that moment, Louise, who came back with Brian, strolled into the mansion. Her beautiful eyes scanned around, finally settling on Grace. ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Louise Adkins.¡± Grace thought her name sounded really nice. ¡°I¡­¡± Grace was about to introduce herself politely, but Louise interrupted her. ¡°You¡¯re a maid here, right? Can you grind me a coffee, half-sugar?¡± Grace didn¡¯t expect to be mistaken for a maid and was quite shocked. Grace replied expressionlessly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, we don¡¯t have coffee, and I¡¯m not¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Brian interrupted Grace, standing at the top of the stairs, gently saying to Louise, ¡°I¡¯ll have the assistant bring the coffee in a while.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Louise smiled contentedly, pleasure evident in her beautiful eyes. Then she looked at Grace and asked, ¡°And who is this?¡± She nced at Grace in her home clothes, wearing an apron. ¡°She¡¯s a maid in my house,¡± Brian exined indifferently and casually, then stared at Grace coldly. ¡°Wear your work clothes next time.¡± Upon hearing this, Grace¡¯s heart sank heavily, feeling as though she had fallen from the sky to the ground. She forced herself not to look at his retreating figure, quietly taking off her apron and pouring all the dishes on the table into the trash. The Adkins family mansion lit up the night, glowing brightly against the darkness. Louise wore a sleek, white floor-length gown, her arm linked with Marshall Adkins, the Chairman of the Adkins Group, as they descended the stairs amidst everyone¡¯s gaze. ¡°Today marks a joyous asion.¡± Marshall, over fifty, beamed with joy. ¡°My long-lost daughter found her way back to me, and here she is, Louise Adkins.¡± Marshall introduced Louise to everyone present. Louise gave a subtle smile, casting a shy grin towards the crowd. ¡°Furthermore, there¡¯s another momentous event. The Adkins and Francis families will soon be united in marriage. Louise and Mr. Brian, the CEO of the Francis Group, are getting married in three months!¡± As the announcement was made, Brian, in a sharp, deep ck suit, emerged from the crowd, his demeanor cool. He took Louise¡¯s hand, his expression softening, revealing a rare disy of tenderness that stunned the onlookers. ¡°The Adkins and Francis families are titans in the business world. Miss Adkins just returned to the Adkins family and is now marrying Mr. Francis. It¡¯s truly enviable.¡± ¡°Miss Adkins is stunning and elegant, a perfect match for Mr. Francis!¡± ¡°Look at Mr. Francis. His gaze used to be chilling. Never seen him this gentle before!¡± The envious chatter of the crowd reached Grace, standing in the corner of the party. Each word felt like a knife stabbing her heart, causing unbearable pain. She had struggled to infiltrate the Adkins family¡¯s gathering just to see what connection existed between Brian and Louise. Unexpectedly, she heard about their uing wedding in three months. In three months, Brian would divorce Grace and marry Louise. Grace hadn¡¯t expected Brian to have found a remarriage partner so quickly. Her heart grew cold. Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. However, for the safety of her younger brother, she had to endure these three months. At the same time, she couldn¡¯t let Brian and Louise know about the baby growing in her belly. This baby would be a hurdle in Brian and Louise¡¯s marriage. Grace would surely be pressured to get rid of the baby if they found out. Three monthster, she took the money andpletely disappeared from Brian¡¯s world. She was determined to give birth and raise her child on her own. Chapter 2 The next day, Grace sat in the outpatient clinic of the OB/GYN department of the hospital, listening to Dr. Bobby Gildon¡¯s lengthy exnation. She held her phone, jotting down every detail he said. ¡°That¡¯s all. The baby looks good. Take care of yourself,¡± Dr. Gildon concluded. ¡°Thank you, thank you!¡± Grace hurriedly expressed her gratitude. Feeling in high spirits, she put the folic acid and prenatal iron supplements into her bag and happily walked out. However, in the hospital lobby, she encountered Brian and Louise. Louise linked arms with him, a beautiful smile on her face. They both noticed Grace. In the brief moment their eyes met, Grace saw extreme displeasure in Brian¡¯s cold gaze. She could only awkwardly force a smile and bravely approach. ¡°Mr. Francis, hello. I¡¯m feeling a bit of low blood sugar. I just came for a checkup. Don¡¯t worry. It won¡¯t affect my work.¡± Brian stared in the direction she came from, coldly asking, ¡°Low blood sugar? But then, why did you go to the OB/GYN department?¡± C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. Brian felt that Grace intentionally showed up at the hospital and suspected she had nned to run into them. He thought Grace was probably ying some trick, perhaps feigning illness or pretending to be pregnant, using these cheap tactics to gain more benefits from him. Grace¡¯s face froze with an awkward smile, then quickly understood his insinuation. ¡°What¡¯s so strange about it? The OB/GYN department is specifically for women¡¯s health. As a woman, it¡¯s normal for me toe here for a checkup.¡± Grace¡¯s heart raced rapidly. Brian, finding her exnation reasonable and not making any additional demands, gradually lost his suspicion. He thought perhaps Grace was really just here for a medical checkup. He didn¡¯t say anything and, without a nce back, entered the hospital with Louise. Only Louise couldn¡¯t help but turn around, looking at Grace¡¯s retreating figure with aplex expression. Grace remained oblivious to Louise¡¯s gaze, rushing out of the hospital. Just thinking about almost being caught, she felt extremely nervous. Back home, Grace immediately poured out all the folic acid from the box. She tore the empty box and instructions into pieces and flushed them down the toilet. She then transferred the folic acid tablets into a vitamin bottle. At that moment, the room door suddenly swung open. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Brian¡¯s ice¨Ccold voice made Grace shudder, and the tablets scattered all over the floor. ¡°I¨CI¡¯m taking vitamins.¡± Grace forced herself to calm down, giving what she thought was a firm response while holding up the vitamin bottle. Brian, looking at the vitamin bottle in her hand, began to grow suspicious, his gaze intensifying. Vitamins were not prescription medication. People could easily buy them at a regr pharmacy. He couldn¡¯t understand why she would go to a hospital to get them. He became more convinced she was trying to pretend to be pitiful to gain benefits. He couldn¡¯t help but let out a mockingugh in his mind. Though Grace had appeared well¨Cbehaved during the past three years, he had long felt she wasn¡¯t genuinely obedient. Now, she was finally about to reveal her true nature. ¡°Three months left. Behave yourself, and I won¡¯t deduct any money. Just don¡¯t cause trouble for me.¡± With those words, Brian left her room without a hint of nostalgia. Grace felt a deep pain in her heart but didn¡¯t have time to dwell on it. She quickly closed the door, picked up the scattered tablets, and put them away. This was the only thing she could do for now. Early the next morning, Grace received a message from the butler, Melvin Duncan, informing her that Brian wanted her to dress up and join him for dinner at the Bluewave Hotel in the evening. Grace was shocked upon hearing this news. She was utterly taken aback. Since Brian had revealed everything to her six months ago and ceased pretending to love her, they had never shared a meal together. Although she found it strange, she still changed into appropriate attire and applied light makeup before heading to the rendezvous. In the luxurious private room at the Bluewave Hotel, Grace sat on one side of the long table, observing Brian on the other. He wore a clean and sharp dark suit, his gaze cold and demeanor aloof. ¡°Why did you suddenly ask me out for dinner?¡± she asked casually. It seemed odd to her, as Brian should be wary of being seen by Louise, so she couldn¡¯t fathom why he invited her to dinner. your Brian gestured for the waiter to serve the dishes, then calmly replied, ¡°I had something on the day of birthday and couldn¡¯t apany you. Today, I¡¯mpensating you. Even though our marriage is just a deal, as your nominal husband, I¡¯ll do what¡¯s expected. I¡¯ll provide you with what you deserve.¡± Hearing this, Grace forced a bitter smile. She knew Brian would always be like this. Even if he had a thousand reasons not to have dinner with her, he would do it anyway, ying the role of a tender and doting husband. However, Grace knew she could never be the one he truly loved. His heart belonged to Louise. She was merely a substitute for Louise, and now that Louise had returned, she soon wouldn¡¯t even qualify for that. Thinking about this, Grace felt an indescribable bitterness in her heart. Just then, the waiter brought in the food, and a greasy smell invaded her nostrils. Instantly, her stomach churned, and a desire to vomit surged. ¡°I need to use the restroom!¡± She covered her mouth and nose and quickly fled from the table, rushing into the restroom. Observing her departing figure, Brian furrowed his brow slightly, a trace of disdain shing in his eyes. He thought Grace was trying to attract his attention by ying tricks. The more he thought about it, the more annoyed he felt. Despite treating her so well, she still resorted to such antics. He couldn¡¯t help but feel that she didn¡¯t understand gratitude. +5) In the restroom, Grace, facing the toilet, strained to suppress the urge to make any sound. She dry¨C heaved a few times silently, her face turning red as she crouched by the toilet. Simultaneously, she grabbed a pre- prepared box of sour plums from her bag and started shoving them into her mouth. She ate more than ten sour plums, managing to quell the nauseating sensation. The restroom door swung open at that moment, revealing Brian¡¯s tall figure. He looked down at her with a wrinkled brow. ¡°Are you okay? What are you doing?¡± Startled, Grace instinctively pushed the box of sour plums further into her bag and quickly pulled out a lipstick, responding calmly, ¡°I dropped my lipstick behind the toilet. It took me a while to retrieve it.¡± With that, Grace stood up as if nothing had happened and walked out of the restroom. Brian squinted his dark, profound eyes, staring at her. He couldn¡¯t understand why she had taken such a vibrant shade of lipstick with her when she had barely any makeup on. Grace returned to the table, staring at the array of dishesid out before her, feeling absolutely no appetite. She even started to feel a bit nauseous again. ¡®No, this won¡¯t do. I need to figure something out!¡® thought Grace. Just then, a waiter arrived to serve her, standing beside her to arrange the cutlery. With a slight raise of her eyebrow, Grace made some subtle movements with her hand under the table. The next moment, as the waiter turned away, a series of tters sounded. The tablecloth was inexplicably pulled, causing the utensils in front of her and the nearby dishes to spill all over the floor. The waiter turned in terror, realizing that his coat button had caught the edge of the tablecloth thread. ¡°Sorry, sorry!¡± A group of waiters rushed over, frantically trying to clean up the mess. ¡°Forget it. I¡¯ve lost my appetite. Let¡¯s go.¡± Grace stood up, feigning an unhappy expression, grabbing her bag and heading out. The manager rushed over, apologizing incessantly to Brian. Brian¡¯s gaze remained cold as he waved his hand, following Grace out. The fresh air outside eased Grace¡¯s difort a little. ¡°Let¡¯s dine at another hotel,¡± Brian spoke behind her. His tone was so indifferent that it sent a chill down one¡¯s spine. ¡°No need. I appreciate your gesture, but just take me home. I still think the food I cook is better.¡± Grace refused him in the same t tone. This was her first time refusing him. Brian¡¯s deep, dark eyes studied Grace¡¯s face for a moment. ¡°Fine, let¡¯s 1. I¡¯ll drive you back.¡± In the car, Grace immediately sensed something was off. The seat had been adjusted. Over three years, she had been in his car countless times, and the seat had always been adjusted to her mostfortable position. But now, this seat made her extremely ufortable. She knew Louise had adjusted the car seat, making it Louise¡¯s spot now. Then, her gaze fell to a corner inside the car. She found a long strand of hair. Grace¡¯s hair wasn¡¯t that long. Noticing this detail, her already low spirits plummeted even further. Brian was meticulous about cleanliness, borderline having a mild case of cleanliness obsession. The car was always impably clean. Yet here, he seemed to tolerate an overlooked long strand of hair. In the past, if Grace¡¯s hair happened to fall in the car, Brian would insist on cleaning it up before getting in. Chapter 3 ¡°Here,¡± Brian said, interrupting Grace¡¯s thoughts tly. At the same time, he ced an exquisite box in front of her. Grace was slightly struck dumb. ¡°Birthday present,¡± Brian exined coldly. ¡°Oh, thank you,¡± she replied, opening it to find a beautiful bracelet. She wasn¡¯t really an expert when it came to jewelry, but it somehow looked really nice. However, she didn¡¯t want to ept it. Over the past three years, Brian had given her many things, and she had politely declined each one. The few she couldn¡¯t refuse were neatly kept in her room¡¯s cab, never used. But now, when she thought about the next three months, about raising her child alone and the additional expenses, she felt it might be good to have some extra assets. ¡®Maybe I can consider it as a support payment from the father, thought Grace. Thinking this, Grace didn¡¯t hesitate. She closed the box and put it in her bag.. Brian observed her actions with a dark, disdainful look in his eye. ¡®So, all her previous refusals of expensive gifts are just an act. With only three months left, she is trying to take what she can get before it is toote, isn¡¯t she?¡® thought Brian. After dropping Grace off at home, Brian turned to leave. Just then, his phone rang. Brian picked it up and saw a message from his assistant. [Mr. Francis, Miss Sherman¡¯s medical records from the hospital have been sent to your email.] Meanwhile, when Grace got home, she felt exhausted and fell asleep the moment shey down in her room. Outside her room, the butler Melvin received a call from Brian. ¡°How¡¯s she beentely? Anything unusual?¡± Brian¡¯s cold voice came through the phone. Melvin sighed heavily. ¡°Mr. Francis, Miss Sherman hasn¡¯t had any significant changes recently. Some changes in her routine. Sleeping early, waking upte. She used to have coffee before bed. Now, it¡¯s milk. Sometimes, she forgets to drink it. It seems like her appetite isn¡¯t great. She doesn¡¯t eat spicy foods anymore and prefers nd stuff. That¡¯s about it.¡± Brian sat behind his desk, listening to Melvin¡¯s words, reading through Grace¡¯s medical records from the hospital in his email, and slightly squinting his deep, mysterious eyes. The medical record indicated Grace had low blood sugar and no other content. ¡°Take care of her, don¡¯t let anything happen,¡± Brian instructed Melvin before hanging up the call. He couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that Grace was up to something. He vowed to himself that if she caused any trouble in these three months, affecting his and Louise¡¯s wedding, he wouldn¡¯t spare her. Thinking about it, a touch of hostility shed through Brian¡¯s gloomy eyes. The following day, Grace was rudely awakened by a series of knocks at the door before she was fully awake. She felt a sudden burst of anger. She had been nning to sleep in, and now, someone was disturbing her. Annoyed, Grace got up without bothering to put on shoes and stormed to the door, swinging it open. To her surprise, she found Louise standing there. Louise was dressed in a white tracksuit, hair pulled up high, her facepletely makeup¨Cfree, revealing smooth skin and lovely features. On the other hand, Grace had just woken up with her messy hair, loose pajamas, bare feet, and possibly sleep in her eyes. ¡°Why haven¡¯t you gotten up yet?¡± Louise inquired. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Grace shot back, both of them asking a question almost simultaneously. Louise frowned, examining Grace. ¡°I think Brian¡¯s standards for staff are too low. It¡¯s almost noon, and you haven¡¯t even gotten up yet, not to mention cooking.¡± ¡°I¡¯m off today. Don¡¯t disturb my sleep. Brian¡¯s barely home during the day. Go find him at the office,¡± Grace impatiently responded, mming the door shut. She turned back to her bed but couldn¡¯t fall asleep again. Secondster, she heard the door being opened. ¡°I said I¡¯m off today,¡± Grace grumbled, turning to sit up only to see Brian at the door. ¡°Get up and make breakfast for Louise,¡± he ordered, amand that made Grace feel utterly aggrieved. Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. ¡°Have the house staff do it,¡± Grace protested. But at that moment, Louise, who was behind Brian, questioned, ¡°Aren¡¯t you the house staff?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Under Brian¡¯s chilling gaze, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to say, ¡°I¡¯m not staff. I¡¯m Brian¡¯s wife.¡± She told herself she had to endure it now and endure for just three more months before it could all end. ¡°Louise just moved in this morning and hasn¡¯t had breakfast. Her stomach isn¡¯t well, and your cooking is light, probably more to her taste. Hurry, it¡¯s almost noon,¡± Brian said, suddenly awakening Grace ¡°She moved in? She¡¯s staying here?¡± Grace asked in surprise. ¡°Yes,¡± Brian answered firmly. Hearing his response, Grace fell silent, clenching her teeth. At that moment, the butler, Melvin, came in. Bowing slightly, he kindly tried to defuse the situation. ¡°Mr. Francis, I was out running errands this morning, just got back, and I¡¯ve forgotten Miss Adkins. My apologies. I¡¯ll go prepare breakfast for Miss Adkins now.¡± With that, he turned and headed to the kitchen. ¡°It¡¯s okay, don¡¯t bother.¡± Louise/suddenly spoke up, stopping Melvin in his tracks. ¡°I just moved in and don¡¯t want to cause any trouble. I¡¯ve been living alone overseas, so I can cook for myself. I asked her to help earlier because I had just finished exercising and wanted to take a shower. I¡¯m really sorry¡± She wore an apologetic look, pulling Melvin back, and headed downstairs to the kitchen. Seeing that Brian didn¡¯t intervene, Melvin excused himself, busy with his own tasks, leaving Brian and Grace alone in the room. ¡°Remember who you are.¡± Brian¡¯s dark eyes bore into Grace, his voice coldly reminding her. Grace took a deep breath, biting her lip as she countered, ¡°When is she moving out?¡± ¡°In three months,¡± he replied. Grace remained silent upon hearing that. She hadn¡¯t anticipated having to live under the same roof as Louise for three months. She felt like Brian was intentionally making trouble for her. But she had no other choice. She had to endure it. ¡°If you reveal your identity, or¡­¡± Brian continued to remind her, noticing her silence. ¡°I know!¡± she cut him off, suppressing the bitterness in her heart. ¡°I¡¯ll hold on until the veryst day for that money.¡± ¡°That¡¯s for the best,¡± he said before turning around and leaving her room without looking back. Grace got up, her thoughts in disarray, and went downstairs. In the dining room, she saw Louise eating while flipping through something. Initially uninterested, she inexplicably walked closer, only to realize that Louise was looking at bridal magazines. Grace¡¯s heart felt like it shattered into pieces in an instant. ¡°You¡¯re up? I made some snacks. There¡¯s a bit too much. Have some.¡± Louise generously invited her for a meal, then resumed looking through the magazine as if nothing had happened earlier. Grace felt emotionallyplex, standing there motionless. Louise was beautiful, gracious, not pretentious, and from the noble Adkins family. Considering how perfect Louise seemed, Grace could understand why Brian liked Louise. Louise and Brian indeed seemed like an ideal match. Thinking about it, an unnamed sense of inferiority washed over Grace. ¡°No need to feel awkward. I¡¯m not one to hold a grudge.¡± Louise looked up and gave her a slight smile. ¡°Thank you.¡± Grace sat down a bit awkwardly, suddenly feeling superfluous. She couldn¡¯t shake off the feeling that Louise was Brian¡¯s true wife. Yet, unnoticed by anyone, there was a trace of unseen darkness in the corner of Louise¡¯s eye. Chapter 4 Grace knew she was Brian¡¯s wife, thedy of this mansion. But watching Louise act so calm and collected in front of her, she felt like she couldn¡¯t stay in this house for another second. gaze Her drifted to the side, and with what she thought was a calm tone, she said, ¡°I¡¯m going to tidy up the room,¡± and turned to head upstairs. Louise lifted her eyes slowly, a hint of mockery ying on her lips. Grace¡¯s retreating figure seemed a bit like she was escaping. Back in her room, Grace felt a pang of sadness but quickly convinced herself it wasn¡¯t worth being upset. She was just a stand¨Cin, something she¡¯d known all along. She couldn¡¯t even bring herself to enjoy breakfast, lying back in bed, drifting into a deep sleep. Voices downstairs woke Grace up. Checking the time, it was already 11 AM. Laughter asionally drifted up, and she opened the door to hear it more clearly. ¡°Miss Adkins, your figure and style are amazing! You look good in anything! I don¡¯t even know which one to rmend. You can pull off any style!¡± Grace watched the scene downstairs, her face turning pallid. Louise was wearing an off¨Cshoulder white wedding dress, hair elegantly tied up, standing tall and graceful. In her mind, she couldn¡¯t help but picture Louise and Brian together in wedding attire. Ironically, she found the imagined couple quite fitting. Unconsciously, Grace¡¯s nails dug into her palms. She couldn¡¯t help but think that this was the difference between being the real deal and just a substitute. When she married Brian, they did nothing more than the paperwork at the city hall. Then Louise spotted Grace, her face brightening into a smile. ¡°Is the room cleaned up? Come down, I think you have a good eye. Help me decide which one looks better on me.¡± Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Grace¡¯s heart sank, and she descended the stairs with heavy steps. ¡°Miss Adkins, it¡¯s your own wedding. Make the decision yourself. After all, it only happens once in a lifetime.¡± 502 7 6 2 3/22 2 63 6 Listening to her cold tone, Louise¡¯s eyes shed with a hint of darkness. Just then, Melvin entered, respectfully saying, ¡°Miss Adkins, your chicken soup.¡± Louise¡¯s face lit up with a delighted smile as she walked over and took the deep te. She lifted the lid and took a sniff, the rich aroma wafting instantly into the air. Grace¡¯s stomach churned, and she covered her mouth and nose, rushing out of the living room. Louise was surprised, quickly following, asking, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you pregnant?¡± Grace¡¯s heart clenched. She silently squeezed her fist, hiding the tension in her eyes. She looked up at Louise with a bright smile. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m pregnant, and it¡¯s Brian¡¯s!¡± Grace figured the more she concealed, the more suspicion she¡¯d attract. It was better to admit it. This way, Louise wouldn¡¯t believe it. Louise¡¯s face stiffened abruptly, and then she squinted at Grace for a moment before letting out a crisp laugh. ¡°You can¡¯t fool me. I was just being kind to check on you. But don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t get mad.¡± With that, she turned and went to change her clothes. Grace breathed a sigh of relief quietly. Thankfully, she hadn¡¯t been found out, but she worried Brian would me her if he found out. Louise, now out of the wedding dress, still wore an elegant smile on her face. She turned to Grace and said, ¡°Grace,e here.¡± ¡°What can I do for you, Miss Adkins?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to bring Brian some food. The clothes in my suitcase got dirty during the move, so could you wash them for me? Oh, and be sure to hand wash them. Otherwise, they¡¯ll be ruined.¡± She patted Grace¡¯s shoulder with a smile, said, ¡°Thanks,¡± and walked away in her high heels. That gentle smile of Louise¡¯s made it hard for anyone to dislike her. Grace took a deep breath. She had doneundry before, so washing clothes wasn¡¯t particrly difficult for her. It wasn¡¯t untilter that Grace discovered Louise had three whole suitcases of clothes. Staring at the mountain of clothes in front of her, Grace desperately tried to convince herself it was just three months. Endure it, and she would be free. Seeing her sweating and exhausted, the butler approached and said, ¡°Miss Sherman, you won¡¯t finish washing all these clothes even if you work until dark. Let me help you.¡± ¡°Melvin, it¡¯s okay. You go about your business.¡± Louise specifically had her do the washing. If Brian found out Melvin helped, he might direct his anger at Melvin. Having done various chores growing up, this wasn¡¯t particrly challenging for Grace. She wiped the sweat from her forehead and continued working. After two full hours of washing, she was parched and about to stand up to get some water when suddenly everything went ck. All she heard was Melvin nervously calling out, ¡°Miss Sherman!¡± before she lost consciousness. When Grace woke up again, the scent of disinfectant lingered in the air. Her vision gradually focused, and she saw a tall figure standing by the bed. Realizing she was in a hospital, she sat up abruptly. Brian was right beside her, making her anxious. She didn¡¯t know when he hade in, and now she worried if he already knew about her pregnancy. Carefully, she asked, ¡°When did you get here?¡± Brian stared at her with a cold expression, unsettling Grace. Just then, her attending doctor walked in, a woman with sses who nced at Brian before turning her worry attention to Grace. ¡°You¡¯re awake. Don¡¯t worry. There¡¯s nothing serious. Just a fainting spell from low blood sugar and anemia. With your health, it¡¯s better to avoid such strenuous activities.¡± Brian, standing nearby, suddenly spoke in a chilly tone, ¡°Just anemia and low blood sugar? Does she have any other issues? She hasn¡¯t been eating welltely.¡± Grace¡¯s heart raced, but she heard the doctor saying to him, ¡°Poor appetite could be due to excessive stomach acid. I¡¯ll prescribe some relevant medication for her.¡± Brian¡¯s gaze shifted to Grace, the icy stare seemingly mocking her for ying the victim again. Grace, who had been worried about being exposed, finally felt relieved. ¡°Since you¡¯re fine, I¡¯ll go. Don¡¯t y tricks with me again.¡± He left with that indifferent remark. Grace looked at the female doctor gratefully. ¡°Thank you! Thank you for not revealing my pregnancy.¡± The doctor replied calmly, ¡°No need to thank me. It¡¯s our responsibility to protect patient privacy. I remember you asked me to keep it confidentialst time.¡± Grace thanked her again. ¡°Thank you!¡± ¡°Besides, that gentleman didn¡¯t say he was your family. He only imed to be your friend.¡± Grace¡¯s heart sank, feeling a sourness in her mouth. Even in the hospital, he didn¡¯t want to admit their rtionship. She forced a self¨Cdeprecating smile, thinking it might be good that he didn¡¯t say he was her husband. If he had, the doctor would probably have told him the truth, and then the baby in Grace¡¯s belly would be at risk. The doctor, observing her pale face, felt sympathy and advised, ¡°With a baby on the way, don¡¯t engage in heavy work. If your appetite is poor, try eating smaller meals more frequently¡­¡± Suddenly, the door opened, and Grace looked towards it in fear, finding Brian standing there. His cold voice cut through the room. ¡°What did you say? A baby?¡± Chapter 5 Grace¡¯s heart clenched as she hadn¡¯t expected Brian to abruptly turn back after leaving. Despite her racing heart, she tried to keep a calm facade. ¡°I¡¯m just asking for a ssmate about what precautions to take if she wants to have a child.¡± The female doctor remainedposed. ¡°For wanting a child, you need a bnced diet, sufficient sleep, and moderate exercise. If your ssmate has severe low blood sugar like you, then she definitely can¡¯t get pregnant. You need to improve your health before considering pregnancy.¡± Hearing the doctor¡¯s words, Grace couldn¡¯t help but exhale a sigh of relief. Brian, half¨Csquinting, looked at her, highly skeptical of Grace¡¯s words. He believed there was no such ssmate. It was likely Grace¡¯s own desire for pregnancy. With this thought, Brian¡¯s face darkened. He coldly said, ¡°Since the doctor says you¡¯re fine, hurry up and go back.¡± Seeing he didn¡¯t press further, Grace¡¯s heart finally settled. She sat up in bed and followed him out of the ward. He walked fast, his long legs makingrge strides, without a thought of waiting for her, seemingly afraid of being seen leaving together. Only when they reached the hospital¡¯s entrance did Brian stop, standing there waiting for her. As she approached, he turned coldly toward her. ¡°Grace, I¡¯m warning you again. Be mindful of your position, and don¡¯t fantasize about things you shouldn¡¯t!¡± Under the scorching sun, Grace looked up at him, the brightness making it hard to open her eyes. She sighed bitterly. ¡°What can I fantasize about? Since the day you brought Miss Adkins back, I haven¡¯t dared to think of anything.¡± Brian¡¯s lips curved into a cold and ruthless smile. He indifferently said, ¡°Then why were you asking so much at the hospital? Did you think I¡¯d believe you were asking for a ssmate? From today, I won¡¯t touch you even once. Don¡¯t even think about having my child!¡± His words felt like a bucket of ice, cooling her from head to toe. She clenched her fists, her body swaying slightly. She struggled to contain the pain in her heart as she stared at him, firmly stating, ¡°I understand. The contract is almost up. I¡¯ll acknowledge my position and won¡¯t cause you any trouble.¡± Brian, looking at her frail form as if she might copse any moment, coldly remarked. ¡°Since you¡¯re fine, go back and rest. There are plenty of servants at home. You don¡¯t need to do everything.¡± Grace was puzzled. ¡®Why would he say that? Could it be because I fainted just now, so he¡¯s showing concern?¡® thought Grace. Brian reached the car door, opened the driver¡¯s seat, and told her, ¡°Be more careful in the future, don¡¯t cause trouble!¡± Grace watched him get into the car and speed away. Her heart chilled as she realized he only thought her fainting was causing trouble for him. She thought perhaps he abandoned Louise toe to the hospital, finding her a nuisance, disrupting his time with Louise. Her nose tingled, eyes heating up. She fought back the tears, forcing herself to look up at the sky, refusing to let the tears fall. Grace had been waiting by the roadside for a long time under the scorching afternoon sun, unable to find an empty taxi. Her head was spinning from the heat, her cheeks flushed. Finally spotting an empty cab, she waved frantically, but the vehicle stopped near a middle¨Caged woman not far away. The woman, about to get in, noticed Grace¡¯s pale lips and halted, saying, ¡°I¡¯ve seen you waiting here longer than me. You take this cab.¡± Grace couldn¡¯t resist any longer and gratefully replied, ¡°Thank you.¡± As the car moved away, a ck Bentley arrived at the hospital entrance. The driver nced around, furrowed his brows, and then dialed a number. ¡°Mr. Francis, I¡¯m at the hospital entrance, but I don¡¯t see Miss Sherman.¡± Brian paused briefly before his cold voice replied, ¡°If you don¡¯t see her, forget it. Juste back.¡± Dragging her exhausted body back home, Grace copsed onto her bed. Sleep eluded her, her mind filled with Brian¡¯s indifferent face and the words spoken at the hospital entrance. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Touching her t abdomen, she whispered, ¡°Baby, your dad doesn¡¯t like you, but Mommy will love you doubly.¡± In a daze, she dozed off, waking up when it was already dark outside. Feeling a bit hungry, she went downstairs to find something to eat. She barely took a few bites when she heard a noise outside the door. Momentster, Louise walked in, arm in arm with Brian. Both were exceptionally good¨Clooking, like characters from a fairy tale emitting an undeniable radiance. Watching them, Grace felt as if their brilliance was blinding her. Bitterness surged within her, and she abandoned her half¨Ceaten food, intending to go upstairs. But Louise suddenly called out, ¡°Grace!¡± She halted, slowly turning to face Louise. Standing next to Louise, Brian turned icy when he saw Grace as if silently warning her not to speak out of turn. ¡°Miss Adkins, do you need something?¡± Grace obediently yed her role as a servant. Louise smiled and approached, taking Grace¡¯s hand. Apologetic, she asked, ¡°How are you feeling? I heard you fainted. It worried me so much. I couldn¡¯t even eat. Now that I see you¡¯re okay, I feel relieved.¡± Grace felt ufortable as Louise held her hand, subtly withdrawing hers. ¡°Thank you for your concern. I¡¯m sorry to have worried you.¡± Louise noticed Grace¡¯s withdrawal and the situation, maintaining her gentle smile. ¡°I should be the one apologizing. If I had known you weren¡¯t well, I wouldn¡¯t have let you help me with theundry.¡± ¡°Louise, that¡¯s what she¡¯s supposed to do. No need to apologize.¡± Brian¡¯s deep voice suddenly cut in. He walked over to Louise, gently wrapping his arm around her waist, his affectionate gaze undisguised. Softly, he asked, ¡°You didn¡¯t have much for lunch. Are you hungry?¡± Louise nestled into his embrace, nodding slightly. ¡°A bit.¡± Brian shifted his gaze to Grace, his expression turning icy and indifferent again. ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear? Why aren¡¯t you hurrying to cook?¡± Grace¡¯s heart sank like a deep, heavy pond. She nodded slowly, turning to walk into the kitchen. Brian held Louise¡¯s hand and went upstairs. Standing in the kitchen, Grace was momentarily lost. She had forgotten to ask what Louise liked to eat. ncing at the ingredients in the fridge, she decided to make Brian¡¯s favorite beef stew. She intended to consider this cooking as something for Brian because she felt that in the uing three months, perhaps she wouldn¡¯t have another chance to cook for him. Melvin noticed Grace working alone in the kitchen and stepped in to help. ¡°Miss Sherman, let me help you.¡± Melvin kindly offered to help Grace with cooking. ¡°No need, Melvin. I can handle it myself.¡± Grace insisted on doing it herself. Even though Grace said so, Melvin still couldn¡¯t rest easy and insisted on wanting to help Grace. ¡°You fainted today. Don¡¯t strain yourself. Let me assist you.¡± Chapter 6 Melvin didn¡¯t waste any time grabbing the work from her hands. With Melvin¡¯s help, Grace quickly whipped up the beef stew. She didn¡¯t want to head upstairs and witness Brian and Louise being all lovey- dovey, so she sent Melvin up to let them know the food was ready. Brian led Louise downstairs by the hand into the dining room, where the aroma hit them. Louise sniffed around, picking up on the scent of peanut butter. Brian seated her and sweetly served her some food, but as Louise nced at her te, a glint of maliciousness shed in her eyes. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Don¡¯t like it?¡± Brian asked. Louise shook her head. ¡°Nope, Grace is a whiz in the kitchen. I smelled the goodness before I even got to the dining room.¡± She elegantly scooped up some beef from her te and brought it to her lips. ¡°Brian, do you like beef stew? I¡¯m not great at making it. Will you hold it against me?¡± She paused after taking a bite, looking at Brian with a hint of yfulness. ¡°Of course not! I love anything you cook. But let the help take care of these chores. I don¡¯t want you to be worn out,¡± Brian said, gazing at her affectionately. Louise giggled and lowered her gaze. Grace felt the scene painfully saddening, her heart racing. She turned and hurriedly made her way upstairs. After about fifteen minutes or so, the door suddenly burst open! Grace jumped, startled, only to find Brian storming in with an icy expression. He strode over, grabbed Grace by her cor, and pulled her outside. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Panic surged within Grace as she instinctively protected her stomach, utterly terrified. ¡°Seeing the mess you¡¯ve made!¡± Brian had never been this furious before, but Grace somehow sensed it had something to do with Louise. He dragged and tossed her in front of Louise, pointing at the table, demanding, ¡°Why did you put peanut butter in there? Don¡¯t you know many folks are allergic to peanuts?¡± Louisey half¨Cpropped on the couch, struggling, clutching her throat, with specks of red rashes appearing on her arms. ¡°I¨CI didn¡¯t know she was allergic to peanuts.¡± Brian red at Grace, seething with anger. ¡°You didn¡¯t know? First time cooking for her, and you didn¡¯t bother to ask about allergies? You think a simple ¡®didn¡¯t know¡® excuses you from responsibility?¡± Grace looked at his face, swallowing her bitterness, and apologized to Louise, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Brian, please don¡¯t make things hard for her. I didn¡¯t want to disappoint her efforts. She worked hard to prepare all this food, and I couldn¡¯t just say no. Besides, I saw you were pretty keen on it, so I went along. It¡¯s my fault, really,¡± Louise said. Brian¡¯s brow furrowed deeply as he went over and lifted her up. ¡°Why are you being so foolish? You¡¯re making it look like it¡¯s all your fault!¡± He held Louise close, his gaze darkening as it fell upon Grace¡¯s face, a look that could slice her to pieces. ¡°You better pray she¡¯s okay! Otherwise, you know what the consequences will be!¡± Grace understood what he meant. If anything happened to Louise because of this, Brian would terminate the contract at once, and Grace wouldn¡¯t see a cent. Her heart sank, and she muttered, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll remember Miss Adkins¡® likes and dislikes from now on.¡± Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Nestled in his embrace, Louise tugged at his clothes and softly pleaded for Grace. ¡°Brian, please don¡¯t be so harsh on her. I feel awful.¡± Brian lowered his head and gently assured her, ¡°I¡¯ll take you to the hospital right away.¡± Grace watched his retreating figure in a daze. His attitude toward her and Louise couldn¡¯t have been more different, and that reality stabbed deep into Grace¡¯s heart. Soon after, her phone received a text message. [Don¡¯t even think about harming her, or you¡¯ll suffer a painful fate!] Reading those words felt like daggers piercing her heart. She didn¡¯t expect Brian to suspect her of deliberately poisoning Louise. She couldn¡¯tprehend why Brian held such a negative opinion of her, seeing her as cunning and deceitful. Feeling lost, she turned and headed upstairs. Seeing her state, Melvin became concerned and brought her a cup of warm milk. In a muffled voice, she said, ¡°Melvin, please set the milk down and go rest. I¡¯ll drink itter.¡± Melvin hesitated beforeforting her, ¡°Miss Sherman, are you still upset about what just happened? I know you didn¡¯t mean any harm.¡± Grace nced at him and forced herself to put on a smile, but it was a smile so bleak at that moment, looking more dismal than a crying face. ¡°I¡¯m not upset. I¡¯m living well here. What¡¯s there to be upset about?¡± ¡°Well, please drink the milk while it¡¯s warm. It¡¯ll get cold soon, and your health hasn¡¯t been greattely.¡± Grace nodded and took a big gulp of the warm milk. Its strong odor churned her stomach, and after drinking it, she felt a violent upheaval within. She covered her mouth and nose, rushing to the bathroom, retching uncontrobly into the sink. Seeing her in such a state, Melvin rushed over anxiously, asking, ¡°Miss Sherman, are you okay? Is it a stomach issue? I¡¯ll call a doctor right away!¡± ¡°No need! I got checked at the hospital today. The doctor said my stomach acid is a bit hightely, but with care, it¡¯ll get better.¡± Grace hurriedly grabbed his sleeve, stopping him from calling the doctor. Melvin, seeing her pale face, felt unsure of what to do. After hesitating for a moment, he nodded slowly and said, ¡°Then please rest well.¡± Returning to his room, Melvin pondered recent events in the house, feeling a pang of sadness for Grace. Even though he had no right to meddle in his employer Brian¡¯s personal affairs, having spent years with Grace, he could sense her unwavering dedication to Mr. Brian. Melvin couldn¡¯t fathom why Brian never seemed to notice this kind¨Cheartedness in Grace. After much thought, Melvin couldn¡¯t resist and dialed Brian¡¯s number from the living room. ¡°Mr. Brian, Miss Sherman seems really unwell. She just vomited again, and she barely ate anything tonight.¡± A cold snort echoed through the receiver, followed by Brian¡¯s low voice. ¡°She¡¯s ying this sympathy- seeking act again, Melvin. Don¡¯t let her fool you. Don¡¯t call me for this kind of thing again unless she¡¯s dead.¡± With that, he abruptly hung up, leaving Melvin only to hear the dial tone. Melvin froze, staring at the phone in his hand, sighing deeply. Meanwhile, on Brian¡¯s end, after hanging up, he instantly softened his grim expression from the call. He looked tenderly at Louise, who was getting an IV, and asked with concern, ¡°How are you feeling now? Any better?¡± ¡°Was it Melvin who called? Is Grace sick again?¡± Louise bit her lip. Sorry He gently pulled her into his arms, feeling sorry for her. ¡°You¡¯re still worrying about her now! Okay, let¡¯s not talk about her anymore.¡± Louise rested her chin on his shoulder, a malicious smirk on her lips as she softly said, ¡°Okay, I won¡¯t ous smirk on her lips as she softly said, ¡°Okay, I won¡¯t mention h¨¦r.¡± After a while, he released her and spoke gently, ¡°We haven¡¯t eaten much tonight. I¡¯ll go get you something to eat.¡± Chapter 7 Louise had finished her drip, and it was already past three in the morning. She had fallen asleep. Brian did not wake her up and managed to rest on another bed for the night. By six in the morning, Louise woke up. Brian, unable to sleep well in the hospital, decided to take her back to the vi carly. Grace hadn¡¯t slept well either, gued by dreams of Brian¡¯s cold warnings. As Brian¡¯s car approached the vi, she woke up. Unsure of what to do upon waking, she aimlessly got out of bed, slipped on her slippers, and walked out of her room. Standing on the second¨Cfloor corridor, she saw a tender moment between Brian and Louise as they entered from outside. Louise seemed fine, with rosy cheeks, holding Brian¡¯s hand, and they strolled into the living room with laughter. Catching the sight of Grace from the corner of her eye, Louise suddenly stumbled and cried out, ¡°Oops! Brian, my foot!¡± ¡°What happened to your foot?¡± Brian anxiously crouched to check on her. ¡°I twisted it just now, and my ankle feels numb.¡± Louise stood on one leg, looking pained, and stared at Brian. ¡°Why are you so careless? Acting so recklessly like a child.¡± Although Brian seemed to be scolding Louise, his voice was filled with love. Hearing his words made Grace¡¯s heart ache. ¡°I want to lie down for a bit. I didn¡¯t sleep at allst night,¡± Louise cooed, clinging to his neck. ¡°I¡¯ll carry you up,¡± he said, lifting her effortlessly and heading upstairs, leaving Grace petrified in her spot. As Brian ascended the stairs, seeing Grace in disarray, still in her nightclothes with tousled hair, he paused briefly. ¡°Well, up so early to check if Louise survived your cooking?¡± His words cut into Grace¡¯s heart. She stared at Brian like he was a stranger. His gaze was cold, and he walked past her, carrying Louise straight into the guest room. Only then did Grace turn slowly and mechanically head back to her own room. Brian settled Louise onto the bed and spoke softly, ¡°Get some more rest.¡± ???????? ???? ¡°Brian, wait.¡± Louise hastily grabbed his hand. ¡°What is it?¡± Louise bit her lip, appearing hesitant to speak. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Just tell me.¡± Brian sat at the edge of the bed. She hesitated and spoke. ¡°Promise not to be mad at me. I¡¯m just sharing my feelings.¡± Brian furrowed his brow, smiling faintly. ¡°Of course not.¡± Louise had finished her drip, and it was already past three in the morning. She had fallen asleep. Brian did not wake her up and managed to rest on another bed for the night. By six in the morning, Louise woke up. Brian, unable to sleep well in the hospital, decided to take her back to the vi early. Grace hadn¡¯t slept well either, gued by dreams of Brian¡¯s cold warnings. As Brian¡¯s car approached the vi, she woke up. Unsure of what to do upon waking, she aimlessly got out of bed, slipped on her slippers, and walked out of her room. Standing on the second¨Cfloor corridor, she saw a tender moment between Brian and Louise as they entered from outside. Louise seemed fine, with rosy cheeks, holding Brian¡¯s hand, and they strolled into the living room with laughter. Catching the sight of Grace from the corner of her eye, Louise suddenly stumbled and cried out, ¡°Oops! Brian, my foot!¡± ¡°What happened to your foot?¡± Brian anxiously crouched to check on her. ¡°I twisted it just now, and my ankle feels numb.¡± Louise stood on one leg, looking pained, and stared at Brian. ¡°Why are you so careless? Acting so recklessly like a child.¡± Although Brian seemed to be scolding Louise, his voice was filled with love. Hearing his words made Grace¡¯s heart ache. ¡°I want to lie down for a bit. I didn¡¯t sleep at allst night,¡± Louise cooed, clinging to his neck. ¡°I¡¯ll carry you up,¡± he said, lifting her effortlessly and heading upstairs, leaving Grace petrified in her spot. As Brian ascended the stairs, seeing Grace in disarray, still in her nightclothes with tousled hair, he paused briefly. ¡°Well, up so early to check if Louise survived your cooking?¡± His words cut into Grace¡¯s heart. She stared at Brian like he was a stranger. His gaze was cold, and he walked past her, carrying Louise straight into the guest room. Only then did Grace turn slowly and mechanically head back to her own room. Brian settled Louise onto the bed and spoke softly, ¡°Get some more rest.¡± ¡°Brian, wait.¡± Louise hastily grabbed his hand. ¡°What is it?¡± Louise bit her lip, appearing hesitant to speak. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Just tell me.¡± Brian sat at the edge of the bed. She hesitated and spoke. ¡°Promise not to be mad at me. I¡¯m just sharing my feelings.¡± Brian furrowed his brow, smiling faintly. ¡°Of course not.¡± She cautiously asked, ¡°Does Grace like you?¡± Brian¡¯s expression tightened with confusion. ¡°Why do you ask?¡± ¡°Just a woman¡¯s intuition. Look, all the staff lives on the first floor in the servants¡® quarters, but Grace lives on the second floor¡­¡± She rushed to exin. ¡°I¡¯m not saying she shouldn¡¯t live there. I mean, perhaps Grace might think you ced her on the second floor as a special favor. Some girls easily develop feelings for someone who treats them differently. Maybe she¡¯s secretly infatuated with you.¡± Brian¡¯s brow furrowed deeper, but he remained silent. Louise surreptitiously clenched her fist and continued, ¡°Brian, why does she live on the second floor? What makes her different from the other staff?¡± ¡°You¡¯re overthinking it. There¡¯s nothing different. She stays on the second floor because she had a tough upbringing and a difficult childhood. I just felt sorry for her.¡± Brian casually looked at Louise, maintaining aposed demeanor. ¡°Is that so? What do you think of her as a person?¡± Louise inquired. Brian paused for a couple of seconds. He recalled the past two years, Grace¡¯s daily cooking for him, being the first to greet him when he returned from work, and helping him with his tie and shoes. She always yed the role of a devoted wife. If he had to say what kind of person Grace was, he couldn¡¯t find any faults in her. Yet, there was one thing that bothered him greatly. He believed she shouldn¡¯t have feelings for him, shouldn¡¯t harbor the delusion that he could ever love her back. He scoffed lightly. ¡°Not great. Can¡¯t do anything right, even managed to make you allergic to her cooking.¡± ¡°Why not just terminate her contract then?¡± Brian paused, his expression indifferent. ¡°The contract still has three months left. Terminating it now would meanpensating her for three months¡® sry. I don¡¯t want to give her extra money. She doesn¡¯t deserve it.¡± He seemed as if he did not want to discuss Grace further and asked, ¡°Why have you been so concerned about hertely?¡± Louise smiled. ¡°Oh, nothing. I just found it peculiar.¡± ¡°What¡¯s peculiar?¡± C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. ¡°Brian, I¡¯m not trying to interfere in your affairs. I just find it irregr. After all, all the staff in our house live in the servant quarters without exception.¡± After finishing speaking, she pretended to fix her hair nonchntly. ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯ll have her move to the first floor.¡± Brian stood up and went to find Grace. Grace was already downstairs, dressed and preparing soup in the kitchen. ¡°Starting today, you¡¯ll move to the servants¡® quarters on the first floor. I¡¯ll have Melvin arrange a room for you,¡± Brian announced. Hearing this, thedle in Grace¡¯s hand ttered to the ground, shattering into pieces. She turned around, looking at him, her face pale, as if she couldn¡¯t believe what she had just heard. Her eyes seemed to crack slowly. Her nose tingled, her eyes moistened, and her tears on the brink of falling, but she didn¡¯t want to cry in front of Brian. She fought hard to hold back her tears, forcing them to retreat. Her appearance made Brian¡¯s heart tremble harshly. They stood 10 feet apart, staring at each other for what felt like an eternity. Brian involuntarily cleared his throat, then asked coldly, ¡°Didn¡¯t understand? Do I need to repeat myself?¡± Grace smiled, crouched down to pick up the shattered fragments, and tears fell as she lowered her head. ¡°No need, I¡¯ll move in a while,¡± she said calmly. Brian clenched his fists tightly, his gaze fixed on her. He seemed to be deliberately avoiding some indescribable emotions surging within. He nced away, noticing the soup on the stove. ¡°Is the soup ready? Once it¡¯s done, I¡¯ll serve it to Louise.¡± Grace sharply inhaled. ¡°Ah!¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Brian asked instinctively. ¡°Nothing.¡± Grace quickly concealed her injured fingers in her palm, tossed thest few shards into the trash, and then hastily fled upstairs as if fleeing a scene. In the corner of the second floor, Louise quickly darted back into her room. Brian clenched his teeth, mechanically scooped a bowl of soup, and brought it upstairs. ¡°Here, the soup is ready. Have some breakfast before going back to sleep,¡± Brian said. Louise looked at him with a happy expression, gently saying, ¡°Thank you, Brian. Can you feed me?¡± Brian nodded, scooped a spoonful of porridge, and fed it to her. His ears, however, involuntarily tuned into themotion from the room across the hall. ¡°Brian, let¡¯s go try on wedding dresses tomorrow, okay? Brian?¡± Louise asked. She looked up at him, but he seemed not to have heard, mechanically repeating the action of feeding her porridge. Chapter 8 When Louise called his name the third time, Brian finally snapped out of it. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± he asked. Louise¡¯s eyes darkened slightly as she smiled. ¡°Nothing, what were you thinking about? Work stuff?¡± Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. Brian absentmindedly nodded and softly said, ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°I mentioned earlier, let¡¯s go take wedding photos tomorrow, okay?¡± Brian hadn¡¯t really been thinking. He just nodded again. ¡°Sure.¡± Louise quietly resumed eating her soup, not saying another word. Grace didn¡¯t have much luggage, and her clothes were minimal. In less than half an hour, she had packed all her belongings. Carrying the cumbersome suitcase, she carefully guarded her stomach as she descended the stairs. Seeing her, Melvin immediately rushed to help. ¡°Miss Sherman, let me help you.¡± Grace gave a bitter smile. ¡°Melvin, don¡¯t address me like that anymore. From today onwards, I¡¯m living and dining with the staff. I¡¯m just a maid in this house, so just call me Grace.¡± Melvin couldn¡¯t bear to look at her, sighed deeply, and ultimately said nothing. He took the suitcase and headed for the servants¡® quarters. ¡°Miss Sherman, the servants¡® quarters are all shared rooms. There¡¯s still one room unupied. It might be more spacious for you to have it all to yourself.¡± Grace nodded. ¡°Thank you, Melvin.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to thank me. Those of us who¡¯ve served many households consider you the best employer we¡¯ve ever had. You never put on airs in front of us and often help with our chores. It¡¯s heartbreaking to see how Mr. Francis is treating you now.¡± Grace brushed it off with a smile. ¡°I¡¯m fine, Melvin. Could you help me move another box?¡± It wasn¡¯t that she was toozy to move the box herself. She just didn¡¯t want to go outside her room again. Running into Brian and Louise was too painful for her. On the second day, Grace was still in the kitchen making breakfast. Suddenly, a graceful figure walked in, reaching out warmly to grab her arm, asking, ¡°Hey, Grace, what¡¯s cooking for breakfast today?¡± Grace stiffened a bit, her voice calm as she replied, ¡°Just sandwiches.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll help you,¡± Louise said, rolling up her sleeves to pitch in. Louise toasted bread in the oven and turned to Grace, saying, ¡°Brian and I are going to try on wedding dresses today. Want toe along?¡± Grace paused her egg frying. On the other side, Brian, in his sharp suit, leaned against the door. Grace¡¯s back turned to him. He couldn¡¯t see her expression but could tell she¡¯d tensed up. Suddenly, a sh from yesterday crossed his mind when he¡¯d asked her to move to the servant¡¯s room. Her defiance was etched on her face, making his heart skip a beat. He wondered if Grace, used to the soft bed, had a tough time sleeping in the maid¡¯s roomst night. Seeing her lost and distant now, he thought, even taking her to the gown store wouldn¡¯t change a thing. In that instant, he thought he¡¯d let her off if she refused to go. But after waiting a while, she hadn¡¯t reacted. ¡°Grace? Want to join us, huh?¡± ¡°What can she do by going? There¡¯s so much housework left. She can stay back to clean,¡± Brian suddenly spoke up. Grace didn¡¯t want to turn and look at him, focusing solely on her task. ¡°Brian, Melvin can manage the chores. Grace isn¡¯t well. She needs some rest. Let here with us. A little outing might do her good, don¡¯t you think?¡± Louise¡¯s suggestion seemed reasonable and considerate to anyone listening as if she genuinely cared about Grace. Grace turned slowly, carrying a te of sandwiches to the dining area, seemingly unconcerned about their conversation. She didn¡¯t even nce at Brian. Brian¡¯s gaze followed her,nding on the Band¨CAid wrapped around her finger. He figured it must¡¯ve been from yesterday when she picked up the broken pieces. She¡¯d hidden her finger then, and today, she seemed the same, leading him to think she might be upset and deliberately going against him. It was the first time Gracepletely ignored him. For some reason, this started irking him. Watching Grace go in and out,pletely ignoring him, made his frustration surge like a growing me. ¡°Fine, let¡¯s go with that,¡± he said finally. Grace finally reacted, looking at him with empty eyes devoid of any emotion. Brian felt a tightness in his chest. She¡¯d never looked at him like that before. Grace ced thest two cups of milk on the table and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go change,¡± before turning away and leaving. Louise watched Grace¡¯s back, biting her lip before turning to Brian. ¡°Brian, was it because we asked Grace to move downstairs yesterday that she¡¯s feeling a bit off? She hasn¡¯t said a word to us this morning.¡± Brian picked up a sandwich, his voice low. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about her.¡± After finishing breakfast, they headed to the gown store. Grace sat alone in the back seat while Louise sat beside Brian, chatting away intimately. Grace stared out the window, her gaze empty, as if she¡¯d lost her soul, merely a puppet. Upon arrival, Grace followed behind the couple into the gown store. Louise was in high spirits, her face radiant with happiness. The store manager personally tended to her, rmending the two most expensive wedding dresses. Louise, holding the gowns, turned to Grace. ¡°Grace, help me try these on, will you?¡± Grace silently stood up from her chair and followed her into the fitting room. ¡°Grace, are you feeling down today? You haven¡¯t said a word.¡± Louise observed Grace¡¯s reflection in the mirror. Grace focused on arranging the wedding dress in her hands and replied softly, ¡°No, Miss Adkins, you¡¯re overthinking it.¡± Louise seemed unfazed by Grace¡¯s indifference, continuing to smile warmly. ¡°That¡¯s good to hear. You Know, I don¡¯t have many friends here. I worry I won¡¯t have anyone to be my bridesmaid when Brian and I get married.¡± ¡°Why would that happen? With your charm, you must have many friends. There¡¯ll surely be no shortage of people willing to be the bridesmaid for Mr. Brian and Miss Adkins.¡± Each word Grace uttered seemed to inflict immense pain on her heart. After speaking a few more, she felt her heart growing numb with agony. ¡°I¡¯m not lying to you. Oh! How about you be our bridesmaid?¡± Grace¡¯s hand trembled suddenly. ¡°Ah! It hurts!¡± Louise cried. In her sudden shock, Grace found the zipper caught on the flesh of Louise¡¯s back. ¡°Sorry,¡± Grace apologized instinctively. The door was abruptly pushed open the next moment. Brian asked anxiously, ¡°What happened?¡± Louise, in tears from the pain, said, ¡°Brian, is my back bleeding? Please check!¡± Furrowing his brow, Brian turned to Grace. ¡°What are you up to now?¡± Louise stopped Brian from scolding Grace and quickly stepped in, trying to help out. She acted really nice, like the kindest person anyone could ever meet. ¡°No, don¡¯t me her. She probably didn¡¯t mean it.¡± Grace lowered her head heavily, apologizing. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s all my fault.¡± Brian gave her a cold nce and then carefully unzipped the dress. ¡°Is it still hurting? Let me massage it for you.¡± Chapter 9 Louise checked herself in the mirror, then nced at her back. She let out a sigh of relief when she saw no blood. ¡°It¡¯s okay, no bleeding,¡± she said softly. Brian, looking really grim, was angry at Grace. ¡°You can¡¯t even handle this small thing. What else can you do?¡± he said fiercely. ¡°Brian, I said it¡¯s okay, please leave!¡± Louise pushed him out of the dressing room. ¡°Thanks. I¡¯m really not good at this. Maybe let the shop assistant help you,¡± Grace said awkwardly, looking at Louise. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s not a big deal. I¡¯m not mad. Honestly, I¡¯d really like to be friends with you. Would you be my bridesmaid?¡± Louise held onto her, smiling openly. Louise¡¯s eyes were earnest, making it seem like she truly wanted Grace as her bridesmaid. Grace felt a stabbing pain in her heart, nced away, and said softly, ¡°Let¡¯s talk about itter.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Louise replied, a hint of disappointment in her eyes. After changing into the wedding dress, Louise stepped out, blushing, and asked Brian, ¡°Do I look good?¡± Brian stood up and walked over, gently holding her shoulder. ¡°You look great in anything,¡± he said tenderly, turning her towards the full¨Clength mirror, lifting a few stray strands from her neck and shoulder. Suddenly, he noticed Grace¡¯s slender figure in the mirror. He paused for a couple of seconds and then looked away. They were so busy with the uing photo shoot that they barely had time for lunch. Louise ordered takeout after picking out the dresses. Grace was starving after a busy morning, but the smell of fried food made her ufortable. Coincidentally, Louise insisted on sharing two chicken legs with her. Grace wanted to decline, but Louise was adamant. Grace thought if she didn¡¯t eat now, she might pass out in the afternoon. So she gritted her teeth and ate the two chicken legs despite the difort in her stomach. Their chosen spot for the photoshoot was avender field in the suburbs. Couples and good¨Clooking people flocked to this ce, yet Brian and Louise stood out as the most eye¨Ccatching pair among them all. Grace sat in the least noticeable corner, watching Brian and Louise pose for the camera with sweet smiles, just like a prince and princess from a fairytale. She couldn¡¯t help but feel the irony. Brian, her husband, was now taking photos with another woman, while she, his true wife, could only sit by, observing their affectionate photo session. Adding to that, Grace might end up being Louise¡¯s bridesmaid in the future, which made the situation even more ironic in her eyes. As she dwelled on these thoughts, images of the two of them walking into a church shed in her mind. Grace¡¯s nose stung with bitterness, but she hurriedly pushed those thoughts away. Fortunately, she didn¡¯t have much time to overthink. Soon, a camera assistant rushed over, saying, ¡°Hey, could you help us? Our lighting technician had an emergency and had to leave. Can you lend a hand with the lighting?¡± Grace looked over, noticing Brian half¨Csquinting at her. Seeing his gaze, Grace felt she had no right to refuse. Though reluctant, she had no choice but to reluctantly stand up and join Brian and Louise, holding up the lighting board. Under the scorching sun, Grace¡¯s sweat trickled down her forehead, identally seeping into her eyes, making it hard for her to keep them open. Due to her pregnancy, she had been going makeup¨Cfree lately. She hadn¡¯t even applied sunscreen when she left, and within half an hour, her face had turned bright red from the sun. Brian¡¯s peripheral vision caught Grace¡¯s condition, and he furrowed his brows slightly. The photographer couldn¡¯t resist giving instructions. ¡°Sir, please keep smiling and avoid furrowing your brow.¡± Brian masked his subtle facial changes, but after a while, he couldn¡¯t help but nce towards another direction involuntarily. Unsure if it was his imagination, he felt as if Grace might copse at any moment. The photographer repeatedly tried to get him to focus on the camera, but Brian became increasingly distracted. Suddenly, his peripheral vision caught Grace¡¯s frail body swaying, and the lighting board slipped from her hands. He furrowed his brow, immediately wrapping his arm around Grace¡¯s waist, instinctively calling out, ¡°Grace!¡± Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. She copsed into his arms, having lost consciousness. Louise¡¯s eyes flickered with a momentary cruel gleam, then she anxiously asked, ¡°What happened to her?¡± ¡°To the hospital,¡± Brian replied, scooping her up and heading swiftly out of thevender field. Louise nced at the props in her hands, her expression turning grim, before hastily following them. Without much thought, Brian carried her ahead, opened the passenger seat, and settled her in, fastening the seatbelt securely. ¡°Brian, let her sit in the back. I¡¯ll sit with her so I can take care of her,¡± Louise suggested, squinting as she watched his movements. Brian frowned deeply, hesitating momentarily before saying, ¡°Okay.¡± The car sped away. This was the suburbs, and it would take at least half an hour to reach the hospital. Brian himself hadn¡¯t noticed how fast he was driving. Louise clenched her fists in silence. At that moment, she understood that Brian must deeply care about Grace. If Grace were insignificant to Brian, he wouldn¡¯t be so anxious right now. Realizing this, Louise gazed at Grace beside her, her expression difficult toprehend. After about twenty minutes, Grace slowly regained consciousness. ¡°Are you awake?¡± As Grace opened her eyes, she saw Louise¡¯s perfectly made¨Cup face. Grace slowly sat up and looked out the ) window. ¡°Where are we going? Are we going back?¡± ¡°You passed out. We¡¯re taking you to the hospital.¡± Upon hearing the word ¡°hospital,¡± Grace felt a thunderous crash in her ears, bing visibly flustered. She hastily sat up and shouted, ¡°I¡¯m not going to the hospital! Brian, I won¡¯t go to the hospital!¡± Louise¡¯s eyes dimmed upon hearing Grace¡¯s words. She couldn¡¯t believe an ordinary maid would directly call her employer by his first name, so she sensed something special between Grace and Brian. Brian looked at Grace through the rearview mirror. Her cheeks were still red, but her lipscked color. Annoyed, he said, ¡°You¡¯re so sick, and you won¡¯t even go to the hospital? How do you n on working if you don¡¯t take care of yourself?¡± Grace was getting anxious. They should be close to the hospital by now. If they took her there and discovered she was pregnant, it would be disastrous. ¡°I know my own body! The doctor saidst time it was just low blood sugar! I¡¯m awake now. Please just take me back!¡± Brian remained silent but gripped the steering wheel tightly. He didn¡¯t know why he was so upset, pressing the gas pedal even harder. ¡°Are you taking me back or not?¡± Grace was getting desperate, her hand on the door lock, trying to open it. ¡°Grace, what are you doing? Are you trying to jump out? Are you trying to get yourself killed?¡± Louise, nervous, grabbed her arm. Suddenly, Brian roared. ¡°Grace! What tricks are you trying to pull?¡± Chapter 10 "Mr. Brian, I''m just a maid. You don''t need to take me to the hospital." Grace took a deep breath. Brian gritted his teeth but eventually turned the steering wheel at the next intersection, heading towards the vi. Grace breathed a sigh of relief and locked the car door. Once at the vi, Grace walked straight into the maid''s room, taking out folic acid, calcium pills, and blood-boosting supplements, one after the other, swallowing them. Brian nced toward the maid''s room, a sense of irritation building in his chest. At that moment, Louise spoke to him, "Brian, all my clothes and bags are still at the shooting location. Can you go get them for me?" Brian looked at her, his expression softening, and nodded slightly. "Sure." Louise walked him to the door, her tone gentle. "Drive safely." Watching him drive away, she returned to her room, changed her clothes, and went to the yard to find Melvin. Melvin was busy fixing the bushes in the yard. "Hello, Melvin." She smiled, walking over and picking up a watering can to help with the nts. Melvin respectfully nodded. "Miss Adkins." With a friendly smile, Louise asked while helping, "Melvin, how many years have you been working here?" "Miss Adkins, I''ve been working here for six years," Melvin replied respectfully. Louise nodded. "So, you and Grace have been here the longest, right?"Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. Melvin didn''t answer immediately, turning to look at her before saying, "She''s been here for more than two years." "She must be doing a good job here, right? I see Brian treats her well. Has she always lived on the second floor?" Louise inquired. Melvin''s deep pupils slightly narrowed, smiling as he looked at her. His tone remained respectful, but it seemed like he deliberately kept a distance. "Miss Adkins, the maids here just need to do their job. Whether it''s good or not doesn''t matter. Mr. Brian treats all of us the same." Looking at Louise, he then added, "Miss Adkins, you shouldn''t wear yourself out. Leave these chores to us. You can take a rest." Louise discreetly pressed her lips together. She understood that continuing the conversation with Melvin wouldn''t yield much, so she smiled and handed him the watering can. As the night wore on, no one disturbed Grace. It made her quite happy. Nestled in bed, she scrolled through her phone, browsing pregnancy knowledge. She didn''t appreciate Louise''s interruptions. Although Louise meant well, it always made her uneasy. She preferred being alone, doing the heavy and rough work around the house. Came dinnertime, she dozed off in a daze. When Melvin came to call her, seeing her asleep, he refrained from disturbing her. After a while. hunger stirred Grace from her slumber. Ever since she got pregnant, she''d be ravenous quickly. In the early stages, the baby inside her consumed nutrients madly. Coupled with having only two chicken legs for lunch, she felt incredibly famished, dizzy even just walking. She didn''t ch*ck the time, unaware of howte it was. Walking into the living room, she found it dark. Fumbling her way to the kitchen for food, she identally kicked something in the hallway. Her toe collided with a table leg, causing her to gasp in pain. Suddenly, the corridor light flicked on. Grace turned and met Brian''s intense gaze. He descended the stairs slowly, and Grace averted her eyes, heading straight for the kitchen. She was starving. She needed to eat right away. Leaning against the door frame, Brian observed her as she grabbed the leftover sandwich from the morning, eating it rather ungracefully. A twitch formed at the corner of Brian''s mouth. Swallowing a bite of the sandwich, Grace finally felt more alive. She looked at Brian, gesturing with the sandwich in her hand. "Mr. Brian, did youe to the kitchen for food, too? Hungry?" "Why didn''t you eat dinner earlier? It''s midnight, and here you are, scavenging for food. Someone might think I''m mistreating you." Brian''s eyes narrowed, a cold snort escaping him. Grace pulled out a bowl of leftovers from the fridge, grabbed a fork, and replied, "I''ve never heard of a maid getting mistreated by their employers. Even if a maid somewhere is mistreated, folks at your level wouldn''t hear about it. So, your concern is unnecessary." Brian''s gaze shed. Grace had been dropping the term "maid¡± all day in front of him. For some reason, it irked him. They were alone in the kitchen, and he couldn''t understand why she kept ying the role of a maid. He couldn''t help but suspect she had gotten used to that identity. He sarcastically chuckled. "Seems like you enjoy being a maid. Well, y the part well!" "I will." Grace chewed on her food, but the dishes felt tasteless. He stared at her momentarily, then strode over and snatched the dishes, popping them into the microwave. "If you''re ying the maid, take care of yourself. You need energy to work. Not eating properly, passing out every other day. Acting like this won''t earn you sympathy. It''ll just make folks dislike you more." "Thanks, got it," Grace said, lips pressed tight, watching the microwave buzz to life. Brian lingered, eyeing her a bit longer. He noticed the redness on her neck, the aftermath of a sunburn that''d probably peel in a couple of days. "Did you take your meds today?" "Yeah," Grace replied, looking at him. She found it odd that Brian was asking. She almost suspected he was concerned about her by the way he spoke. Under her gaze, Brian suddenly scoffed, his tone mocking. "Grace, were you trying to sabotage my wedding shoot with Louise earlier?" At that moment, Grace felt stupid for thinking he cared about her. She should''ve known better. He couldn''t possibly care. Whatever she did, even if she fell ill, he''d suspect an ulterior motive. She didn''t bother exining. He wouldn''t listen anyway. "If that''s how you see it, sure." Grace shrugged. Brian paused, her response catching him off guard. Ignoring him, she grabbed the food from the microwave and continued eating. Suddenly, for no apparent reason, Brian felt a surge of anger. He clenched his teeth, held it in, and finally warned in a low voice, "You better not y these fainting tricks again!" With that, he stormed off. Grace ate mechanically, then retreated to her room after finishing her meal. When Grace woke up the next day, Brian and Louise were already gone from the mansion. This made her feel incredibly happy, to the point where she felt the air around her had turned fresher. Finally, she wouldn''t have to witness Brian and Louise''s lovey-dovey scenes or deal with Louise''s constant pestering anymore. During a meal, Melvin approached and left a card on the table. "Miss Sherman, this is a card from Mr. Brian. He wants you to go to the hospital for a full b*dy checkup." Grace furrowed her brow, suddenly losing her appetite. She hadn''t expected Brian to actually want her to go for a medical checkup at the hospital. "I don''t want to go, and I don''t need the money either." "Miss Sherman, your health has been pretty badtely. It''s best you go for the checkup for your own peace of mind," Melvin persuaded. Grace sighed and stared at the card for a while. If she refused to go, it would raise suspicions with Brian. Plus, nob*dy ever went against Brian''s decisions. After a moment''s thought, she reluctantly took the card. Grace hailed a cab and went to the hospital she had visited before, seeking out the doctor. However, the female doctor was from the outpatient department, not the checkup section. She looked troubled as Grace made her request. "I know you have reasons to keep your pregnancy secret, but the checkup and outpatient departments are different. This puts me in a difficult position." Chapter 11 ¡°Doctor, if the medical report indicates I¡¯m pregnant, my child won¡¯t survive,¡± Grace clenched her lips, pleading. The female doctor looked at her with pity. ¡°Is it really that serious?¡± Bitterness filled Grace¡¯s voice. ¡°The man who imed to be my friend that day, he¡¯s actually my husband.¡± The doctor¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. ¡°You¡¯ve witnessed how he treated me before. We¡¯re divorcing in three months. He¡¯s about to marry someone else. In his mind, I¡¯m a stain he doesn¡¯t want to acknowledge. He won¡¯t let me keep this child.¡± Listening to this, the doctor sighed deeply, then looked at Grace seriously, ¡°If he¡¯s divorcing you, why keep the child? Do you want to raise the child alone? This is your first pregnancy. Your uterus is fine. You could choose not to keep the child and start a new life after leaving him.¡± ¡°No, our marriage is merely a contract. It was wrong of me to fall for him. I can¡¯t bring myself to get rid of this child. Even if life gets tougher, I¡¯ll keep this child.¡± Grace shook her head. The doctor sighed deeply. ¡°Why are you so foolish? Since you insist on having the child, I won¡¯t say more. I promise you, I¡¯ll do my best to cover for you with the people in the checkup department.¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± After the checkup, Grace took a cab back home. Before long, she received a call from Brian. ¡°How was the checkup?¡± ¡°Same asst time, low blood sugar,¡± Grace said casually over the phone. ¡°Are you sure there are no other issues?¡± Brian seemed skeptical, probing again. ¡°I¡¯ll send the medical report to you.¡± Grace threw out the statement and hung up on him. Brian nced at his ck¨Cscreened phone, furrowing his brow. He hadn¡¯t expected Grace to dare hang up on him. A short whileter, his phone received a file. Brian opened it, and the report did indeed mention minor issues like low blood sugar and anemia. He seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, put down the phone, and massaged his forehead. These days, Louise had been busy preparing for the wedding. Whenever she was at home, she would pull Grace into helping her with various wedding matters, even kindly inviting Grace to have meals with her in the dining room. Today, Brian had gone to the office early for a meeting, leaving only Louise and Grace at the dining table during mealtime. Louise suddenly asked, ¡°Grace, how¡¯s your recovery going?¡± Grace first responded with a vague ¡°Hmm,¡± then answered, ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. ¡°Then how about you apany me to check out some houses?¡± Louise suggested, ¡°Brian and I are nning to buy a new house, but I¡¯m unfamiliar with Mantos and have no idea about the good locations. You must be more acquainted, soe with me!¡± After saying this, she looked at Grace with anticipation. Thinking about the two of them getting married and moving into a new house together, Grace felt a pang of pain in her heart. The idea of being involved in all aspects of their wedding ns for the next three months made her even more upset. It felt like torture for her. Grace sipped her soup absentmindedly and murmured, ¡°Since it¡¯s your house, I think it would be more suitable for you to go with Mr. Brian. He¡¯s from Mantos and knows the ce well.¡± ¡°But he¡¯s always busy with hispany. How would he know about these things? Besides, the type of layout he likes might be different from mine. We¡¯re both girls, our tastes are more simr, and I really want to hear your opinions. Come with me, okay?¡± Louise pleaded, her eyes sparkling and her voice charming, making it hard for anyone to refuse. Seeing Grace still hesitant, Louise continued, ¡°Are you worried that Brian won¡¯t agree?¡± Before Grace could deny it, Louise went on, ¡°How about I give Brian a call and let him know.¡± Feeling a sinking sensation in her heart, Grace stopped her. ¡°No need, I¡¯ll go with you.¡± Grace was afraid that if Louise called Brian, he would think Grace was intentionally not following Louise¡¯s orders and might get angry. As they stepped outside, Louise linked arms with Grace, presenting an image of two best friends. Grace hadn¡¯t expected house hunting to be such a tiring task, especially since Louise was unfamiliar with Mantos¡® real estate. They visited various houses, sometimes traveling from the west side to the east and then from the east to the south. They explored all the high¨Cend properties in Mantos. During this time, Louise would ask Grace to buy things for her if she got thirsty or hungry. Louise would sit in the sales office, listening to the property consultants, while Grace, sometimes under the scorching sun, struggled to bring back the iced coffee Louise wanted. By the time Grace returned, Louise had already finished viewing the house and calcting the price, ready to leave. After a full day of this, Grace was nearly exhausted. Fortunately, at 4:30 in the afternoon, Louise finally found a detached vi located by the Flora River. After buying it, they could move in immediately. Due to her pregnancy, Grace¡¯s legs began to swell after walking too much. She wanted to sit down, but the house had no furniture yet, and there was no ce to sit. She had to squat against the wall to relieve the pressure on her legs. Louise seemed satisfied with the vi and called Brian toe over. The location was not far from Brian¡¯spany, and he quickly arrived by car. Seeing Grace squatting on the ground, his brow slightly furrowed, he calmly followed Louise into the house. Louise, holding his arm, asked, ¡°How is it? The location is excellent. You can see the Flora River, and it¡¯s just a few minutes drive to thepany after crossing the river. Very convenient, what do you think?¡± Brian nodded. ¡°It¡¯s good. I¡¯ll go pay the deposit.¡± ¡°Great, I¡¯ll go with you.¡± ( Brian nced at Grace, still on the ground, displeased. ¡°What are you still doing there?¡± Exhausted, Grace got up and followed the two back to the sales office. Finally, there was a ce to sit, and Grace slumped onto the sofa. Brian and Louise went to the finance office to pay the deposit, and Louise went to the restroom afterward. Seeing Grace sitting in the chair and massaging her calves, Brian walked over and sat across from her. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Grace paused massaging her legs, and straightened up. Brian looked at her. Grace had used an umbre today, so her face wasn¡¯t sunburned, but she appeared unusually pale. Brian felt that her anemia hadn¡¯t improved during this period, and if anything, it seemed to worsen. He opened his mouth, about to say something, when Louise, wearing high heels, suddenly emerged. ¡°Brian, what are you two talking about?¡± Suppressing his emotions, Brian looked gently at Louise and said, ¡°Nothing, just waiting for you. The house is settled. Let¡¯s go home.¡± ¡°But I still want to look for a designpany,¡± Louise said after giving it some thought. Brian was about to agree but changed his mind at thest moment. ¡°Let¡¯s go home first. I¡¯ll have my assistant handle the designer search.¡± Chapter 12 In the evening, Grace sat on the sofa for a while, watching a variety show. Just as she was about to go back to her room to sleep, Louise suddenly stopped her. ¡°Grace, make a cup of coffee for Brian and bring it upstairs. Also, grab a cloth and tidy up the table.¡± Putting down the remote control, Grace got up and went to the kitchen to brew a cup of ck coffee, Brian¡¯s usual favorite. Both Brian and Louise were in the study. Brian was working, and Louise sat next to him, intimately leaning against him. As Louise heard footsteps approaching outside the door, she spoke to Brian beside her, ¡°Brian, I¡¯m a bit scared.¡± ¡°Scared of what?¡± Brian stopped typing on the keyboard, looking at her. Louise lowered her eyes and said, ¡°These days, I¡¯ve been having nightmares every night. My room is too big, and it¡¯s far from your room. I don¡¯t feel safe.¡± She looked pitiful as she spoke. Grace hesitated for a moment outside the door as she heard the conversation inside. She knocked on the door, and Brian¡¯s response came from inside. ¡°Come in.¡± Carrying the cup, Grace walked in, and then she heard Louise continue, ¡°Can I sleep with you?¡± Grace¡¯s fingers trembled slightly, and the hot coffee in the cup touched her fingertips. The subtle movements in the empty study felt jarring. Louise bit her lip slightly while Brian subconsciously looked up at Grace, the words Louise had just said echoing in his mind. Louise wrapped her arms around his neck, hanging onto him like a ne. She suddenly regretted calling Grace up. Things seemed to unfold differently from what she expected, but the words spoken and couldn¡¯t be taken back. With innocent doe eyes, she asked again, ¡°Brian, what are you looking at?¡± were already Grace calmly put the cup down and, holding the tray, began tidying up the items on the table. Though the tasks could be done quickly, Grace somehow wanted to hear Brian¡¯s response. Brian¡¯s gaze flickered momentarily, and he slightly straightened his posture. She had to create some distance from him. Brian reassured Louise, saying, ¡°Listen, when you¡¯re about to sleep, I¡¯ll stay by your bed. Once you¡¯re asleep, I¡¯ll leave. Alright?¡± ¡°Okay, Brian, you¡¯re so good.¡± Although Louise was not entirely satisfied with this answer, she forced a happy smile on her face. Grace had already finished tidying up the cups and water stains on the table, carrying the tray, and leaving the room. Thinking that Grace must be very satisfied with Brian¡¯s response, Louise felt extremely irritated, clenching her fists tightly. This incident was a great humiliation to her, something she would remember forever. Not long after Grace left, Brian shut down hisputer and looked at Louise, saying gently, ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll apany you to bed.¡± Louise, upon hearing this, smiled and hooked her arm through his. Grace had been exhausted all day, her legs aching terribly. Although it was only nine o¡¯clock, shey on the bed and fell into a deep sleep. After an unknown amount of time, she was suddenly awakened by a sharp pain in her lower abdomen. She got up to use the bathroom, but the pain made it difficult for her to stand up straight. Panicking at the thought of the child in her belly, she wasted no time. She put on a coat, grabbed her phone, and prepared to go out and hail a taxi. The phone showed that it was already 11 o¡¯clock. Quietly, she walked to the courtyard, took out her phone, and prepared to book a ride on the taxi app. In the master bedroom on the second floor, Brian had just finished taking a shower. Wearing a bathrobe, he stood by the window, smoking a cigarette. Watching Grace hunched at the doorway, he couldn¡¯t help but narrow his eyes. Brian extinguished the cigarette and strode out of the room. Grace crouched on the ground to alleviate the pain in her lower abdomen. ncing at the ride¨Chailing app on her phone, three minutes had passed, but no driver had epted the order. She whispered, ¡°Baby, don¡¯t scare mommy. Mommy will take you to the hospital right away.¡± ¡°What are you muttering about sneakily?¡± Suddenly, a cold voice echoed. Grace trembled in fear and turned to see Brian standing there. She was frightened and shivered as she asked, ¡°Why haven¡¯t you slept?¡± ¡°I should be asking you. What are you doing here in the middle of the night?¡± Grace clenched her fists, hesitated for a moment, and then said, ¡°It¡¯s none of your business.¡± Brian was fuming with her attitude, and in a swift move, he grabbed her arm, yelling angrily, ¡°What do mean it¡¯s none of my business? Then whose business is it?¡± His rough tug made her stomach ache, and she winced in difort. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Seeing her reaction, Brian¡¯s expression turned tense. He hurriedly asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Brian¡¯s voice deepened when he noticed her grimacing and holding her stomach. ¡°Is it your stomach hurting?¡± ¡°Let go.¡± Grace struggled to break free, her voice strained. But Brian bent slightly and scooped her up, heading toward the garage. ¡°Brian, what are you doing?¡± ¡°To the hospital!¡± Her expression changed. ¡°I don¡¯t need you to take me!¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t go, do you want to die?¡± Brian suddenly growled, his voice low. you Grace froze for a moment, starting to worry that not going to the hospital might indeed be a deadly choice. She knew now that convincing Brian to ignore her wasn¡¯t an option. ncing at the ride¨Chailing app on her phone, she was still unable to get a cab. In that moment of hesitation, Brian had already settled her into the passenger seat. He picked a sports car, the engine roaring as it zoomed out of the garage. Anxiously fiddling with her fingers, Grace finally remembered something and dialed her specialist¡¯s number. It waste, and Grace wasn¡¯t sure if the doctor would answer. After ringing for a while, the call was finally picked up. Grace silently breathed a sigh of relief and calmly said into the phone, ¡°Dr. Ford, hello, it¡¯s Grace.¡± ¡°Hmm? What¡¯s wrong? Is something happening? Why are you calling me sote?¡± ¡°I¡¯m really sorry to disturb you. I suddenly had some stomach pain tonight, and my husband brought me to the hospital for a check¨Cup. I wonder if you¡¯re still on duty at the hospital now?¡± It was unclear which word Brian caught, but his hand gripping the steering wheel suddenly shook vigorously. Grace was startled by the tremor. Dr. Ford paused for two seconds and immediately asked, ¡°I¡¯m off duty. Do you need me to help you find another doctor to assist?¡± Even though the phone¡¯s volume wasn¡¯t loud, Grace was still afraid Brian might overhear. She turned her head to the side and spoke into the phone, ¡°You¡¯re off duty? Alright, could you please inform the doctor on duty about my situation? Thank you so much. I¡¯ll be there in about 10 minutes.¡± ¡°Sure! Don¡¯t worry!¡± After hanging up, Grace slowly breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Just go to the hospital I went tost time. Dr. Ford knows my condition best.¡± Brian remained silent, pressing harder on the elerator. Grace received a text message from Dr. Ford instructing her to see Dr. Stewart upon arrival. Back at the vi, Louise was roused from her sleep by the sound of an engine. She got up, intending to find Brian in the master bedroom, only to discover he wasn¡¯t there. Louise squinted, curious about where he might be going sote. Then it hit her that the engine noise just now must have been Brian driving away. Chapter 13 Louise looked down and suddenly noticed that the light outside the courtyard was on, and Melvin was closing the door. She immediately walked downstairs and shouted at Melvin, ¡°Melvin.¡± Melvin turned around and respectfully asked, ¡°Miss Adkins, haven¡¯t you slept yet?¡± ¡°Hmm. I was awakened by something just now. I found Brian wasn¡¯t in the house. Where did he go?¡± Melvin lowered his eyes slightly, but his mind was turning quickly. He calmly said, ¡°It seems the company has something urgent.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Louise pursed her lips. ¡°I¡¯m not sure about the specifics,¡± Melvin replied. Louise nodded and turned back to the room. Not long after, Brian and Grace arrived at the hospital. Grace followed Dr. Ford¡¯s instructions and found Dr. Stewart. Dr. Stewart nodded to her and took her to the second floor while saying to Brian, ¡°The family is outside. I¡¯ll take her for a check¨Cup first.¡± Brian nodded slightly. Dr. Stewart closed the door and said to Grace, ¡°Follow me.¡± Dr. Stewart led her through a door, through a corridor, and up to the third floor, which was the OB/GYN department. After the examination, Grace asked anxiously, ¡°Doctor, how is it? Is there anything wrong with the baby?¡± ¡°There is a slight bleeding. Did you stand too long today?¡± Grace nodded. ¡°Remember not to stand like this again. I¡¯ll give you some medicer, and you¡¯ll have to take a drip. Then you have to rest well when you get home.¡± ¡°Thank you, doctor.¡± ¡°You¡¯re wee. I¡¯ll take you downstairs.¡± Brian received a call from Melvin, who repeated everything Louise had asked him. Brian had just hung up the phone when he saw Grace walking out with the doctor. He narrowed his eyes and asked, ¡°How is she?¡± may ¡°She may have hurt her stomach by not eating on time. Dr. Ford also said she had a stomach problem. It have worsened a bit because of not eating on time. In addition, she has a little anemia, which is her old problem,¡± Dr. Stewart told him. Brian breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°I¡¯ll prescribe some medication for her, and she¡¯ll need an IV tonight.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Grace went into the hospital room, lost in her thoughts, while Brian followed her inside. It didn¡¯t take long before a nurse hooked her up to the IV. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going back?¡± Grace asked, seeing him still seated in the room. ¡°Why? Does my presence bother you?¡± Brian nced at her, furrowing his brow, his tone sour. ¡°No.¡± Deep down, she longed for hispany, but after these past two years, especially since Louise arrived, she understood she shouldn¡¯t expect kindness from him. Yet today, Brian surprisingly showed an unprecedented tenderness, even telling her, ¡°Go to sleep. I¡¯ll stay here watching the drip. I¡¯ll leave once the IV¡¯s done.¡± Grace was taken aback by this attention, even questioning if she had misheard. She hadn¡¯t thought he could be so caring. Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. After a while, his phone suddenly rang. Grace could guess who would call Brian at such ate hour. Sure enough, the next second, she heard Brian gently say into the phone, ¡°Louise.¡± Louise¡¯s voice trembled. ¡°Brian, where did you go? I had a terrible dream and wanted to find bedroom was empty. I¡¯m so scared!¡± you, but your ¡°There was an emergency at thepany.¡± Brian nced at Grace on the hospital bed, his eyebrows lightly knitted. He spoke to the phone, ¡°Alright, go to sleep first. There are plenty of people at home. You¡¯ll be fine.¡± Louise¡¯s voice fell silent momentarily as if she hadn¡¯t expected him to say that. In that silence, Brian felt a strong sense of disappointmenting from the other end of the call. Suddenly, he felt a heavy burden in his heart. ¡°Okay, then¡­ I¡¯ll wait for you toe back.¡± Louise bit her lip, her voice trembling. ¡°Louise, you don¡¯t have to wait¡­¡± Before he could finish, Louise hung up the phone, and all Brian heard was the beeping sound of the disconnected call, After the call ended, Brian looked at his phone, his forehead creased in a frown. On the hospital bed, Grace gave a bitter smile. ¡°You should go. I don¡¯t need someone to keep me company.¡± Brian retorted harshly, ¡°Enough talk! You¡¯re sick, and you still have the energy to bber?¡± ¡°I have the call button here. When I need to change the drip, I¡¯ll use it. You better go home and keep Miss Adkinspany. Hurting Miss Adkins would probably trouble you, wouldn¡¯t it!?¡± ¡°When did you be so eloquent?¡± Brian squinted. ¡°I¡¯m just stating the facts,¡± Grace replied. Brian scoffed. ¡°Don¡¯t assume others are as petty as you are. Louise won¡¯t mind this kind of thing!¡± ¡°Sorry, I shouldn¡¯t have said that.¡± Grace self¨Cmockinglyughed, turning away from him and falling silent. Brian nced at his phone, bing hesitant. He wanted to stay with Grace, yet he also wanted to be with Louise. He didn¡¯t know what to do. His phone suddenly received a text message from Louise. [Brian, I can¡¯t sleep. I want toe to the office to find you. Can I?] Seeing the message, Brian¡¯s heart sank. Eventually, he stood up from the chair. ¡°I¡¯ll leave. Call the nurse if you need anything.¡± Upon hearing this, Grace¡¯s heart plummeted. A tear slowly rolled down her cheek, absorbed by the pillow. She inwardly mocked herself, realizing she should have anticipated this oue. She felt foolish for believing Brian would actually stay. Now, she paid the price for her foolishness, having to endure the immense pain of this disappointment. Brian headed straight for the elevator. Once the elevator arrived, he seemed to remember something and turned back to find the doctor. Seeing his demeanor, Dr. Stewart asked, ¡°Sir, are you nning to leave?¡± ¡°She¡¯s been unwelltely. Are there any other health issues she might have?¡± Dr. Stewart¡¯s expression turned icy. Now she understood why Grace wanted to keep her pregnancy a secret. Brian seemed utterly indifferent to Grace¡¯s condition, and as her husband, he nned to leave first. In her mind, she couldn¡¯t help but curse Brian as heartless. Despite finding his handsome face appealing, his terrible personality made her feel disgusted. ¡°Her poor health isn¡¯t solely due to physical reasons. There might be significant psychological trauma as well. If her family could show more care to improve her mood, her physical health would naturally follow. Have you ever seen someone who¡¯s always gloomy with good physical health?¡± Dr. Stewart¡¯s tone carried a hint of reproach. ¡°I understand.¡± Brian pressed his thin lips, his expression somewhatplicated. After saying that, he turned and left. Dr. Stewart didn¡¯t expect that, even with her blunt words, he chose to leave. She couldn¡¯t fathom what could be so important for Brian to abandon his wife like this. She sighed,menting, ¡°Men nowadays really can¡¯t be relied upon!¡± Brian rushed home only to find Louise crouched in a corner, crying. ¡°Brian, you¡¯re finally back! I was so scared.¡± Louise saw him and rushed over, hugging his waist while crying. Suddenly, she caught a faint, elusive fragrance on his clothes, definitely not Brian¡¯s cologne. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you turn on the lights?¡± Brian switched on the lights. Louise shook her head. ¡°I wanted to sleep, but when the lights are off, I get scared and can¡¯t move.¡± Chapter 14 Louise looked at him with grievances, tears welling up in her eyes, crying softly. Brian felt a twinge of guilt and regret for noting back earlier. He gently touched her long hair and softly said, ¡°Come on, go to bed. It¡¯s sote. If we stay up any longer, we¡¯ll wake up with panda eyes tomorrow.¡± Louise obediently nodded, holding Brian¡¯s hand tightly as shey down on the bed. ¡°Go to sleep. I¡¯ll stay until you¡¯re asleep before I leave,¡± he said. Hearing this, a sweet smile graced Louise¡¯s face, and she finally closed her eyes. However, in her mind, she could not help but think about the fragrance she had just smelled. He had rushed out without even changing his pajamas. It turned out he went to meet another woman. She was determined to find out who that woman was. ??????????? Brian watched her fall asleep before getting up and leaving the room. Returning to the bedroom, he nced at his watch. It was already past two in the morning. At this time, Grace should have finished her IV drip. He frowned, his finger hovering over her phone number. After a moment of hesitation, he ultimately didn¡¯t make the call. On the other side, Grace was extremely tired. Fortunately, a kind nurse came over to watch over her IV drip, and she quickly fell asleep. Early the following day. Brian got up early and instructed the housekeeper before leaving the house, ¡°Be careful not to let her do anything these days.¡± ¡°Alright, Mr. Brian,¡± the housekeeper replied with a slight smile, naturally understanding whom Brian was referring to. It seemed that Mr. Brian did care about Miss Sherman after all. Louise got up for breakfast and then went to Brian¡¯s bedroom. She looked around but could not find the pajamas he worest night. After searching for a while with no sess, she had to go downstairs to ask the housekeeper. ¡°Miss Adkins, Mr. Brian¡¯s clothes were sent forundry. Why do you need his clothes?¡± ¡°He was wearing themst night. Why were theyundered this morning?¡± Louise furrowed her brow, sensing something suspicious. ¡°Miss Adkins, Mr. Brian has a habit. Whenever sleepwear is worn outside, it getsundered the next day,¡± the housekeeper exined patiently. Louise could not help but feel a bit frustrated. She had nned to put away his clothes today and carefully examine the scent of the perfume he used. Just then, the phone rang. It was the interior designer that her assistant had arranged to discuss the decoration matters with her. She cared a lot about the bridal chamber. After hanging up the phone, she left immediately. Grace woke up in the hospital room at nine o¡¯clock the next morning. She called the housekeeper, who informed her that Louise was not home. Grace then took a taxi back. Last night, when she brought coffee to Brian, for some reason, Grace felt like Louise intentionally wanted her to overhear those words. She had a lingering feeling that Louise seemed to have discovered something. Hence, for several days in a row, Grace tried to avoid her as much as possible. However, living under the same roof and being in the role of a servant, it was nearly impossible for them not to meet each other. That evening, not having seen Grace all day, Louise went to the housekeeper to inquire. ¡°Mr. Duncan, is Grace on vacation? Why haven¡¯t I seen her all day?¡± Louise asked the housekeeper. ¡°Miss Adkins, is there something you need from her?¡± Mr. Duncan asked. ¡°I just wanted to ask about her work. It was fine that she wasn¡¯t at home when I went to check on the renovation a few days ago, but today, she hasn¡¯t been seen all day. Is she at home now? Can you call her over?¡± Louise inquired. Louise realized that Grace had intentionally been avoiding her ever since the day she went to the study. Thinking about what happened in the study that day, she felt humiliated. What did she mean by avoiding herself? Did she look down on her? Melvin looked solemn, nced at her, and finally went to the room to call Grace out. ¡°Miss Adkins, what can I do for you?¡± ¡®It¡¯s fine. I just haven¡¯t seen you for a long time and wanted to ask what you¡¯ve been doingtely. You know my favorite thing is your cooking, but I haven¡¯t seen you in thest few days. I can¡¯t even eat well.¡± Louise ?miled. It seemed that Mr. Brian did care about Miss Sherman after all. Louise got up for breakfast and then went to Brian¡¯s bedroom. { She looked around but could not find the pajamas he worest night. After searching for a while with no sess, she had to go downstairs to ask the housekeeper. ¡°Miss Adkins, Mr. Brian¡¯s clothes were sent forundry. Why do you need his clothes?¡± ¡°He was wearing themst night. Why were theyundered this morning?¡± Louise furrowed her brow, sensing something suspicious. ¡°Miss Adkins, Mr. Brian has a habit. Whenever sleepwear is worn outside, it getsundered the next day,¡± the housekeeper exined patiently. Louise could not help but feel a bit frustrated. She had nned to put away his clothes today and carefully examine the scent of the perfume he used. Just then, the phone rang. It was the interior designer that her assistant had arranged to discuss the decoration matters with her. She cared a lot about the bridal chamber. After hanging up the phone, she left immediately. Grace woke up in the hospital room at nine o¡¯clock the next morning. She called the housekeeper, who informed her that Louise was not home. Grace then took a taxi back. Last night, when she brought coffee to Brian, for some reason, Grace felt like Louise intentionally wanted her to overhear those words. She had a lingering feeling that Louise seemed to have discovered something. Hence, for several days in a row, Grace tried to avoid her as much as possible. However, living under the same roof and being in the role of a servant, it was nearly impossible for them not to meet each other. That evening, not having seen Grace all day, Louise went to the housekeeper to inquire. ¡°Mr. Duncan, is Grace on vacation? Why haven¡¯t I seen her all day?¡± Louise asked the housekeeper. ¡°Miss Adkins, is there something you need from her?¡± Mr. Duncan asked. ¡°I just wanted to ask about her work. It was fine that she wasn¡¯t at home when I went to check on the renovation a few days ago, but today, she hasn¡¯t been seen all day. Is she at home now? Can you call her over?¡± Louise inquired. Louise realized that Grace had intentionally been avoiding her ever since the day she went to the study. Thinking about what happened in the study that day, she felt humiliated. What did she mean by avoiding herself? Did she look down on her? Melvin looked solemn, nced at her, and finally went to the room to call Grace out. ¡°Miss Adkins, what can I do for you?¡± Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I just haven¡¯t seen you for a long time and wanted to ask what you¡¯ve been doingtely. You know my favorite thing is your cooking, but I haven¡¯t seen you in thest few days. I can¡¯t even eat well.¡± Louise smiled. Grace pursed her lips. Indeed, she hadn¡¯t been doing much these past few days. Whenever she tried to do something, the housekeeper woulde over immediately to stop her, assigning the tasks to other servants. She didn¡¯t want to insist on doing things herself, especially considering the doctor had advised her to rest well. Was Louise trying to find fault with her? ¡°Miss Adkins, feel free to give me any instructions.¡± Grace did not directly respond to her words. ¡°I enjoy the meals you make. From now on, I want you to cook every meal, okay?¡± Louise¡¯s lips curved into a smile devoid of warmth. Grace silently squeezed her palm. ¡°Okay.¡± After saying that, she went into the kitchen. Watching her humble and submissive demeanor, Louise finally felt a bit satisfied. No matter what, Grace was just a servant. In the evening, after Brian returned and they had dinner, Louise discussed the decoration style with him. The two of them went to the study together. Having finished discussing the decoration matters, Louise leaned on his shoulder and asked softly, ¡°Brian, don¡¯t you think we should manage the household staff?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Grace has beenzing around in her room all this time. She doesn¡¯t even bother to cook, and you know I got used to her cooking recently. Now that she¡¯s not doing anything, I can¡¯t even have a proper breakfast,¡± Louise exined. ¡°Is that the only issue?¡± Brian furrowed his brow. ¡°Louise, do you think this is a trivial matter? Being a servant is also a profession, and professionse with rules and responsibilities. If this were in a workce, it would be like someone cking off constantly. Could you tolerate employees cking off in yourpany?¡± Louise looked at him in surprise. Brian¡¯s gaze slightly hardened. ¡°So, what do you suggest we do?¡± ¡°Thepany doesn¡¯t keep idlers. How about just firing her directly?¡± Louise suggested. Brian didn¡¯t say anything and stared at her for a moment. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Are you unwilling? Is she special somehow?¡± Louise asked. After a moment, Brian shook his head and calmly said, ¡°No, it¡¯s just that she¡¯s a servant my mother sent over, and it wouldn¡¯t be easy to dismiss her.¡± Louise¡¯s voice paused. ¡°Okay.¡± The next day, Grace resumed her routine of waking up early to prepare breakfast. While busy in the kitchen, Brian suddenly walked over, holding a cup of coffee as he leaned against the door. ¡°How is your recovery going?¡± ¡°Thanks to you, I¡¯m doing fine. As you can see, I¡¯m back to work,¡± Grace replied without turning her head. Brian squinted his eyes. ¡°Are youining?¡± { ¡°Brian, I want to move out.¡± Grace stopped her hands and turned to look at him suddenly. ¡°What did you say?¡± Brian was taken aback by her sudden statement.. ¡°I want to move out, so you don¡¯t have to see me and be affected, and you won¡¯t have to worry about Miss Adkins noticing anything,¡± she repeated, knowing he had heard her clearly. Most importantly, the fact that she was pregnant would not be discovered. She felt her proposal was well¨Crounded, providing a perfect solution for him and herself. Chapter 15 Suddenly, Brian¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°I¡¯ve paid for three years of your time. These three years belong to me. Why do you think you can move out?¡± ¡°Am I wrong? Aren¡¯t you worried that your beloved Miss Adkins will discover our rtionship? Isn¡¯t it best for me to move out?¡± Brian red at her darkly. She made a valid point, but he felt uneasy about it, and he could not quite understand why. ¡°I told less!¡± you, I paid for your three years, and for those three years, you¡¯ll do whatever I tell you to do, not a day His resolute attitude infuriated Grace. She was afraid that continuing like this would harm her baby, and she had been to the hospital more than once already. ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid that I¡¯ll go and tell Miss Adkins about our rtionship?¡± Brian sneered at her. ¡°You can try.¡± With that statement, he turned around and went upstairs. Grace took a deep breath, suppressing the anger rising within her. However, she could not seem to calm down. She grabbed a packet of salt and sprinkled it vigorously over a piece of beef. Brian and Louise came down together to have their breakfast. Grace stood aside, watching Brian sit down and take a bite of his sandwich. In her mind, she silently counted, ¡°3, 2, 1.¡± As expected, the man paused momentarily, then looked towards Grace standing on the side. Louise, beside him, noticed his reaction and turned to him, asking, ¡°Brian, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Brian¡¯s face disyed a mix of emotions, but he remained silent. Grace turned her head away, presenting him with a cold profile. However, the corner of her eye continued to observe Brian¡¯s facial expressions. He was seen gritting his teeth as he took anotherrge bite, then swallowed it down as if nothing happened. Grace thought he might spit everything out and thene over to scold her harshly. However, she didn¡¯t expect him to finish eating everything. After finishing the sandwich, he rushed to the bar, grabbed a ss of water, and gulped it down fiercely. Watching his reaction, Grace finally felt a sense of relief. Louise took in every move of the two, and her fingers on the mug¡¯s handle tightened forcefully. Grace was really bold. She dared to exchange nces and gestures with her man right under her nose as if they were asking for trouble. Brian downed thest of his water, casting a piercing stare at Grace before snatching up his car keys and making a swift exit. Grace didn¡¯t back down and returned his re without hesitation. After Louise finished breakfast, Grace collected the dishes and utensils and headed to the kitchen to wash them. As she was washing, a cold voice suddenly sounded behind her. ¡°I heard you¡¯re the maid sent by Mrs. Francis?¡± ¡°What, what are you saying?¡± Grace¡¯s hands trembled with fear, causing the te in her hands to fall into the sink. She turned around nervously, looking at Louise. ¡°What did you put in Brian¡¯s food this morning?¡± Louise had a cold curve on her face as she took a step forward, getting closer to Grace. She looked at her, still wearing a smile on her face, but her eyes were as cold as ink. Grace suddenly felt a chill down her spine and quickly moved to the side. However, she didn¡¯t realize there was a puddle on the floor. Her foot slipped, and she lost her bnce, falling forward. Perhaps fearing for the baby¡¯s safety in her belly, Grace instinctively grabbed Louise¡¯s clothes and pulled them downward. As a result, Louise fell to the ground first, with Gracending squarely on her waist. ¡°Ah!¡± Louise screamed, ¡°What are you doing? My waist! My waist! Help, someone¡­¡± Grace hurriedly got up from the ground, wanting to help Louise, but she was pushed away with a forceful shove. ¡°Miss Adkins, I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t mean it,¡± Grace said, frightened. If Brian found out that she had hurt Louise, he might just tear her apart. The housekeeper, Melvin, heard themotion and hurriedly ran in, helping Louise sit on the sofa. ¡°My waist hurts so much. Quick, quick, call Brian! Hurry up! What are you standing there for?¡± Louise covered her waist, tears streaming down her face. Melvin looked at Grace with concern, and Grace silently lowered her head. Seeing Louise in such pain, Melvin had no choice but to call Brian using the phone in the living room. The call connected, and Louise shouted into the phone, ¡°Brian, my waist is about to break. Hurry back!¡± C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. Brian, who was halfway to his destination, immediately turned the car around and headed back in haste. He rushed into the living room and saw Louise crying her eyes out. ¡°Brian, is my back broken?¡± she asked, tears in her eyes. Brian¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°Who did this?¡± ¡°Grace pressed on my waist,¡± Louise said, ncing at Grace with a look of grievance. Grace didn¡¯t know how to exin and just said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Is it because I didn¡¯t meet your satisfaction this morning that you went on to seek revenge against her?¡± Brian was furious. He walked up to Grace, staring at her with a dark expression. Grace shuddered under his fierce rebuke, instinctively offering a defense, ¡°I didn¡¯t do it on purpose.¡± 1J ¡°You are lying!¡± Louise used with a sense of grievance, ¡°You slipped on the water you spilled. It should have been you who fell, but just before falling, you grabbed onto my clothes, pulling me down to cushion your fall!¡± After listening to Louise, Brian believed her without a doubt. He gripped Grace¡¯s chin, speaking with a menacing tone, ¡°Do you really think I would believe your words? Malicious woman! Last time, when you caused her an allergic reaction, she still spoke up for you. But today, she didn¡¯t. Why? Because the truth is that you pulled her, causing her to fall like this!¡± Grace looked at him in disbelief. Malicious? Was that how he perceived her? She wanted to argue back, but Brian didn¡® strode out of the vi, leaving Grace standing there. give her the chance. In a swift move, he lifted Louise in his arms and Grace gritted her teeth, turned around, and made her way back to her room. After approximately an hour had passed, Melvin came to get her. ¡°Miss Sherman, Mr. Brian just called. He wants you to go to the hospital.¡± ¡°How is Louise?¡± Grace asked. Melvin said somberly, ¡°I heard there is a fracture. Mr. Brian wants you to go. It seems he wants you to take care of Miss Adkins.¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go.¡± Grace took a deep breath. Brian arranged for a driver to take her to a private hospital. Louisey on the bed with a cast wrapped around her waist. ¡°Are you satisfied now?¡± Brian looked at her coldly. ¡°Mr. Brian, if you insist on believing that I intentionally harmed her, then I have nothing more to exin. I will take care of Miss Adkins until she is discharged. You can rest assured.¡± Grace walked in, looking at him with dignity. Brian stood up and said, ¡°There¡¯s still business at thepany. I¡¯ll go there first. You stay here and take care of Louise. Don¡¯t even think about stirring.up trouble! There are people of mine in this hospital. If you¡¯re keen on hastening your demise, go ahead and make a move.¡± Brian left, leaving only her and Louise in the hospital room. Louise yed with her phone and instructed her, ¡°I want to eat strawberries.¡± On such a hot day, where could she get strawberries? Chapter 16 Grace frowned upon hearing her request. ¡°Miss Adkins, there are no strawberries avable this season.¡± ¡°Grace, could you please go to the trouble of finding them for me? I really crave strawberries,¡± Louise said, not lifting her head from her phone as she spoke. Grace could only resign herself to standing up and looking for strawberries. After Louise watched her leave, she sneered. ¡°Are you thinking of hiding in the hospital room and enjoying the air conditioning? Dream on!¡± Grace spent a little over two hours running around outside before finally finding a ce that sold strawberries. After buying them, Louise ate two strawberries and then threw the rest into the trash. ¡°Grace, what kind of strawberries did you buy? Why do they taste so bad?¡± ¡°Miss Adkins, as I told you, there are no strawberries in this season. Even if there are, they¡¯re out of season, and out¨Cof¨Cseason fruits generally don¡¯t taste good,¡± Grace exined. ¡°It¡¯s because you couldn¡¯t find them, yet you¡¯re making many excuses. Forget it. I won¡¯t argue with you. It¡¯s already noon, and I¡¯m hungry. Hurry back and make me lunch. It took you so much time just to buy some strawberries,¡± Louise said. Grace nodded, took a deep breath, and asked, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go back and make it for you. Miss Adkins, what would you like to eat?¡± ¡°Your culinary skills are excellent. I¡¯ll enjoy whatever you make.¡± Louise smiled as she looked at her. Grace stood up, preparing to leave. She hadn¡¯t even dried the sweat on her forehead from thest run, and now she had to head out again. Just as she was about to leave, Louise called her again, ¡°Grace.¡± ¡°I asked you to buy strawberries and make me lunch. You¡¯re not mad at me, are you?¡± Louise inquired. Louise¡¯s expression seemed innocent as she continued, ¡°Don¡¯t be angry, okay? That¡¯s just how I am, straightforward. Even though you identally caused my fracture, I won¡¯t me you. Please don¡¯t hold a grudge against me.¡± Grace didn¡¯t know what to say. She nced at Louise, then turned and left. { Hurrying home, Melvin looked at her and asked, ¡°Miss Sherman, why did youe back so soon? And in this hot weather, why didn¡¯t you bring an umbre?¡± ¡°No problem.¡± Grace wiped away some sweat. ¡°Melvin, I still need to cook.¡± ¡°Yes, is it for Miss Adkins?¡± Melvin asked. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I already had someone prepare the meal. Here, let me pack it for you. Please take it to her,¡± Melvin said. Grace looked at him appreciatively and replied, ¡°Melvin, thank you.¡± ¡°Thanks for what? You¡¯re the mistress of this house. Anyway, I won¡¯t say more. Take an umbre and take care of yourself,¡± Melvin said. ¡°Okay.¡± Grace hurriedly made her way back. After eating a few bites, Louise felt that something was off with the taste. ¡°Grace, you didn¡¯t cook this, did you?¡± Grace¡¯s culinary skills were quite unique. Throughout the entire vi, no one could match her cooking. Grace hesitated for a moment. ¡°Yes, Melvin had someone prepare it. Upon returning, it would have taken too long if I had cooked it from scratch, and you would have been starving.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like the meals they prepare. I don¡¯t want to eat this. Could you please get me a takeaway of Lobster Ravioli from Golden Magnifique?¡± Louise Adkins chuckled lightly. Grace hesitated momentarily, looked at her, and after a brief pause, she stood up. ¡°Alright.¡± Throughout the day, Grace was almost constantly on the go. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Louise always found various reasons to send her out to buy this or that under the scorching sun. (+5) Around six in the evening, as the sun began to set, a breeze swept through, bringing a slight coolness to the air. Louise looked outside and said, ¡°Grace, carry me outside. I want to feel the breeze and breathe some fresh air.¡± 1 Grace missed the implication of ¡°carry¡± in her words and instead went to borrow a wheelchair from a nurse. ¡°I¡¯ll help you up.¡± Grace offered. Louise widened her eyes, looking at her. ¡°Are you asking me to sit in a wheelchair?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Can¡¯t you sit in a wheelchair?¡± Grace didn¡¯t understand and found her question a bit odd. ¡°I¡¯m not disabled. Why would I need to sit in a wheelchair?¡± Louise looked at the wheelchair with disdain. ¡°How do you want to go outside, then?¡± ¡°Oh, didn¡¯t I just say it? Carry me outside on your back,¡± Louise reiterated. Grace¡¯s eyebrows furrowed deeply. ¡°I¡­¡± Louise smiled at her. ¡°Grace, do you think I¡¯m fat? Are you afraid I¡¯m too heavy?¡± ¡°No,¡± Grace replied. Carrying her outside wouldn¡¯t be a big deal if she weren¡¯t pregnant. However, she really couldn¡¯t take the risk with her current pregnancy. Louise¡¯s face fell slightly. ¡°You don¡¯t want to carry me? Fine, forget it. I¡¯ll wait for Brian toe back and carry me.¡± Mentioning Brian, Grace¡¯s expression changed. Brian seemed to harbor deep resentment towards her now. If Louise were toin in front of him, Brian might make her do even more extreme things. With these thoughts in mind, Grace walked over and crouched down by the bedside. Louise seeded in her scheme, chuckling triumphantly. She slowly moved onto Grace¡¯s back, putting her entire weight on her. Grace walked out of the ward slowly. Although she had been ustomed to physicalbor since childhood, she took careful steps now, considering the baby in her belly. After finally reaching the garden outside, Grace carefully ced her on a chair. She was exhausted, panting heavily, and drenched in sweat. { ¡°Miss Adkins, I really can¡¯t carry you any longer. I¡¯ll go get the wheelchair, and I¡¯ll push you back in a while, okay?¡± Louise pursed her lips. ¡°Grace, I really don¡¯t want to sit in a wheelchair. It makes me feel like a useless person. If you¡¯re unwilling, wait until Brian returns, and he can carry me back.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go back and clean up the ward.¡± Grace nodded. It was too hot outside, and she wanted to return to the air¨Cconditioned room for a while. Louise watched her leave, a cold smirk ying on her lips. After a while, she suddenly saw a familiar figure entering through the door. She threw her phone to the ground, then immediately supported herself on the chair¡¯s armrest and stood up from the floor. ¡°Ah!¡± Brian heard the familiar voice and then saw Louise fall to the ground while picking up her phone. ¡°Why are you alone here? Where¡¯s Grace?¡± Brian¡¯s heart skipped a beat as he quickly ran over. ¡°Grace went back to the ward. I don¡¯t know why she went back.¡± Louise¡¯s eyes welled up with tears. Brian¡¯s face darkened. He picked her up with concern and walked back to the ward. In the ward, Grace was disinfecting the room. Louise was quite particr, feeling that the ward was not clean enough and insisting on daily disinfection. Seeing Brian carrying Louise back, Grace was taken aback. Just as she was about to say something, she caught sight of the stern expression on Brian¡¯s face. ¡°You were supposed to take care of her, but you left her alone outside! Grace, are you trying to get yourself killed?¡± Brian¡¯s voice was cold and filled with anger. ¡°I¡­ she wanted to go outside,¡± Grace stammered. ¡°What? Are you suggesting she stay in the ward all day and not be allowed outside?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that,¡± Grace choked out. ¡°So you¡¯re admitting that you purposely left her there alone and fell?¡± Grace didn¡¯t want to exin any further. Speaking to someone who didn¡¯t trust her would only deepen the pain in her heart. Brian ced Louise on the bed and red at her coldly. ¡°Get out of here! Can¡¯t even handle simple tasks. What¡¯s the use of standing around here?¡± Chapter 17 Grace felt a stabbing pain in her heart. No matter how much she did or how tired she became, it didn¡¯t matter to her. What hurt her the most was Brian¡¯sck of trust and his cold words. She dragged her weary body back to the Francis estate. Melvin, who hadn¡¯t gone to bed yet, hurried over with concern when he saw her pale face. ¡°Miss Sherman, how are you?¡± Grace copsed onto the sofa, staring nkly at the ceiling in a state of exhaustion. Seeing her silence, Melvin quietly walked to the kitchen and served her a bowl of chicken soup. ¡°Miss Sherman, this is specially made for you. It¡¯s made from an old hen brought in from the countryside. Please have some,¡± said Melvin. ¡°Melvin, thank you, but I¡¯m not in the mood for drinking soup right now.¡± Grace finally moved her eyes. Melvin insisted with concern. ¡°You¡¯ve had a tiring day; you should have some.¡± Grace didn¡¯t want to refuse Melvin¡¯s kind gesture any longer. She sat up, took the chicken soup from his hands, held her breath, and took a big sip, finishing it in one go. The rich chicken soup vor surged up her throat just as she swallowed. She quickly covered her mouth, rushed to the bathroom, and vomited out the contents of her stomach. Melvin was quite rmed. ¡°Miss Sherman, why are you vomiting again? I¡¯ll call Mr. Brian right away,¡± he eximed. ¡°No need, Melvin. I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m just tired and need some rest,¡± Grace hastily reassured, grabbing his arm. At this moment, Brian was apanying Louise. If Melvin called to inform him, it would likely only elicit his mockery rather than concern. Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re okay?¡± Melvin sighed deeply. ¡°It¡¯s my own body, and I know how I feel. Thank you, Melvin,¡± replied Grace. After returning to her room, Grace fell asleep immediately. She slept deeply, but at eight o¡¯clock the following day, Brian called to remind her toe over and deliver breakfast. Grace reluctantly got up from bed and hurriedly prepared breakfast. Melvin also pitched in to help. After preparing breakfast, both he and Grace went to the hospital together. Standing at the hospital room door, Grace watched as Brian fed Louise breakfast as if she were the only person in his eyes. Grace¡¯s heart felt numb, as if it had already lost its sensitivity. After Brian fed her breakfast, he prepared to leave for the office. Before departing, he specifically warned Grace, ¡°Don¡¯t let me catch you mistreating her again!¡± Grace gripped her palms tightly, her long nails digging into her flesh, yet she felt no pain. Walking to the corridor, Melvin followed along. ¡°Mr. Brian.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Brian nced at him and asked casually. ¡°Last night, Miss Sherman was so exhausted when she returned that she could barely walk. After managing to have a bowl of soup, she vomited. Her health has been really poortely, Mr. Brian. Why don¡¯t you let other maidse and take care of Miss Adkins?¡± Brian had averted his gaze long before Melvin finished speaking, his expression indifferent like still water. Only after Melvin had finished speaking did Brian finally turn to look at him. ¡°Melvin, you¡¯ve been with the Francis family for many years and considered an elder. That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t interrupt you just now and let you finish. In the future, take care of your own responsibilities, and please refrain from speaking on matters that don¡¯t concern you.¡± Melvin cast a darkened gaze, appearing to have words on the tip of his tongue but choosing to remain silent. Brian spoke coldly once again, ¡°It¡¯s not that someone else can¡¯t take care of her, but when she makes a mistake, she should face the consequences.¡± Melvin dared not say another word. Brian entered the elevator and departed. Melvin turned around to nce at the busy figure of Grace. Thinking about what Brian had just said, an unpleasant feeling lingered in his heart. On the way home, Melvin suddenly received a call from Brian. ¡°Mr. Brian, do you have any further instructions?¡± f ¡°ording to the treatment of the Francis family¡¯s servants, give her a day off on the weekend,¡± Brian instructed. After saying that, he promptly ended the call. The expression on Melvin¡¯s face finally rxed. A day off would indeed be good. Grace took care of Louise for three days, during which she lost a total of six pounds. Every day, she toiled under the scorching sun, making it difficult for her to have a proper meal. Her face had visibly and rapidly slimmed down, and even her jawline had be sharper. Enduring until the weekend, she finally had time for a medical check¨Cup. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you taking care of your body? Look at how much weight you¡¯ve lost! None of your health indicators. are normal. If you keep going like this, you might lose the baby. What is your husband doing? I see him dressing decently. Can¡¯t he afford to hire someone to take care of you?¡± Dr. Ford looked at the examination report and couldn¡¯t help but sternly admonish. Grace bit her lip. After all, she was the servant who was supposed to take care of others. Dr. Ford looked at the data on the examination report, bing increasingly upset. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a pregnant woman in such a terrible condition. The sooner you divorce that husband of yours, the better!¡± Grace awkwardly said, ¡°Dr. Ford, after all, he doesn¡¯t know about my pregnancy. It¡¯s not his fault. Maybe the baby in my belly is just too restless, so I can¡¯t eat anything these days.¡± Dr. Ford let out a heavy sigh and prescribed medication for her, also arranging for an intravenous drip. After returning home, Grace forced herself to eat a lot. She couldn¡¯t afford to copse. The much¨Cneeded rest was spent within the confines of the hospital, and the following day, she resumed her duties in Louise¡¯s hospital room to look after her. 5 ¡°Grace, you seem to have lost a lot of weight recently. How about having lunch with me today? I crave seafood, Could you buy some? The ce Brian and I went tost time is the freshest, in Yeston in the south of the city.¡± Listening to her chatter, Grace knew the restaurant she was talking about. She had been there with Brian before, and was at least an hour away from here. Grace gritted her teeth and ultimately decided to take a taxi there. Grace spent over 200 dors on taxi fares in the past few days. Louise was in a rush for meals or buying things, so Grace had no choice but to take a taxi. Including the money spent on groceries, she had already spent several hundred dors. After buying and processing the seafood, Grace felt a bit distressed about the money. These days, Brian hadn¡¯t arranged a driver for her or given her money for groceries. She also couldn¡¯t bring herself to ask Brian for this. After some contemtion, Grace ultimately chose to take the subway back. The subway was crowded, and Grace stood throughout the journey. Despite being pregnant, since her belly was not very visible, no one offered her a seat. She stood almost the entire way, from boarding to disembarking. When she reached the hospital entrance, Louise called. ¡°Grace, did you get lost? Why haven¡¯t you returned yet? It¡¯s taking you so long.¡± Grace, panting from exhaustion, replied, ¡°I¡¯m downstairs. Just wait a moment; I¡¯lle up right away.¡± ¡°Hurry up! I¡¯m starving!¡± Somehow, today¡¯s crowd seemed unusuallyrge, and Grace noticed that many of them were young women. Everyone appeared to be in a rush to see the doctor, with some young girls even excitedly examining their registration forms. Chapter 18 While waiting for the elevator in the corridor, which seemed to take a long time, Grace was afraid she might receive a call urging her. After a moment of consideration, she decided to head toward the stairwell. The VIP ward was on the fourth floor, not too high. As she climbed to the second floor, suddenly, everything went ck before her eyes, and she promptly copsed into the stairwell. The fire door swung open as a slender man in a white coat emerged, casually smoking a cigarette. He was about to light a cigarette when he suddenly caught a glimpse of a figure on the ground. He quickly crouched down and asked, ¡®Miss! What happened? He touched her pulse, and then he saw red liquid running down her thighs between her smooth legs. His brow wrinkled as he said, ¡°Pregnant?¡± Justin lifted her up from the ground with one swift motion. The weight in his hands was unbelievably light, and his brow furrowed even more. ¡®Who has been mistreating you? How did you be so thin? Kicking open the fire door, Justin found there were several female nurses standing in the corridor as if intentionally trying to create a chance encounter with him. Seeing the woman in Justin¡¯s arms, the female nurses wiped away the infatuation on their faces. ¡®Dr. Vance, what¡¯s happening? ¡°Arrange a gynecological examination immediately.¡± ¡°Alright!¡± When Grace woke up again, the first thing she saw was the white ceiling. A little nurse stood by her bedside, looking at her with a cheerful smile, and asked, ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡± ¡°Where am I?¡± Grace asked with confusion. ¡°You fainted in the corridor, and Dr. Vance saved you. You¡¯re so lucky. You¡¯re the only patient who got a hug from Dr. Vance.¡± C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. Grace listened to the nurse¡¯s words, feeling confused and at a loss. ¡°But, you don¡¯t stand a chance. You¡¯re pregnant. Dr. Vance is the most famous doctor in the whole city, and he¡¯s the most handsome male doctor in the entire medical field. Today, when Dr. Vance is on duty, you have no idea. how many women havee to register. The line is almost reaching the hospital entrance, all just to say a few words to Dr. Vance.¡± Grace listened with a sense of confusion, and she probably understood why there were so many people downstairs. They were all here for Dr. Vance, who the nurse was talking about. ¡°Who is Dr. Vance?¡± Just then, a gentle voice suddenly sounded. ¡°It¡¯s me, Justin Vance.¡± The nurse turned around, and her eyes seemed filled with anticipation. ¡°Dr. Vance, you¡¯re here.¡± Justin smiled at her and said, ¡°You can go out first.¡± Grace looked at the man in front of her. He had brown eyes, wless fair skin, and handsome yet gentle facial features. He was indeed a top¨Cnotch character, deserving of the many women¡¯s admiration for him. However, having been ustomed to Brian¡¯s handsomeness, she had be immune to good¨C looking men. Justin walked over and administered some medicine, asking, ¡°Do you know you¡¯re pregnant?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Knowing that, you still let yourself be so thin? Don¡¯t you n to have a baby?¡± Justin frowned. ¡°No.¡± Justin looked at her expression and suddenly felt a heaviness in his chest. For some reason, he sensed that this woman carried many stories of sadness. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± Grace awkwardly uttered her name. ¡°Grace.¡± ¡°Where¡¯s your husband? Give him a call and let hime take care of you,¡± Justin asked again. Grace¡¯s eyes flickered as she looked at him. ¡°Can you keep this a secret for me?¡± ¡°Keep what a secret?¡± Justin asked, puzzled. ¡°I¡¯m pregnant and can¡¯t let my husband know.¡± The man appeared somewhat surprised but chose not to press for more details, unwilling to pry further. ¡°Your body is severely malnourished, and the baby¡¯s nutrition is also insufficient. If you want to deliver the child safely, you need to take good care of your health.¡± Grace nodded gently. She indeed wished to take good care of her health, but reality didn¡¯t permit it. ¡°You rest. Since you don¡¯t want to notify your family, we¡¯ll leave it at that. By the way, your phone was ringing constantly earlier, and the items you bought are ced in the cab for you.¡± Grace expressed her gratitude, saying, ¡°Thank you!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll leave for now. Call me if you need anything. Grace thanked him once again. After he left, she picked up her phone and nced at it. There were numerous calls and messages from Louise and two missed calls from Brian. Upon checking the time, an entire hour had already passed. Louise couldn¡¯t find her and didn¡¯t get to eat the seafood she wanted. She would definitely call Brian to let him know. She couldn¡¯t let Brian find out that she was receiving an IV in the hospital. If they traced things back and found out she was pregnant, it would be over. With this in mind, Grace quickly removed the needle from the back of her hand. Just as she stepped out, she ran into Justin. ¡°What are you doing? You¡¯re leaving before the IV drip is finished?¡± Justin asked. ¡°No time to exin. I must go back immediately,¡± Grace said in a hurry. Justin said thoughtfully, ¡°Your pregnancy condition is very unstable. It¡¯s better to stay in the hospital for a few days. Let me take you to arrange admission.¡± ¡°Dr. Vance, I don¡¯t have the conditions to stay in the hospital. If it¡¯s discovered that there¡¯s a child in my belly, it will be over.¡± Grace looked at him deeply, pain evident in her eyes. Justin looked into her eyes and suddenly couldn¡¯t bear to insist on her staying in the hospital. After some thought, he took out his phone. ¡°Your mobile number.¡± Grace hesitated for a moment, then obediently gave him her phone number. ¡°This is my number. Save it. I¡¯ll call periodically to check on your condition,¡± Justin said, giving her a call to ensure she had his number. Grace fell silent. ¡°Go ahead, be careful not to overexert yourself,¡± Justin said, finally releasing her hand. ¡°Okay.¡± Upon reaching the fourth floor, Grace saw Brian sitting in the hospital room. Louise seemed to have already had her meal. ¡°Grace, you¡¯re finally back! I was so worried! Where did you go?¡± As she approached, Louise¡¯s ¡°concerned¡± voice rang out. ¡°When I was downstairs, I received an urgent call from home, so I went out for a while.¡± Grace took a deep breath and spoke calmly. Louise breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°As long as you¡¯re okay, it¡¯s no big deal that I missed a meal. If something happened to you, I would never forgive myself for a lifetime.¡± Grace said in a low voice, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Having been silent all this while, Brian finally looked at her and said, ¡°Is an apology all it takes?¡± Grace asked him, ¡°Mr. Brian, what do you want?¡± ¡°What happened at your home? Why are you so anxious that you didn¡¯t even have time to answer a call?¡± Brian looked at her with a deep voice. He squinted his dangerous eyes as if intending to expose her lie. Grace was hesitant to meet his eyes directly but still looked up at him, saying, ¡°Mr. Brian, I¡¯m sorry, but my family matters are not convenient to share with outsiders.¡± Outsiders? Brian¡¯s gaze darkened as he stared at her. If it weren¡¯t for Louise being present, he might have really grabbed her by the neck and demanded an exnation of why her husband was considered an outsider. He knew she was lying. When he called her twice and she didn¡¯t answer, he had already contacted her parents. They hadn¡¯t been in touch recently, either. Chapter 19 Louise sat on the bed, watching the two at the door. She faintly sensed a hint of danger and cleared her throat, calling out, ¡°Brian!¡± Brian then withdrew his gaze and turned to look at her. ¡°Since it¡¯s Grace¡¯s family matter, we indeed shouldn¡¯t pry,¡± Louise said with a smile. Grace breathed a sigh of relief. Around five in the afternoon, her phone received a call. ncing at the caller ID, it was an unfamiliar number. She answered politely, saying, ¡°Hello?¡± There was a pause in the breath on the other end of the phone. ¡°You didn¡¯t save my number?¡°. Grace paused for a moment before realizing who was calling. She went outside and said, ¡°Dr. Vance, I¡¯m sorry. I was busy just now and didn¡¯t have time to save your number.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. You haven¡¯t picked up your medicine yet. When can youe to get it? If it¡¯s inconvenient, I can arrange to have it delivered to you,¡± Justin offered. Grace hurriedly said, ¡°No need, I¡¯m in the hospital. I¡¯lle over right now to pick it After hanging up the phone, Grace went to the second floor to find Justin. up.¡± In the hospital room, Brian, who was discussing the decoration n with Louise, turned his gaze towards the door. Without a change in expression, he said to Louise, ¡°I¡¯ll step out for a moment.¡± Louise paused, looked outside, and smiled slightly, ¡°Sure.¡± In Justin¡¯s office, Grace stood at the door and knocked three times. Justin raised his head, and a gentle curve appeared on his face. ¡°Come in.¡± He pushed the medicine toward her. ¡°These are some internal medicines, not exactly medications, more like (0 nutritional supplements. The instructions for use are written on them. Remember to take them.¡± ¡°Thank you, Dr. Vance. If it weren¡¯t for you finding me in the stairwell today, my child might not have been saved.¡± Grace nced at the medicine on the table and thanked him sincerely. { ¡°Saving lives and helping the wounded is just a doctor¡¯s duty, nothing to boast about. If you truly want to thank me, take care of yourself. That¡¯s what every doctor wishes to see.¡± Upon hearing his words, Grace felt a warmth in her heart, and her nose suddenly tinged with a bit of bitterness. Just then, a voice sounded at the door. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Grace shivered all over, startled, and turned around. Seeing the fear in her eyes, Justin furrowed his brows and stood up from his chair. Brian walked into the office and looked at Justin through Grace. A trace of gunpowder¨Clike hostility shed in his cold eyes. ¡°I came to inquire about Miss Adkins¡® condition from Dr. Vance,¡± Grace hurriedly exined. ¡°Oh? Is that so? But, if I remember correctly, Louise¡¯s attending doctor isn¡¯t him.¡± Brian narrowed his eyes. After saying that, he looked at the work tag on Justin¡¯s chest and silently remembered his name, Justin Vance. Grace exined calmly, ¡°Miss Adkins¡® attending doctor is indeed not him, but I heard that Dr. Vance is the best internist in the country. So, I came to inquire about Miss Adkins¡® condition, hoping she can be discharged sooner.¡± ¡°Did you inquire thoroughly?¡± Grace continued calmly, ¡°I only inquired half of it just now, and you interrupted me. Since you¡¯re here, you can ask. After all, Miss Adkins is your fianc¨¦e.¡± ¡°No need. Louise¡¯s attending doctor will inform me about her condition. In the future, you are not allowed to take matters into your own hands and meddle in unnecessary affairs.¡± Brian frowned, displeased. Grace let out a small sigh and nodded..¡°Alright.¡± Then, she followed behind Brian and left Justin¡¯s office. Before aving, she turned around and nced at Justin, and he gave her a reassuring look. Justin nced at the medicine on the table, his gaze slightly narrowing. After a brief pause, he picked up the phone and said, ¡°Check if there¡¯s anyone named Louise Adkins in the Third Inpatient Department for me.¡± The next day, while Grace was peeling an apple for Louise, a knock sounded at the hospital room door. Grace looked towards the door and saw Justin standing there, holding a rounds checklist in his hand. Justin smiled and, noticing Grace¡¯s actions, calmly asked, ¡°Is it Louise Adkins?¡± ¡°It¡¯s me, and you are?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Dr. Vance. I¡¯ll be in charge of your medical condition from now on.¡± ¡°Hello.¡± Louise looked at him and nodded slowly. Justin nced at Grace and asked, ¡°Is this a family member?¡± Louise replied, ¡°No, she¡¯s my maid. Is there a problem?¡± Grace¡¯s hands paused momentarily, and Justin also had a slight moment of surprise. He had considered various rtionships, but the role of a maid hadn¡¯t crossed his mind, especially given Grace¡¯s clean and cool demeanor. No wonder she was so thin. He wondered how much she had to do in a day. ¡°Try to avoid eating cold fruits when you have a fracture,¡± Justin said calmly. After saying that, he approached and took the apple from Grace¡¯s hands, bringing it to her mouth. Grace widened her eyes, looking at him in surprise. Justin looked at her dazed expression, gave a gentle smile, and half¨Cjokingly said, ¡°Miss Adkins can¡¯t eat these fruits. We can¡¯t waste them, can we? So, you can enjoy the apple you peeled for yourself.¡± Louise found it a bit strange, but she couldn¡¯t quite put her finger on what was odd. Why was this Dr. Vance so familiar and casual? C Justin was deliberately making excuses to bring Grace out, and after giving Louise a token amount of medicine, he gave Grace the medicine she hadn¡¯t taken yesterday. ¡°Dr. Vance, thank you,¡± Grace said. ¡°I¡¯ve already said, no more thank¨Cyous in the future,¡± replied Justin. ¡°Okay.¡± A smile involuntarily appeared on Grace¡¯s face. { Justin hesitated momentarily but couldn¡¯t resist asking, ¡°You¡¯re not her maid, are you?¡± Grace¡¯s eyes dimmed slightly as she replied, ¡°Sort of.¡± Justin looked at her, and it felt like cat ws were scratching at his heart. He really wanted to ask her, to clear everything up, but he had just met her, and they were not even friends. What right did he have to pry into her affairs? In the end, he could only watch her walk away. Louise stayed in the hospital for almost two weeks. She began insisting on being discharged, disying both charm and a bit of coquettishness in front of Brian. With a little persuasion, Brian finally agreed. After returning home, the workload on Grace increased even more. As Louise resided on the second floor and frequently visited the yard, Grace had to carry her up and down the stairs daily. Despite maintaining the routine of preparing three meals a day, Louise would asionally request Grace to re¨Cclean the already spotless guest room. Fortunately, the medication Justin prescribed proved effective after taking it. She hadn¡¯t experienced many symptoms of morning sickness, and her stomach pain had significantly reduced. In the evening, Grace, feeling exhausted,y down on the bed and received a call from home. Grace rarelymunicated with her family, and her parents hardly ever called her. When she received a call, she knew a specific purpose must be behind it. Chapter 20 As expected, on the other end of the phone, Daisy exchanged a few symbolic pleasantries before getting straight to the point. ¡°Grace, your brother doesn¡¯t have enough money to cover his medical expenses this month. Can you lend him some money?¡± Daisy¡¯s straightforward words left Grace feeling a sense of unease. In the past, she didn¡¯t have a job, but Brian would provide her with a monthly allowance. Having grown ustomed to frugality, she managed to save a considerable amount of money. So, whenever Daisy asked her money, she always gave it without hesitation. for However, now, although Brian provided her with a monthly allowance, her recent expenses for taking care of Louise had been substantial. As a result, she did not save much money. Moreover, with a child on the way, there were even more expenses to consider in the future. Daisy didn¡¯t hear an immediate agreement from her, and she became anxious. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Don¡¯t you want to lend the money anymore?¡± ¡°Mom, I¡¯ve been going to the hospital oftentely, and I don¡¯t have much money left,¡± Grace stated, pursing her lips and speaking solemnly. Daisy didn¡¯t even listen to the words ¡°going to the hospital.¡± All she heard was her saying she didn¡¯t have any money. ¡°You married into such a wealthy family; how could you possibly be short on money? Even if Brian only supported you for three years, he wouldn¡¯t mistreat you during that time!¡± she said harshly. ¡°I know you¡¯ve always been prideful. Have you rejected all the things he gave you? Here¡¯s the deal: if you don¡¯t give me money, just pick any item he has gifted you over the years and give it to me,¡± Daisy said, adding a sarcastic remark, ¡°Dealing with ungrateful people is a real challenge!¡± Grace¡¯s heart grew cold, and she didn¡¯t want to argue with Daisy anymore. ¡°How much?¡± she asked. ¡°Two thousand dors,¡± Daisy replied. ¡°I¡¯ll transfer it to you shortly,¡± Grace responded. Two monthster, once she had persevered through, her brother would have had enough money for the surgery. Everything coulde to an end, and she would also have weed a new beginning. Louise¡¯s injury had almostpletely healed. These days, she could walk on her own. As soon as she could walk, she insisted Grace teach her how to make a puff of pastry. Recently, she had been in the study apanying Brian while he worked. Seeing Brian frequently indulging in meals every few days, the thought that Grace had prepared all of these made her feel ufortable as if something had bitten her heart. If Grace were to leave in the future, would Brian miss the things she made? With such thoughts, she considered it very risky. She wouldn¡¯t allow Grace to leave any trace in his heart. Seeing her struggle to cook while using crutches, Grace felt a bit uneasy. ¡°Miss Adkins, why don¡¯t you take a break for a while and learn after you¡¯ve fully recovered?¡± she suggested. Louise clenched her fist, a faint surge of anger rising within her, but she maintained herposure, smiling as she said, ¡°I can walk now.¡± She insisted on entering the kitchen, and Grace had no choice but to go to the kitchen and teach her. Concerned about potential idents, Grace practically guided Louise through the process, exining as she worked while Louise watched attentively. Finally, they ced the well¨Cmade pastries in the oven, and Grace felt a sense of relief. She helped Louise to the living room to rest. Feeling drowsy, Gracey down on the sofa and began to doze off. After around twenty minutes, she suddenly heard Louise shouting from the kitchen, ¡°Grace! Come quickly!¡± Grace jolted awake, not even having time to put on her shoes before rushing over. As she reached the kitchen, she saw Louise opening the oven door and getting ready to take out the baking tray. ¡°Don¡¯t move!¡± Grace shouted. Louise, startled, shook the baking tray, and with a loud crash, the tray fell to the ground. ¡°Ah!¡± The scalding hot baking traynded on the top of Grace¡¯s foot. Grace gasped, quickly kicking the tray away. Instantly, several rows of bright red marks appeared on the top of her foot. ¡°Is your foot okay?¡± Louise eximed in shock. Grace quickly ran to the bathroom and rinsed her foot with cold water for a while. Blisters began to form on the top of her foot at a visibly rapid pace. 0 Themotion in the kitchen rmed Melvin. Seeing the injuries on Grace¡¯s foot, Melvin anxiously said, ¡°I¡¯ll call Mr. Brian right away.¡± ¡°No need, it¡¯s just a minor injury,¡± Grace stopped him. She was afraid that when Brian came back, he would mock her and use her of ying the sympathy card again. She would rather not let this incident be known to him. Ignoring Grace¡¯s words, Melvin had already taken out his phone and dialed Brian to inform him. He made the call right in front of Grace. To her surprise, Brian unexpectedly said he woulde back immediately. After hanging up the phone, Melvin said reassuringly, ¡°See, Mr. Brian is still concerned about you.¡± Grace stared nkly momentarily, then quickly reminded herself not to entertain any illusions. Brian returned quickly, and Grace sat barefoot in the living room. She watched as he hurriedly entered, not even bothering to close the car door. Her heart suddenly raced. Was he genuinely concerned about her? However, the next moment, she realized she waspletely wrong. As soon as Brian entered, he didn¡¯t even nce at her but went straight to Louise. He nervously inspected Louise from head to toe before asking, ¡°How are you? Did you get burned?¡± Louise felt a sweet sensation in her heart and shook her head, saying, ¡°No.¡± Grace¡¯s heart sank to the bottom. 15. 15. Indeed, when there were no expectations, there were no disappointments. Brian made sure Louise was fine before approaching Grace. Grace, feeling disheartened, lowered her eyes, unwilling to meet his gaze. ¡°How¡¯s your foot?¡± ¡°Thank you for your concern, Mr. Brian. A few days of rest, and it will be fine,¡± Grace replied with a self- deprecating smile, lifting her head to nce at him. She saw a hint of disdain in Brian¡¯s eyes as he said, ¡°Don¡¯t know why you¡¯re always showing off. If you don¡¯t have the skills, don¡¯t embarrass yourself by taking on delicate tasks. It¡¯s shameful.¡± A wave of difort settled in Grace¡¯s chest. Indeed, she was the one embarrassing herself. She shouldn¡¯t have intervened with Louise. However, these words remained confined to her thoughts, and she didn¡¯t express them out loud. In the end, Grace stood up abruptly from the sofa and limped back to her room. ¡°You get upset when I say a few words?¡± Brian frowned at her appearance. Grace¡¯s figure paused for a moment, wanting to exin something, but the pain in her heart prevented a single word from escaping. She chose silence, entered her room, and closed the door in one breath. She didn¡¯te out until dinner time, and Brian didn¡¯t inquire about her well¨Cbeing at all. Grace¡¯s heart felt numb as shey on the bed, sinking into a deep sleep. In the dining room. Louise sat in her chair, eating absentmindedly. asionally, she nced toward Grace¡¯s room. ¡°Brian, shall I call Grace to join us for dinner? If it weren¡¯t for me asking her to teach me how to make pastry, she wouldn¡¯t have gotten injured.¡± go ¡°No need to bother with her. Must we send someone to invite her for a meal?¡± Brian sneered. Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. Louise felt a secret joy. It seemed that Brian didn¡¯t really care much about Grace. His concern was always for her. F After finishing their meal, Brian sat in the living room, scrolling through his phone. Seeing he didn¡¯t head to his study, Louise asked with curiosity, ¡°Brian, do you have any work to attend to this evening?¡± Chapter 21 Brian seemed to be doing something on his phone. After a while, he lifted his head from the phone screen and looked at her. ¡°Are you tired?¡± ¡°I want to go upstairs. Can you carry me up?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Brian carried her upstairs and settled her in a guest room. As he waited for Louise to fall asleep, his phone vibrated. He answered the phone, exchanged a few words, and then went downstairs. Outside the door was a delivery guy. Brian took the items from him, paid, and then headed toward the maid¡¯s room on the first floor. Grace¡¯s door was not locked. He quietly entered the room and found her sound asleep. He stood quietly by the bedside, watching her for a moment. He gently ced the medicine by the bed and then left the room. Grace woke up again, this time due to hunger. As she moved her leg, the top of her foot grazed against the bedsheet, causing her to inhale sharply from the pain. She turned on the light, and her gaze fell on the medicine bottle at the bedside. She picked up the bottle and nced at the Instructions, her eyes darkening. Did he put it there for her? ¡°How could that be possible? Grace, don¡¯t delude yourself. How could he possibly care about your well¨Cbeing?¡± She thought. It must have been bought by Melvin. Grace took the medicine and left to find Melvin. ¡°Miss Sherman, this must be ced by Mr. Brian. I haven¡¯t bought any medicine for you,¡± said Melvin. ¡°Not bought by you?¡± Grace was taken aback. ¡°I really didn¡¯t buy it. It must be Mr. Brian who bought it. Is there a problem, Miss Sherman? Aren¡¯t you happy that Mr. Brian bought medicine for you?¡± Grace¡¯s mood wasplicated, her expression heavy. If he wanted to be indifferent to her, then let it beplete Indifference. Why bother showing asional concern? She walked back to her room in a daze and tossed the medicine into the trash bin. She couldn¡¯t be moved by such a trivial matter again. There were still more than two months left, and their rtionship would be nothing. In that case, it was better to cut off the unwarranted thoughts sooner. The next day, in the living room, Brian nced at her foot. To his surprise, the injury on her foot showed no signs of improvement. In fact, it seemed to have worsened. He furrowed his brow. ¡°Haven¡¯t you applied any medicine?¡± ¡°The medicine at the bedside? I used it, Grace replied indifferently. Brian¡¯s gaze darkened. She had used the medicine, and her foot was still this severe? He bought the best and most expensive one. Grace obviously didn¡¯t want to engage in much conversation with him. She gave a brief reply and went about her own business. ¡°If you¡¯re injured, rest properly. Don¡¯t try to be tough,¡± Brian said displeased, observing her stubborn demeanor. Grace wiped the table while saying. ¡°Thanks for your concern, Mr. Brian. My injury is on my foot, not my hand, so I can still do things.¡± Brian felt inexplicably annoyed hearing her words. Did this damn woman not understand words? Was she naturally inclined to do such things? ¡°With your foot in such a condition, what can you do? You¡¯ll only cause trouble for others. Go back to your room!¡± Brian sternly red at her. At that moment, Louise called out from the staircase upstairs, ¡°Brian.¡± Brian turned to look at her, his gaze softening as he quickly walked over to bring her down in his arms. He stood in the living room, looking at her. ¡°Louise needs to visit the Adkins family. You don¡¯t have to prepare meals for her these days.¡± Grace was surprised but suddenly felt relieved, and even the pain in her foot seemed to disappear instantly. Seeing Louise leave, Melvin quickly took away the tasks from Grace¡¯s hands, asking her to rest. He then instructed someone to prepare a lot of nourishing food for her. During lunch, Grace looked at the table full of dishes and almost shed tears of gratitude. ¡°Melvin, perhaps you are the only one in this house who is kind to me.¡± ¡°These were all ordered by Mr. Brian. He mentioned that you¡¯ve been frailtely, so he instructed me to prepare some nourishing dishes for you to take good care of your health.¡± Grace found it a bit hard to believe. ¡°Really? He instructed all this?¡± Melvin smiled and exined, ¡°Miss Sherman, Mr. Brian does care about you. He just doesn¡¯t always show it.¡± ¡°Melvin, please don¡¯t say anymore. I¡¯ll be leaving in a little over two months, and after that, 1 won¡¯t have any connection with Brian. Talking about these things is meaningless.¡± Melvin wanted to say something but hesitated. Grace forced herself to eat a lot, regardless of whether Brian ordered it or prepared by Melvin himself. She epted it as long as it was good for the child in her belly. The Adkins family. Louise had just returned home, and Marshall asked her, full of concern, ¡°Sweetheart, how¡¯s your back? Can you walk now?¡± ¡°Dad, I¡¯m fine.¡± Marshall looked her over, noticing that her walking still seemed somewhat unnatural. His expression darkened, and he asked, ¡°I heard it was one of the maids from Brian¡¯s family who did this to you?¡± Brian stood on the side, showing a respectful and polite demeanor as he slightly bowed his head. ¡°Mr. Adkins, it was my negligence in taking care of Louise. I assure you, I will make sure such incidents won¡¯t happen again in the future.¡± ¡°If it weren¡¯t for my daughter¡¯s deep affection for you, I wouldn¡¯t bear to let her go to your house. I finally got my daughter back, and within a few days at your ce, she ended up with a broken bone!¡± Marshall eximed, his face filled with anger. Brian bowed his head in silence and said, ¡°I will take good care of her from now on. Please rest assured, Mr. Adkins.¡± Marshall still harbored his discontent as he continued, ¡°I think that maid should be dismissed! Being so clumsy in her work and causing my daughter to end up like this, I¡¯d break her legs if it were up to mel¡± Brian furrowed his brow slightly. For some reason, hearing someone speak ill of Grace felt like a thorn piercing his heart. He exined, ¡°Mr. Adkins, that maid was sent over by my mother, so it¡¯s not convenient to dismiss her.¡± ¡°What¡¯s inconvenient about it? Trying to harm my daughter, isn¡¯t that reason enough for dismissal?¡± Marshall eximed, his chest heaving with anger. ¡°Ah,e on, I heard that maid has been taking care of Louise for quite some time. Don¡¯t be too aggressive about it,¡± Shannon Intervened, trying to smooth things over. Marshall finally fell silent at this. ¡°You go take Louise upstairs to rest first,¡± Marshall suggested. C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. Shannon took Louise¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Louise,e with me.¡± Louise obediently followed Shannon upstairs, saying. Thank you.¡± ¡°Thanks for what? Your mother passed away early, and you¡¯ve been on your own since childhood. From now on, just consider me your mother. I only have Ava as a daughter. She¡¯s been rebellious since she was little, breaking my heart. If only she were half as obedient as you.¡± Shannon sighed as she spoke. Although Louise had only recently returned, she was quite adept at winning people¡¯s hearts. Shannon did not feel any resentment towards her and asked with concern, ¡°How have you been at the Francis family?¡± ¡°Thank you, Mom. I¡¯m doing well, and Brian has been treating me well, too,¡± Louise replied.¡± Shannon nodded and continued to ask, ¡°Is that maid really sent by Mrs. Francis?¡± 40% 20:09 Louise suddenly remembered that on the day she got injured, she had intended to inquire about the background of Grace. At that moment, Grace hadn¡¯t answered her question, and she ended up injuring her back in the process. Chapter 22 ¡°Later, she forgot about it.¡± Now, thinking back, Grace¡¯s reaction that day did seem quite suspicious. Brian discussed some cooperation matters with Marshall downstairs and then returned to thepany shortly. Before leaving, he sent a text message to Louise. At the Francis Group. Brian had just sat down when he received a call from Melvin. ¡°Mr. Brian, Miss Sherman had a good appetite today. She finished all the soup that was prepared for her.¡± Brian responded with a faint ¡°Hmm¡± and then asked, ¡°How are her feet?¡± ¡°Still the same as usual.¡± Brian furrowed his brow slightly, saying, ¡°Got it,¡± and then hung up the phone. He browsed through the orders he ced on his phone yesterday, and with his slender fingers, he tapped on the review section. He left a negative review without any apanyingments. At around 4:30 in the afternoon, his phone suddenly received a call from the merchant. ¡°Hello, Mr. Brian, this is Seven Star Pharmacy. We noticed that you gave us a negative review. May I inquire about the reason for your dissatisfaction?¡± Brian paused with his fingers on the mouse, then leaned back in his chair and coolly said, ¡°Your medication ispletely ineffective!¡± After saying that, he promptly ended the call. Shortly after, the customer service called again, inquiring whether he had used the product in the correct manner. They emphasized the effectiveness of their medicine, stating that they had never received a negative review before, and Brian was the only customer who had given their store a negative rating. They went on to request him to consider removing the review. Brian responded sarcastically, ¡°If you still want to run a pharmacy, stop bothering with phone calls!¡± Unaware of the identity of Brian, the customer service, under pressure from her manager, dialed his number once again. Brian nced at the caller ID and promptly called in his assistant, Camren. ¡°Acquired the Seven Star Pharmacy on Drake Road,¡± Camren was momentarily stunned, but after confirming with him, he went out to start preparing for the acquisition. A little after 5 o¡¯clock, as Brian nced at the time on the wall and prepared to leave work a bit early, his assistant suddenly walked in. ¡°Mr. Francis, there¡¯s a dinner at 6 PM tonight at the tinum Hyatt Hotel. It¡¯s with Mr. Wilson from Summit Sphere Group and a few executives from the political arena. Brian frowned, and his assistant immediately sensed his reluctance. He said, ¡°Mr. Francis, this cooperation with Summit Sphere Group is quite crucial, a project worth over ten million dors. It¡¯s important for our partnership.¡± Brian, feeling irritable, tugged at his tie. He couldn¡¯t quite exin why, but today, he just wanted to leave work early and head home. After hesitating for a moment, he ultimately returned to his office and sat back down. In the private room on the second floor of the tinum Hyatt Hotel. Brian symbolically raised a few sses with the people at the dining table, and after a short while, he nned to leave. Seeing his intention to leave, Mr. Wilson joked, ¡°Mr. Francis, you¡¯ve be quite domestically controlled by Mrs. Adkins right after announcing the engagement, haven¡¯t you?¡± Brian¡¯s expression remained indifferent. He neither confirmed nor denied the remark. He raised his ss and continued drinking with the others. It would be easier to handle if it were just a cooperation with Mr. Wilson. After all, involving several political figures made it tricky for him to simply walk away. Brian was persuaded to drink quite a bit, and when he finally left, it was already past midnight. this Camren escorted him back, and Brian, with slightly drunk and blurry eyes, nced at his phone screen. There was a missed call from Louise and two text messages, while the rest were irrelevant notifications. As if prompted by a strange impulse, Brian clicked into the sent messages in his inbox. The word ¡°Grace¡±y quietly at the bottom of the list, indicating that thest message sent to her was nearly a month ago. Back then, whenever he came homete, he would always receive messages from her, cautioning him to drink less and inquiring about when he would return. It seemed that she hadn¡¯t sent him any messages since Louise returned. A cold smile yed on the lips of Brian. Grace was indeed a dutiful wife, always attentive and responsible.. Closing his eyes, the face of Grace suddenly shed in his mind, which was cold, stubborn, devoid of the once tender gaze. A sudden wave of difort swept over his chest, and he couldn¡¯t quite fathom why he kept thinking about her tonight. Perhaps, he reasoned with himself, it was the effect of having a bit too much to drink, always seeking someone to stir up trouble. Hence, Brian headed straight to Grace¡¯s room after the car stopped at the vi. Seeing him walking unsteadily, Camren couldn¡¯t help but step forward to support him. ¡°Mr. Francis, are you okay? Let me help you inside!¡± Brian raised his hand in a gesture, signaling him not to follow. Camren watched him enter the living room before driving away. N 48% 20:09 Grace¡¯s door was not locked, and Brian pushed it open directly. He didn¡¯t turn on the lights, but in the faint glow from outside, he saw her lying on her side in bed, seemingly in a deep sleep. Didn¡¯t she used to wait for him in the living room whenever he had social engagements outside in the past? He suddenly felt an impulse to disrupt her peace ruthlessly. He sat abruptly at the edge of the bed, and the not¨Cso¨Csubtle movement startled Grace. She groggily opened her eyes, recognized the figure before her as Brian, and instinctively shifted backward. ¡°How did you get here?¡± Brian leaned forward, effortlessly gripping her chin. ¡°Weren¡¯t you showing a lot of love for me before? Waiting for me no matter howte it was? Now that Louise is back, and you think you don¡¯t stand a chance, you can¡¯t even be bothered to pretend, can you?¡± Grace caught a strong scent of alcohol, feeling a bit nauseous. She frowned deeply and said, ¡®You¡¯re drunk. I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. Why aren¡¯t you with Louise? What are you doing here?¡± ¡°Have you forgotten your current status?¡± Brian pulled her towards him with a swift motion.Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. ¡°No, I¡¯m very sober. I know I¡¯m just a shield you bought, and I won¡¯t have any delusions, Grace replied coldly, meeting his gaze with a hint of pain in her eyes. Inexplicably filled with anger, Brian suddenly lowered his head and fiercely kissed her lips. ¡°Mmm¡­ Let go of me! Grace instinctively struggled. Images of him sweetly embracing Louise shed in her mind, and suddenly, she felt disgusted and ufortable. She didn¡¯t understand. Louise had returned, and he repeatedly imed to love her. Then why was he doing this behind Louise¡¯s back? In Brian¡¯s eyes, Grace¡¯s resistance seemed futile. He effortlessly pressed her down on the bed. A chill ran down Grace¡¯s chest as she realized what he intended to do. She shoved him in horror. ¡°Brian! You can¡¯t do this to me!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t? But you¡¯re still carrying the identity of Mrs. Francis. Why can¡¯t I do this to you?¡± Ban asked in a low voice near her ear Grace, nervous, pleaded, ¡°Don¡¯t! Please don¡¯t do this. I¡­ I¡¯m on my period!¡± Brian froze at her words. Just when Grace thought he might finally let her go, arge hand suddenly moved toward the inside of her thigh. Chapter 23 Grace froze in ce. Brian reached up and, with a snap, turned on the light in the room. Grace suddenly sat up and huddled in the corner. ¡°You dare to deceive me? Who gave you the courage? Don¡¯t want me to touch, huh? Then you want who to touch you? That doctor surnamed Vance?¡± Brian stared at her with eyes as dark as ink. ¡°What¡¯s the matter with Dr. Vance? You¡¯re beingpletely unreasonable!¡± Grace looked at him in disbelief. ¡°Did I say something wrong? If it weren¡¯t for me seeing you two together that day, would you be embracing each other?¡± Grace angrily pushed him away. ¡°You¡¯re drunk! You should go find your Miss Adkins!¡± Brian, already under the influence of alcohol, was unprepared for the sudden shove. It caused his entire body to tilt to one side. At that moment, his gaze fell upon the trash bin on the floor. He squinted his dangerous eyes, got off the bed, and bent down to pick up something from the trash bin. He held it up to her and asked, ¡°What is this?¡± His voice was as cold as an ice cer. Grace saw the medicine bottle in his hand and felt a tremor in her chest, ¡°I¡­ I identally dropped it in there.¡± ¡°Grace, do you think I¡¯m a fool, huh? It¡¯s obvious that this medicine has never been opened!¡± Brian sneered. Grace suddenly felt inexplicably guilty. Brian thought about how he had foolishly given a negative review to the pharmacy today and even considered acquiring it. It made him burn with anger. In a fit of rage, heughed mockingly and reached out with his long arm. He grabbed her wrist and pushed her down onto the bed. Grace screamed and struggled, but Brian quickly removed her clothes in a matter of moments. She felt scared and, in the end, began crying and begging him to let her go. However, the sight of her tears only fueled Brian¡¯s anger, and his actions became even more rough. She closed her eyes in despair. Suddenly, a strange warmth flowed over her body. Terrified, she pushed him away, saying, ¡®Don¡¯t¡­¡± Brian paused in his actions and followed her gaze downwards. Seeing the red liquid, he instantly sobered up and sat up straight. 1 ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why is there bleeding?¡± Grace pulled the thin nket over her body, curled up, and looked at him coldly. ¡°I told you I got my period! You just didn¡¯t believe me!¡± Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. ¡°You¡¯re still lying to me. Your menstrual cycle is in the middle of the month, never beyond the 18th!¡± Grace was slightly stunned, thinking, ¡°He actually remembers my menstrual cycle?¡® But then she quickly realized that she might be discovered as pregnant because of this, and immediately calmed down. She gave a coldugh, climbed out of bed, and looked at him with indifference. ¡°Brian, do you think I¡¯m leading a normal life now? I¡¯m tormented by you day in and day out, and I¡¯ve long suffered from hormonal imbnce!¡± ¡°How so? Taking care of Louise makes you feel like you¡¯re being abused?¡± Brian shed a look in his eyes, then spoke mockingly. Grace saw that he seemed to believe her words, and she secretly breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Brian, if you have a bit of conscience left, you should give me money for treatment instead of making sarcastic remarks here!¡± The mockery on Brian¡¯s face intensified. ¡°Sure enough, now that your true colors are revealed, you know the contract is ending, and you¡¯re hoping to gain something from it, right?¡± Grace felt a pang in her heart. In his eyes, she was just a malicious, scheming, money¨Cgrabbing woman. Since he wanted to think of her that way, she might as well be as bad as he believed. ¡°You¡¯re right! This is my true nature! I forgot to tell you. I¡¯ve been covering all the expenses since taking care of Louise in the hospital. You haven¡¯t given me anything for taxi fares or groceries! She¡¯s your fianc¨¦e, not my responsibility. Shouldn¡¯t her fianc¨¦ settle the bills for her?¡± Brian found it somewhat unbelievable that Grace would speak to him in such a manner. Certainly, she had been pretending all along for the past two years. Feeling disgusted after seeing her true nature, he opened the door, mmed it shut, and left. Grace listened to the loudmotion outside the door as if Brian had kicked something over in the living room. Then came the sound of footsteps going upstairs, followed by a sharp closing of a door, and everything fell silent again. Grace felt her body go weak. In a hurry, she took out her phone and called Justin. After ringing for a while, the call was answered. Grace spoke with a trembling and fearful voice. ¡°Dr. Vance, L¡­ I¡¯m bleeding again. What should I do now?¡± are There was a pause on the other end, then a gentle voice reassured, ¡°Where are you now?¡± ¡°I¡¯m at home.¡± ¡°Is there e anyone who can take you toe out?¡± Grace spoke quivering and helplessly. ¡°No, there¡¯s no one. I¡¯m all alone.¡± ¡°Tell me your home address, and I¡¯lle over immediately to take you for an examination,¡± Dr. Vance said. After providing her address to Justin, Grace instructed him not to park the car directly in front of the main entrance. Justin listened to her instructions. Although he had some questions in his mind, the situation was urgent, so he didn¡¯t ask further. After hanging up the phone, Grace realized it was already past two in the morning. Justin might have been asleep and was awakened by her urgent call. In less than fifteen minutes, Justin called. Grace padded with a sanitary pad, slipped out of the room, and quietly walked out from the back door. Having had the experience of being caught by Brianst time, she dared note out from the front door in the middle of the night again. On the side of the road, a white Aston Martin, with its hazard lights on, was parked. Upon spotting Grace, Justin stood next to the car and quickly approached with determined steps. Justin was still in his pajamas, clearly rushing over immediately after hanging up the phone. Grace didn¡¯t know how to express her gratitude. A doctor going to such lengths for a patient left her feeling that words of thanks seemed insufficient. ¡°Why was there bleeding?¡± Justin started the car and, while driving, inquired. Grace pursed her lips, and with an unnatural expression, she lowered her head. Justin seemed to understand something. He looked straight ahead and continued asking, ¡°Is your stomach hurting?¡± ¡°It was a bit painful at that moment, but it¡¯s not hurting now. There¡¯s a slight bloated feeling,¡± Grace replied. Justin took a deep breath. ¡°Is there still bleeding now?¡± ¡°A little,¡± Grace replied. Justin nodded, and he pressed the elerator slightly harder. At the hospital, after the examination, Grace was hooked up to an IV again. ¡°This time, it¡¯s a bit serious. During the first three months of pregnancy, you absolutely cannot engage in sexual intercourse. Do you understand?¡± Grace awkwardly bit her lip, silently turning her face away. ¡°I¡¯m a doctor. You don¡¯t have to feel embarrassed. Just make sure to take good care of yourself in the future. By the way, this time, it¡¯s necessary for you to be hospitalized for treatment,¡± Justin said with a slight smile. ¡°Hospitalized? For how many days?¡± ¡°Five days,¡± Justin replied. Add MM Seeing her distressed expression, Justin furrowed his brow slightly, bing even more curious about her. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Can¡¯t you stay in the hospital?¡± Justin inquired. Grace thought momentarily and said, ¡°My younger brother is sick, and I have to take care of him.¡± N 47% 20.IQ ¡°Where are your parents?¡± His usually gentle voice took on a touch of coldness. ¡°And your husband? Aren¡¯t they taking care of you?¡± Chapter 24 ¡°Grace, is there something difficult for you to express?¡± ¡°My younger brother is hospitalized, and my parents are too busy taking care of him. They don¡¯t have time to look after me.¡± Grace shook her head. ¡°What about the child¡¯s father?¡± He referred to the child¡¯s father, avoiding using the word ¡®husband¡® this time. ¡°There¡¯s no father. I don¡¯t have a husband, either. I¡¯m just a maid for the Francis family, Grace said, smiling as she touched her t abdomen. Justin couldn¡¯t do anything about it. He knew there were still many things she hadn¡¯t told him, but he was just her attending physician. Her privacy was not something he feltfortable delving into. ¡°Regardless, you must be hospitalized for the sake of your health. If you still want to have the child, find a way to stay in the hospital, understand?¡± After Justin said this and received a nod of agreement from Grace, he left the hospital room. Grace slept peacefully. After drinking so much alcohol tonight, Brian should be asleep by now, and she didn¡¯t have to worry. about himing to find her. Setting an rm for eight in the morning, she woke up and called her younger brother, Carson. Carson was rudely awakened by her call. In a somewhat hostile tone, he asked, ¡°Why are you calling so early? Speak up if you have something important. Otherwise, spare me the nonsense!¡± ¡°Did you stay up ying games against night until the wee hours?¡± Grace¡¯s voice grew stern. ¡°None of your business. Just mind your own business,¡± he retorted, Grace scolded him over the phone, ¡°You don¡¯t want me to care, right? I bet you¡¯ve probably been kicked out of the hospital room by now!¡± ¡°What do you mean? Did Mom call asking for money again? The medical bills Dad gave her must have gone to y cards and lost again!¡± Carson furrowed his brow. Grace exhaled a sigh. In fact, she could also guess the general situation. The incident had already passed, bringing it up again would only cause more trouble for herself. She didn¡¯t pursue the topic further. ¡°I called you because I need your help. If Brian calls you asking about me, just say I¡¯m at your ce taking care of you, okay?¡± Carson didn¡¯t ask for the reason and simply agreed, ¡°Got it.¡± Grace reminded him to y fewer games and then hung up the phone. Speaking of which, Carson was two years younger than her. When they were kids, they often quarrel and fight, but Carson would still listen to Grace. However, perhaps due to illness, he had be a bit rebellious. However, he would still listen to what his sister said, dd MM Not long after Grace hung up the phone, she received a call from Melvin. All of this was within her expectations. ¦² 46% 20:10 ¡°Miss Sherman, where are you? Mr. Brian hasn¡¯t seen you since this morning and is quite worried. He asked me to inquire about your whereabouts, Melvin said. As soon as Melvin finished speaking. Grace heard the displeased voice of Brian on the other end. ¡°Who said I¡¯m worried about her? She disappears early in the morning. Is there no sense of propriety?¡± Melvin awkwardly chuckled on the phone and asked, ¡°Miss Sherman, where are you? Shall Ie to pick you up?¡± ¡°Melvin, please convey to Brian that I¡¯m here taking care of my brother. It might take a few days before I can go back,¡± Grace said with a heavy heart. Melvin had the phone on speaker on his end. Brian sat at the dining table, and upon hearing her words, he furrowed his brow. He sarcastically remarked to himself, ¡°Wasn¡¯t she making a fuss about wanting some rest? Now, suddenly, she has the leisure to take care of a patient?¡± ¡°My brother may not be as noble as Mr. Brian and Miss Adkins, nor does he possess the skill to torment people like you both do!¡± Grace retorted upon hearing his words. Melvin stood by the phone, feeling awkward and unsure what to do. Miss Sherman had indeed be bolder, even daring to retort to Mr. Brian Brian, angered with his temples throbbing, swiftly rose from his chair. He took three brisk steps and reached over to disconnect the call. Sitting back at the dining table again, he found himself unable to eat. He threw the fork aside and asked, ¡°Melvin, who prepared breakfast today?¡± C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. The maid standing nearby hurriedly eximed, ¡°Mr. Brian, I prepared it. Is it not to your liking? What would you like to eat? I¡¯ll make it again.¡± Brian nced at her and coldly said, ¡°No need¡± The meal was exquisitely prepared and appetizing, but it felt like something was missing. After Brian left, the maid trembled and asked Melvin, ¡°Melvin, am I going to have my sry cut?¡± Melvin shook his head and said with a smile, ¡°No, you won¡¯t. Mr. Brian just misses the meals cooked by Miss Sherman.¡± Brian drove with his foot pressing down on the elerator, the car¡¯s interior temperature set to the lowest. Yet, the difort in his chest lingered Recalling the events fromst night, it urred to him that she had not gone to take care of her brother at all. Clearly, she was intentionally avoiding him. MA 46% 20:10 Did she treat him like a beast? Even during her menstruation, she was still no guarded against him. The more Brian thought about it, the angrier he became. He called Carson, only to be informed that Grace had gone to do theundry. ¡°Your sister hasn¡¯t been feeling welltely and is on her period. Did you make her do theundry for you? Are you incapable of doing it yourself?¡± Unable to vent his anger, Brian vented his frustration on Carson with a barrage of criticism. Carson was puzzled. ¡°What is a period?¡± Brian felt like a lump in his throat, unable to speak. Without saying more, he abruptly ended the call with a snap. Carson nced at his phone and called Grace, recounting the entire conversation he had just had with Brian. Grace felt relieved knowing that Brian didn¡¯t suspect her, Just then, she received a notification on her phone about a deposit into her ount. It was Brian who had transferred forty thousand dors to her.. She was a bit surprised. Why would he send money to herself? While still puzzled, she received another message from Brian. (Use the money for medical expenses and taking care of Louise. Don¡¯t use me of mistreating you again.] Grace thought about the conversation fromst night. It turned out he had taken it to heart. Her heart inexplicably skipped a beat, but she promptly tempered her emotions with a dose of reality. ¡°What daydreams am I entertaining now? He just doesn¡¯t want Louise to owe me anything.¡± She thought, pushing aside any unwarranted fantasies. She got up and went outside toplete the hospital admission procedures. Just as she walked into the corridor, she ran into Justin. saw her. ¡°What are you doing? Are you leaving the hospital again? Are you really so reckless? Justin frowned at her as he Grace chuckled. ¡°Dr. Vance, you misunderstood. I¡¯m going to handle the hospital admission procedures.¡± Justin breathed a sigh of relief and handed the items he held to the nurse nearby. ¡°Help me take these back to the office,¡± he said. He continued, addressing Grace. ¡°Go back to your room and lie down. Until the fetal position stabilizes, you are not allowed to get out of bed except to use the restroom. I¡¯ll take care of the hospital admission for you.¡± Justin decisively arranged everything before pushing Grace back to her hospital room. As he arrived at the inpatient department toplete the admission process, the nurse handling the fees made a yful remark. ¡°Wow, which patient is so fortunate to have Dr. Vance personally handle the hospital admission?¡± the nurse quipped. Chapter 25 ¡°Do you not know? A colleague on the night shift yesterday said that Dr. Vance came to bring this patient for treatment in the middle of the night. He was even in his pajamas!¡± Another nurse turned to tell her. ¡°Oh! It seems like this patient has a special identity, huh? Dr. Vance, is there something significant about this?¡± A gentle smile yed on Justin¡¯s face as he said, ¡°Don¡¯t tease me Get back to work, all of you¡± Without acknowledging or denying anything, he left room for everyone¡¯s imagination Afterpleting the hospital admission procedures, Justin returned to the hospital room. It was now nearing noon, and he saw Grace still lying alone in the bed. He asked, ¡°Where are your family members? ¡°No family members. Is it necessary to have them here?¡± Grace shook her head. care Justin pressed his forehead, thinking that she had finally agreed to be hospitalized because someone would take care of her. However, he didn¡¯t expect that she nned to stay in the hospital alone. He asked, ¡°What are you having for lunch?¡± ¡°I just ordered takeout,¡± she replied. ¡°You¡¯re pregnant, do you realize that? Staying in the hospital without anyone to take care of you is one thing, but you¡¯re still ordering takeout! Justin was surprised, his jaw dropping, and at the same time, a trace of concern flickered in his heart Grace smiled: ¡°Do you think I¡¯m pitiful, Dr. Vance? In truth, she had already be ustomed to it ¡°You rest first. I¡¯ll instruct the nurses to keep an eye on you, Justin said helplessly At noon Justin came in with a nutritious meal. He ced the food by the bedside and said, ¡°This is a nutritious meal from the hospital cafeteria. The taste might not be particrly delicious, but it¡¯s rich in nutrients, and cleanliness and hygiene are guaranteed. I¡¯ve ordered five days¡® worth of these meals for you, and someone will deliver them to you every day at noon from now on ¡°Dr. Vance, thank you,¡± Grace said, looking at the hearty lunch. Tears welled up in her eyes, and she looked at him with gratitude Justin took out a tissue and wiped away her tears. Seeing the needle still in her hand, he spoke with a gentle voice, ¡°Let me feed you¡± Grace wasnt used to being fed, especially by her attending physician, Justin. It felt too intimate and inappropriate in this Situation ¡°Dr. Vance, I can manage on my own. You haven¡¯t had lunch, right? Please go and have your meal¡± Grace said, taking the spoon from his hand She scooped up a big bite and put it in her mouth. However, as soon as she ate it, she felt ufortable in her stomach, covering her mouth and desperately trying to endure it Justin swiftly kicked the trash can over, saying, ¡°Don¡¯t hold it in. If you feel like vomiting, just let it out.¡± S SMN M 46% 20:10 Grace couldn¡¯t hold it any longer. Disregarding her image, she bent over the bedside and vomited loudly. Just as the cleaning staff happened toe in to change the garbage bag, watching Grace vomit uncontrobly, she couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Miss, are you pregnant?¡± Grace wiped the corners of her mouth with a tissue and replied, ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°While changing the garbage bag, the cleaning staff said, ¡°You must be around two months pregnant, right? At this time, morning sickness is most severe. I experienced the same when I was pregnant with my daughter. Eating oranges helps. Just eat a few pieces before meals, and it works well.¡± Justin was intrigued by her words. ¡°Oranges?¡± ¡°Yeah, but we can¡¯t find these fruits in Mantos. They are only avable in Lostara. Besides, considering the current weather, I reckon oranges are almost out of season,¡± the cleaning staff said with a smile. She then reced the garbage bag and left. Grace drank a lot of water from her ss, diluting the nauseous feeling in her stomach. Only then did she pick up the spoon again to resume eating. With each bite, she almost held her breath before swallowing. Justin stood by her side, making her feel uneasy. She repeatedly urged him to go back. He had no choice but to leave. Walking back to the office, he took out his phone and made a call, engaging in a conversation with the other person in a not¨Cso¨Cfluentnguage. C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. In the afternoon. Before dinner, Justin suddenly walked in carrying a bag. Grace looked at the contents. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°Oranges.¡± Justin ced the items on the table and handed her a few. Grace suddenly remembered the cleaning staff¡¯s words from noon and looked at him in surprise. ¡°Did you buy these? Where did you get them? There shouldn¡¯t be any here in Mantos, right?¡± ¡°A friend helped ship these over. Dinner is almost ready. Try eating these and see if they help after you finish,¡± Justin said casually. Grace looked at him, unsure of how to express her gratitude. Seeing her remain still for a while, he asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Don¡¯t feel like eating?¡± Grace shook her head, resisting the urge to cry. She peeled an orange and took a bite. It was quite sour, but the more sour it was, the more she wanted to eat. The sour feeling was even more intense, as it had been far too long since someone had cared for her and looked after her. dd MM Tears finally couldn¡¯t be held back and began to fall. -2 Why ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Why are you crying?¡± Justin asked anxiously. ¡°Dr. Vance, try one, and you¡¯ll understand why I¡¯m crying,¡± Grace said with a smile. *UAN 46% 20:10 Seeing her smile, Justin felt relieved. He shook his head in mock disapproval and said, ¡°I heard from my friend that these are very sour. I won¡¯t eat them.¡± Grace¡¯s morning sickness did really get much better. Justin had arranged for a lot of it to be shipped, filling an entire refrigerator and providing enough for her meals during the five days of hospitalization. The news about Justin shipping fruits for Grace, arranging her hospitalization, and all the other things spread throughout the hospital. The nurses who secretly admired him were all heartbroken, and only the nurse who took care of Grace that day hurried to her hospital room. The young nurse, candid and straightforward, looked at her disapprovingly. ¡°Aren¡¯t you married and pregnant? Why are you persistently entangled with Dr. Vance?¡± Grace was momentarily taken aback by her words but quickly realized that the young nurse had a crush on Justin. She smiled and said, ¡°Yes, I am married. Dr. Vance and I are just friends.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t believe it!¡± Grace smiled and asked, ¡°Do you like Dr. Vance?¡± ¡°Who doesn¡¯t like Dr. Vance? Don¡¯t you also like him?¡± ¡°Young girl, admitting that you like Dr. Vance is brave, but you should be even braver to pursue him. A man as wonderful as Dr. Vance is hard to find, and if you don¡¯t chase after him, are you going to wait for him to drop into yourp?¡± The young nurse looked distressed. ¡°Dr. Vance is gentle and kind to everyone. The more so, the harder he is to pursue.¡± In Grace¡¯s eyes, the young nurse seemed like a naive girl. After offering her some encouragement, the nurse regained her determination to pursue Dr. Vance. The young nurse had initiallye to question her, but no matter how she looked at Grace, she found her difficult to dislike. Having stayed in the hospital for two days, Grace received a call from Melvin. ¡°Miss Sherman, is your health okay? Mr. Brian hasn¡¯t returned home since you left,¡± Melvin inquired over the phone. Grace asked in confusion, ¡°Melvin, why are you calling me if he¡¯s noting home? He¡¯s not a child. If he¡¯s not at home, he¡¯s probably with Miss Adkins. What are you worried about?¡± ¡°No, he is not with Miss Adkins. Today, she even called to ask how Mr. Brian¡¯s been thesest few days,¡± Melvin rified. Grace fell silent for a moment and then asked, ¡°So, what are you implying?¡± ¡°Miss Sherman, could you please call Mr. Brian and check on him?¡± Chapter 26 ¡°Melvin Duncan, perhaps having Miss Adkins make the call might be better. The way you put it seems to imply that his absence is somehow my fault, Grace Sherman remarked, finding Melvin¡¯s perception of her Influence somewhat. overstated. She chuckled self¨Cdeprecatingly. ¡°Isn¡¯t it because of you? That night, he argued with you, and the next morning, he called you. You managed to upset him again. Just think about it: Mr. Brian rarely loses his temper with anyone. It¡¯s only you¡­ Grace interjected, ¡°Melvin, please stop. His absence couldn¡¯t possibly be because of me. Bealdes, I haven¡¯t been home these past few days, so even if he were to return, he wouldn¡¯t find me there. Please don¡¯t worry about It.¡± After saying this, she ended the call abruptly. However, despite everything, her mind couldn¡¯t settle down, and she wondered, ¡°Brian didn¡¯t return home, nor did he go to see Louise Adkins. So, where did he go? Did he spend the whole day sleeping at thepany?¡± At Francis Group Brian did indeed stay at thepany. Firstly, it was due to the recent workload piling up. The project with the Summit Sphere Group was about to kick off, and as it was a significant project, he oversaw its progress. Secondly, he didn¡¯t find it appealing to return because he realized no one was home. In fact, on the second day after Grace left, he returned home. In the dead of night, the entire vi felt eerily vacant. The living room engulfed inplete darkness made him suddenly ufortable, a peculiar sense of restlessness creeping into his mind. Suddenly, he remembered how, over the past two years, Grace would wait for him no matter howte it got. But now,ing back to an empty house, the sudden dislike he felt made him anxious. ¡°It¡¯s not a good habit,¡® he thought. ¡°Grace has less than three months left before leaving. I need to break this habit. ¡®No, without Grace, there¡¯s Louise. I¡¯ll spend my life with Louise from now on, and this home won¡¯t feel deste. That very night, he departed. Brian received a phone call from Louise, who softly and tenderly confided her longing for him. ¡°Brian, I heard from Melvin that you haven¡¯t been home these days. Is that true?¡± ¡°Yeah, thepany has been quite busy these days, so I haven¡¯t gone back,¡± Brian said in a detached tone over the phone while smoking. ¡°Brian, it hurts to see you working so hard. Is there anything I can do to help you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, once I¡¯m done with this busy period, I¡¯lle to pick you up.¡± Brian listened to her sweet voice, yet inside, he remained calm without much emotion. Listening to his calm and indifferent voice, Louise suddenly felt something was amiss. MA * UN46% 20:11 It¡¯s been five days since she left, yet his voice sounded indifferent. ¡°Could it be that over these five days, he hasn¡¯t missed me at all?¡® she thought. She sensed a hint of danger. But since Brian had already said so, she couldn¡¯t press him further toe pick her up; it would make her seem too desperate. After hanging up the phone, Louise pondered momentarily and sought help from Marshall Adkins in the study. ¡°Dad¡± Louise called out sweetly. ¡°Louise, you¡¯re here.¡± Marshall immediately set aside his work upon seeing her and smiled warmly. ¡°What brings you to me, dear?¡± ¡°Dad, the other day when Brian dropped me off, we didn¡¯t get a chance to have a meal together. Since our families have been in a marital alliance for some time, we haven¡¯t officially shared a meal. Would you consider taking some time to invite Brian for a meal? We could also discuss potential project coborations. What do you think?¡± Louise sat beside him, linking her arm with his, speaking sweetly. Marshall felt that his daughter was quite perfect, contemting everything. He also found her earlier suggestion quite reasonable. Therefore, he immediately agreed, ¡°My daughter is thoughtful. So, when do you think would be suitable?¡± *Instead of picking a day, why not just do it today?¡± she replied. ¡°Alright, then Dad will call Brian right away Louise smiled with satisfaction. Marshall was an elder figure, and Brian wouldn¡¯t easily refuse his request. She waited in the study for her father to make the call. When she heard that Brian agreed, she left the room contentedly. The dinner will be held at the Serenity Pce Hotel. All the members of the Adkins family had gathered, and even Ava Adkins had returned home. Ava was still attending college; this was the first time she had seen Louise since returning. Why did a sister suddenly appear out of nowhere? And now, my father is trying to arrange for her to marry Brian Francis! ¡°On what grounds?¡® Ava thought. When Louise walked in, her entire expression fell, Louise could sense Ava¡¯s hostility toward her but ignored it. She confidently walked over and sat beside her. ¡°Ava, I¡¯m your sister, but you can call me Louise directly,¡± she said. Ava showed no courtesy at all, pushing aside the gift she had been given. Louise paused briefly, maintaining her graceful smile, and good¨Cnaturedly picked up the item from the floor. CS ¦Ò MM ¡°You little rascal, she¡¯s your sister! Do you know how much she suffered outside all these years?¡± Marshall Adkins mmed the table in anger. ¡°Why does she get to marry Brian? Why? I¡¯m your daughter, too! How could you only think about her and not me?¡± Ava was furious, her temper ring. Because Louise, her father, was so harsh to her, she yelled in frustration, feeling utterly indignant. Marshall was fuming, his face red with anger, and he stood up, looking like he was about to go over and hit her. Louise hurriedly intervened, ¡°Dad, please don¡¯t be angry. Ava didn¡¯t mean it on purpose.¡± ¡°You better hold your tongue and consider the asion! Don¡¯t say another word!¡± Ava¡¯s mother, Shannon Adkins, forcefully pulled her to sit back down. ¡°Mom, you¡¯re even siding with that woman, Louise Adkins?¡± Ave looked at her in disbelief. Just then, Brian Francis pushed the door open and entered. Upon seeing him, Marshall¡¯s expression stiffened. He was sure that Brian had overheard their conversation just now. He quickly forced a smile to diffuse the situation. ¡°Brian, sorry for the scene. Come, sit over here.¡± Brian¡¯s expression remained inscrutable as he nodded, moving to take a seat. Louise sat beside him, disying attentiveness throughout the meal by serving him food and pouring wine. Seated across from them, Ava was infuriated by the intimacy between Louise and Brian, feeling so enraged that she could almost crush her teeth in anger. But with Brian¡¯s presence, she didn¡¯t dare to explode in anger. Louise had also had a few drinks that evening. After the dinner ended, with a slightly flushed face, she leaned on Brian. Taking advantage of the alcohol, she coyly expressed, ¡°Brian, I miss you so much. I haven¡¯t been able to sleep well these past few days without you¡­¡± ¡°As daughters grow up, they be hard to hold onto. Brian, why don¡¯t you take her back with you?¡± Marshall remarked with a wide grin, observing the inseparable bond between the two. ¡°Alright, then I¡¯ll take Louise home first. Please take care on your way back.¡± Brian gently put his arm around her shoulders, showing no objection to Marshall¡¯s suggestion. The car arrived at the vi, and Louise pretended to be tipsy, leaning askew against Brian, yfully urging him to carry her to her room. Brian caught the strong scent of perfume emanating from her, causing a faint furrow in his brow. Nevertheless, he maintained aposed expression and carried her back to her room. ¡°Brian, don¡¯t go¡­ Stay with me tonight, okay?¡± dText ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. Chapter 27 Louise Adkins felt like she had thrown caution to the wind tonight. She had lived here for over half a month, yet Brian Francis had never touched her. Although Brian meant to wait until after marriage to touch her, these days, she had a lingering worry; it might be better to make things official sooner rather thanter. She couldn¡¯t believe that despite her intentionally alluring demeanor tonight, he managed to maintain self¨Crestraint. Brian¡¯s brow slightly furrowed, yet his gaze remained indifferent without the slightest change. ¡°Brian¡­¡± Louise seized the opportunity to hook her arm around his neck, her eyes zed as she leaned towards him. Brian remained motionless, yet his body visibly tensed for a moment. ¡°Louise, you still have a wound on your waist. It¡¯s easy to strain it like this.¡± His voice was calm, devoid of any hint of desire, as if his sole concern was for her waist injury. ¡°Don¡¯t leave, stay with me¡­ Brian, don¡¯t you want me?¡± Louise disregarded all boundaries and clung to him. Moving closer, she used a seductive tone, ¡®Brian, please don¡¯t go, okay?¡± ¡°Louise, you¡¯ve had too much to drink,¡± Brian¡¯s gaze darkened as he grabbed her wrist. Louise¡¯s heart sank, she thought, ¡®Drank too much? ¡®So, he still refuses to sleep with me?¡® He forcibly removed her hand from himself, cing it on the bed, and tucked her in with the nket. ¡°I¡¯ll stay here with you. Go to sleep.¡± C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. Having been handled this way, Louisecked the courage to push further, it would only make her appear undignified. Seeing she hadn¡¯t opened her eyes, Brian sat for a while before getting up and quietly leaving, treading lightly. Louise opened her clear eyes as the faint sound of the door closing echoed. After showering, Briany in bed but couldn¡¯t fall asleep for a long time. He couldn¡¯t fathom why, even though he hadn¡¯t slept well in the past few days at the office, tonight was no different despite returning home. After tossing and turning for two hours, Brian got up, went downstairs to the liquor cab, grabbed a bottle of alcohol, and took a big gulp straight from the bottle. The intense alcohol spread down his throat, yet he seemed oblivious to the taste as he gulped down anotherrge mouthful. Soon enough, he had managed to consume nearly half of the alcohol in the bottle. His eyes appeared somewhat hazy, yet his mind seemed to sharpen further amidst the alcohol haze. DEE JM M M 45% 20:11 Brian stood up, intending to head back to his room to rest, but his steps, as if under some mysterious influence, veered toward the direction of the first¨Cfloor corridor. As he pushed open that door, suddenly he snapped out of it; he thought, ¡®Why on earth had I ended up in Grace Sherman¡¯s room?¡® Goodness gracious! Brian was about to close the door when he noticed the medicine bottle on the floor. He had picked it up from the trash can that night. It seemed that after their argument that day, she had left without tidying up her room. The nketsy haphazardly on the bed, and he could almost envision her struggling against him, resisting with all her might as if it had just happened. The fragments shing through his mind ignited a faint anger within him. Suddenly, he strode forward and forcefully yanked her belongings from the bed, throwing them onto the floor before storming out and mming the door shut. Hismotion startled the nearby butler, Melvin Duncan. Melvin got up, came out, and saw Brian heading toward the living room, seeming to know what had transpired. ¡°Mr. Brian, if you¡¯re missing Miss Sherman, just bring her back.¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Brian¡¯s brow furrowed, and his expression darkened as he looked at him. ¡°Didn¡¯t you just go to Miss Sherman¡¯s room? If you miss her, take the initiative to bring her back. She¡¯ll be delighted,¡± Melvin replied. Brian chuckled coldly ¡°Melvin, are you trying to read my mind now?¡± ¡°Not at all,¡± ¡°Not at all,¡± Melvin hastily replied, feeling flustered. ¡°I have no feelings for Grace Sherman, and in the future, Melvin, mind your own business! This is the second time I¡¯ve warned you!¡± Brian dered sternly Melvin watched his departing figure, not daring to say anything further. He walked towards Grace¡¯s room, turned the doorknob, and found the bedsheets all over the floor. Melvin sighed, squatting to gather the bedsheets and taking them to theundry room. Pouring Grace¡¯s preferred detergent into the washing machine and starting it, he sighed again, muttering to himself, ¡°Young people nowadays, why are they so ambiguous in their words and actions? ¡°Neither of them can pretend not to care.¡± The next day, Brian got up early and went to thepany. Louise Adkins got up and nced at his bedroom, recalling the scene fromst night where she had desperately tried to entice him, but he remained unaffected. Her fingers clenched the door handle tightly, the tips turning white as she took a deep breath. M M MA 45% 20:11 ¡°It¡¯s fine, she thought, st night was because I was drunk. Starting today, I¡¯ll act like nothing fromst night ever happened.¡± She remained graceful and polsed in front of Brian Francis, the Louise Adkins as always. After having her meal, she noticed Melvin Duncan, the butler, outside hanging clothes to dry. Louise walked over. ¡°Melvin, did Grace Sherman mention when she¡¯ll be back?¡± ¡°Miss Adkins, I¡¯m not aware of that either, Melvin replied respectfully, pausing his actions. A gentle breeze blew by, and suddenly, Louise caught a whiff of a fragrance in the air. Her expression paused, and she looked at the bedsheets before her, walking closer to them to sniff the fabric carefully. She thought, ¡®Howe this scent is so familiar?¡® ¡°Melvin, whose bedsheets are these?¡± she asked. A glint of sharpness shed in her eyes, and Melvin swiftly considered his response before replying, ¡°I brought out the bedsheets, Miss Adkins. Is something the matter?¡± Louise furrowed her brow. ¡°It¡¯s nothing: I just find the scent very familiar. Melvin, what kind ofundry detergent do you use? It smells a lot like perfume.¡± ¡°Oh, I can¡¯t recall the brand. Miss Adkins, perhaps the familiar scent is because asionally Mr. Brian¡¯s clothes are also washed with this detergent,¡± Melvin responded. With Melvin¡¯s exnation, Louise finally recalled that she had smelled this fragrance on Brian during their previous encounter. ¡®So, it wasn¡¯t perfume, butundry detergent after all, she thought. Louise felt relieved. During this period, she had been resting, and the progress of the decoration in their new house had been forced to halt. Louise realized that she would be getting married in just over two months, and the urgency toplete the decoration of their new house swiftly struck her. Louise had scheduled a meeting with the designer further to discuss the decoration ns for the second floor. Grace Sherman was ready for discharge from the hospital. Justin Vance apanied her toplete the discharge procedures, advising her on some pregnancy precautions. He arranged for a car to drop her off at the hospital entrance. During her days at the hospital, she felt both liberated and rxed. She was starting to feel reluctant to return home. She intentionally called Melvin to inquire whether Louise was at home. If she was, Grace nned to dy her return until the evening, aiming to avoid encountering them for one more day. Melvin informed her that nobody was at home, prompting her to instruct the driver to start the car and return. Soon, the car arrived at the Francis estate. Spotting her from a distance, Melvin set aside his tasks and greeted her. ¡°Miss Sherman, you¡¯ve finally returned.¡± 45% 20: Grace noticed the bedsheets in the courtyard and asked, ¡°Melvin, why did you wash all of my bedsheets?¡± Melvin smiled and replied, ¡°I didn¡¯t know when you would return. Worried they might gather too much dust if left for long. I washed them for you. By the way, Miss Adkins seems sensitive to the scent of yourundry detergent. She asked me about whose bedsheets they were.¡± Chapter 28 Melvin Duncan recounted the incident to Grace Sherman. After Grace listened, a sudden pang gripped her heart, indicating that Louise Adkins suspected her identity. After expressing gratitude to Melvin, Grace returned to her room. Not long after, there was a sudden knock on the door. Thinking it might be Melvin, Grace opened the door. Upon seeing the figure standing at the door, Grace was taken aback. ¡°How did youe back?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong? This is my home. Why wouldn¡¯t Ie back?¡± Brian Francis expressed displeasure at her reaction. Grace parted her lips as if to speak, contemting her words, but in the end, she merely replied with an ¡°Oh.¡± Seeing him still standing at the doorway, she inquired, ¡°Is there something you need?¡± The man stared at her face for a few seconds. Not having seen her for five days, she seemed to have a betterplexion than before, with a bit more flesh on her face, suggesting she hadn¡¯t been doing much physical work at her brother¡¯s ce. ¡°Nothing much, just asking about your brother¡¯s health, he replied. Grace paused momentarily, then chuckled, ¡°Mr. Brian, this is the first time you¡¯ve shown concern for my brother¡¯s health.¡± ¡°What? Are you implying that I don¡¯t care enough about your family?¡± Brian¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°No, how could I dare? Thanks to you, my brother is doing fine. Right now, I hope that our contract, as promised, ends on time. That way, my brother¡¯s health could start getting better.¡± Upon hearing her mention the contract, Brian felt an inexplicable sense of annoyance weighing on his mind. However, Grace didn¡¯t provide him with further opportunities for trouble. She issued a dismissal, ¡°It¡¯s alright, I¡¯ll rest for now. Goodbye.¡± She promptly shut the door. Suddenly, Brian felt a surge of suppressed anger, ¡°What¡¯s with this woman¡¯s attitude?¡® he pondered. Thinking about how he dropped his work and rushed back upon receiving Melvin¡¯s call, only to face her cold gaze, he felt foolish about his actions. Brian, infuriated, forcefully pounded on her door. ¡°Grace,e out!¡± Grace impatiently swung the door open. ¡°What¡¯s wrong now?¡± ¡°Are you irritated?¡± Brain remarked. ¡°No, do you have something to say? Please say it all at once,¡± she replied. ¡°Adjust your attitude, Grace. Do you still want the money?¡± dd M M Upon hearing his threatening words, Grace immediatelyposed herself but silently cursed him in her heart. ¡°Come with me to the study,¡± he demanded. Grace, resembling a robot, obediently followed behind him, entering the study. The man sat at the desk, turned on theputer, and started typing away. Grace sat nearby, casually picking up a book to pass the time. Brian¡¯s gaze fell upon her, pausing until her flipping through the book startled him, causing him to withdraw his attention abruptly. The mouse moved across the desktop a few times, and shortly after, several sheets of paper emerged from the printer. Grace set down the book she was holding and looked towards him. *The divorce agreement, take a look first,¡± Brian said, walking over and handing her the sheets of paper. Grace¡¯s heart was stabbed with sudden pain upon hearing this She slowly extended her hand and took the divorce agreement. Though merely a few light sheets of paper, it felt as if the weight of it made it impossible for her to lift her hand. It was better; she could get used to this feeling in advance. When the day came to leave, it wouldn¡¯t hurt anymore. Suppressing the heartache within her, Grace earnestly read through the words on the document. In addition to the 600 thousand dors, the agreement also included a gift of a set ofmercial property and a residential property for her. She wouldn¡¯t have epted the house in the past, but things were different now. Considering her future of raising a child alone, having a ce to live meant she wouldn¡¯t have to worry about amodation issues. Grace bowed her head low as Brian towered over her, yet he couldn¡¯t discern her expression. Seeing her not lifting her head for a while, Brian sarcastically remarked, ¡°What¡¯s this? Do you have any objections to this divorce agreement? If you have any, feel free to voice them now.¡± ¡°No objections,¡± she murmured. For some reason, Brian felt her voice was ethereal, almost elusive and intangible. ¡°Mr. Brian, you¡¯re so generous. Apart from the 600 thousand dors, you¡¯ve also given me two property sets. I¡¯m overjoyed. and ready to sign right away.¡± After speaking, she stood up, retrieved a pen from the desk, and meticulously signed her name. Her handwriting was neat, yet it took almost all of her strength to do so. ¡°Is it done?¡± she asked. Brian looked into her eyes and suddenly felt regretful for his actions, Subconsciously ignoring emotions he shouldn¡¯t have, he sarcastically remarked, ¡°I thought you were so dignified. Back then, when I gave you bags and jewelry, you never used them. Now it seems it was all an act.¡± Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. He initially assumed that, given her personality, she wouldn¡¯t ept the houses. Proudly turning away, he expected her to decline. However, her response caught him off guard. It turns out he had been mistaken in belleving that he truly understood her. Grace suppressed her heartache and smiled, saying, ¡°You¡¯re right. Since it¡¯s a gift from Mr. Brian, there shouldn¡¯t be a reason to take it back, right?¡± Brian¡¯s lips curved into a mocking smirk. ¡°We¡¯ll see about your performance.¡± He mmed the door and stormed off, leaving Grace exhaustedly slumped onto the chair. In the afternoon. Louise Adkins returned, and as soon as she stepped in, she noticed Grace¡¯s shoes by the door. She nced around and spotted Melvin Duncan. ¡°Has Grace returned?¡± ¡°Yes, Miss Adkins. She just returned today,¡± he replied. Louise curved her lips into a smile, yet her eyes remained devoid of warmth. She walked up to the door of Grace¡¯s room and knocked. Upon hearing Louise¡¯s voice, Grace napped and woke up with a slight headache. She instantly became alert and got up, enduring the headache, to open the door. ¡°Miss Adkins, you¡¯re back, she greeted. ¡°Grace, you¡¯re finally back! I missed you so much!¡± Louise eximed, affectionately taking hold of her hand. Grace awkwardly withdrew her hand, saying, ¡°Thank you for thinking of me, Miss Adkins.¡± ¡°You have no idea how ipetent my maid is. They managed to make the health¨Cboosting broth from the recipe taste terrible. My back injury hasn¡¯t healed properly, so could you please help me stew some nourishing wellness broth?¡± Louise added. Grace¡¯s gaze lowered, fixating on Louise¡¯s shoes. She nced up and remarked, ¡°Miss Adkins, your back hadn¡¯t fully recovered yet. Were you still wearing high heels when going out?¡± ¡°Limited options; I didn¡¯t intend to wear these. It¡¯s just the only pair avable at home,¡± Lobise said, her expression unchanged. Quickly shifting the topic, she continued, ¡°By the way, speaking of the back injury, I have a follow¨Cup check¨Cup at the hospital tomorrow; please apany me.¡± Grace pursed her lips and nodded. ¡°Sure, Miss Adkins, you should go rest. I¡¯ll call you when the meal is ready.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Louise shed a bright smile at her, then turned away, departing. Grace felt an overwhelming tightness in her chest, feeling panicked. Brian Francis angered her in the morning, and in the afternoon, Louise returned, instructing her to do this and that. She couldn¡¯t exin it, as she usually had a good temperament, but today, she felt highly irritable, with an urge to explode. She stepped outside the courtyard to catch some air, calming her emotions. Afterward, she returned to the kitchen to prepare the meal. The next day. Brian had arranged a driver for Louise, and the two went to the hospital together Having escorted Louise to the examination room, Grace made her way to a chair around the corner and settled in briety Suddenly, a gentle voice reached her ears, saying, ¡°Grace Chapter 29 When Grace Sherman looked up, she spotted Justin Vance in a white coat. He had donned a pair of gold¨Crimmed sses that day, giving him a more schrly andposed appearance. She instinctively stood up. ¡°Dr. Vance.¡± ¡°Why did youe to the hospital today? Is something bothering you again?¡± Justin nced at her with a hint of nervousness in his voice. Grace shook her head. ¡°No, I¡¯m here to apany Miss Adkins for her medical check¨Cup. It took Justin a moment to recall who Miss Adkins referred to.. ¡°How about you? How¡¯s your health? Has the morning sickness improved recently? Have you been taking the prescribed medication on time?¡± Listening to his string of questions, Grace couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡°No issues at all. I¡¯m doing fine. I¡¯ll come for a check- up after finishing the medication. How about you? Been busytely?¡± ¡°Grace!¡± A sharp, high¨Cpitched voice suddenly interrupted her. Louise Adkins walked up to the two of them, her gaze shifting between the pair before she smiled and asked, ¡°What are you chatting about with Dr. Vance? Seems like such a cheerful conversation.¡± ¡°Dr. Vance just casually inquired about your condition,¡± Grace replied, suppressing herughter. ¡°Is that so? I appreciate your concern, Dr. Vance, Louise nced at Justin, smiling with an ambiguous meaning. Grace feared Louise might suspect something and urged, ¡°Have you finished your examination? Once you¡¯re done, let¡¯s leave.¡± Louise nodded, bid farewell to Justin, and then they left together. Brian Francis got off work rtively early today. Louise approached him when he returned, resembling a wife weing her husband, gently untying his tie. As for what happenedst night, it seemed like it hadn¡¯t urred. The man stepped into the living room, his gaze subconsciously scanning the space. Catching sight of a busy figure in the kitchen, his eyes paused slightly. Louise didn¡¯t notice his subtle movement; she took his hand and sat down with him on the sofa. Showing today¡¯s examination report to Brian, he nced briefly and calmly remarked, ¡®Recovery is going well.¡± ¡°When I¡¯ve fully recovered, shall we go and finish taking our wedding photos? Last time, because of Grace¡¯s sudden fainting, we didn¡¯t manage toplete the photo shoot,¡± Louise suggested. Brian nodded slightly and replied, ¡°Okay.¡± At that moment, the sound of something falling in the kitchen caught their attention, prompting Brian to stand up instinctively. He walked to the kitchen doorway and found Grace picking up something from the floor. Grace happened to look up, meeting his gaze. Brian¡¯s mind shed back to the way she had returned yesterday. When she had just returned, herplexion was rosy, and she appeared lively and beautiful. It had only been a day, yet he couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that she seemed worn out now. Grace apologized briefly, then turned around and focused on her tasks. Louise gazed at Brian¡¯s face and quietly clenched her fists. ¡°Melvin!¡± Brian suddenly called out. ¡°Mr. Brian, what can I do for you?¡± Melvin Duncan promptly entered upon hearing Brian¡¯s call. ¡°Arrange for two maids to go in and work,¡± Brian instructed. Grace looked at him in surprise, only to be met by a cold re from Brian. ¡°Clumsy and inept, can¡¯t do anything right,¡± he said sharply. Grace was dumbfounded. Soon, two maids arrived to help. Grace was quickly forced to make room and leave because the kitchen couldn¡¯t amodate three people. Louise and Brian were seated close together on the couch, sharing an embrace, yet the sight felt piercing to her eyes. She silently walked back to her room. While Louise leaned against Brian¡¯s shoulder, watching TV, the corner of her eye remained observant of the man¡¯s expressions beside her. After dinner, Brian went to his study, and Louise, as usual, stayed by his side to apany him. ¡°Brian, do you remember Dr. Vance from the Southside Hospital?¡± Brian kept his gaze on theputer screen without looking up and casually asked, ¡°Which Dr. Vance?¡± ¡°One of my attending physicians when I was hospitalized, Justin Vance, Dr. Vance, the young one,¡± she rified. ¡°No recollection,¡± Brian replied without raising his head. ¡°Today, when Grace apanied me to the hospital, we met Dr. Vance. It seemed like they had a good rtionship, chatting quite happily,¡± Louise continued, watching his face. ¡°Dr. Vance?¡± Brian finally lifted his head from the screen and looked at her. Louise felt a sudden drop in her heart. She thought, ¡®Grace indeed held a different ce in his heart. Perhaps he couldn¡¯t bear seeing her do chores when she was in the kitchen earlier, deliberately finding an excuse to have the maid cook instead?¡± Having these thoughts, Louise clenched her teeth inwardly. Louise continued to wear a smile on her face and gently added, ¡°Yeah, do you remember now? He seems to have a good. rtionship with Grace. Given her family background, it wouldn¡¯t be bad if she could be with Dr. Vance, don¡¯t you think?¡± Brian remained expressionless, but his gaze appeared noticeably colder than before. He buried himself in his work again and coldly stated, ¡°Not interested in knowing.¡± C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. Louise fell silent for a moment, feeling disheartened halfway. Why would he ask another question if he genuinely wasn¡¯t interested in knowing? It seemed that Grace was not someone who could stay. Brian stared at theputer screen but couldn¡¯t focus on a single word. After half an hour, he closed theputer. ¡°Are you tired? Let me take you to bed,¡± he said. ¡°Okay,¡± Louise replied, The next day. Louise kindly invited Grace for breakfast, disying warmth and generosity. Grace had no reason to refuse and reluctantly. apanied her for the meal. But Grace had a feeling that there was something specific that Louise wanted to talk to her about. Halfway through the meal, Louise asked, ¡°Grace, we¡¯re starting renovating our new house today. Could youe and supervise for meter?¡± She used an open¨Cended question, yet her tone sounded more like a statement. Renovation can produce formalin, and I¡¯m pregnant. What if the child develops abnormalities? She couldn¡¯t outright refuse her, so after thinking for a moment, she responded, ¡°I don¡¯t have any expertise in renovations. I fear I might not be suitable for this task, especially considering it¡¯s your and Mr. Brian¡¯s new house. Perhaps it¡¯s better to hire a professional. What do you think?¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright, I trust you. The renovationpany I found is quite reliable. It would be best if you oversaw it,¡± she said. ¡°After the meal, I¡¯ll have the driver take you there,¡± Louise arranged for her quite straightforwardly, leaving no room for further refusal. An hourter, Grace was dropped off at the vi¡¯s entrance. Currently, there¡¯s no electricity or running water. There aren¡¯t any fans, and there¡¯s nowhere to sit inside the house. The workers, exhausted, are resting by sitting on the floor. While stationed indoors, Grace couldn¡¯t help but notice the substantial build¨Cup of dust around her. At this moment, the weather was scorching hot. Even though the house wasn¡¯t directly exposed to the sun, it felt stiflingly hot, akin to being inside a steamer, Louise intermittently asked for photos and videos to check the progress of the construction. Therefore, Grace couldn¡¯t M wander far and had to stay at the vi the whole time. By the time noon arrived and the workers paused for their lunch break, her legs had swollen considerably from the extended duration of standing. After lunch, Grace went to the supermarket, picking up a petite stool. The simple act of acquiring a spot to rest transformed the remainder of her afternoon into a somewhat more tolerable experience. c M D Chapter 30 However, soon, she realized she had been mistaken. She quickly discovered her error. By around five in the afternoon, mosquitoes from the bushes outside the vi started flying in as the sun descended In less than a minute, her legs were covered in mosquitoes, densely packed, and she couldn¡¯t fend them off no matter how much she swatted. Those workers wore long sleeves and pants, causing almost all the mosquitoes to swarm around Grace Sherman, leaving her the sole target for their bites. She had to stand up and walk around, yet the mosquitoes continued to chase after her. Finally, it reached six o¡¯clock, but the workers showed no sign of wrapping up for the day. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s already six o¡¯clock, why aren¡¯t you guys finishing work?¡± One of the workers installing wires said, ¡°Youngdy, Miss Adkins said this is a new house, and they must move in quick, so we have to work overtime until eight o¡¯clock every day.¡± ¡°Eight o¡¯clock¡± Grace gasped in disbelief. She thought, Isn¡¯t that practically killing me? C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. At Francis Group. Brian Francis looked at the message on his phone; his expression darkened to the extreme. The phone disyed a picture of Justin Vance and Grace strolling in the small garden outside the hospital. Grace had at radiant smile as she gazed at him affectionately One of the nurses at their hospital took this photo and shared it with their nursing group. Brian had a friend in the Cardiology Department at Southside Hospital. After hearing what Louise Adkins saidst night, he inquired whether ce had any romantic involvement with someone As a result, his friend sent him this photo. He stared at Grace¡¯s smiling face in the photo, wishing he could pull her out of the screen and viciously tear apart her smile. afternoon. Growing increasingly furious, he left the office at five in the after When he arrived home, Grace wasn¡¯t there. Louise kept pulling him to discuss the ns for starting a studio, and he never had the chance to ask where Grace was After dinner, with still no sight of Grace, he couldn¡¯t resist asking. ¡°Where¡¯s Grace?¡± ¡°The vi¡¯s renovation started today, and I asked her to supervise. Is something the matter? Do you need to find her for something?¡± Louise nced at him and said calmly. URN 43 20:12 Brian¡¯s heart skipped a beat for a moment. He thought, ¡®On such a hot day, with no electricity there yet and no air conditioning, why hasn¡¯t she returned by this time?¡± Seeing his confusion, Louise took the initiative to exin, ¡°I was afraid the renovation wouldn¡¯t be finished on time, so I asked the workers to do an extra two hours of overtime. Brian, do you have something urgent to talk to her about?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing. My mother wanted me to ask her about something.¡± Brian replied. Louise let out a slow ¡°Oh but internally harbored doubts about what he had just said. Brian nced at the time on his watch, it was already past 6 o¡¯clock. Just then, his phone rang, and he stepped outside to answer the call. He returned to the living room and said to Louise, ¡°There¡¯s an urgent matter at thepany. I need to go back.¡± Louise began to say something, perhaps intending to offer to apany him, but before she could, he had already briskly departed. Soon enough, his car drove away. Louise clenched her fists silently. ¡®Hopefully, he truly went to thepany, she thought. Bnan drove to the newly purchased vi. The sky was nearly dark, yet the workers continued their overtime, hustling at the construction site. Grace paced back and forth inside, asionally gesturing with her hands while walking around. Brian frowned. As soon as he stepped in, he could hear the buzzing sound of mosquitoes. Upon hearing footsteps, Grace turned around and saw Brian with a stern expression. ¡°Howe you¡¯re here?¡± Grace paused in surprise. In that brief moment of hesitation, a mosquitonded on her cheek. Brian furrowed his brow and walked over, gently pressing on her cheek. His warm, slightly calloused palm pressed gently against Grace¡¯s face, momentarily causing her to freeze in surprise. Observing her reaction, Brian couldn¡¯t help but scold, ¡°Are you foolish? Standing here, letting mosquitoes bite you!¡± Tworge bumps had already formed on her forehead, while her fair and smooth legs were covered in tiny red welts. Due to her exceptionally fair skin, those red marks looked particrly distressing and stood out prominently. ¡°What else can I do? Do I have any other choice?¡± Grace asked him back while scratching the itchy spots. The man shot her a fierce re, swatting away the annoying mosquitoes flying around. He grabbed her wrist in frustration and pulled her out, leading her along. ? JMM Grace was flung into the passenger seat by him. The air conditioning was on Inside the car, and a refreshing breeze greeted her immediately. She slumped wearily into the seat. Brian rummaged through the trunk, pulled out a bottle of flora water, and handed it to her. Grace took it and applied the flora water to each red mark on her body. The cooling sensation relieved much of the Itchiness. After applying, she returned the flora water to him, saying, ¡°Thank you.¡± He ced it back, resting his hands on the steering wheel, but didn¡¯t start the car. Grace asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t we leaving?¡± ¡°Have you eaten?¡® Brian asked, not directly answering her question. ¡°Rumble-¡± Grace¡¯s stomach, fittingly, made a sound that humorously mimicked a deceptive tactic, prompting her to chuckle awkwardly. gno The man in front seemed in a foul mood, showing no inclination to mock her. As soon as his feet moved, the car swiftly shot out. Grace hastily fastened hastily fastened her seatbelt The car didn¡¯t head towards the vi but stopped at the entrance of a restaurant. Grace found Brian¡¯s behavior quite peculiar today. Despite his apparent lousy mood, he unexpectedly brought her out to eat, personally picked her up, and even gave her the flora water. These unusual actions made her feel somewhat unsettled and a bit flustered. Brian exited the car and walked ahead without a word. Grace, dismissing her unnecessary overthinking, followed closely behind. She ordered a set meal and quietly finished her food. Throughout the entire time, Brian didn¡¯t utter a single word. It wasn¡¯t until they reached outside the restaurant, where he stopped beside the car, that he turned to her. Suddenly, he took out his phone and held it up before her. ¡°Exin this,¡± he said abruptly. Upon seeing the picture on the phone, Grace¡¯s face turned pale. She pondered, ¡®Is he investigating me? ¡®What did he find out? Did he discover that I was hospitalized? Does he know about the child?¡± Watching the fear flicker in Grace¡¯s eyes, he squinted his gaze. $ % & G 21 What¡¯s wrong? Butters? Were you having a wild time with him outside? scaled dows, askingposedly, ¡°What do you mean?¡± The sheered, saying, ¡°Chace, we¡¯re not divorced yet. Are you so eager to find a recement? drace owned and thought, I le didn¡¯t mention anything about the child. He probably doesn¡¯t know yet.¡± the thought of him investigating made her feel terrified. If he continued probing, he would indeed find out about her Where did you get this photo? My rtionship with Dr. Vance ispletely innocent!¡± Grace eximed nocent? Look at how openly you¡¯re smiling, daring to im innocence!* Brian Francis! You¡¯re irrationall I must have been blind ever to like you!¡± Grace was furious, almost shouting the words. Har es glistened with tears as she red at him, a mix of frustration and innocence in her expression Chapter 31 Brian froze, stunned. Seeing how Grace bit her lip as she hurled her usations against him, Brian felt at a loss. Grace said all this on purpose. She knew if she didn¡¯t dispel Brian¡¯s doubts, he would continue investigating the matters between her and Justin. Then, it¡¯d be very likely that Brian would find out about her pregnancy since there was a record of it in the hospital. But at the same time, Grace was nothing but sincere with her words, which caused an inexplicable tug at Brian¡¯s heart when he saw the wetness in Grace¡¯s eyes. Brian couldn¡¯t figure out what emotions he was feeling. He obviously wanted to teach Grace a lesson, but Brian¡¯s anger deted when he heard her words and saw her like this. Brian cleared his throat. His face was still very gloomy, but the light in his eyes was not so cold. He sarcastically said, ¡°You like me? Ha, you just like my money!¡± Grace looked at him in disbelief. ¡®Am I really this kind of woman in his heart?¡® Grace thought. Sheughed angrily, ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right! I just like your money. I wouldn¡¯t like you if you didn¡¯t have money, so why do you think I¡¯ll like a poor doctor?¡± Brian was dumbfounded. For a moment, he was so stunned that he couldn¡¯t speak. ¡®Dammit! I clearly came to give her trouble. Why am I cowed by a few words from her? Brian thought. Brian was very unhappy. ¡°Whatever. Know your ce. If some random person learns of your rtionship with me and it affects my wedding with Louise, I will hold you ountable!¡± Grace¡¯s heart ached when she heard Brian¡¯s words.. ¡®So he came to ask me all this, not because he cared that I liked Justin, but because he¡¯s worried it will affect his wedding with Louise, Grace thought. Graceughed bitterly to herself. ¡°Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re being contradictory? You im that I like Dr. Vance, but if I really liked Dr. Vance, I would certainly do my best to hide that I¡¯m married. Wouldn¡¯t getting together with him save me a lot of trouble after I divorce you? Just like how you¡¯re keeping Louise in the dark?¡± ¡°You!¡± Brian was exasperated. ¡®Why is Grace so sharp today? Yet every word she says makes sense, Brian thought. Brian didn¡¯t even know how to refute it. Grace stared straight at him, her gaze somewhat provocative to Brian. ¡°Don¡¯t drag these unrted matters into this. In short, keep your distance from him!¡± ¡°Then I must ask that Mr. Brian doesn¡¯t abuse me so much. You know I haven¡¯t been feeling welltely. If I¡¯m not feeling well . and go to the hospital, maybe I¡¯ll happen to run into him one day.¡± Initially, Grace just wanted to convey to Brian that she had no romantic feelings for Justin, but for some reason, she couldn¡¯t stop herself from saying these words. For the first time, she realized that it felt so freeing to rebel against Brian and shut him up. Brian was pissed off by Grace¡¯s words. When he looked at Grace¡¯s mouth, he suddenly leaned over and blocked her mouth fiercely. Grace was startled by the sudden kiss and forgot to struggle. Brian just wanted to seal Grace¡¯s mouth, but seeing she didn¡¯t resist, he closed his eyes and deepened the kiss. When the woman finally reacted, she pushed him away with all her might. Brian looked at her momentarily, nced down at his watch, and pulled the car door open. ¡°Get in the car!¡± Grace sat in the car, her cheeks flushed. If her memory served her right, this was the first time Brian had kissed her in a conscious state since he brought Louise back. Grace¡¯s heart was beating uncontrobly. ¡®No, Grace, open your eyes to the reality! He only has Louise in his heart! Grace internally warned herself. Grace dug her fingers into her palm, using the pain to remind herself to stop thinking nonsense. The car drove all the way back to the Francis estate and parked in the underground garage. Brian and Grace walked out, one after the other. Louise stood in the living room, watching them. When Louise¡¯s gazended on Grace, a sinister look shed in Louise¡¯s eyes. Louise smiled and walked over, grabbing Brian¡¯s arm. ¡°Brian, why did youe back with Grace? Didn¡¯t you go topany?¡± ¡°Well, I met her on the way back, so I brought her back with me.¡± The expression on Brian¡¯s face didn¡¯t show anything unusual. C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. Louise nced at Grace. ¡°Really?¡± Grace gave a slight nod. ¡°Miss Adkins, I¡¯ll be going back to my room. If you need anything, please call me.¡± ¡°Okay, thank you for your hard work today.¡± Louise smiled. When Grace returned to her room, she tossed and turned on her bed and couldn¡¯t fall asleep. ¡°The plumbing and electricity are almostpletely installed today, so the painting of the walls will likely start tomorrow. I will certainly be in contact with lots of formaldehyde. If I continue to supervise the work, the baby in me will definitely be affected, Grace thought. Grace considered the problem and felt the only solution was to discuss it with Brian. Today, she only cared about the momentary pleasure she felt when she defeated him verbally. If she went to find him now, he definitely would not help her. ¡®Besides, Louise must be with Brian now, Grace thought. Grace was so sleepy that she fell asleep thinking about this. Louise woke her up the following day, urging Grace to hurry over to where the work had already started. Brian was still in the living room. Grace looked at him subconsciously. The man met her gaze and paused. Grace thought he would say something, but in the end, he lowered his head and left with the car keys. Grace felt slightly disappointed. She thought that Brian would take pity on her after he saw her being so tired yesterday and having gotten so many mosquito bites. It seemed she was wrong. At the Francis Group, after Camren came in and finished reporting on that day¡¯s work, Brian stopped him in his tracks. ¡°Find a professional supervisionpany and try implementing it before noon today.¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Francis.¡± When Grace arrived at the construction site, she found they were starting to paint the walls today, so she ran to buy masks, fans, and flora water. Sitting in the living room wearing a mask, a worker painting the wall turned his head to stare at Grace from time to time. Grace felt there was something strange about him. After painting a wall, when the worker came down to mix the putty powder, he threw away the tools in his hand, walked towards Grace, and said in a flirtatious tone, ¡°Hey beautiful, why are you wearing a mask on such a hot day?¡± As soon as he approached, Grace could smell the sweat through her mask, and she subconsciously got up and took a step back. ¡°There¡¯s too much dust.¡± ¡®Tsk, your eyes are so attractive! Take off your mask, and let me see them!¡± As he spoke, the worker stretched out his sallow hand and tried to remove her mask. ¡°What are you doing!¡± Grace recoiled in fear. Grace shouted, ¡°I¡¯m the homeowner! Do you want to be paid or not?¡± The construction workerughed. ¡°You are the homeowner? Someone who buys a ce like this wouldn¡¯t personally supervise the construction site! Ha! Take off your mask, and let me see you.¡± The man approached her again. Grace took a step back in a panic. At this moment, Grace stepped on a wooden stick. Her feet slipped. Her center of gravity became unstable, and she fell, Grace instinctively protected her abdomen, but she still hurt her lower abdomen, where she felt a sharp stabbing pain, Chapter 32 ¡°Miss Sherman!¡± C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. Outside the door, Camren came over with someone from the supervisionpany and saw this scene. Camren immediately ran in and helped Grace up from the ground. Grace clutched her stomach in worry, grabbed his arm, and pleaded, ¡°Camren, take me to the hospital.¡± Camren nodded heavily, ncing at the worker before taking Grace away. The worker knew he was in trouble, his face pale with fright. ¡°Go to Southside Hospital.¡± After Grace finished saying this to Camren, she gave Justin a call. Justin was supposed to be out of the clinic today, but when Justin received a call from Grace, he rushed to the hospital. After taking Grace to the hospital, Camren called Brian and briefly recounted what had happened on the construction site. After an ultrasound, Grace worriedly asked, ¡°How is the child? Is it okay?¡± ¡°The injury didn¡¯t reach the womb. The cramping you were feeling in your abdomen was probably you pulling your intestines.¡± Grace breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Thank you!¡± ¡®Don¡¯t thank me anymore. By the way, who¡¯s the guy who brought you here just now?¡± Justin smiled softly at her. Grace pursed her lips, not knowing how to answer the question. Justin rubbed her hair. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll send you out.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± The two of them walked out of the examination room, one after the other, and ran into Brian. Brian looked like he had just rushed over. His hair was a little messy. When Brian saw Grace and Justin come out together, the expression on Brian¡¯s face instantly became gloomy and terrifying. Grace remembered that yesterday, Brian had warned her not to get too close to Justin. Yet, coincidentally, Grace bumped into Justin today. Based on Brian¡¯s temper, Grace feared Brian would say something nasty. Brian stretched out his long arm and yanked Grace over roughly to his side. ¡°Sir, she¡¯s a patient. Please keep that in mind!¡± Justin said in a stern voice, furrowing his eyebrows. ¡°It¡¯s no concern of Dr. Vance¡¯s what I do to her, is it?¡± Brian retorted. Justin sneered and nced at Brian. ¡°What? Are you a family member of the patient?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter who I am. What is important is that you should keep your distance from her. I heard there are a lot of scandals concerning Dr. Vance.¡± JM M M.M The situation was tense and explosive. Grace couldn¡¯t help but gently tug at Justin¡¯s clothes. ¡°Dr. Vance, thank you. I¡¯lle back next time for my checkup.¡± ¡°Okay. Feel free to contact me if you¡¯re feeling unwell.¡± Justin smiled softly at her. Grace nodded and turned to leave. Brian stared at Justin gloomily for two seconds before withdrawing his gaze and striding away. As he questioned the rtionship between Grace and Brian, Justin seemed to have guessed whose child Grace was carrying. ¡®If she¡¯s the maid to the Francis family like Grace says she is, then Brian¡¯s reaction is too unusual. ¡®His desire to control Grace is too strong, Justin thought. Before Grace could get out of the hospital, Brian grabbed her wrist, ¡°You¡¯ve gotten very gutsy! I just warned you yesterday, yet you forgot itpletely today. Did it go in one ear and out the other? ¡°I fell. Is it wrong of me toe to the hospital?¡± Brian gritted his teeth and asked, ¡°Why did you have to see him at the hospital?¡± Grace was dumbfounded. ¡°It¡¯s just a coincidence that Inded in his care.¡± Brian was furious. ¡°Just a coincidence? Grace, do you think I¡¯m stupid?¡± Grace felt very wronged. She hadn¡¯t done anything, but Brian seemed to act as if she had cuckolded him. She was clearly the victim today. ¡°If that¡¯s what you think, then I don¡¯t want to exin anything.¡± Grace didn¡¯t want to argue with him pointlessly. After all, this marriage was just a transaction. Brian was Party A, while Grace was Party B, so Grace had no right to defend herself. Brian was even more furious when he saw her attitude. ¡°What kind of attitude is that? I¡¯m warning you again! He could lose his job anytime if you don¡¯t keep your distance from him!¡± Grace looked at him with tears in her eyes and said disheartenedly, ¡°Okay, it¡¯s my fault. I apologize to you. I shouldn¡¯t havee to the hospital for a checkup¡± After saying that, she stubbornly turned around and left the hospital alone. Camren looked at the two people who were arguing and couldn¡¯t help but step forward and persuade, ¡°Mr. Francis, what happened today must have given Miss Sherman a fright, so please don¡¯t get mad at her.¡± Brian briefly looked at Grace¡¯s back with half¨Csquinted eyes, then said coldly to Camren, ¡°Go follow her.¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Grace walked on the side of the road. Her eyes blurred with tears, so she couldn¡¯t even see the potholes on the road. She stumbled and almost fell over. She wiped her tears from her eyes and walked on. 15&B M Camren pulled over the car in front of her, got out of the car, and stopped her. ¡°Miss Sherman, it¡¯s hot. Please get in the car.¡± Seeing that it was Camren, Grace didn¡¯t refuse. She opened the car door and got in. Grace didn¡¯t want to shed tears in front of unfamiliar people, so after wiping away her tears, she turned her head toward the car window and didn¡¯t speak. Camren drove in the direction of the vi. ¡°Aren¡¯t we going back?¡± asked Grace, confused. ¡°Mr. Francis has already found a supervisionpany. You don¡¯t have to go there anymore. I will drive you back.¡± Grace remembered that when Camren came today, he did bring two people with him. ¡°Did youe here this morning because of Brian¡¯s order? Did he find them?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Camren said, looking at her, ¡°so Miss Sherman, don¡¯t get mad at Mr. Francis. Mr. Francis is merely upset because he rushed over to see you only to see you and Dr. Vance talking andughing.¡± Grace pursed her lips. ¡®Did I misunderstand him? ¡®Is he really that considerate?¡® Grace thought. ¡°I also talked to Mr. Francis about the bullying you suffered on the construction site. As for how that person will be dealt with, you will know in two days, Camren said. Grace couldn¡¯t believe that Brian would avenge her. ¡°Camren, you don¡¯t have to tell me that.¡± She was leaving anyway. ¡°If I don¡¯t say it, I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll cry all day over it, right?¡± No, Grace was feeling even moreplicated now. Brian¡¯s actions were nothing more than torture to her. If she could, Grace hoped Brian would be more cruel to her. At least Brian shouldn¡¯t treat her badly in one moment and be nice to her in another. She felt like she was going mad in thest two days. She wanted to give up everything and didn¡¯t want to stay by his side anymore, but Grace needed money to cure her brother¡¯s illness. ¡®If I give up now, then what is the point of me staying by Brian¡¯s side the past two years? ¡®I didn¡¯t get anything but lost my heart and ended up hurt, Grace thought. Louise was stunned when she saw Grace, whom Camren sent back. ¡°Grace, why are you back?¡± Camren was the first to exin. ¡°Miss Adkins, Mr. Francis arranged for someone from the supervision company to oversee the construction. After all, Miss Sherman doesn¡¯t understand interior design. Mr. Francis is more reassured by hiring a professional.¡± Louise pursed her lips, her eyes flickering. ¡°Really? Very well. Grace hasn¡¯t been c Chapter 33 Camren nodded and said, ¡°Then Miss Adkins, I¡¯ll be leaving.¡± Louise nodded and walked over to Grace. Louisemented, ¡°Grace, Brian is so nice to you.¡± Grace looked up at her. Although Louise¡¯s voice was soft and gentle, it made Grace¡¯s heart skip a beat. Grace nervously exined, ¡°Miss Adkins, I think you misunderstood. Mr. Brian is doing this to make your new house safer to live in.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just kidding. Why are you so nervous?¡± Louise said, smiling. Grace breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Does Miss Adkins have any other orders?¡± ¡°No. If you¡¯re tired, you can rest for a while. I want to eat short ribs for dinner,¡± Louise said. Louise smiled beautifully and went upstairs to her room. At night, when Brian got home from work, Grace had already finished preparing dinner and returned to her room to rest. There were only two people at the table, Brian and Louise. Louise was halfway through the meal when she saw that Brian didn¡¯t n on telling her about hiring the supervisionpany, so she took the initiative to mention it herself. ¡°Brian, you should tell me if you want to hire someone from the supervisionpany. After all, we are going to live together in the future. Whether it is a small matter or a big matter, we should discuss it together in the future, okay?¡± Louise said. Louise put on a generous and reasonable attitude. Coupled with her gentle expression, anyone who saw it would think she was a sensible woman. ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you consult with me when you asked Grace to oversee the work?¡± said Brian, pausing as he ate, looking at her. Louise was stunned. The man¡¯s rhetorical question was something she didn¡¯t expect. ¡°Brian, she¡¯s our maid, after all. Do I need to report to you about how I manage a maid?¡± Louise asked calmly. Brian put down his fork and looked at Louise, asking, ¡°Did you know that she was almost molested by a worker today?¡± ¡°That can¡¯t be true!¡± Louise eximed, her eyes widened in surprise. Brian continued, saying, ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for Camren arriving in time to stop it, how far do you think things would have gotten?¡± Louise said, ¡®Brian, I just asked her to keep an eye on the renovation. I didn¡¯t know that the person doing the renovation would have this kind of character.¡± Louise¡¯s face turned pale. ¡°After all, she is now our family¡¯s maid. If something happens to her, we will be held ountable. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Brian, I didn¡¯t think it through,¡± Louise said. Brian took a breath and said in a deep voice, ¡°In the future, aside from the regr tasks at home, if you make arrangements for other things, let me know in advance.¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll go see Grace in a moment and apologize to her while I¡¯m there. She didn¡¯t say anything when she came back. I¡¯ll do my best tofort her.¡± Brian said nothing more about the matter and said, ¡°I¡¯m full.¡± He got up and left. Louise bit her lip. ¡°He actually scolded me for so long for Grace¡¯s sake!¡® Louise thought. When Louise said she would apologize to Grace in person, she thought Brian would say she didn¡¯t need to. But he didn¡¯t. Instead, he just got up and left. That meant that Brian felt that she should apologize to Grace. After Louise had eaten, she knocked on Grace¡¯s door. ¡°Miss Adkins, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Grace asked. Louise scanned Grace¡¯s room and asked, ¡°Can Ie in?¡± Grace was stunned and said, ¡°Miss Adkins cane in if you don¡¯t mind my humble abode.¡± ¡°Grace, I¡¯m sorry¡± Louise walked into the room, looking at Grace with a guilty face. Grace didn¡¯t know why Louise suddenly said that. Grace asked, ¡°Miss Adkins, what¡¯s wrong with you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s all my fault for letting you go and help with the renovation. I didn¡¯t expect to almost hurt you!¡± Louise said guiltily, taking Grace¡¯s hand. Grace was stunned. ¡®She must have learned this from Brian, right? ¡°Did shee over to apologize herself, or did Brian tell her toe?¡® Grace thought, Grace¡¯s thoughts were a littleplicated. ¡®Why did Brian mention this to Louise? Doesn¡¯t he love Louise very much? Doesn¡¯t telling her all this add to her psychological pressure?¡¯ Grace thought. Grace found she couldn¡¯t understand Brian anymore. Brian acting like this made her think that he still cared for her just a little bit. This assumption only brought Grace more pain. ¡°Grace, why don¡¯t you speak? Are you still ming me?¡± Louise asked. Grace returned to her senses and said, ¡°No, I don¡¯t me you. It¡¯s the worker¡¯s problem. It¡¯s not your fault.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t me me? That¡¯s great!¡± Louise sniffed and hugged Grace gently. The expression on Louise¡¯s face turned sinister where Grace didn¡¯t see it. Louise¡¯s hug made Grace feel ufortable. Thankfully, Louise let go of her after a while. & MM M ¡°By the way, Grace, I heard Brian say that you were rmended by a distant rtive of his, right?¡± After Louise said this, she stared at Grace¡¯s face intently, not missing a single expression. Grace was slightly stunned momentarily and then sald calmly, ¡°Well, yes. What¡¯s wrong?¡± Louise¡¯s heart sank. ¡®Brian lied to me! Louise thought. 42% 20:14 ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I just thought that since you¡¯ll be leaving in a little more than two months, I¡¯m quite reluctant to part with you.¡± Grace thought Louise was acting a little strange but couldn¡¯t pinpoint what was odd about Louise. Louise didn¡¯t sit long before leaving. Closing the door, Louise¡¯s face wentpletely cold. ¡®Dammit! Which worker wanted to molest her? If you dare to do it, why don¡¯t you finish the job? So useless!¡® Louise thought. Louise stared at the door hatefully. ¡°Grace, we could have been fine with each other, but you dared to seduce my man. From today onwards, I will make you. beg for death!* The next day. Louise went out early in the morning. Melvin said that she went back to the Adkins family. Marshall was not at home. Only Ava and her mother were home, so Ava¡¯s attitude worsened when she saw Louisee home. ¡°Louise, what are you doing here? You bastard child!¡± Ava eximed, Shannon tugged at Ava¡¯s clothes and motioned for her not to talk nonsense. Ava became even more angry and said, ¡°Mom, look at her. She¡¯s like a vixen. She¡¯s that woman¡¯s child. Don¡¯t you hate her?¡± Louise didn¡¯t seem to take Ava¡¯s hostility to heart and said sincerely, ¡°Ava, we are a family. Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t covet what belongs to you.¡± When Shannon saw that Louise was able to say this, the more she felt Ava was being unreasonable. Shannon said, ¡°Ava, you should learn from Louise! Don¡¯t curse at people all the time. As a young lady¡­¡± Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Mom!¡± Ava was furious. She demanded, ¡°Why are you helping her? Am I your daughter, or is she?¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Louise hurriedly stepped forward to smooth things over. Louise said, ¡°It¡¯s okay, Mom. Don¡¯t fight because of me.¡± ¡°Who are you calling ¡®Mom? She is my mom!¡± Ava shouted. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I haven¡¯t had a mother since I was a child. If you don¡¯t like it, I¡¯ll call her Shannon in the future.¡± Louise bit her lip, her tone a little aggrieved. Ava rolled her eyes. Shannon, beside her, said to Louise, ¡°It¡¯s okay. Ignore her.¡± Louise smiled slightly and said kindly, ¡°Ava, I came this time to ask you If you would like toe over to Brian¡¯s house and stay with me for a while?¡± Chapter 34 Ava¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. ¡°Do I mishear her? Is Louise asking me to go to Brian¡¯s house?¡® Ava thought. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Don¡¯t you want to go?¡± Louise asked with a smile when she saw the surprised look on Ava¡¯s face. ¡°No! I do!¡± Ava said almost immediately. Realizing that she sounded too eager, Ava cleared her throat. ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong. I didn¡¯t agree to it because of you. I agreed to go for Brian¡¯s sake.¡± Louise had a gentle smile on her face. Meanwhile, Louise was mentally sneering at Ava. ¡®Idiot! She really thinks too highly of herself. As long as I don¡¯t agree, Ava won¡¯t be able to step through the doors of the Francis family for the rest of her life. She doesn¡¯t even have a bit of gratitude!¡® Louise thought. Shannon was also shocked. The other day, Ava acted provocatively towards Louise during their meal, admitting that she liked Brian. Louise knew that Ava liked Brian yet still asked her to go to the Francis¡¯s home. ¡°Is she really that generous or does she have an ulterior motive?¡® Shannon thought. Shannon was a worldly person, but she couldn¡¯t see through Louise. Shannon knew her own daughter only too well. ¡®What should I do if Ava went over to the Francis¡¯s home and caused trouble?¡± Shannon thought. Thinking of this, Shannon tried to dissuade Ava. ¡°Ava, what are you going there for? You¡¯re so clumsy. You¡¯ll only cause trouble for your older sister.¡± Ava looked at her mother in shock. Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. ¡®What is she saying? She doesn¡¯t help me fight for the chance to marry Brian, and now she¡¯s preventing me from going to Brian¡¯s home! Is she really my real mom? Ava thought. ¡°Mom, what are you talking about? What do you mean by saying I only know to cause trouble?¡± Ava demanded. Louise worried that Shannon wouldn¡¯t allow Ava to go with her, so Louise hurriedly said, ¡°Shannon, that won¡¯t happen. I¡¯m all by myself in the Francis family¡¯s home without anybody. I just want someone to talk with.¡± Shannon saw that Louise was sincere. Ava was bent on going to the Francis family home. Shannon felt that she might not be able to stop Ava. ¡°Very well. Just let her test the waters and find out what on earth Louise has up her sleeve; Shannon thought. Hence, Ava followed Louise to the Francis¡¯s house. Ava stood at the gate of the Francis estate. Her eyes lit up with excitement. She secretly vowed to take this opportunity to make Brian see how amazing she was, fall in love with her, and then get rid of Louise, this bastard child. Louise nced at Ava silently from the side, sneering in her heart as if Louise had already guessed what was going on in Ava¡¯s mind. Grace was busy working in the kitchen when they walked into the living room. Louise took Ava on a tour of the vi to familiarize her with the environment. After the stroll, it was already time for lunch. Louise pulled Ava to the dining room with her. When Louise saw Grace, she said kindly, ¡°Grace, let¡¯s eat together at noon today!¡± ¡°Miss Adkins, this is not appropriate. I¡¯m not hungry right now. If it¡¯s okay, I¡¯ll be going back to my room now.¡± Following Grace¡¯s words, Ava looked at Grace, looking Grace up and down rudely. ¡°Who is she?¡± Louise smiled and introduced Ava. ¡°Her name is Grace Sherman. She is our maid. She has been here for more than two years. Her culinary skills are superb. Brian is most fond of her cooking.¡± As Louise spoke, she sighed. ¡°s, it¡¯s a pity that she¡¯s leaving in two months¡® time. I think Brian will definitely be reluctant to give her up.¡± Grace frowned slightly when she heard Louise¡¯s words. At first, Louise¡¯s words sounded like nothing was wrong with them, but if one were to look at them closely, it would be easy for people to misunderstand them. *Louise, are these the manners of the Francis family? You¡¯re telling a maid to eat with the owners of the house. Was she always eating with wou before?¡± Ava smiled contemptuously in her eyes. Louise smiled awkwardly. ¡°No. We just eat together once in a while. Grace, this is my sister, Ava. She¡¯s very blunt with her words, so don¡¯t take it to heart!¡± Ava raised her eyebrows. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Does the boss have to mince their owners when speaking to a maid?¡± Grace could see that Ava was spoiled and bossy. Ava wasn¡¯t easy to deal with. ¡°I can¡¯t afford to provoke her, but I can avoid her, Grace thought. ¡°Miss Adkins, you can eat first. I¡¯ll return to my room.¡± ¡°Stop!¡± Ava¡¯s eyes widened in a re. Grace paused and heard Ava say arrogantly, ¡°Since you are a maid, you must wait by the side when your masters eat! Haven¡¯t you got any manners?¡± Grace took a deep breath and stood silently to the side. Finally, Ava felt pleased with herself. She sat in a chair and nced at the food on the table, which was indeed full of color and vor. Ava felt sour inside. ¡®Does Brian really like this woman¡¯s cooking? I heard that the way to a man¡¯s heart is through his stomach. This Grace must have improper intentions towards Brian!¡® Ava thought. Thinking of this, Ava was already boiling with rage before she even started eating. She mmed her fork on the table with a snap. ¡°Serve me soup!¡± Grace was indifferent to Ava and walked over to serve Ava a bowl of soup with a nk face. ¡°Do you not have any manners at all? What¡¯s that face you¡¯re making? Did someone die? Don¡¯t you know to say, ¡®Miss Adkins, please enjoy your soup¡®?¡± Ava once again started criticizing Grace. Grace opened her mouth and said in a non¨Cwavering tone, ¡°Miss Adkins, please enjoy your soup.¡± Ava was a little satisfied and lowered her head to take a sip of the soup. The delicious fish soup entered her mouth. Her taste buds felt like they were enjoying a grand feast. Ava couldn¡¯t help but take another big sip. It was delicious. Grace¡¯s food was so delicious that Ava was so busy burying her head in her food that she didn¡¯t have time to cause Grace trouble. After eating, other maids came to clean up the tes and silverware. When Grace was going to eat, a call from Ava stopped her in her tracks. ¡°Where are you going? Ill¨Cmannered scum.¡± Grace was a little irritated and turned to look at Ava. ¡°Miss Adkins, please mind your words. I have a name and surname. My name is Grace Sherman. Being a maid is a proper job. Please give a worker the most basic respect ¡± ¡°You!¡± Ava was mad. ¡°Also, it¡¯s my mealtime. If Miss Adkins needs me, then please wait until I¡¯m at work.¡± After Grace finished saying that, she went to the maid¡¯s dining room without looking back. Ava¡¯s hands trembled with anger. She never thought that a maid would dare to scold her! Who does she think she is? She¡¯s so hateful! I¡¯m not going to let that slut off so easily! Ava thought. Louise sneered and smirked before she dropped the look and stepped forward tofort Ava. ¡°Ava, don¡¯t take it to heart. After all, she is different from other maids, Brian deeply favors her.¡± ¡®Deeply favored? Louise, are you that useless? Who does she think she is? She dares to act high and mighty in front of her superiors! What time does she go to work?¡± ¡°Two o¡¯clock,¡± Louise said softly. Ava snorted coldly. ¡°I¡¯m going to take a nap. I¡¯ll handle that little slutter!¡± É« Chapter 35 Ava slept until two o¡¯clock, and right on time, she went to wake up Grace with a holler. Grace walked out of the room and looked at Ava with a nk face. ¡°Miss Adkins, what are your orders?¡± ¡°I want to drink coffee. Make me a pot of it and serve passion fruit on the side,¡± Ava said. After Ava finished speaking, she sat under the parasol in the courtyard, closing her eyesfortably. Louise sat next to her, and the two chatted together. After a while, Grace finished brewing the coffee, served it on a tray, and came to the courtyard. Louise nced sideways at Grace, her eyes flickering, and her feet moved as Grace passed her. Grace tripped over something, and her body threw itself forward. ¡°Ah!¡± The hot coffee pot shattered, and the coffee sshed on Grace¡¯s arm, causing her to gasp. Ava also shrieked in surprise and reflexively jumped to her feet. Grace nced at her stomach. Luckily, this was thewn, so it shouldn¡¯t hurt Grace¡¯s belly. Grace had just gotten up from the ground when the next second, there was a sharp sound of a p landing on her cheek. Grace blinked, turned her head, and looked at Ava. Ava said, acting high and mighty, ¡°Who are you ring at? I hit you¡­ah!¡± There was another sound of a p. Grace pped Ava back without hesitation and looked at Ava coldly. ¡°Miss Adkins! You have no right to hit me!¡± Ava came back to her senses after a while, covering her cheek and looking at Grace in disbelief. ¡°You slut! You dare to hit me! I will tear you to pieces today!¡± At this moment, Melvin, who came rushing when he heard the ruckus, quickly stopped Ava. ¡°Miss Adkins, please calm down. I¡¯ll have someone brew another pot for you, okay?¡± Ava¡¯s eyes reddened in anger. ¡°Get out of my way! A maid of your Francis family dared to hit me! Why aren¡¯t you punishing her?¡± Melvin pulled Grace behind him, protecting her, and said to Ava, ¡°Miss Adkins, since her service isn¡¯t very good, I¡¯ll let someone else serve you, okay?¡± ¡°No!* Ava said arrogantly. ¡°I want her to serve me!¡± Melvin didn¡¯t know what to do. Although Grace¡¯s identity was unspeakable, she was still Mrs. Francis. If something were to happen to her, Melvin didn¡¯t know how to exin it to Brian. d d M M Grace patted Melvin¡¯s arm. ¡°Melvin, I¡¯m fine.¡± M * UN 41% 20:14 She stepped out from behind Melvin and looked at Ava. ¡°Miss Adkins, what else do you want me to do?¡± Ava nced down at her white shoes, which were dirtied by the coffee. Ava frowned in disgust. ¡°Wash my shoes!¡± Ava sat down as if she wanted Grace to take it off herself. Grace walked over and crouched as far as her hands could reach, quickly took off Ava¡¯s shoes and left with them. Grace went to theundry room and threw the shoes on the floor. Grace had been in a bad mood for the past two days. This Ava is making a big fuss of nothing, Grace thought. Grace wasn¡¯t afraid of Ava. Although Ava was Louise¡¯s sister, it had nothing to do with Grace. Besides, Ava was from the Adkins family. For Louise¡¯s sake, Grace served Ava, which was giving her enough respect. Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. If Ava wanted to hit her, Grace would never tolerate it. Even if Brian got mad at her because of this, Grace felt she was justified in how she acted. Grace didn¡¯t bully Louise, so Brian couldn¡¯t break the contract because of it. Grace looked at the shoes on the ground. Suddenly, she had a mischievous thought. She threw the shoes under the faucet and turned the water up to the highest setting, washing away the debris from the surface. The shoes weren¡¯t dirty. There was nothing to wash. Grace took the wet shoes to the backyard to dry and went back to rest. Chapter 36 Ava sat in the yard watching a variety show while eating snacks, momentarily forgetting that she had asked Grace to wash her shoes. By the time Ava remembered it, she had already finished watching an episode of the variety show. Louise had gone back to her room to sleep. Ava was barefoot and had no shoes to wear. Ava shouted with impatience, ¡°Someone! Someonee!¡± When a maid heard the shout, she immediately ran over. ¡°Miss Adkins, what are your orders?¡± ¡°Where¡¯s my shoes? Where¡¯s that slut Grace washing my shoes?¡± Ava demanded. The servant hurried off to find Grace. Grace walked overnguidly. She showed Ava her shoes and put them by Ava¡¯s feet. Seeing her wet shoes, Ava red at Grace in disbelief and jumped out of her chair angrily. ¡°You slut! You did it on purpose, didn¡¯t you? You ruined my shoes! You¡¯re purposefully going against me!¡± Grace asked, puzzled, ¡°Miss Adkins, you were the one who said you wanted your shoes washed. Aren¡¯t the shoes clean?¡± ¡°I told you to wipe the dirt from it! Who told you to wash it?¡± Ava shouted. Grace looked at Ava calmly. ¡°Did you? Miss Adkins, are you sure you said to wipe the shoes?¡± ¡°Of course, I told you to wipe the shoes!¡± said Ava. the vi Grace nodded and said, ¡°In order to confirm that this is my fault, there are surveince cameras in the vi, so I¡¯ll ask Melvin to take a look at the surveince camera.¡± Ava¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°You! Grace! You damn slut! You¡¯re just ying word games with me, aren¡¯t you? Let me tell you, even if I was wrong today, it was you who got my shoes wet, so I don¡¯t have shoes to wear! This is your fault!¡± Grace looked at her coldly. She said, ¡°Miss Adkins, don¡¯t be in such a hurry. I¡¯ll take a look at the surveince.¡± Ava¡¯s face turned blue with rage. She jumped down and grabbed the ashtray on the table, lunged at Grace in two strides, grabbed Grace by her hair, and mmed the ashtray on Grace¡¯s head. Grace reacted quickly and tried to dodge, yet even as Grace nearly ripped her scalp, her movements only shifted her position slightly. The ashtray still hit Grace¡¯s forehead. Seeing this, the maids hurriedly stepped forward to grab Ava. Grace¡¯s head hurt. She raised her hand to touch her forehead. Her fingers were stained with a ring red color. Ava still seemed to be angry, yelling like a shrew and wanting to hit Grace. Melvin hurried over when he heard the ruckus. Louise came down the stairs. Just then, a ck Bentley drove in. The car stopped before it could enter the garage. d d M M JM Brian opened the door and strode this way. M 41% 20:14 His gaze fell on Grace¡¯s forehead. He walked up to her, pulled away her wrist, and saw her bloody forehead. His expression turned dark. ¡°Does it hurt? Who hit you?¡± Brian asked. h Grace sneered as she looked at Brian. ¡®Why is he acting like he cares? If he really cared, why didn¡¯t he agree to let me move out in the first ce?¡® Grace thought. Feeling chilled in her heart, Grace pushed Brian away, turned, and went inside. Meanwhile, Ava was stillining and said, ¡°Brian, this maid is absolutely defiant! I asked her to clean my shoes, but she got my shoes all wet. My shoes are ruined¡­¡± ¡°Who allowed you to hit someone in my home?¡± Before Ava could finish her sentence, she was interrupted by Brian¡¯s somber voice. Ava looked at Brian¡¯s cold expression and sucked in a breath. ¡°¡­she was the one who talked back to me first. I just taught. her a lesson,¡± said Ava. Louise stood silently, taking in Brian¡¯s reactions. ¡®Does he care so much about Grace?¡® Louise thought. C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. ¡°Even if she talks back to you, you have no right to hit her!¡± Brian said. Chapter 37 Ava was startled and did not dare utter another word. At this time, Louise stood up and yed the role of the peacemaker between Brian and Ava. ¡°Brian, Ava shouldn¡¯t have hit Grace. Maybe Grace was in a bad mood today, so she talked back, making Ava lose her senses momentarily.¡± Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. Brian gave her a dark look as if he was warning her. ¡°You brought her here?¡± Brian asked. Ava¡¯s heart dropped. ¡°What does he mean? Is he driving me away?¡¯ Ava thought. ¡°Brian, I am the one who brought Ava here, so I am to me for what happened today. I didn¡¯t keep a watchful eye on her,¡± Louise said. ¡°She¡¯s not fit to be here,¡± Brian said coldly. Ava¡¯s face turned pale, and tears instantly filled her eyes. ¡°Brian, I did not bring Ava to cause trouble. I don¡¯t have anyone close to me here. I feel anxious all day, especially at night. There are many nights when I can¡¯t fall asleep,¡± Louise exined softly. ¡°Brian, can you let Ava stay? Please let her stay with me for a while until I get used to things, okay? I will watch over her and won¡¯t let her cause trouble again,¡± said Louise as she burst into tears. Ava looked at Louise in disbelief. ¡°She¡¯s actually speaking up for me?¡± Ava thought. Brian looked at Louise¡¯s tearful eyes, and his heart softened again. ¡°Okay, then keep a close eye on her. She can stay here for the time being.¡± ¡°Thank you, Brian,¡± Louise said, smiling through her tears. Brian gave Ava a warning look before turning and striding away. Louise knew he must have gone to find Grace. Looking at Brian¡¯s slightly hurried departing figure, a dark light shed through Louise¡¯s eyes. Ava gave Louise a grateful look. ¡°Louise Adkins¡­¡± As soon as Ava called out Louise¡¯s name, she felt she was being a bit ungrateful if she called Louise by her full name just after Louise spoke up for her. But if Ava were to call her ¡°sis,¡± Ava couldn¡¯t force the words out of her mouth, so she said awkwardly, ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing. We¡¯re family. There¡¯s no need for thanks. You can wear my shoes for now. They should fit you. I have a new pair of shoes that I haven¡¯t worn yet,¡± said Louise, looking at Ava kindly. Seeing that Louise was being so nice to her while she came for the sole purpose of seducing Brian, Ava suddenly felt a JMM little apologetic. Louise smiled softly and kindly as she told a mald to fetch her shoes. When Grace returned to her room, Melvin went to find a medical kit to bandage her up. While bandaging Grace up, Melvin rambled on in distress. ¡°I don¡¯t know why Miss Adkins acted so angry and cruel. If her parents don¡¯t properly educate her, someone will eventually teach her a harsh lesson sooner orter when she goes out in society,¡± said Melvin. Grace endured the pain, but when the disinfectant was applied, she gasped in pain. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss Sherman, for my clumsiness,¡± said Melvin. Just then, Brian knocked on the door outside. Melvin put down the things in his hands and went to open the door. ¡°Mr. Brian,¡± said Melvin. Brian nced at Grace and said, ¡°Let me do it.¡± When Grace saw him, her mood became as sullen as ice water in a deep pool. Grace picked up the things on the table and prepared to bandage herself. Melvin left with a smile on his face. ¡°You can¡¯t treat this properly yourself. I¡¯ll take you to the hospital,¡± said Brian, frowning at her actions. Grace ignored him and continued to bandage her wounds on her own, sometimes moving with too much force that she gritted her teeth in pain. É« Chapter 38 prian was Seeing Grace¡¯s clumsiness, Brian was so anxious that he stepped forward and snatched the gauze from her hand. Grace reflexively stood up. ¡°What are you putting on a brave face for?¡± Brian looked at her with a frown. Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. ¡°Brian, your fiancee will be sad when she sees you¡¯vee here to show your concern for me, right?¡± A sneer tugged at Grace¡¯s mouth, looking at him indifferently. Brian¡¯s expression was cold. ¡°Louise isn¡¯t that petty.¡± Graceughed. Tears welled up in the corners of her eyes as sheughed. ¡°You¡¯re right. It¡¯s me who is petty! I see you spoil her in every way, but treat me coldly, and I¡¯m jealous! I don¡¯t expect you to be nice to me, so please leave! No matter what injuries I suffer in the future, please don¡¯t be bothered with me again!¡± ¡°You ungrateful woman!¡± Brian¡¯s temples throbbed in anger. He threw the door open and left. Grace went limp and copsed on the bed. She didn¡¯t know why, but she wanted nothing more than to cry. She tried to restrain herself, but as soon as she restrained herself, she couldn¡¯t help but tremble all over. Grace bit her arm hard so that she wouldn¡¯t cry. She bit a deep tooth mark on her arm, but she didn¡¯t feel any pain. When Grace woke up the next day, Grace felt a splitting headache. When she looked at the time, it was already nine o¡¯clock. She struggled to get up from the bed and touched her forehead lightly. It felt as if the wound was somewhat inmed. ¡°No, I have to go to the hospital, Grace thought. Grace changed her clothes and went out. She didn¡¯t n to go to Justin. If Brian had known, Grace wouldn¡¯t have known what he would do. Grace nned to take a taxi to the nearest clinic to treat her wound. After she hailed a taxi halfway through, they were stopped by the traffic police. The driver had no license, and the car was towed. Grace didn¡¯t expect herself to be so unlucky that there was a problem even when she took a taxi. She stood on the side of the road, ready to hail another taxi. Just then, a white Land Rover pulled up in front of her. The man in the car pushed open the door and got out of the vehicle. His gentle face was full of anxiousness. ¡°Grace! It¡¯s really you! Is something wrong?¡± Grace saw Justin and subconsciously took a step back. ¡®I¡¯m fine.¡± Justin¡¯s gaze turned solemn as he watched her actions.. Justin could tell she was keeping her distance from him. ? ? M N Is it because of that man that day?¡® Justin thought. MAS *UXN 40% 20:15 Justin couldn¡¯t stop his thoughts. What is the rtionship between Grace and that man? The injury on her head is probably also rted to that man, right?¡® Justin thought. Although he had many doubts, Justin didn¡¯t press Grace with questions. Instead, he said assertively, ¡°The wound on your head seems inmed. I¡¯ll take you to the hospital.¡± The tip of Grace¡¯s nose itched. She struggled to control her voice and said coldly, ¡°Dr. Vance, I¡¯ll take care of it myself. You don¡¯t have to worry about me.¡± Justin didn¡¯t heed her words at all. He opened the passenger door and stuffed Grace inside.. Grace let out a deep breath. The car started, and Grace looked out the window nkly. ¡°Dr. Vance, I know you treat me like a friend, but my situation isplicated. If you get close to me, you will only get hurt.¡± ¡°Is that so? I want to see who it is that can hurt me.¡± Justin nced sideways at Grace, a warm smile in his eyes. Grace sighed, not knowing what else to say. The car drove to Southside Hospital in a short time. Justin exited the car and walked around to her side to open the door for her. Grace pursed her lips, seeming to hesitate for Chapter 39 Then she got out of the car and walked briskly ahead. Justin hurriedly chased after Grace. ¡°What are you walking so fast? Be careful with your injury.¡± Grace bowed her head and walked quickly in front of him. She hadn¡¯t forgotten that Brian knew people in this hospital. But what Grace didn¡¯t know was that after she got out of the car, someone had already taken a picture of her and Justin. Justin took her to the surgical department because she was in a special situation and could not take many of the medicines. The doctor had to treat her wound and told her toe and change the dressing every day. Grace nodded, and after treating the wound, she said to Justin, ¡°Dr. Vance, thank you for today. You helped me again. I don¡¯t know how to repay you. Give me three months. I¡¯ll treat you to dinner then.¡± She smiled, but the smile made people¡¯s hearts ache for her. ¡°Grace, have you ever seen a psychiatrist?¡± Grace asked inexplicably, ¡°What psychiatrist?¡± Justin¡¯s expression was solemn. ¡°Have you been emotionally unstabletely? Do you often cry alone and even sometimes feel very depressed, full of discouragement about everything?¡± She was stunned. ¡®Does he mean I¡¯m sick? Grace thought. ???? ¡°I¡¯ll take you to see a psychiatrist.¡± ¡°No. I said give me three months.¡± Grace shook her head. Justin didn¡¯t know what she meant by three months, but he was very worried about Grace. What if she really has depression? What if it gets worse during those three months? What if she doesn¡¯t hold on? Depression is a terrible thing, Justin thought ¡°Listen¡­¡± Justin raised his hand and touched Grace¡¯s cheek in pity. With a loud smack, a fist suddenly smashed into Justin¡¯s arm. Justin¡¯s whole body shook, and his arm went numb. ¡°Dr. Vance seems to like to hook up with married women everywhere, am I right?¡± Justin flicked his arm, squinted his eyes slightly, and looked at Brian contemptuously. ¡°Mr. Brian, are you trying to tell me you are her husband?¡± Saying this, Justin chuckled. ¡°I remember Mr. Brian has a fianc¨¦e.¡± Grace looked at Brian expressionlessly. She was shocked by what he had just said. Isn¡¯t he afraid that our rtionship will be known by others and affect his wedding with Louise? Grace thought. She thought that since he had said so, he would admit their rtionship in front of others. dd MM But she overestimated him. MA *UN ·Ë 39% 20:16 ¡°It¡¯s none of Dr. Vance¡¯s business who her husband is! All you must know is that you don¡¯t mess with her again!¡± With that, Brian rudely grabbed Grace¡¯s wrist and dragged her with him as he strode away. The expression on his face was as cold and hard as that of a demon from hell, but Grace was no longer afraid of him. It didn¡¯t matter anymore. She had long given up on everything. Falling in love with Brian was enough pain for Grace. ¡®If he wants to end our contract right here, then let it end!¡® Grace thought. Brian threw Grace into the car and looked at her angrily. ¡°I was going to take you to the hospitalst night, but you refused, yet today you ran to find that Vance guy! Grace, you were just using this as an excuse to see him, right?¡± Grace shuddered at his yell and then looked at him indifferently. Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. ¡°Would you believe me if I said I didn¡¯t n toe to this hospital and that I met him on the way?¡± Grace asked. ¡°I don¡¯t believe you!¡± said Brian, in no uncertain terms. Grace felt a chill sweep over her heart. In a daze, she looked at Brian for two seconds. At that moment, she didn¡¯t want to say anything more. Grace had a cold sneer on her pale face. She said, ¡°Brian, I don¡¯t have much more to say. If you want to terminate our contract, just do it!¡± Chapter 40 Brian grabbed Grace¡¯s chin. ¡°You¡¯re offering to terminate the contract. What? Are you in love with him?¡± ¡°No,¡± Grace said. Brian hated her for acting like she didn¡¯t care about anything. She wasn¡¯t like this before. Why is she acting like this now?¡± Brian thought. Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. ¡°In that case, it doesn¡¯t matter what I do to him, right?¡± Grace¡¯s eyes shed. She asked, ¡°What do you want to do?¡± The worry in Grace¡¯s eyes further ignited Brian¡¯s anger. He unconsciously increased the force in his hand. ¡°And you said you didn¡¯t care about him!¡± said Brian.. ¡°Brian, if you¡¯re mad, then take it out on me. Justin is innocent. He saved me so many times. If it weren¡¯t for him, I would have died a long time ago! Brian, don¡¯t hurt him! Grace pleaded. The m more Grace spoke up for Justin, the more the nameless fire in Brian¡¯s heart burned even bigger. Brian wanted nothing more than to strangle her to death at once. ¡°Justin? Very good! You¡¯re calling him on a first¨Cname basis now! Grace, I¡¯m telling you, I¡¯m not going to terminate the contract. This time, it¡¯s you who didn¡¯t listen to me. What did I sayst time? That¡¯s exactly what I will do this time.¡± At this moment, Grace felt that Brian was the devil incarnate. ¡°Why did I fall in love with such a man?¡¯ Grace thought. Grace bowed her head and pleaded humbly, ¡°Brian, I beg you, you can tell me to do anything. I won¡¯t have anything to do with him from now on. Forgive me this time, okay?¡± Brian gritted his teeth. She¡¯s begging me for the sake of another man, he thought. Not hearing his answer, Grace continued, saying, ¡°Believe it or not, I didn¡¯t n to go to him today. If you don¡¯t believe me, you can check my chat history. You can even check the surveince cameras.¡± Brian stared at her momentarily as if he was trying to see through her. Grace¡¯s eyelids were swollen from crying. Her face was pale as paper, and her lips were bloodless. Brian felt something yanking on his heart. He looked away. He didn¡¯t say anything as he started the car. In the silence of the car, the air became terrifyingly suffocating. At At this moment, a shrill ring sounded in the car. Grace took out her phone to take a look. It was Justin calling. Without even thinking about it, she hung up the call. Her actions caught Brian¡¯s attention. Brian nced sideways and saw that Grace seemed to be nning to cklist Justin¡¯s number. WWPP D 39% 20:16 Before she could set it up, Justin¡¯s call came in again. Grace realized that Brian was watching her. After hesitating for two seconds, she picked up the phone. It was quiet inside the car. Brian was just able to hear Justin¡¯s voice. ¡°Grace, remember toe tomorrow to change the dressing. I¡¯ll pick you up tomorrow. You¡­¡± ¡°Dr. Vance,¡± Grace said, interrupting him indifferently, ¡°we don¡¯t need to contact each other in the future. I won¡¯t be going to Southside Hospital in the future. Thank you.¡± After saying these words, she didn¡¯t wait for the other party to react before hanging up the phone. She finished setting up the cklist that she hadn¡¯t finished setting up before. Grace looked at him. ¡°Is this good now?¡± Brian didn¡¯t speak, but he drove the car at top speed. He didn¡¯t know why he felt even more irritable after Grace did everything he asked. Brian sent Grace back to the vi, left her at the door of the vi, and drove away. Melvin opened the door for Grace and asked her about her injuries. Grace shook her head gently. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± As soon as she entered the courtyard, she heard a sharp voice call out to her. ¡°Grace! Come over here!¡± Chapter 41 Grace felt annoyed and frowned when she heard that voice. She turned around and saw Avs arrogantly sitting by the swimming pool Grace took a deep breath. Then, she slowly walked over, asking ¡°Miss Adkins, is there anything I can do for you? Melvin noticed that Ava was going to boss around Grace. Thus, he hurriedly followed Grace and walked over Ava raised her chin at Grace and ordered condescendingly, ¡°My servants will deliver my clothester. Get prepared. You are going to take my baggage to my room and arrange everything¡± Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Before Grace could speak, Melvin took the first step to reply, ¡°I am sorry, Miss Adkins. Grace is injured and is off today. This is Mr. Brian¡¯s order.¡± Ava red at Melvin and fired back. ¡°Seriously? Is this supposed to be an injury? And now she gets a day off for that? She¡¯s just a maid! Well, she does not seem qualified to be a maid. She better disappear before the embarrasses herself even morel¡± Hearing Ava¡¯s harsh words, Melvin could not help but defend Grace, ¡®Miss Adkins, trust me Every maid working here has passed the Francis family¡¯s strict screening. Whether Grace is qualified for her job is up to Mr. Brian.¡± Grace did not want Melvin to offend Ava because of her. Thus, she stopped Melvin and said, ¡°Melvin, I¡¯ve got this. Please give us some moments¡± Ava red at Melvin and thought, The Francis family¡¯s servant and maid are so rude! Why do they think they can talk to me like that? After Melvin left, Grace looked at Ava and said, ¡°Miss Adkins, It seems that you have immense hostility toward me.¡± ¡°Humph!¡± Ava disdainfully snorted. Then, she replied, ¡°Yeah. I don¡¯t like you. What about it?¡± Grace was confused and asked, ¡°What did I do? Why do you think that way?¡± Ava stared at Grace with disgust and shouted, ¡°Humph! Because you have a seductive appearance! Do you think I don¡¯t know that you are nning how to make Brian fall for you?¡± Grace smiled and replied coldly. ¡°Miss Adkins, with all due respect, your elder sister is the future Mrs. Francis. However, you look more nervous than your sister. I think it is you who are trying to seduce your sister¡¯s man!¡± Ava hated the most when someone mentioned Louise was Brian¡¯s fianc¨¦e! Grace continued, ¡°Miss Adkins, I¡¯ve been with Mr. Brian for some time. Here is my kind reminder. Mr. Brian has no interest in condescending women like you. You should probably learn more from your sister.¡± Ava was irrigated and shouted, ¡°What do you mean? Are you saying Louise is better than me? I¡¯m telling you! If I can¡¯t get Brian, so can¡¯t you!¡± Grace could not help but burst outughing when she heard Ava¡¯s words. Ava immediately realized she revealed her purpose before Grace. She was so annoyed that she bit her lower lip, crying. ¡°What are youughing at? I¡¯m warning you! Do not say a word before Louise!¡± ac & MM MA 39% 20:16 Grace replied, ¡°Oh, no worries. Liking someone is not something embarrassing.¡± After that, Grace turned around and left. Ava was so furious that she stomped. She thought, ¡®Grace doesn¡¯t act like a regr maid. She talks and behaves as if she¡¯s one of the Francis family. How can Louise tolerate with her?¡± Brian had not seen Grace since he went home after work. Instead, Ava kept talking in the living. She sessfully annoyed. Brian and gave him a headache. Thus, Brian went upstairs to his room. Grace did not show up when dinner time approached. Brian sat at the table, lost in thought. He did not even realize when Louise served his favorite dish onto his te. Louise kept observing Brian¡¯s expression. Noticing Brian was a bit off to her, Louise asked, ¡°Brian, are you okay?¡± Brian lowered his head and nced at the food on his te. He frowned and suddenly ordered Melvin, ¡°Ask Grace to be here right now.¡± Melvin replied, ¡°Mr. Brian. Grace is having a rest. What do you need from her?¡± Chapter 42 Before Brian could utter a word, Ava rolled her eyes at Melvin and quipped, ¡°Why do you keep throwing out these dumb questions? Obviously, Brian requires Grace to serve us dinner.¡± Hearing that, Brian red at Ava with his cold eyes. Thus, Ava immediately shut up. Melvin did not dare to say one more word and asked Grace to be in the dining room. Brian did not say he wanted Grace to serve them dinner. However, the only reason Grace could think of was that Brian needed her service. Therefore, Grace stood aside like a robot as long as she arrived. Brian nced at the wound on Grace¡¯s forehead, thinking, ¡®It seems to be healing.¡± However, Brian felt annoyed when he observed the frosty expression on Grace¡¯s face. Ava arrogantly ordered Grace to fill her te. Later, she asked Grace to warm some milk. Grace did notin. Instead, shepleted all the tasks Ava ordered without saying a word. Ava felt a sense of superiority when she saw Grace act humbly. When Ava was about to order Grace again, Brian said coldly to Grace, ¡°Are you trying to annoy us with that face? Get lost!¡± Ava gloated over Brian¡¯s scolding Grace. Then, she followed and added some mean words. Louise witnessed everything, mocking Ava inside, ¡®Ava is such an idiot. ¡®Brian did not ask Grace here to do some chores. He made an excuse to check Grace¡¯s injury because he hadn¡¯t seen her since he got home.¡± Louise chewed her food but could not taste it. After dinner, Brian turned to Louise and said, ¡°Louise, I¡¯ll be heading out on a business trip for the next few days, starting tomorrow. I¡¯m worried you¡¯ll feel lonely if you stay here. How about going home with Ava and spending some time there?¡± Louise was shocked and thought, ¡°Why didn¡¯t Brian invite me to be with him? Instead, he asked me to return to the Adkins family¡¯s house. ¡®Is Brian worrying that I will do something to hurt Grace?¡® Louise felt a surge of anger when she grasped that possibility. However, Louise managed to conceal her emotions. She said gently, ¡°Brian, honestly, I¡¯ve stayed in your ce more than in the Adkins family¡¯s house since I returned. I¡¯ve already got used to the life here.¡± Louise implied she did not want to return to the Adkins family¡¯s house. Brian¡¯s expression darkened when he heard that. He looked like he was deep in thought. ¡°What happened? Is anything bothering you? You look like you are in a bad mood recently,¡± said Louise. Brian answered inly, ¡°No. Nothing.¡± Louise asked further, ¡°Where are you heading for the business trip? How long will you stay there?¡± Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. dd M Brian answered, ¡°Yuthouburg. I¡¯ll probably stay there for a week.¡± Louise nodded thoughtfully and sald, ¡°Alright. Then rest early tonight. Don¡¯t work toote.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± Then, Louise went upstairs to Ava¡¯s room and told Ave that Brian would be on a business trip next week. The Adkins sisters talked for a while. Louise implied that Ava could do whatever she wanted to Grace from tomorrow. However, Ava seemed to be a bit distracted. Soon, Ava urged Louise to return to her room to get some rest. Brian stood on his bedroom balcony, casually holding a lit cigarette between his fingers. White smoke lingered in the air. Someone suddenly knocked on the door. Brian thought it was Louise, so he cald without looking back, ¡°Come in.¡± Ava pushed the door open and slipped inside, gently shutting it behind her. When Ava approached the balcony entrance, Brian remained standing, savoring his cigarette. He gazed into the darkness, not bothering to turn around. Thinking of what Grace said to her today, Ava imitated Louise¡¯s voice and greeted, ¡°Hi, Brian.¡± Brian was shocked when he heard that voice and slowly turned around. When he saw Ava before him, he frowned and asked, ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Ava lowered her head and asked shyly, ¡°I heard you will set off for a business trip tomorrow. Can I go with you?¡± SEND GET Chapter 43 Brian frowned even more tightly after he heard Ava¡¯s request. Ava was afraid that Brian would reject her straightly. Thus, she hurriedly exined, ¡°I have never been to Yuthouburg, sol want to go abroad and open my eyes to see the world. I promise I won¡¯t cause you any trouble. I will go sightseeing in the city by myself.¡± After hearing Ava¡¯s exnation, Brian extinguished his cigarette and replied coldly, ¡°No!¡± Ava put on a long face and asked, ¡°But why?¡± an excuse Brian responded, ¡°No particr reason. I just don¡¯t feel like bringing you along.¡± He couldn¡¯t be bothered to make an when talking to Ava Ava seemed sorrowful, crying, ¡°Brian, you are ruthless!¡± Brian felt extremely ufortable when he noticed Ava addressed him by his first name. Thus, Brian looked at Ava and reminded her coldly, ¡°Ava, It¡¯s inappropriate for you to address me by my first name. Don¡¯t do that again.¡± Ava was shocked at Brian¡¯s words. She looked at him and cried inside, ¡®What? Brian even doesn¡¯t allow me to call his name?¡± Ava asked, ¡°Why Is It Inappropriate? My parents and sister all call you by your name. Why can¡¯t I?¡± Brian replied, ¡°First, your parents are seniors. Second, Louise is my fianc¨¦e. It is reasonable for them to call me like that. However, you are younger than me, and we are not close. You¡¯d better call me Mr. Brian.¡± Ava bit her lower lip tightly. She was so affected by Brian¡¯s hurtful words that she ran out of Brian¡¯s bedroom. Brian felt his headache back and frowned. Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. Suddenly, Brian thought of something. He left the room and went downstairs, thinking, ¡®Ava¡¯s words remind me. I can take Grace with me since the sisters are staying here.¡± Brian soon reached Grace¡¯s room. Just before he opened the door, a thought struck him, it¡¯s me. She might rush over and kick me out.¡± nit open, Grace will know Who is Therefore, Brian changed his strategy. He raised his hand and knocked on the door. Grace asked, ¡°Who is it?¡± However, Brian did not answer it. Secondster, Grace opened the door Brian took the chance and flipped inside. Then, he locked the door behind him. Brian¡¯s moves reminded Grace of what Brian had done when he was drunkst time. Thus, Grace covered her chest with her hands and asked alertly, ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Brian felt annoyed and frowned, asking, ¡°What do you mean? What do you think I¡¯m going to do to you?¡± Hearing that, Grace put down her hands. Her room was small, only able to fit a desk, a closet, and a bed. She walked to her bed and sat, asking inly, ¡°What do you want from me?¡± 100% 13: Brian pulled the chair under the desk and sat opposite Grace, asking, ¡°I¡¯m going on a business trip tomorrow. Do you want to go with me?¡± Grace looked at Brian, puzzled. She seemed not to know why Brian would make that offer. Brian was shocked to see Grace¡¯s confused expression and said, ¡°Tsk. What? You don¡¯t want to go with me?¡± Grace replied bluntly, ¡°No, I don¡¯t¡± Brian was shocked and felt silence. Two secondster, he asked, ¡°Why?¡± Grace¡¯s answer was brief. ¡°Because I don¡¯t want to see you.¡± Brian was left speechless, dumbfounded for several seconds. Then, he found the situation somewhat amusing, thinking, ¡®I rejected Ava when she begged me to take her with me. ¡®I asked if Grace wanted to go with me. She rejected me without thinking, and the reason was that she didn¡¯t want to see mer Brianughed mockingly and asked, ¡°Oh, right. Of course, you don¡¯t want to be with me. Because you want to see Justin after I leave, don¡¯t you?¡± Hearing Brian¡¯s words, Grace suddenly looked up and gave Brian a cold stare, cautioning, ¡®Brian, stop being unreasonable!¡± Brian suddenly stood up and approached Grace. He looked down at her and asked, ¡°Am I being unreasonable? Do you dare to say you didn¡¯t feel sad when you blocked him today?¡± Grace found Brian intolerable, thinking. ¡°Brian pushes me into doing things I don¡¯t want to do, and on top of that, he won¡¯t even let me be upset. How can such an unreasonable person exist in the world?¡± É« Chapter 44 Grace tried to fight back her emotions when she thought of Brian¡¯s threats. She took a deep breath and responded, ¡°I¡¯m not seeing anyone. Dr. Vance and I have a strictly doctor¨C patient rtionship. Cutting him off won¡¯t be a problem for him.¡± Brian knew Grace was lying. He wanted to do her well to make her remember who was her man. However, an unfamiliar andplex emotion welled up within him when he saw Grace¡¯s pale face. In the end, Brian mmed the door and left without doing anything. Grace fell on the bed. Tears ran down her face, wetting the sheet. She wondered, ¡°Why can¡¯t Brian engage in a simple and pleasant conversation with me? 1 know myself well. I want badly to spend some time with Brian and create some memories that only belong to us. ¡°Still, considering Brian¡¯s heartlessness and our inevitable parting in two months, everything seems meaningless. Besides, what if he forces me to have sex with him if I go on the business trip with him? Thinking about the consequences gives me goosebumps. ¡®The best solution is to stay here. I know Ava will definitely bully me, but it¡¯s better than losing my baby! The following day, Grace woke up to find Brian had already departed. Grace nned to go to the hospital to change her wound dressing. However, just as she approached the gate, she found Justin¡¯s car was parked there. Grace¡¯s heart sank, and she turned around to return. Justin spotted Grace at this time. Thus, he got out of his car and pressed the doorbell ¡°Good morning, sir. Who are you looking for?¡± vin stood by the door and asked, Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. Justin replied, ¡°I¡¯m here to see Grace Sherman. I¡¯m her doctor. Could you please open the door for me?¡± Melvin noticed that Grace was striding toward the house and sensed things between them must be complicated. Thus, Melvin asked, ¡°Sir, are you sure? Grace seems not to know you.¡± Justin had no choice but to shout Grace¡¯s name. Afraid other servants might hear, Grace quickly turned and went to Justin. Grace looked at Justin coldly and said, ¡°Dr. Vance, I appreciate your concerns about me. However, I have made my points clear yesterday. I hope we don¡¯t contact each other from now on.¡± Justin gazed at Grace, his heart aching, and asked, ¡°I know you must have reasons for this, don¡¯t you?¡± Grace answered briefly, ¡°No, I don¡¯t.¡± JMM M Justin sighed frustratedly and said, ¡°I know you won¡¯t go with me, so I bring you everything you need.¡± 100% 13:14 Tears welled up in Grace¡¯s eyes when she saw Justin take out the gauze and medicine. She did not want to hurt Justin and took them over. Justin looked deeply into Grace¡¯s eyes and said, ¡°Then, I¡¯m leaving now.¡± Grace watched Justin drive away. Then, she turned to Melvin and said, ¡°Melvin, please vouch for me if Brian asks. I didn¡¯t go to see Dr. Vance. Instead, he came here.¡± ou to see Melvin replied with a smile, ¡°Alright. No problem. It looks like Mr. Brian is jealous. That is why he doesn¡¯t allow you this gentleman.¡± Graceughed when she heard that. She thought, ¡°Well. I don¡¯t think Brian is jealous. ¡®Brian will always stand on pride. So, he is worried that I will cheat on him for another man instead of being jealous. However, everything is just his imagination.¡¯ As Grace entered the living room, Ava nced at her and jeered, ¡°Well, well, well. Look at you. You¡¯re quite the lucky woman, aren¡¯t you? A handsome doctores here to deliver medicine for you, and you don¡¯t even invite him in?¡± Grace ignored Ava and went straight to her room, nning to change her wound dressing. Ava screamed, ¡°Stop! I¡¯m talking to you! Can¡¯t you hear me?¡± She was more arrogant than ever. After all, Brian was not here, and no one would control her. Grace replied, ¡°Miss Adkins, what did you expect me to say? He is a doctor, and I¡¯m just a maid here. Who am I to allow a stranger into the Francis family¡¯s house?¡± É« Chapter 45 Those words made Ava feel better. ¡°At least you know your ce. Hurry, give me food. I¡¯m hungry!¡± Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Grace could only put down the medicine in her hand and go to the kitchen to make breakfast. There had been a maid who made breakfast in the kitchen but was chased out by Ava, who wanted Grace specifically to make breakfast Grace made breakfast and waited for Ava to finish it before changing the dressing. The blood on the wound had dried up, and the gauze was stuck to the scalp. Grace carefully changed the gauze, but she was not a professional after all. In the end, her wound was torn open, and it bled. After bandaging her wound, Grace hurriedly ate breakfast. Ava was already calling for her in the courtyard at the top of her lungs. Grace walked over. Ava was standing under a parasol and pointing at the bushes in the garden. ¡°Go trim all those for me!¡± When Melvin saw that, he quickly ran over and said, ¡°Miss Adkins, I¡¯ve always been the one to trim the bushes. Moreover, this requires a certain level of skills. If Grace doesn¡¯t do a good job, she will be scolded by Mr. Brian when hees back!¡± Ava looked at Grace contemptuously. ¡°Can¡¯t she learn if she doesn¡¯t know how to do it? Who was born with the skills to do It? Are you going to trim the bushes?¡± ¡°Miss Adkins, I¡¯m afraid it will take time to learn this. The vi is nted with expensive trees. I can¡¯t afford topensate if they¡¯re damaged.¡± ¡°It¡¯s your business that you can¡¯t afford topensate!¡± Ava approached Grace arrogantly and grabbed her arm, ¡°Are you going to trim them? Can¡¯t I order you to do things?¡± Grace took a step back. She was afraid that Ava would argue with her and hurt her child. In the end, she could only agree. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll trim them.¡± Only then was Ava satisfied, but she did not leave. Instead, she stayed under the paras id watched Grace work. Louise woke up veryte. When she went downstairs to take a look, she saw the scene of Ava ordering Grace about as expected. Louise leisurely brewed a cup of coffee and sat in the courtyard to enjoy the cool breeze. It was already eleven o¡¯clock in the morning. The temperature was getting higher and higher. The gauze that Grace had just changed was already drenched in sweat after standing under the sun for half an hour. Sweat soaked the wound, and the wound burned. Ava narrowed her eyes and looked at Grace for a while. She raised her chin arrogantly and said to Louise, ¡°Louise, a maid has to be taught this way. Look at the way she works. I¡¯m afraid that before you came, she was just doing nothing!¡± Louise stirred the coffee in her cup and looked at Grace thoughtfully. Grace stood under the sun. She was dizzy from the sun, and her body was swaying. Melvin was afraid that something would happen to Grace, so he got some medicine from the first aid kit for Grace. Grace took the medicine and thanked Melvin. However, she didn¡¯t dare to take it. After all, she was pregnant, and she had no idea if the medicine would affect the child. Seeing that the sun was getting hotter, and the temperature had already risen to 102.2 degrees Fahrenheit. Melvin could not help but walk to Ava and plead, ¡°Miss Adkins, the sun is so big. Can she trim the bushester in the afternoon?¡± Ava snorted coldly. ¡°As a maid, she can¡¯t be so delicate. I¡¯m training her by doing this!¡± When Melvin saw that Ava was unwilling to let Grace off, he turned his gaze to Louise. Louise took a sip of coffee and looked down at her phone, pretending not to have seen Melvin¡¯s gaze. Melvin said, ¡°Miss Adkins, can you let Grace rest for a while?¡± Louise finally looked up. Seeing that Grace really could not take it anymore, Louise said, ¡°Alright, let Grace rest for a while.¡± É« Chapter 46 With Louise¡¯s permission, Melvin¡¯s anxiety finally eased. Just as he was about to go over and tell Grace, he saw the scissors in Grace¡¯s hand shake. Then, her body went limp, and she fainted on the ground. Melvin hurriedly rushed over to support her. Louise and Ava stood up at the same time. Ava scoffed. ¡°How boring. She is no fun at all.¡± Louise nced at her. ¡°Ava, don¡¯t go overboard. If Brianes back and sees that something has happened to her, he¡¯ll scold you again.¡± ¡°I¡¯m helping you to teach your servant a lesson, Why are you lecturing me instead?¡± Louise sighed softly. ¡°I¡¯m just afraid that if anything happens to Grace, she willin to Brian. It¡¯s fine if she¡¯s not sick or injured, but if she has any wound, you will be reprimanded by Brian.¡± Ava snorted coldly. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. I won¡¯t let her have any wounds.¡± Louise smiled in satisfaction. ¡°Let¡¯s go and check her condition.¡± Grace was carried back to her room. Melvin ordered someone to bring her a cold towel to cool her down. At this moment, he saw that she was still holding the medicine and had not taken it yet. He hurriedly fed it to her. Fortunately, she could still swallow. She took the medicine that was given to her. Melvin was still worried. After thinking about it, he decided to call Brian and tell him what had happened that day. However, the call did not go through. Brian was still on the ne. Melvin nced at the phone screen and sighed inwardly. At this moment, Louise appeared at the door. ¡°Melvin, were you trying to call Brian just now?¡± Melvin¡¯s heart skipped a beat, but he did not dare to lie at that moment because Louise would probably check the phone records on the spot. ¡°Mr. Brian¡¯s phone is off.¡± Louise smiled and walked into the room. She nced at Grace on the bed and asked with concern, ¡°How is she?¡± ¡°She doesn¡¯t look good, Miss Adkins. I¡¯d better take her to the hospital¡± Louise stopped him. ¡°Melvin, it¡¯s just heatstroke. Just let her rest for a while. She¡¯ll be fine when she wakes up.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Louise interrupted him. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Don¡¯t worry. Who hasn¡¯t had heatstroke when they were young?¡± Melvin could not dissuade Louise. It was obvious that Louise did not want Grace to see a doctor. He could only pray that A ? ? MMM Grace would get better on her own. Ava nced at Grace on the bed before looking around her room. She looked around with a disgusted expression. Finally, she walked to the closet and pulled open the door. ¡°Oh my goodness!¡± Ava suddenly gasped. Louise¡¯s eyes narrowed, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Ava took out a few jewelry pieces and two limited edition Hermes bags from Grace¡¯s closet. Louise¡¯s eyes widened in shock. She walked over to take a closer look. Ava questioned, ¡°She¡¯s a maid! Where did all these thingse from?¡± Melvin pretended not to know and analyzed, ¡°After all, Grace is a young and beautiful girl. I guess these must be gifts from her suitor.¡± After checking the things out, Louise looked up and said coldly, ¡°Is that so? Then Grace is really fortunate.¡± She wondered, The bag does not look like an imitation bag. Who would be so generous to a person who is a maid?¡® Ava snorted coldly. ¡°She¡¯s just a lowly maid. Who would take a fancy to her? These must be imitation goods she bought to snag a wealthy guy!¡± Louise looked at the woman on the bed, and the hatred in her heart intensified.Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 47 Louise looked at the things in the closet. Grace¡¯s clothes were all from unknown brands. Only those two bags and a few jewelry pieces were the most valuable. A guess gradually formed in Louise¡¯s mind, but she could not ept it¡­ Grace slept for an hour before slowly waking up. The moment she woke up, she saw Louise sitting by her bed, her eyes fixed on her face. Grace shuddered and sat up from the bed. ¡°Miss Adkins, why are you in my room?¡± Louise smiled slowly. ¡°I¡¯m d that you woke up. It seems that you¡¯re fine. I was so worried. I watched over you and didn¡¯t dare to leave.¡± Grace was a little afraid of her. She shrank back against the headboard. ¡°Thank you, Miss Adkins.¡± Louise smiled, but there was no warmth in her eyes. ¡°How are you feeling now? Do you want some water?¡± ¡°No, thank you.¡± can you walk?¡± Louise added, ¡°Then can you walk?¡± Grace nodded. ¡°I¡¯m d that you can walk. Ava was looking for you just now. She said that she wanted to cook. You go and teach her,¡± Louise said with a smile and stood up to leave. As soon as she turned around, her expression instantly became as dark as thunder. Grace shook her dizzy head. There seemed to be a medicinal taste in her mouth. nediately wanted to take out her ontact number. She scrolled her When Grace saw the pharmaceutical packaging in the trash can, she was shocked. Sh. phone and call Justin to ask. However, she remembered that she had already blocked phone for Dr. Ford¡¯s number. Then she called him to ask about her situation. She only felt relieved when it was confirmed that there would not be any problem.. Ava was already shouting at the top of her lungs outside. She walked to Grace¡¯s room and knocked hard on the door. ¡°Grace! Why aren¡¯t you out yet? You just had heatstroke. Are you trying to take the opportunity to ck off? Get up immediately if you¡¯re not dead!¡± Grace threw off the nket in frustration and got out of bed. When Grace came to the kitchen, she looked at the mess around the kitchen. There was water all over the floor. She wondered what Ava was doing here just now. Grace looked at Ava. ¡°What kind of dish do you want to learn to cook?¡± Ava was here to cause trouble for Grace in the first ce. She did not even think about what to cook. Thus, she simply said, ¡°Teach me to cook whatever dish you know.¡± Grace nced at the broll on the shelf. She took one and broke it into pieces to wash it clean. As she prepared the ingredients, she exined to Ava Ava crossed her arms and looked at Grace from the side. She did not listen to what Grace was saying at all. After preparing everything. Grace added oil to the pan. When the oil began to heat up, Ava secretly got some water from the tap. While Grace was getting the vegetables, Ava sprinkled the water in her hand into the pan of oil. The oil in the pan sttered. Ava screamed and pulled Grace, who was about to take the vegetable basket, to the side of the pan that contained the oil The hot oil sttered onto Grace¡¯s face and arms. Instantly, blisters appeared. Grace quickly turned off the fire. Ava grabbed Grace tightly, not giving her a chance to dodge. She only let go of Grace when the oil in the pan stopped sttering Ava muttered. ¡°That was so fast¡® Then, she pursed her lips and looked at Grace. ¡°Do you know how to cook? I think you just don¡¯t want to teach me! Hmph!¡± Ava snorted and left the kitchen. Grace looked at the wounds on her arm. She went to get some ointment from the first aid kit and simply applied it to her Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. wounds In Yuthouburg, Brian got off the ne eight hourster After he turned on his phone, he saw there was a missed call from Melvin. É« Chapter 48 Brian stared at the screen for a while before making a call. ¡°Melvin, why did you call at noon?¡± The person on the other end paused for a few seconds before saying, ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I just wanted to ask if you¡¯ve arrived.¡± Brian frowned. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you that I¡¯m going overseas?¡± ¡°Mr. Brian, I¡¯ve be forgetful. I forgot that you¡¯d be flying for seven to eight hours.¡± Brian didn¡¯t say anything and hung up. After hanging up the phone, Melvin looked at Louise, who was staring at him not far away. He lowered his head respectfully and said, ¡°Miss Adkins, aren¡¯t you having your meal?¡± Louise smiled. ¡°I saw you rushing out to answer the phone. I thought something urgent had happened at home. It turned out that Brian called you.¡± Melvin¡¯s expression was calm as he lowered his head slightly. ¡°Yes, Mr. Brian called to ask about the situation at home.¡± Louise nodded, but her gaze was as cold as ice. If she had not rushed out in time, this wretched old man would have told Brian about Grace¡¯s heatstroke! Back at the dining table, Louise also received a call from Brian. Louise said coquettishly into the phone, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m eating well¡­ Yes, it¡¯s just that I miss you¡­ Okay, I¡¯ll be careful not to get a heatstroke¡­ Yes, rest early. Goodbye.¡± Grace stood in the corner and listened to everything Louise said over the phone. Presumably, after Brian left, he was still worried about whether Louise had been eatinell and was fine in the hot weather. Grace thought, ¡°How considerate!¡® She looked at her injuries and thought again, ¡°Brian has never cared! When she thought of that, her entire body turned cold. Now, she only wanted to be free from this misery as soon as possible. At night, Grace tossed and turned in bed, unable to fall asleep. Her mind involuntarily reyed the scene of Brian and Louise together. She burst into tears again, and she bit the nket desperately to stop herself from making any sound. She knew it wasn¡¯t good for the baby. She tried to think of things that would make her happy, but she didn¡¯t seem to have any of them. Gracey on the bed and cried until she was tired before falling asleep. When she woke up the next day, her eyes were swollen, and the bags under her eyes were dark. She looked terrible. C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. 100% 13:15 When Louise saw the state Grace was in, she sneered inwardly. She thought, ¡®It seemed that she had criedst night. Is she unable to take it anymore when only a day has passed? The exciting part has yet toe!¡® ¡°Miss Adkins, I¡¯m going to change my dressing today. I¡¯lle back after I¡¯m done.¡± Louise looked at Grace and smiled coldly. ¡°Didn¡¯t Dr. Vance send you a lot of medicine yesterday? It¡¯s such a hot day. It¡¯s just a change of dressing. There¡¯s no need to make a special trip!¡± Louise snorted and thought, ¡°Don¡¯t even think about leaving! Grace gritted her teeth. She merely wanted to find a ce to rest while she was not changing her dressing because she had not slept well the night before. It seemed that her n fell through. ¡°Where¡¯s the medicine? I¡¯ll help you get it,¡± Louise said as she went to get the first aid kit. Grace hurriedly ran over. ¡°No need, Miss Adkins. I can do it myself.¡± Grace snatched the gauze from Louise¡¯s hand. Louise looked up at the wound on Grace¡¯s forehead, and a ruthless look shed across her eyes. She suddenly raised her hand and said, ¡°I¡¯ll help you change the dressing.¡± The next second, a swishing sound was heard. Grace screamed as she felt a sharp tearing sensation on her forehead. Chapter 49 Grace had already bled a little when she changed the dressing yesterday and had sweated a lot afterward. The gauze was already stuck to Grace¡¯s wound. When Louise ripped off the dressing, it resulted in Grace¡¯s skin being torn off as well. Grace¡¯s forehead was dripping with blood. She bled even more than when she was first injured. When Louise saw the bright red blood flowing down Grace¡¯s cheek, a trace of excitement shed across her eyes. ced her fingers on Grace¡¯s forehead and quickly flicked the white powder under her nails onto Grace¡¯s wound. ¡°Oh my, I¡¯m sorry, Grace. It has been two days since this wound urred. Why is it still bleeding?¡± Louise Grace looked at Louise¡¯s innocent expression and took a deep breath. She knew that Louise was already suspecting her Identity. Otherwise, she would not treat her this way. When Melvin saw the situation here, he was shocked and immediately ran over to ask, ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why is your wound bleeding again?¡± Grace shook her head and told Melvin not to worry about her. If Melvin showed too much concern for her, it would also make Louise suspicious. I Grace quietly tended to her wound. Louise said slowly. ¡°Since you want to do it yourself, I won¡¯t help you then.¡± Grace bandaged the wound and started to busy herself with this and that. She didn¡¯t have any rest until lunchtime. For some reason, she felt an unusual pain in her forehead today. She wondered if it was because the wound had bled again that morning. After dinner, shey on the table and fell into a deep sleep. In the afternoon, Grace felt weak all over, but Ava kept moring for her to clean the rooms upstairs. Grace could only endure the soreness and go to work. After a busy day, Grace finally fell into a deep sleep in bed. The next day, Grace was woken up by noises. Something seemed to have happened outside. All the maids were standing in the living room. Grace got up from the bed. She felt light¨Cheaded and almost fell to the ground. Ava¡¯s sharp voice sounded from outside. ¡°Grace! Why isn¡¯t she here yet? Hurry, call her over now!¡± Grace heard the sound, opened the door, and slowly walked out. Her face was so pale that it looked like she would copse at any moment. As soon as Grace came out, she saw all the maids standing in the living room. She asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Ava ordered, ¡°Stand over here!¡± Grace walked over and stood at the side. MMM 100% 13:15 Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°My sister lost two pieces of jewelryst night, and no outsiders came to our house. I suspect that one of you maids has stolen them!¡± When the maids heard that, they were so frightened that their faces turned pale. They looked at each other but did not dare to speak. When Louise saw everyone¡¯s nervous expressions, she stood andforted them with a smile. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll search every roomter. I won¡¯t me you if you didn¡¯t steal anything. However, the Francis family will never tolerate the person who stole the things!¡± Grace did not have the energy to listen to what Louise said. She could not even stand straight. The crowd dispersed, and she copsed on the sofa. After about seven or eight minutes, she suddenly heard someone call her name. ¡°Grace, how dare you! So, it was you who stole my sister¡¯s things!¡± Grace frowned and tried her best to open her eyes. She saw Ava walking toward her with a ne in her hand. ¡°I didn¡¯t steal anything!¡± ¡°This was found in your room! Did I wrong you? Melvin saw with his own eyes when the ne was found in your room!¡± Chapter 50 Melvin was extremely anxious. He thought, ¡®How could Grace possibly steal anything?¡± He did not believe it. In the past, she had never worn anything Mr. Brian bought for her. Grace was not that kind of person at all! Louise looked at Grace in disappointment. ¡°Grace, I really didn¡¯t expect it to be you! Brian and I are so good to you. If your want something, just tell us. I can buy it for you as a friend. But why must you steal it?¡± Louise looked devastated. Grace had a terrible headache. She repeated word by word, ¡°I¡¯ll say it once more. I didn¡¯t steal anything from you.¡± Ava suddenly stepped forward and pped Grace hard. ¡°You bitch! We¡¯ve caught you red¨Chanded, yet you¡¯re still quibbling here!¡± Grace¡¯s head was ringing from the p. She held onto the table to prevent herself from falling. ¡°Grace, you really disappoint me. I can condone you for cking off, but I can¡¯t condone you for stealing! This is a matter of principle!¡± Grace sneered and thought, ¡®They are determined to use me. What else can I say? At that moment, the police suddenly arrived. Grace looked at the police outside the door before she looked coldly at Louise and Ava. She thought, These two sisters must have nned this long ago. The police arrived as soon as the ne was found. They have long called the police with the intention of sending me into custody.¡± Grace lowered her head andughed self¨Cdeprecatingly. She thought, ¡®This is good as well. Even if I have to stay in prison, it¡¯s better than staying here.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s the thief?¡± Ava stood with the ne and said, ¡°Sir, we¡¯ve found it. It was found in her room. She¡¯s the thief,¡± The police officer looked at Grace. ¡°Did you steal it?¡± Grace was silent for two seconds before looking at him. ¡°They found something in my om, but I don¡¯t know why it¡¯s in my room.¡± ¡°You suspect they put it in themselves?¡± Before Grace could nod, Ava stepped forward and said, ¡°Don¡¯t try to get away with it by using us! When we went to search your room just now and found it in your room, many people saw it!¡± Grace took a deep breath. The police officer looked at everyone and asked Ava, ¡°Is the ne yours?¡± ¡°It¡¯s my sister¡¯s.¡± The police officer stared at Ava with an intense gaze. Ava could not help but shudder. The policeman turned to Louise. ¡°When did you lose your ne?¡± *100% 13:15 ¡°Last night¡± Then, the police officer asked Grace, ¡°Did anyone enter your roomst night?¡± Grace told the truth. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I went to bed earlyst night.¡± The police officer looked at Grace for a while and said in a businesslike manner, ¡°It seems that you can¡¯t clear yourself of suspicion. Come with us first¡± C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. Looking at Grace¡¯s hands being handcuffed, a trace of satisfaction appeared on Ava¡¯s face. Melvin watched as Grace was taken away. His expression was solemn as he silently walked to the side and took out his phone. At that moment, Louise saw his actions and quietly walked up to him. ¡°Melvin!¡± Melvin was shocked and immediately locked his phone. ¡°Miss Adkins.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you going to call Brian again?¡± ¡°Miss Adkins, since something serious has happened at home, I think it¡¯s better to inform Mr. Brian.¡± Louise crossed her arms and sneered. ¡°Are you trying to inform Brian or ask him toe back and save Grace?¡± Melvin¡¯s expression changed. ¡°Miss Adkins, what¨Cwhat do you mean?¡± Im sure you know better than me what I mean, don¡¯t you?¡± Chapter 51 ¡°Who exactly is Grace?¡± Louise approached Melvin and questioned fiercely. Melvin regained hisposure and said expressionlessly. ¡°She¡¯s a maid of the Francis family.¡± ¡°Since she¡¯s a maid, why did you take special care of her? Why did you call Brian the moment something happened to her? If you didn¡¯t see mest night, you would have told Brian about Grace fainting from heatstroke, right?¡± Melvin secretly took a deep breath, not knowing how to exin. ¡°Why did you call Brian? It was because you knew Brian would hurry back immediately if Grace were in trouble. He cares about Grace. Grace is his mistress! Am I right?¡± Melvin lowered his head and said, ¡°Miss Adkins, you¡¯re reading too much into it. Mr. Brian treats you so well. You¡¯re Mr. Brian¡¯s fianc¨¦e. If you think this way, he¡¯ll be sad.¡± Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Louise sneered. ¡°You still know that I¡¯m his fianc¨¦e? I don¡¯t think you respect me at all. You¡¯ve tried to go against me time and time again.¡± Melvin lowered his head even more. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare.¡± Louise took a deep breath and softened her tone. ¡°Melvin, you don¡¯t have to do this. I only hope you can understand that I¡¯m the future Mrs. Francis of this family. As a servant who has worked here for six years, you should know that a wise man submits to circumstances. Do you think any woman would tolerate a maid having designs on her husband?¡± Louise held Melvin¡¯s arm and made him look up. She continued, ¡°Melvin, if you still want to stay in the Francis family, you¡¯d better not interfere in anything I do in the future, especially regarding Grace.¡± Melvin was silent with a grim expression. ¡°You still won¡¯t tell me the identity of Grace, right? Or was I right just now?¡± ¡°Miss Adkins, Grace is indeed a maid of the Francis family. If you don¡¯t believe me, yo n ask Mr. Brian.¡± Louise snorted coldly. ¡°You¡¯re obstinate! By the way, I¡¯m warning you. If Brian learns about Grace¡¯s arrest, you¡¯re the only one who could have snitched.¡± With that, Louise turned around and left. Melvin nced at the phone screen. In the end, he sighed deeply and put his phone away, Grace was dragged to the police station and detained in the interrogation room. The police questioned her. Seeing that she was not in a good state of mind, they gave her a bottle of glucose. Grace still felt light¨Cheaded. She could barely hear what the two people in front of her were saying. Suddenly, her vision darkened, and she passed out on the table. ¡°Is she sick?¡± ¡°You go and take a look.¡± The other police officer came over and patted Grace¡¯s face. ¡°She seems to have a fever!¡± ¡°Get a doctor here right away.¡± ? LUL 12.10 Grace was brought into a small room in the infirmary. While Grace was lying on the bed, a female doctor came over and removed the gauze on Grace¡¯s head. ¡°It¡¯s a fever caused by a worsening wound and inmmation.¡± herw The doctor examined her wound and tutted. ¡°What is this person doing? Did she apply loose powder to the wound?¡± The female doctor cleaned Grace¡¯s wound again. After bandaging it, she prepared to give Grace an intravenous injection. A sharp pain came from the back of Grace¡¯s hand. Grace slowly woke up. She looked at the medicine bottle above her and sat up in a panic. She pulled out the needle. The doctor looked at her in shock. ¡°What are you doing? Do you know that you¡¯re sick? Your wound is already inmed, and your fever is 101.3 degrees Fahrenheit. I have to give you an anti¨Cinmmatory injection and fever medicine immediately!¡± Chapter 52 Grace put her hand behind her back and said weakly, "I''m sorry, I can''t get an intravenous injection now I-I''m pregnant." The doctor stared at her for two seconds before putting the medicine away. "Take some fever medicine. It won''t affect the fetus" Grace nodded. "Thank you. By the way, please keep this a secret for me. Don''t tell the police." "I can''t keep that kind of thing a secret from them. But don''t worry. If you need to keep it a secret, they won''t reveal it." "Thank you." The doctor handed her the fever medicine. Before she left, she instructed, "By the way, your forehead is injured. Don''t put on makeup." Grace looked at her in confusion. "Makeup? I didn''t put on makeup" "You''ve applied foundation and loose powder, right? When I was removing the gauze for you just now, I saw a lot of powder in the wound. It looks like the loose powder identally got into the wound, causing it to worsen." After saying that, the doctor did not stay any longer and left. The doctors words echoed in Grace''s Cars She thought, 1 haven''t even touched cosmetics since I got pregnant. How could there be loose powder?'' She recalled carefully. It seemed that her head had been hurting since yesterday. Grace suddenly recalled that when she changed her dressing yesterday morning. Louise was also there. She guessed Louise must be the culprit. Grace felt a chill in her heart. She thought, I can''t go back to the Francis'' residence. Early in the morning the next day. Justin''s car stopped at the entrance of the Francis'' residence Justin had been going to the hospital every day for the past two days just to ch*ck o race''s injury. However, after waiting in the hospital for an entire day yesterday, Grace did not go there to change her dress... He was a little worried, so he came over early in the morning. He waited outside for a long time, but Grace was still nowhere to be seen. He couldn''t help but get out of the car, nning to knock on the door. At that moment, Melvin, who was watering in the yard, saw him. He nced into the living room and saw that neither Louise nor Ava were there. He hurried over "Sir, are you looking for Grace?" Justin nodded slightly. "I''m here to take a look at her injury." *Sir, please go and save Miss Sherman! She was wrongly used of theft and is detained in the police station!" Justin''s expression changed. "What?" "I''m not sure where she''s being detained. It should be in this area." Justin nodded. "Alright, I''ll go look for her immediately." After Grace woke up, her condition improved slightly. After entering the interrogation room for interrogation, Grace was sent to the detention room. There was only a small window and a bed in the dark room, but Grace felt very peaceful. At noon, someone came to deliver food, which was a meager serving of cold, leafy greens. It was unknown when the food was prepared. There was already a mild sour taste. There was only a remotely edible bread, Grace picked up the cold and hard bread and took a bite. It was tasteless, like chewing paper. What shed through Grace''s mind was Brian''s emotionless look when he faced her and his gentle expression when he faced Louise. Tears fell on the bread, making it taste salty and bitter. At this moment, she wished she had never met Brian. Suddenly, someone opened the door. "Grace, someone is here to bail you out." Grace suddenly got up. She wondered, "Who would bail me out? Since I got together with Brian, I''ve stopped associating with other people.'' Grace was puzzled as she followed the prison guard out. She saw Justin in a white T-shirt standing there anxiously. Grace suddenly felt a lump in her throat.Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 53 Justin finally calmed down when he saw Grace standing in front of him unharmed. Grace resisted the urge to cry and walked up to him. ¡°Why is it you?¡± Justin took her arm and looked her up and down. When he saw the blisters on her arm, he frowned. ¡°Why did you do this to yourself? Your face, too.¡± Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. Justin reprimanded helplessly, ¡°Since you want to cut ties with me, you have to take good care of yourself. Since take good care of yourself, don¡¯t me me for interfering in your matters!¡± Grace looked at him with tears andughter. ¡°Thank you.¡± Justin felt a faint sense of pity in his heart. He rubbed her hair and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll bring you out.¡± After getting into Justin¡¯s car, Grace said in a daze, ¡°I don¡¯t want to go home.¡± But she didn¡¯t know where to go. Justin turned his head to look at her. He did not ask anything and only said, ¡°Okay¡± you can¡¯t The car stopped in front of an apartment building. ¡°Get out of the car. This is an apartment I just bought. No one has lived here since it was renovated. You can stay here for now,¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Grace got out of the car and followed Justin. The elevator reached the 15th floor, and Justin opened the door with a password. The apartment was not big. There was only one bedroom and one living room. It was just right for Grace to live alone. ¡°Rest for a while. I¡¯ll go buy you some food.¡± Grace replied tiredly. ¡°Okay.¡± Justin returned, not only did he buy food, but he also bought a lot of daily necess¡­es for her. He bought almost everything that she would use in daily life. He had even bought her pajamas and underwear. Grace could definitely stay here for a while. Justin ced the food on the table and urged her to eat. the food on the table. The food he bought tasted very light and delicious. As Grace ate, her tears suddenly fell into the food on Justin¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He took out a tissue and wiped her tears. ¡°It¡¯s just a meal. Why are you crying?¡± Hearing his gentle voice, Grace felt even worse. It had been a long time since someone had spoken to her so gently. It had been a long time since someone had cared for her and protected her like this. Grace could not stop crying. Justin was at a loss. He could only gently hold her shoulders and coax her like a child. d URN 100% 13:16 Finally, after venting all the grievances in her heart, she stopped crying and finished the remaining food which was still warm Justin bought some ointment to treat burns and applied it to her arm. He said gently to her, ¡°Go to bed and rest for a while.¡± In fact, he had a lot to ask her, but seeing her cry so sadly, he couldn¡¯t bear to mention her wounds again. Justin was worried about her. At night, he slept in the living room. Grace tossed and turned in bed, unable to fall asleep. At that moment, her phone rang. She looked at the caller ID and was stunned The phone rang for a long time before she came back to her senses and picked it up. Brian¡¯s deep voice sounded. ¡°Why haven¡¯t you answered your phone for so long? Are you asleep?¡± Judging from his tone, he probably didn¡¯t know that I had gone to the police station, thought Grace. Brian did not hear her answer. He paused for a long time before asking. ¡°Did you cause trouble at home?¡± ¡®Causing trouble? In his heart, I would always be the one to cause trouble! said Grace inwardly Grace bit her lips tightly because she was afraid that her voice would break if she opened her mouth. ¡°Grace, are you mute?* Grace closed her eyes in pain. Suddenly, she opened her mouth and bit her arm. Chapter 54 The sharp pain woke her up. She took a deep breath and said coldly into the phone, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Your fianc¨¦e is living afortable life. I didn¡¯t cause her any trouble. Is there anything else?¡± you When Brian heard her cold voice, his heart trembled for some reason. After a few seconds, he said, ¡°It¡¯s good that didn¡¯t cause trouble.¡± With that, he hung up. Grace¡¯s tears instantly burst out. In order not to make a sound, she bit her arm desperately. Her arm was bleeding from her bite. After Brian hung up the phone, he threw it aside in frustration. It was noon in Yuthouburg, and his assistant had asked him to go over for lunch, but he was not in the mood. He wanted to ask her if she had been bullied at home, but after the call, he could not say anything. After holding it in for a long time, he finally said to her not to cause trouble. ¡°Camren Whitley, I will work overtime tonight and hold a video conference. Finish the project and try to return to the country tomorrow.¡± ¡°Alright!¡± The next day. Grace got up and saw breakfast on the table She looked at him in surprise. ¡°Why are you here so early?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t leavest night.¡± A warm smile appeared on Justin¡¯s face. His gaze suddenlynded on her arm and his face Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. stiffened. ¡°What happened to your hand?¡± Grace hurriedly hid her hand behind her back. Justin pulled her over. The deep teeth on her arm were hard and bloody. ¡°You bit yourself?¡± Justin looked at her in disbelief. Grace lowered her head and pursed her lips. ¡°I don¡¯t know why this happened either. She could not remember how she fell asleepst night. When she woke up in the morning, she found the teeth marks on her arm. She was even stunned for two seconds. After thinking for a while, she remembered that Brian had called herst night. Justin looked at her deeply for a while. ¡°Let¡¯s eat. After that, I¡¯ll bring you somewhere.¡± Grace sat down obediently. After having breakfast, Justin took the car keys and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± ¡°Where are we going?¡± Grace asked curiously. If it was a crowded ce, she did not want to go. ¡°I¡¯m taking you to see a friend of mine.¡± Grace was a little hesitant, but in the end, she still went because she believed in Justin. Justin drove her to a small duplex building. After parking the car, he walked ahead and pressed the doorbell. The door opened and Justin led her in. The courtyard was filled with roses, and there were many sulents under the windowttice. It was obvious that this was where a woman lived, and she looked like a girl who loved life very much. Walking into the living room, Grace saw a young and beautiful girl arranging flowers in the living room. The girl was busy with her work and asked without looking up, ¡°What brings Mr. Vance here?¡± Justin smiled and walked over. He picked up thest flower on the table and cut off the leaves before putting them into the bottle. ¡°The days at the hospital are too busy. Your ce is a good ce to ck off.¡± Angie Flores looked up at him with a faint smile on her face. From the corner of her eye, she saw Grace standing beside them. She asked in surprise, ¡°This is?¡± ¡°My friend, Grace Sherman.¡± After saying that, Justin introduced Angie to Grace, ¡°This is my alumnus from the university, Angie Flores.¡± Grace nodded slightly. ¡°Hello.¡± Justin held her shoulder and said to her in aforting tone, ¡°Angie is a psychiatrist. She¡¯ll chat with youter. Don¡¯t worry and don¡¯t be afraid. I¡¯ll wait for you outside.¡± Grace looked at him in surprise. So he had brought her here to see a doctor! Chapter 55 Although Grace was unwilling to admit that she had a mental illness, she did not say anything when she thought about how Justin was taking care of her. Angie¡¯s gaze fell on her arm and face. She smiled thinly. ¡°Let¡¯s go upstairs.¡± Grace followed her upstairs to arge and spacious room that seemed to be connected by two bedrooms. It was very bright. Standing in front of the window, she could see the mountain scenery in the distance. There were two chairs in front of the floor¨Cto¨Cceiling windows. Angie led her to the window and sat down. Angie boiled a pot of water. As she brewed coffee, she asked, ¡°Do you live with your parents?¡± ¡°No. Not since more than two years ago.¡± Angie noticed that Grace¡¯s expression turned colder when she mentioned the word parents. ¡°Do you miss them?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t.¡± Grace simply threw out these three words and did not want to speak anymore. Angie asked gently, ¡°Why?¡± Grace curled her lips slightly and said slowly, ¡®I¡¯ve always felt that in their eyes, I¡¯m superfluous. If I didn¡¯t work hard every day and try my best to please them, they might have sent me away long ago.¡± ¡°Do you have a brother?¡± ¡°Well, he¡¯s got leukemia. It¡¯s going to cost our family a fortune.¡± Angle pondered for a while and asked, ¡°Have you ever had a boyfriend?¡± Grace lowered her head and seemed to think for a while before saying, ¡°No.¡± Angle poured the coffee and handed her a cup. Try it. I nted these coffee beans myself.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Grace took the cup and brought it to her mouth. A special fragrance entered her nose. For a moment, she could not ept it. She covered her mouth and nose and retched twice. Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. Angle paused and put down her cup. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you¡­pregnant?¡± Grace looked at her. ¡°Yes,¡± Angie took a deep breath. Just now, Grace said that she had never had a boyfriend, but she was pregnant. Angie held Grace¡¯s hand andforted her. ¡°It¡¯s okay. You can tell me about yourself. I know you¡¯re a good girl. I think he treats you as a very important friend since you were brought here by Justin personally. ¡°You can use me as a tree hole. You can say whatever er you want. I¡¯ll keep everything a a secret. I won¡¯t even tell Justin.¡± Her voice was soft and melodious, making one feel rxed. However, after thinking for a long time, Grace finally shook her head. Angie could only ask her again, ¡°Are you married?¡± Grace pursed her lips. She seemed to have thought of something and suddenly fell into a daze. Angie quietly apanied her for a while and watched her go from being in a daze to silently crying. Grace did not say any, words till the end. Gracey on the chair and fell asleep. Angie found a nket and gently covered her with it before tiptoeing downstairs. Justin saw hering down alone and asked in confusion, ¡°How is it? Where is she?¡± ¡°Asleep. Angie walked to the coffee table and sat down. ¡°She¡¯s still unwilling to say anything, but she must have suffered a lot. From her original family to her current family. ¡°She has moderate depression, but she¡¯s pregnant and can¡¯t take antidepressants. Since she¡¯s unwilling to say anything. you should take her to lively ces first and try to make her happy.¡± Justin nodded solemnly. ¡°And the teeth marks on her arms and the injuries on her body. Did she mutte herself?¡± *The injuries in her arm are caused by herself. The rest doesn¡¯t look like it.¡± Chapter 56 ¡°Pay more attention these few days. Try not to let her suffer any stimtion. If possible, you should bring her family over.¡± Justin frowned. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Apart from the fact that she lives in Cloudsea Vi, I know nothing else.¡± *Cloudsea Vi? That¡¯s a wealthy district. Grace said that her family has been very poor since she was young.¡± Justin wanted to say something, but in the end, he paused and stopped talking. *I¡¯ll show her around when she wakes up.¡± ¡°Okay¡± Grace woke up after sleeping for an hour. When she opened her eyes, she saw Justin in the room. She said awkwardly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t know I was asleep.¡± ¡°Never mind. Maybe you didn¡¯t rest wellst night.¡± Justin smiled. ¡°Then can we go back now?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not good for your health to stay at home all day. Pregnant women have to go out and exercise more. It¡¯s good for the fetus.¡± ¡°Exercise?¡± A smile appeared on Justin¡¯s gentle face. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Justin took her wrist and led her to the car without any exnation. They drove all the way to a park. For her safety, he rented a bicycle for two. Grace sat in the back with him in the front. Justin spoke to her as he rode the bike. Grace answered him absent¨Cmindedly. Justin was very worried about her and found a shady ce to park. Grace was looking at a couple leaning against the river in a daze. Justin rode the bicycle back and brought her to a different ce. Orphanage. Justin seemed toe here often. The children liked him very much. As soon as he arrived, the children surrounded him and asked what gift he had brought for them. Justin said apologetically to the children, ¡°I¡¯m here with a friend today. I¡¯ll definitely bring gifts for everyone next time, okay?¡± Grace looked at the innocent smiling faces and finally revealed a long¨Clost smile. A little boy jumped in front of her and shook her hand. ¡°Miss Grace, y games with us!¡± Justin walked over and ruffled his hair. ¡°Little Carrot, Miss Grace is pregnant. She can¡¯t y games with you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Grace smiled at the little boy. ¡°What game do you guys want to y? I¡¯ll apany you.¡± Justin sat on the chair and looked at Grace, who was quickly ying with the children on the field. His lips curled into al gentle smile. It was not until five in the afternoon when the children had dinner that Grace reluctantly went back. In the car, Justin could see her reluctance. As he drove, he said, ¡°If you want toe, I¡¯lle with you in the future.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± A smile appeared on Grace¡¯s face, but her smile gradually froze. In the future, she did not know when this would happen. In a few days, Brian would be back. If he found her, he would probably want to strangle her to death. Thinking of this, Grace said, ¡°I¡¯ll be back in two days.¡± Brian said that he would be on a business trip for a week. Perhaps he would be back a day or two in advance. Seeing that she was unhappy again, Justin sighed slightly in his heart. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll send you back the day after tomorrow.¡± at the project On Brian¡¯s side, they were having an all¨Cnight meeting to implement the Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. By the time he was done, the sky was already bright. Camren bought a ne ticket back to the country at night. Brian had slept for two hours. He nced at his watch. Four hours left. Yuthouburg was famous for its fashion industry. Since he was here, he should bring something back. Chapter 57 Camren followed Brian to thergest mall in Yuthouburg. Brian walked into a jewelry store. A shop assistant came over to introduce the jewelry to him. Brian¡¯s gaze stopped on a blue embellishment. The shop assistant could tell that he liked this ne and praised, ¡°Sir, you have good taste. This is our new product this season. It is a limited edition. There are only five global sales. Are you buying it for your wife?¡± Brian nodded subconsciously In the past, when he went on business trips, he would bring some gifts back for Grace. This time, when he nned to go out to the mall, the first person he thought of was still her. However, he immediately thought of Louise Adkins. He looked at the ne and paused for a moment. No one knew what he was thinking. In the end, he put the ne down and casually pointed at the most expensive car studs and a bracelet. ¡°Wrap these two up.¡± After buying these things, Brian set off for the airport. When the ne arrived at Capern City, it was ten in the morning in domestic time. The driver drove him back to the vi Brian walked in with his luggage. From afar, Louise stood at the door to wee him When she saw him, she immediately rushed forward and wrapped her arms around his waist. ¡°Brian, I¡¯ve missed you so much Brian wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her away from him. He said dotingly, ¡°Let¡¯s go in first.¡± Louise took the briefcase from his suitcase. ¡°I¡¯ll carry it for you.¡± Ava stood in the living room and watched from afar. Her fingers involuntarily curled into a ball. When she saw Brian approaching, she imitated Louise¡¯s voice and called out gently, ¡°Bri¡­ Oh no, Brian, you¡¯re back.¡± Brian nodded at her and walked past her. Ava gritted her teeth. Hmph! Why did he only have eyes for Louise? C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. Brian scanned the vi but did not see that figure. In the past, when he came back from a business trip, didn¡¯t she always stand guard at the door when she received the news? Now, he was already sitting in the living room and she was nowhere to be seen. Brian felt a little frustrated. The maid came over to take his suitcase and carried it upstairs. Louise put down the briefcase and secretly unzipped it. When she saw what was inside, she was overjoyed. Sure enough, he had brought gifts for her, and there were two of them! Louise sat down beside him and asked, ¡°Brian, didn¡¯t you say that you would only be back in a week? Why are you three days early?¡± Brian took a sip of the coffee and smiled at her. ¡°I missed you, so I rushed back after finishing my work.¡± Louise leaned shyly in his arms Seeing that he had yet to remember about the gift, she tentatively reminded him, ¡°Brian, did you bring me a gift when you went to Yuthouburg this time?¡± Brian had been wondering where Grace had gone and had not thought about the gift. Upon being reminded by her, he put down his coffee cup and smiled at her dotingly. ¡°Of course, I won¡¯t forget. Wait a moment.¡± Ava sat in a chair not far away When she heard Brian¡¯s words, a trace of hope shed across her eyes. Since she was staying at his house, he would definitely bring her a gift! She stared at Brian, but she only saw that he took out a box and walked to Louise ¡°Open it¡± Louise looked at the gift box in his hand and the smile on her face froze He had clearly bought two gifts, but he had only given her one! Chapter 58 Was the other one for Grace? Thinking of the of this possibility, a hint of ruthlessness appeared in Louise¡¯s eyes. As expected, the jewelry and purses in Grace¡¯s cab were all given by Brian. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Louise¡¯s heart turned cold, but she still had a blissful smile on her face. She took it and opened it. ¡°I like it very much!¡± Louise¡¯s eyes were filled with tears of gratitude. Brian smiled and ruffled her hair. ¡°I¡¯m d you like it. I¡¯m going to take a shower first.¡± At this moment, Ava¡¯s unhappy voice sounded. ¡°Brian! I am staying at your house after all. Why did you my sister? Don¡¯t you know to bring one for me?¡± Ava pouted unhappily. just buy a gift for Louise looked at him. Although she knew that the other gift would not be for Ava, as long as he was willing to give that gift to Ava, she could forgive him. However, she was disappointed. Brian frowned slightly and said, ¡°Sorry, I forgot. I¡¯ll remember next time.¡± With that, he went upstairs. Ava stomped her feet angrily and red at Louise. However, she realized that Louise¡¯s expression was terrifyingly dark. When he went upstairs to take a shower and got back, it was already lunchtime. When he came down to eat, he still did not see Grace. He vaguely felt that something was wrong. He nced at Melvin Duncan, who was standing not far away. There was an indescribable str ess in his expression. An ominous feeling rose in Brian¡¯s heart. He suddenly put down the fork and asked coldly, ¡°Where¡¯s Grace?¡± Everyone was shocked. Only Ava said fearlessly, ¡°Grace is a stealer. She stole my sister¡¯s ne¡­ She was¡­¡± As Ava spoke, she saw that Brian¡¯s eyes were filled with dark clouds. Her voice Instantly became so soft that it was almost silent. ¡°Was what?¡± Brian stared at her. ¡°Speak!¡± Brian mmed the table hard, causing the bowls on the table to jump. Ava trembled in fear. ¡°She, she, she was taken away by the police.¡± Brian scanned the people in the room and finally looked at Melvin. ¡°Melvin, when did this happen?¡± ree days ago.¡± ¡°Mr. Brian. That was three days ago.¡± Brian¡¯s expression was so cold that it could freeze. Three days! That meant that she had been locked up inside for three days! ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me!¡± Louise sat on the chair expressionlessly. The more angry Brian was, the colder her heart became. ¡°Brian, why are you so angry? We didn¡¯t expect the thing to be found in her room. The police were already there. We couldn¡¯t, do anything about it.¡± Brian turned to look at her coldly. ¡°Did she really steal it?¡± Louise took a deep breath. ¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s her or not. I only know that the evidence was indeed found in her room. Brian, do you know her very well? So you don¡¯t think it¡¯s her? I¡¯m sorry, I might not know her as well as you do, so I can only do my job.¡± Brian took a deep breath and realized that he had lost hisposure in front of Louise. ¡°Louise, I don¡¯t mean anything else. I just feel that I should have been informed about such a big incident at home.¡± Louise nodded silently. ¡°This matter needs to be re¨Cexamined. I¡¯ll go get Grace first.¡± Seeing him leave, Melvin hurriedly followed him out. ¡°Mr. Brian, Miss Sherman should not be at the police station now.¡± É« 0 Chapter 59 100% 13:17 Brian asked gloomily, ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°On the day Miss Sherman was locked up, I wanted to call you to inform you, but Miss Adkins didn¡¯t allow it. The next day, Miss Sherman¡¯s attending doctor came to look for her to refill her medication, so I asked him to quickly save Miss Sherman¡± After listening to his words, Brian¡¯s expression became even gloomier. ¡°Melvin, you¡¯re very bold! How dare you! Who exactly is in charge of this family?¡± ¡°Mr. Brian, I really have no choice. Miss Adkins already suspects your rtionship with Miss Sherman. If I call you back, it will prove that you have a deep rtionship with Miss Sherman¡± ¡°Then you shouldn¡¯t have asked Justin to save her!¡± It had been two days since Justin rescued her. She had not returned home for the past two days! Where was she staying? How could she be alone with Justin? At the thought of this, Brian could not stand it any longer. He had to find Grace immediately! Justin did not bring Grace to the orphanage today. Instead, he brought her to the amusement park. Grace didn¡¯t like crowded ces, but she understood that Justin was worried about her and wanted to treat her illness, so she tried her best to adapt Justin took her on a less exciting pirate ship. Grace sat on it and was so nervous that her toes scratched the ground. Justin smiled and asked, ¡°Are you afraid? If you are, hug me tightly¡± Grace shook her head. She gripped her seatbelt tightly and closed her eyes Her body floated into the sky and quickly descended as if she had also taken away the gloom in her heart. After a few events, Grace felt her body rx Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. She stood under the sun with thin beads of sweat on the tip of her nose. Justin handed her a tissue. ¡°Wait for me here. I¡¯ll get you some water¡± Grace smiled at him unconsciously ¡°Okay¡± Justin quickly bought the water and personally opened it to feed her. Grace chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m not a child. I¡¯ll do it myself In the end, she drank too quickly and choked hard. Justin patted her back helplessly. ¡°Look at you. You still say that you¡¯re not a child. You might as well let me feed you.¡± At this moment, Grace¡¯s wrist was suddenly grabbed by a force. Then, she was pulled forcefully and bumped into a hard chest. She raised her head and bumped into Brian¡¯s dark and cold 100% 13:17 eyes. Grace gasped. ¡°When, When did youe back?¡± Brian sneered at her. ¡°Are you disappointed that I came back early?¡± Grace turned her face away and did not want to answer him. Her attitude to him was so cold, but when she treated Justin, she smiled like a flower. Brian¡¯s heart was filled with anger. Justin could not help but stop Brian when he saw how rude Brian was to Grace. ¡°Don¡¯t you have eyes? Can¡¯t you see that she¡¯s covered in injuries?!¡± Justin¡¯s words made the fire in Brian¡¯s heart just burn even hotter. Without any exnation, Brian punched Justin in the face. Justin was caught off guard and was hit squarely. Brian used at least 80% of his strength, and Justin instantly tasted rust in his mouth ¡°I warned you! Stay away from her! If I see you entangled with her again, it won¡¯t be as simple as getting beaten up!¡± Justin wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and suddenly let out a mockingugh. ¡°Brian, what right do you have to take her away? Where were you when she was locked up in the detention center? She has de¡­ ¡°Justin! Stop talking!¡± She looked at Brian coldly. ¡°I won¡¯t have any more dealings with him. Please don¡¯t vent your anger on innocent people!* É« Chapter 60 With that, Grace walked out of the amusement park alone His Aston Martin stopped arrogantly by the roadside and Grace got into the car without saying a word She looked down at her arm that had been pinched by Brian. The blisters on it had already been rubbed raw. A light touch would cause a sharp pain After Brian got into the car, he quickly started the engine and the car sped away Grace nced at the scenery outside the window and suddenly shouted, ¡°I don¡¯t want to go back!¡± Brian was in a fit of anger. He did not even look at her as he stepped on the elerator frantically ¡°If you don¡¯t go back, do you want to be with that Vance guy?¡± Grace was very emotional. She did not want to go back and face Louise and Ava. She did not want to see them being intimate again She thought she would break down. ¡°Brian! I¡¯m not going back! I want to get out of the car!¡± As she spoke, she suddenly opened the car door. Brian¡¯s heart tightened, and he immediately let go of the elerator ¡°Grace! Are you fucking crazy? Lock the door!¡± ¡°I wont go back even if I die?¡± Brian was frightened by her appearance. He turned the steering wheel slightly to the right and stopped the car. ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going?¡± Grace said coldly. ¡°Anywhere is fine.¡± ¡°Why? Because you¡¯re in love with Justin?¡± Brian stared at her face. Grace suddenly felt very powerless. She broke down and cried bitterly, unable to say a word. Brian gripped the steering wheel and the veins on his arms bulged. He gritted his teeth and said, ¡°Grace, I advise you to be obedient. Otherwise, I can terminate the contract right now.¡± Grace¡¯s heart waspletely dead. She stopped crying, but her entire body was trembling. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go back with you.¡± that Brian said sarcastically, ¡°Are you that aggrieved to go back with me?¡± Grace smiled. ¡°What¡¯s there to feel aggrieved about? I¡¯ve been with you for three years. I have good food and amodation. Once the three years are up, I¡¯ll have 600 thousand dors. I won¡¯t lose out on this deal. I won¡¯t feel aggrieved at all.¡± As she smiled, her tears fell disobediently. She did not lose out. She had just identally lost her heart. Grace raised her hand to wipe the tears from the corner of her eyes. Brian suddenly saw the wound on her arm. His gaze sharpened as he gripped her wrist. ¡°Who did this?¡± Her fair arms were covered in ugly blisters. The blister skin had turned brown, a stark contrast to her fair skin.. There was also the blood¨Cred teeth mark, which looked especially ferocious. Grace retracted her hand from his hand indifferently. ¡°I identally did it.¡± ¡°Did you bite yourself and leave this teeth mark too?¡± ¡°Right.¡± Brian didn¡¯t believe it unless Grace had rabies. ¡°Who the hell is it?¡± I C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. Grace suddenly turned to look at him. ¡°If I say that Louise and Ava did it, will you believe me?¡± Brian frowned and pursed his lips tightly. ¡°Heh, so what¡¯s the point of asking? Brian, you don¡¯t have to treat me well and don¡¯t show concern for me asionally. I¡¯ll misunderstand.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s Ava, I¡¯ll consider letting her go.¡± Grace did not take his words seriously at all because she knew that he could not do it. He would not go against Louise. After all, he loved her so much. Grace said coldly, ¡°The bite marks have nothing to do with them. I was the one who went crazy.¡± Brian looked at her deeply. His heart suddenly felt like it was being squeezed into a ball by. ¡®sible hand. Brian started the car, and Grace did not say a word along the way. É« Chapter 61 It was not until the car drove into the vi and stopped in the garage that Brian said to Grace, ¡°Don¡¯t let me see you with that Vance guy again.¡± Grace ceased pushing the car door open and smiled sarcastically. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t let anything affect your wedding with her. After all, you¡¯ve always had the final say between us.¡± Louise and Ava were both sitting in the living room After Grace walked in, she lowered her head slightly to greet the two Louise had a smile on her face, but her eyes were bone¨Cchilling ¡°You¡¯re back, Grace. Are you still angry with me?¡± ¡°No, Miss Adkins. You were only doing your job¡± Louise looked guilty ¡°Sorry that you¡¯ve suffered I¡¯m d you¡¯re back.¡± Grace felt such a hypocritical conversation was very tiring She nodded lightly and returned to her room. Ava red at Grace¡¯s back. She wanted to curse Grace but did not dare to say anything when she saw Brian return. Late at night, Brian sat in his study with the ne in his hand. He nced at his watch, thinking Grace should be asleep. by now With that thought in mind, Brian went downstairs quietly to the door of Grace¡¯s room. He turned the doorknob, only to find the door was locked. Brian frowned He remembered that Grace did not have the habit of locking the door when she slept. It was because he had requested her not to when she slept upstairs He listened for movement inside the room. When he did not hear anything, he went to find the key and quietly opened the door. The faint light shone through the window, and Brian could vaguely see the woman on the be Just as Brian bent down to ce the item beside her pillow, he suddenly realized that Grace¡¯s body was slightly trembling. His heart tightened as he called out softly, ¡°Grace.¡± Grace did not seem to hear him Brian held her shoulders and turned her to him, only to find that she was biting her arm desperately The corner of her mouth was already dripping with blood, but it was as if she could not feel the pain. Her tears and blood were mixed. How much pain had her heart endured to do such a self¨Charming thing? Brian gasped and hurriedly patted her face. ¡°Grace! Let go! Let go!¡± It was as if she still could not hear the outside world at all and was only immersed in her pain. Brian raised his hand and pinched her chin forcefully to force her to let go of her teeth. Grace suddenly began to pant heavily. Brian pulled her into his arms and patted her back gently. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. I¡¯m here with you.¡± Grace smelled a familiar scent. She felt that she must be dreaming. She asked in a hollow voice, ¡°Am I dreaming?¡± Brian did not let go of her but asked softly. ¡°What are you dreaming?¡± ¡°Brian,¡± Grace called his name, her voice carrying a tinge of sorrow. Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. Brian¡¯s heart trembled. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m here.¡± Grace¡¯s brain gradually calmed down and cleared. When she realized who was hugging her, she suddenly pushed him. away. Brian¡¯s arms were empty, and he frowned. ¡°Why did youe in?¡± Seeing Grace was awake, Brian stood up and turned on the light. The ring light lit up, and Grace raised her hand to block 1. it. After she got used to the light, Brian pulled out a tissue to wipe the blood on her mouth and the tears on her face. Grace looked at her arm. There was another fresh bite mark on it. The arm was still bleeding. Brian brought the first aid kit over and dabbed her wound with disinfectant. Chapter 62 ¡°Why did you do this to yourself?¡± Grace lowered her head. She caught a glimpse of the gift box by the bed and picked it up to look at it. Brian pressed her hand down. ¡°I¡¯m asking you a question.¡± Grace looked at him with dead eyes. Brian suddenly felt a little scared. ¡°You¡¯re sick,¡± Brian said with certainty. Grace smirked sarcastically. ¡°I¡¯m not sick. I can still wash, cook, and clean. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯llst for the next two months.¡± Brian could feel an indescribable heaviness in his heart. He closed his eyes and said, ¡°Grace, don¡¯t do this.¡± Grace ignored him and lowered her head to open the gift box. She nced at the ne but did not take it out. She only took a look and smiled. ¡°Is this for me? Thank you, I¡¯ll take it¡± Brian held her hand. ¡°Go and stay somewhere else for a few days.¡± Grace was surprised and stared at him in disbelief, thinking if he was really that kind¨Chearted. In ¡°You don¡¯t have to look at me like that. I mean it.¡± Grace seemed worried that he would go back on his word, so she immediately got up to pack her clothes. Her actions hurt Brian. She used to see him as her whole world and wished she could stay by his side for the rest of her life. Now that she heard she could leave this house and stay somewhere else for a few days, she could not even wait till tomorrow to pack her things. Brian wondered if this was a cage of pain for her so that she hurt herself at all costs. ¡°It¡¯s toote today. Rest now and pack your things tomorrow. I¡¯ll tell them you took leave.¡± Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. After saying that, Brian turned to leave. After taking two steps, he turned to look at her and asked, ¡°Why did you lock the door?¡± Grace looked at him for two seconds before answering. ¡°I feared that someone would put something in my room and say that I stole it.¡± Brian was speechless for a moment. His heart ached, but he did not say anything else. He nodded and closed the door for her. The next day, Grace woke up very early. She could not wait to move out. Brian instructed the driver to drive Grace anywhere she wanted. After breakfast, he told Louise about Grace¡¯s request for leave. Louise subconsciously nced at Grace. It was strange that she did not feel pleased when she heard Grace was leaving for some time After eating, Brian went to work. Grace also got into the car and left. The car drove into a neighborhood, and the one Brian took followed in. He escorted Grace to the house. Grace did not bring many things with her. After all, Brian only allowed her to stay out for a few days. ¡°The transportation nearby is convenient. There¡¯s a supermarket downstairs. It should be suitable for you to stay here.¡± With that, he warned, ¡°Don¡¯t even think about meeting Justin.¡± Grace eyed him and instinctively wanted to mock him again. However, when she thought about how he had allowed her to take leave, it was better not to disobey him. ¡°Rest assured. I won¡¯t.¡± Brian nodded. ¡°I¡¯m going to work.¡± After Grace watched him leave, she looked around the house. It was a small apartment with three rooms with warm decorations. Grace entered the bedroom. After unpacking her clothes, she fell asleep on the bed. She was exhausted. From the moment she left the vi, her entire body had rxed. Now that she was lying on the bed, she had never felt sofy. In the afternoon, she woke up from hunger. She was so hungry that she had no strength in her body and felt as if she would faint if she walked. She could only order takeout to fill her stomach. For two consecutive days, Grace ate takeout. After eating, she slept and ate when she woke up again. Grace looked in the mirror and realized her skin had be much smoother. After having sufficient sleep, she could not fall asleep no matter what. C Chapter 63 When alone, Grace especially liked to let her mind empty out. Sometimes, she would sit on the balcony and think nothing for the entire afternoon. She would not even be able to realize how scorching the sun was that caused her sunburns. Grace felt she could not be like that anymore. The f following day, she went out and nned to visit Angle. Angle happened to be at home. Seeing that Grace seemed to be in a better state, Angie smiled and invited her in. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? What brings you here today?¡± Grace had been wearing clothes with long sleeves for the past few days. When Grace rolled up her sleeves, Angie¡¯s eyes widened in shock to see the bite marks on Grace¡¯s arms. ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a few days. Actually, I feel much better these two days. I didn¡¯t hurt myself, but I¡¯ve spent a lot of time being in a daze recently.¡± Angie asked her, ¡°Do you live alone now?¡± ¡°Yes, I just moved out.¡± ¡°How about you go out for a travel? You know, spending some time in a different ce. Try not to be alone. When you¡¯re alone, read some books or do something you¡¯re interested in.¡± Grace thought about it and decided to travel to the surrounding cities. She believed Brian should allow it. ¡°I will.¡± Before Grace left, Angle called to stop her. ¡°By the way, Justin came to look for you the day bere yesterday. He said that he couldn¡¯t get in touch with you.¡± Grace bit her lip and said, ¡°Dr. Flores, please don¡¯t tell him I was here.¡± Angie¡¯s expression froze for a moment. Yet, she replied, ¡°Okay.¡± At night, Grace returned home and began to search for tourist attractions in the surrounding cities on her phone, nning her travel route. The next day, Grace packed her suitcase and left the house. When the security guard at the door saw her leave with her suitcase, he took out his phone and called. ¡°Miss Sherman went out with her suitcase. It looks like she wants to go on a long trip.¡± Grace went to the bus stop to wait for the bus. Before the bus could arrive, Brian¡¯s car suddenly stopped in front of her. Grace asked in confusion, ¡°Why are you here?¡± Brian¡¯s face was gloomy. He got out of the car and threw her and her suitcase into the car. Wordless, he drove the car back to the neighborhood. ¡°Brian, what are you doing?¡± He closed the door and pressed her against the wall. He grabbed her chin and questioned her in a low voice, ¡°Isn¡¯t it enough that I I allowed you to stay here? Where are you going? Huh? Do you want to run away?¡± Grace was in pain as she exined, ¡°I just want to go travel and have some rxed time. I didn¡¯t intend to run away.¡± Brian narrowed his eyes dangerously at her. ¡°Is that so?¡± He loosened his grip, and Grace took the opportunity to break free. ¡°Even if I want to run away, you can catch me. Besides, the contract has not expired yet. If I leave, who will give me 600 thousand dors Only then did Brian realize he had been too anxious. He took a deep breath and asked, ¡°Where do you want to go?¡± ¡°Anywhere.¡± Brian looked at her. ¡°Must you go?¡± Grace did not reply to him. From the sound of it, he probably would not agree. Brian suddenly took out his phone and made a call. ¡°Nancy, go home and pack your luggage. Come to Soutke Penins¡­ Yes, a business trip.¡± After hanging up, he said, ¡®Nancy will apany you. You¡¯re not safe when traveling alone.¡± Grace did not expect him to agree. She said sincerely, ¡°Thank you.¡±C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. Nancy Patel was Brian¡¯s personal secretary. She was not in charge of work, so it did not matter if she apanied Grace. Brian drove them to the rail station. ¡°Be careful.¡± Chapter 64 ¦° 100% 13:18 At the Francis estate. Ever since Grace left, Ava vented all her anger on the maids as the one she loved to bully was not around. Louise was also in a bad mood. Although Grace was not around, she did not know Grace¡¯s exact whereabouts, which made her feel even more threatened. Louise felt even more annoyed when she saw Ava always make a fuss at home. Therefore, during the day, Louise decided to bring lunch to Brian. She wanted to stay with Brian in the company. Noticing that Louise was nning to see Brian, Ava racketed about going with her. Louise smiled and said, ¡°Ava, I¡¯m about to bring lunch to your brother¨Cinw. Why are you following me?¡± She deliberately emphasized the word ¡°brother¨Cinw.¡± Ava was itching to go with Louise when she heard Louise say so. ¡°I¡¯ve never been to Brian¡¯spany. Why can¡¯t I go there? What¡¯s the big deal? Besides, you¡¯re not married to him yet. It¡¯s inappropriate for you to say he¡¯s my brother¨Cinw. What do you think?¡± Louise gritted her teeth and scolded Ava for being an idiot in her heart. Ava was still dreaming that she could be with Brian. ¡°Fine. If you want to go with me, then do it.¡± Louise did not bother to waste more words with Ava. Since Ava wanted to be there, she could face the reality herself. It was still carl early when Louise arrived. Brian was still in a meeting. Louise and Ava were arranged to wait in the lounge. A female employee brought them coffee. Louise looked up at her and asked casually, ¡°Where¡¯s Ms. Patel?¡± The female employee exined, ¡°Ms. Patel was arranged to go on a business trip.¡± Louise narrowed her eyes slightly. ¡°A business trip? The personal secretary is on a business trip alone? Are you sure?¡± Nancy was Brian¡¯s personal secretary. She was in charge of daily problems of Brian in thepany. How could she go on a business trip alone? ¡°Miss Adkins, about this¡­ I¡¯m not too sure either. You should ask Mr. Francis.¡± Louise picked up her coffee and took a sip. ¡°Alright, I see. You can leave now.¡± Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. The more Louise thought about it, the more she felt something was wrong. Nancy was on a business trip alone, and Grace was on leave. She wondered if these two things were rted. ¡°Maybe Brian has arranged these two things on purpose? Then where are they, and what are they doing?¡± Louise thought. As she was thinking, Camren knocked on the door. ¡°Miss Adkins, Mr. Francis has finished his meeting.¡± Louise smiled and put down her coffee cup. She carried the lunch box and went to Brian¡¯s office. Ava followed her in. Louise sashayed over to him and opened the lunch box. ¡°Brian, I cooked for you today.¡± ¨C S 5 MM M * UX N 100% 13:18 Brian loosened his tie and sat down on a chair. ¡°You don¡¯t have to do this. The canteen in thepany is also nutritious.¡± Louise hugged his neck, ying cute, ¡°How can thatpare to what I made for you? Everything I made contains my love for you.¡± Brian smiled and scratched her nose. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll eat it all.¡± Ava looked at the intimate scene between Brian and Louise and was so angry that her eyes turned red. She wondered if Louise was doing that on purpose. Otherwise, why would Louise act so intimately with Brian in his office? That was so shameful. Louise caught a glimpse of Ava out of the corner of her eye. It was as if she could see through everything that Ava was thinking. As Louise sat down on Brian¡¯sp, Brian¡¯s eyebrows twisted imperceptibly. He felt somewhat ufortable but did not push Louise away in front of Ava. ar Louise fed him a piece of potato. She wrapped her arms around Brian¡¯s waist and asked, ¡°Is it tasty?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Brian nodded lightly. ¡°Really? I want to try it too.¡± With that, she quickly raised her head and kissed Brian on the mouth. Chapter 65 At the same time, Brian narrowed his eyes and tilted his head slightly. Louise froze. Ava, who was standing at the side and furious, instantly became excited when she saw Brian dodging Louise''s k*ss. "It seems Brian does not fancy Louise at all! He definitely does not! Which man would reject the woman he likes when she tries to make out with him? Louise, you''re a joke! A crow covered in ck! Even if you''re engaged to Brian, you would not be a phoenix!" thought Ava. Ava could not help but smirk as she bore that thought in mind. Louise felt so embarrassed. Ava looked at Louise arrogantly. When she spoke, there was a hint of schadenfreude in her voice. ''Louise, I should go and get out of your hair." Louise maintained her smile and nodded. "Alright, be careful on your way home." "Okay." Ava raised her eyebrows and turned to leave. Brian held Louise''s hand and said in a low voice, "Stop it. This is my office. Your sister was here." He exined calmly, as if he did not think anything wrong with what he had just done or that his move to avoid her had hurt her pride. "Is that really the case?" Louise bit her lip and stared at him. "Louise, you know me, don''t you? I''ve always been serious when I''m in thepany. Besides, your sister was here with us just now. What would others think if rumors spread out?'' Louise looked at him skeptically and did not say anything else. After Brian finished his meal, Louise pretended to ask him in a casual manner as she packed the lunch box, "By the way, why didn''t I see Ms. Patel? Did she take leave?" Brian checked his phone and replied casually, "Yes." "Isn''t she your personal secretary? Why is she having a business trip?" "She goes with the design department director," Brian said calmly. With that, he nced up at her again. "What''s wrong with it?" Louise blinked. "Oh, it''s nothing, I just found it strange that I didn''t see her around you." Brian nodded slightly. "There''s nothing strange about it." He lowered his head and looked at his phone. His fingers slid across the screen. Louise realized that the corners of his mouth seemed to have softened. He was expressionless, but his eyes seemed smiling as he stared at the screen. Louise quietly apguvached "What are you looking a Bau''s phone wereen protects was thegnest in prevent peeping When I as walked over, he only saw darkness. Het aped the screen and exited the appsheathen IntecR Reading the new Ban rubled in syen an he replied Louise secretly clenched her hate. What Bn hald new was no longer trustworthy in her h she mat shown on his bag and yed with the buttons of his shirt with her fingers. She asked, "Right, how many days of leave did trace take? When will she ach Brian did not expect thating the photos that Haney had just sont him appeared in his mind. In them, there was a In a sea of sunflowers, Grace''n yon noomed Intghter than the sunflowers. Since traveling could make her happies, Hitars would allow her to travel for a few more days.Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. Noticing Bn was in a daze, Louines asked mumpletously, "Hirian, what''s wrong with you today?" Brian came back to his senses and answered, "Nothing I forgot how long she had asked for leave. It should have been quite long Why are you asking about her?" Chapter 66 ¡°I miss her. She cooks so well. Don¡¯t you miss her?¡± Brian narrowed his eyes and suddenly tumed to her. ¡°Louise, you don¡¯t have to bring me lunch. I don¡¯t want to see you so tired.¡± ¡°I just want to cook for you myself. It makes me feel happy that way.¡± Brian held her fingers and said tenderly, ¡°Your hands are not for housework. Just have fun and rx at home. I have a meeting in the afternoon and can¡¯t stay with you. I¡¯ll get the driver to send you home, okay?¡± Louise¡¯s heart skipped a beat when she heard Brian¡¯s deep and gentle voice. No one could control themselves to hear Brian like that and could only listen to him obediently. Louise walked out of the office and went to the washroom. She gazed at herself in the mirror and pulled open her cor. She pinched the skin on her corbones and made two red marks. She rubbed her hair slightly loose before going downstairs. Louise returned to the vi. Ava was sitting in the living room with her legs crossed, eating grapes. When Ava saw Louise return, she chuckled. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re back! Why didn¡¯t you make out with Brian for some more time?¡± Her gloating face almost made Louise lose her temper. She wished to go up and tear Ava¡¯s mouth apart! Ava was an idiot! If Louise had not defended Ava before Brian, this idiot would have been chased out of the Francis family long ago! But Ava still had some value, so Louise suppressed the anger in her heart and took a deep breath. She asked smilingly, ¡°Ava, were you fantasizing about your future brother¨Cinw and me making out in the office?¡± Ava¡¯s face darkened. ¡°What the hell! Brian doesn¡¯t want to make out with you at all!¡± Louise asked in amusement, ¡°Ava, how did you know it? You¡¯ve left already.¡± As she spoke, she quietly tugged at her clothes, exposing the marks on her corbones to Ava. Ava¡¯s face stiffened, but she pretended not to see the marks. She argued, seemingly lying to herself, ¡°Brian is not the kind. of person who messes around in the office!¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. When he¡¯s in bed, he¡¯spletely different from when he¡¯s in the office.¡± Louise watched Ava¡¯s face twisted in rage and embarrassment and finally felt relieved. She sat down beside Ava and deliberately revealed the marks on her corbones Ava was too sore to eat any more fruits. She ced the fruit te heavily on the end table, stood up, and went upstairs. Louise nced at Ava contemptuously. Dealing with a brainless fool like Ava was as easy as crushing an ant. After Louise sat in the living room for a while, she nced at Grace¡¯s room. She thought of something and stood up to walk toward it. She turned the doorknob but found that the door was locked. Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. Louise considered it and called Melvin over. Melvin soon stood respectfully in front of her. ¡°Miss Adkins, what can I do for you?¡± ¡°Give me the key to this room.¡± Melvin pecked at her awkwardly. ¡°This room? Miss Adkins, what are you looking for?¡± Louise frowned. ¡°Melvin, It seems like you didn¡¯t listen to a single word I said to youst time.¡± ¡°Miss Adkins, it¡¯s not like that. It¡¯s just that after what happened to Gracest time, she was afraid that someone would enter her room again, so normally¡­¡± Before he could finish, Louise interrupted him gloomily, ¡°What do you mean? Are you saying I¡¯ll put something in her room on purpose and use her of stealing?¡± Chapter 67 Malvin hurriedly exined, ¡°No, it¡¯s not like that, Miss Adkinal¡± ¡°Well, then. What are you waiting for? Come on! Open the door!¡± Louise realized that her tone was too harsh, so she softened her tone and added, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m the only one who enters her room when she¡¯s not around. I¡¯ll be responsible if anything happens, alright?¡± ¡°Minn Adkins, I didn¡¯t mean that. I¡¯ll open the door for you¡± Melvin had no choice but to open the door for Louise, but he did not leave but stood by the door, guarding. Louise crossed her arms and looked at him. ¡°Melvin, why are you staying here? Do you think I¡¯m a thief or what? Are you guarding against me? ¡°No. I¡¯m just going to lock the doorter.¡± ¡°You can go now I¡¯ll tell you when I¡¯m done.¡± Melvin wiped the cold sweat off his forehead and walked away. Louise looked around the room. First, she looked at the bed. She seemed to feel that Grace¡¯s nket was filthy because she pinched it with her fingers and threw it into the corner in disdain. Seeing nothing special on the bed, she moved further into the room and opened the wardrobe. The gift box she had seen that day was revealed into her sight. Louise took a deep breath, took out the box with trembling hands, and opened it. It was a ne with a sapphire pendant. It was indescribably beautiful. She gripped the box so tightly that her fingertips turned pale. She squeezed it so hard that she almost deformed it. Louise was sure that Grace and Brian had definitely had sex! ¡°Damn it, Grace! How dare you steal Brian from me? I¡¯ll teach you a lesson, bitch!¡± thought Louise. But now that Grace was not in the vi, what could Louise do? Suddenly, a terrifying guess struck Louise. She wondered if Brian had arranged for Grace to live in a ce that no one knew about and then visited her regrly and slept with her. Perhaps Nancy was arranged by Brian to take care of Grace! Louise could not sit still any longer at that thought. She had to find out where Grace was immediately. She could not let Grace leave her sight! Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. Louise quickly strode out of Grace¡¯s room, picked up her bag, and left the house to look for a detective agency. In less than two days, Louise found Grace¡¯s whereabouts. Grace was traveling in Jacksonville, and Nancy was indeed with her! The result made Louise¡¯s heart turnpletely cold. There were not many tourist attractions in Jacksonville. Grace had been there for three days and had already visited those popr attractions. she received a call from Brian saying she could travel for another half a month, so she and Nancy nned their That night, s next trip. Nancyy on the bed and looked at the map. She held a pencil in her hand and asionally sketched on the map. ¡°Actually, we can travel all over Zenith in half a month. We can go east from Jacksonville, go to Seefer City to the sea, then go south and visit the beautiful viges there, then go west to the snow mountains andkes, and finally return to Capern City. Besides, these are nice ces to go for the summer. Miss Sherman, what do you think?¡± Grace was satisfied with the route Nancy had nned. ¡°Great. I have no objections. By the way, you can call me Grace.¡± Grace had almost no friends in the two years she stayed by Brian¡¯s side. Nancy was about the same age as her. When she was traveling with Nancy, Grace realized that Nancy was a lively girl. Perhaps because of her job, Nancy always smiled with her eyes curved. This was something that Grace yearned for so much. Chapter 68 Nancy smiled and wrinkled her nose. ¡°How can I do that? I have to call you ¡®Miss Sherman.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Nancy looked at her teasingly and said, ¡°Mr. Francis requested me to send him your photos every day we¡¯re out. With such a rtionship, how dare I call you by your name?¡± Grace asked in surprise, ¡°You sent my photos to Brian?¡± Nancy nodded heavily. ¡°Don¡¯t you know? Mr. Francis asked me to do so! He¡¯s always thinking about you!¡± As she spoke, Nancy took out her phone and showed Grace the photos. The smile on Grace¡¯s face disappeared. In her opinion, Brian was spying on her. There was nothing strange about it. Nancy did not notice Grace¡¯s abnormal expression and continued, ¡°Come on, tell me, what¡¯s your rtionship?¡± Grace lowered her eyes and smiled self¨Cdeprecatingly. ¡°There¡¯s nothing between us. He¡¯s getting married. Don¡¯t you Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. that?¡± know Nancy snorted. ¡°There are too many marital alliances like this. The couples won¡¯t have feelings for each other! Nothing will change after they¡¯re married!¡± Grace shook her head. It was different. Brian was different. The Adkins family might need the marital alliance, but the Francis family did not. It must be that Brian loved Louise, so he married her. Since Grace was unwilling to talk about it, Nancy did not continue the topic. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m just joking with you. I¡¯ll call you Grace from now on, okay? Why are you pulling a long face? Come on! We¡¯re having a nice time, aren¡¯t we? Be happy!¡± Grace smiled at her. It was not easy for her to make a friend. Although Nancy worked for Brian, Grace was still delighted to make friends with her. The next day, Grace and Nancy went to the bus station together and bought tickets to Seefer City. Nancy wanted to take a taxi, but Grace thought it was too expensive. Although Brian had transferred a lot of money to her ount when she moved out, she thought about raising her child alone in the future and decided to save as much money as she could now. After buying the tickets and getting onto the bus, Grace smelled the smell in it and felt a little ufortable. The weather was hot, and the air conditioner was on, so she could not breathe in the fresh air. After the bus had driven a distance, Grace felt her stomach chum. She covered her mouth and nose and tugged at Nancy¡¯s sleeve. Nancy observed and realized Grace was carsick and hurriedly found a stic bag for her. Grace did not eat much in the morning. At that moment, she was throwing up the gastric juice in her stomach. Seeing Grace was so ufortable, Nancy asked nervously, ¡°How are you? Are you alright? How about we take a taxi Instead?¡± MMM 100% 13:18 Grace raised her head and was about to speak when she felt another wave of nausea in her stomach. She vomited non- stop. Before the bus got on the highway, Nancy stopped the driver. The two of them had to get out of the bus. Grace felt much better as soon as she breathed in the fresh air. She was dizzy from the vomiting just now. She took folic acid, vitamins, and calcium tablets from her bag and ate a tablet each. c acid?¡± Nancy nced at the bottles in her hand. ¡°Grace, you¡­ you¡¯re eating folic Nancy¡¯s question took Grace aback. Grace did not expect a young girl like Nancy to know about folic acid. Grace immediately put away the bottles. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m anemic. The doctor prescribed it for me.¡± Nancy looked into her eyes. ¡°You¡¯re lying. Folic acid is for preventing the fetus from abnormalities. Only pregnant women take it. Which doctor would prescribe folic acid to a patient with anemia? That¡¯s impossible.¡± After saying that, she sized up Grace from top to bottom. Grace had never put on makeup before, and the clothes Grace wore were loose and oversized. All of Grace¡¯s shoes were ts. ¡°Nancy, I¡¯m not¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re having Mr. Francis¡¯s child,¡± Nancy said, interrupting Grace firmly. Chapter 69 ¡°Nancy, I¡¯m really not¡­¡± ¡°The child is Mr. Francis.¡± Nancy interrupted her firmly before she could say more. Grace pursed her lips and looked at her. ¡°Mr. Francis doesn¡¯t know, does he? He definitely wouldn¡¯t have let you travel if he did.¡± Grace knew that she could not hide it anymore. She suddenly bowed deeply to Nancy. Nancy was shocked by her actions. ¡°Grace, what are you doing?¡± ¡°Nancy, I¡¯m begging you, please keep this a secret.¡± Nancy quickly helped her up. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Louise and Brian are getting married. This child will only be a stumbling block to their marriage. If he finds out, he will definitely make me abort the baby.¡± Nancy didn¡¯t understand. ¡°How is that possible? I don¡¯t believe Mr. Francis is that kind of person.¡± Graceughed mockingly at herself, ¡°Whether he is that kind of person, I have already seen through him long ago.¡± ¡°Grace, are you saying that you want to raise the child alone?¡± She nodded firmly. Nancy touched her forehead and said, ¡°Why are women so foolish! My sister was just like you, involved with a scumbag. That scumbag got her pregnant and then went off with another woman, and she, like a fool, gave birth to the child alone! When I confronted that jerk, he had no intention of taking responsibility for the child and even ndered my sister¡¯s innocence! ¡°Do you know how hard it is for my sister to take care of her child alone? Grace, you¡¯re my friend. I can¡¯t bear for you to follow in my sister¡¯s footsteps.¡± Grace shook her head. ¡°I believe that even if it was hard for your sister to raise a child alone, she¡¯s also happy doing so, Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. right?¡± Nancy did not say anything. She said angrily, ¡°I really don¡¯t understand you guys!¡± After a while, she added, ¡°But I really don¡¯t believe Mr. Francis is that kind of person!¡± Grace suddenly knelt down. Nancy was shocked and quickly went to pull her up. Seeing that she couldn¡¯t pull her up, she knelt down in panic. ¡°Grace, what are you doing!¡± ¡°Nancy. I¡¯m begging you, please just keep this a secret, okay?¡± I ¡°Alright, alright, alright, I promise! I¡¯ll keep it a secret! I definitely won¡¯t tell Mr. Francis! Don¡¯t worry. Hurry up and get up!¡± MMM Nancy let out a long sigh. ¡°Let¡¯s go find a hotel to rest.¡± 100% 13:19 Ever since she found out that Grace was pregnant, Nancy had been more cautious. Having taken care of her sister while she was pregnant, Nancy was experienced enough to care for Grace. After getting a room, Nancy felt a slight pain in her stomach. She went to the washroom and realized that she was on her period. She did not seem to have any sanitary pads in her bag. She subconsciously shouted, ¡°Grace, do you have any sanitary pads?¡± After shouting, she remembered that Grace was pregnant. Why would she even have a sanitary pad? Grace ran to the bathroom door and saw Nancy squatting painfully over the toilet, clutching her stomach. *I¡¯ll buy it for you. What brand do you use?¡± Nancy waved her hand. need. Don¡¯t run while you¡¯re pregnant. I¡¯ll go down and get it myself.¡± No need. po Grace looked at her in amusement. ¡°I¡¯m pregnant, not handicapped. Just hold on for a bit. I¡¯ll be back in a jiffy.¡± With that, Grace closed the bathroom door. topher. Nancy didn¡¯t even have time to stop her. She held her stomach and thought, Forget it. It¡¯s just a sanitary pad. It shouldn¡¯t be too much of a problem Grace went to the nearby supermarket and bought sanitary pads before walking back. Just after walking out of the supermarket and turning a corner, she was covered over the head with a ck bag by someone. Chapter 70 There were four or five people, resembling local thugs. They wore ck masks, tied her arms, and threw her into an alleyway. Grace looked at them and retreated in fear. ¡°What do you want?¡± ¡°Hand over all your valuables!¡± an with a ¡°I don¡¯t have any money¡­ Ah!¡± Before she could finish speaking, she was pped hard across the face by a man scar on his forehead Grace¡¯s ears rang from the beating, and the taste of rust instantly enveloped her mouth. ¡®Search her!¡± The men came up and searched her all over. The ended up finding only a phone. At that moment, the phone rang. The ment took a look and cut the call before proceeding to turn off the phone. ¡°Boss, this woman is a poor peasant. She doesn¡¯t even have a piece of valuable jewelry.¡± The scar¨Cfaced man seemed to be very angry and spat. ¡°Damn it! Just our luck! Just beat the peasant up!¡± Grace screamed in horror, ¡°No! If money is what you want, I¡¯ll give it to you! Please don¡¯t hit me!¡± The few men who were about to beat her looked at the scar¨Cfaced man, ¡°Boss, she said she has money.¡± ols! She¡¯s stallin The scar¨Cfaced man kicked her angrily, ¡°You fools! She¡¯s stalling for time to get help! Just beat her up!¡± As soon as his words fell, the fists and kicks of the thugs rained down on her like raindrops. Grace curled up on the ground while guarding her stomach. No matter how they kicked her, she did not move at all. It was not until they realized that someone was talking on the other side of the alley that t alley that the sc ced man gestured to them The thugs stopped their ministrations. The scar¨Cfaced man crumpled the ck bag into a ball and stuffed it into Grace¡¯s mouth before leaving with his men. Grace felt as if her body was falling apart, in so much pain that she couldn¡¯t straighten her waist, and even moving her legs seemed to take all her strength. She looked down at her abdomen, her eyes blurred with tears. Baby, Mommy will always protect you! With her hands tied up, Grace could not move or make a sound. All she could do was lean against the wall while waiting for help to arrive. In the hotel. Nancy Patel looked at her phone screen, which indicated that the other party had turned off their phone. Panicking, she immediately called Brian Francis without a second thought With a trembling voice, she recounted the entire incident to Brian. Brian, who was in a meeting on the other end of the phone, stood up abruptly from his chair. ¡°Send me your location! I¡¯ll be right there!¡± Nancy Patel had never heard such a somber tone in Brian¡¯s voice before. After sending her location to him, she rushed out of the hotel to look for Grace Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. She looked around but did not see Grace. She felt panicky and guilty for causing Grace¡¯s disappearance. If anything happened to Grace, Mr. Francis might skin her alive! As time ticked by minute by minute, Grace had been missing for an hour. Knowing that Grace was pregnant made Nancy even more anxious. She went to the Police, but was told that they wouldn¡¯t file a case until 48 hours had passed since the disappearance Nancy had no choice but to run back to search the hotel¡¯s vicinity to search for Grace by shouting her name. Upon seeing a pack of sanitary pads lying on the ground, she raced over immediately There were several roads nearby. Nancy searched them one by one. Finally, she found Grace in the alleyway. ¡°Grace¡± Seeing the bruises on her face, she couldn¡¯t control her tears and started crying. She looked helplessly at the injuries on her face feeling overwhelmed and full of self¨Creproach Just then, her phone rang It was Brian Nancy picked up the phone as she tried to untie Grace¡¯s bounds with trembling hands. Brian was here. Nancy immediately sent a location over Chapter 71 After hanging up the phone, she couldn¡¯t quite belleve it. Although Jacksonville is next to Capern City, it should still take over two hours by car, right? But it¡¯s only been an hour and a few minutes! Seeing Grace covered in injuries, her heart trembled in fear. Brian quickly arrived. When he saw Grace, who was on the verge of death, his heart sank and rushed over to her side. Nancy hurriedly retreated to the side. ¡°What happened? Who hit you?¡± Brian asked in a low voice, embracing her by her shoulders. Grace hissed. ¡°It hurts¡­¡± When Brian heard this, he pulled up her sleeve. Her fair arm was covered in bruises. He lifted up her clothes; there were no injuries on her stomach, but there were several marks on her chest from being kicked. Most of them were on her back. Her back was saturated with bruises, a sight too dreadful to behold. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Grace. It¡¯s all my fault. I shouldn¡¯t have let you go out alone.¡± Nancy couldn¡¯t help but cry when she saw her injuries. ¡°Even if the two of use out together, the result will be the same. Grace shook her head weakly. ¡°Stop talking. I¡¯ll take you to the hospital.¡± Brian carried her bridal style. ¡°No¡­¡± Grace endured the pain and tugged at his sleeve. ¡°I don¡¯t want to go to the hospital.¡± ¡°You are seriously injured! You need to go to the hospital immediately!¡± Brian carried her to the car without paying any heed to Grace¡¯s pleas. ¡°Brian, I beg you. I don¡¯t want to go to the hospital. I¡¯m scared¡­¡± Grace used all her strength to sit up in the passenger¡¯s seat and begged while tugging on Brian¡¯s sleeve. Grace choked on her tears, her eyes were filled with fear. She looked at him with tears in her eyes, as if going to the hospital was the most frightening thing in the world Brian could not bear to see her so fearful. He held himself back from starting the car and asked, ¡°Why won¡¯t you go to the hospital?¡± If she goes to the hospital, she will definitely be put through all kinds of tests. Once her blood is drawn, the truth about her pregnancy woulde to light. She cried pitifully and begged, ¡°They will look at me strangely when I go to the hospital. I¡¯m scared¡­ I don¡¯t want to go. Please, no¡­¡± Brian looked at her and suddenly recalled the scene of her biting his arm. It seemed that her depression has not improved. ¡°Okay, we won¡¯t go to the hospital, but your injuries have to be treated. Can I take you to the clinic? There are very few people in the clinic, so don¡¯t worry.¡± Grace heaved a sigh of relief and nodded. ¡°Alright.¡± After getting some medicine from the clinic, Brian brought her back to the hotel. He booked the best suite and carried Grace into the room. Nancy followed closely behind silently and asked cautiously, ¡°Mr. Francis, do you need my help?¡± Brian looked at her and said somberly, ¡°Go back to your room first.¡± ¡°Okay¡± Nancy sighed. She knew that she would probably lose her job this time. Brian ced Grace on the bed and took out the medicine he had just bought. He walked to the bed and said, ¡°Take off your clothes.¡± Grace looked at him in shock. ¡°How am I going to apply the ointment for you if you don¡¯t take off your clothes?¡± Brian said puzzledly. ¡°Let¡¯s call Ms. Patel over to help me with the ointment,¡± Grace said ufortably. ¡°Why? What haven¡¯t I seen before?¡± Brian asked her unhappily. Grace hesitated for a long while. Tired of waiting. Brian was about to head over to take off her clothes himself. Then, she closed her eyes and took off her clothes, leaving only her bra on. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Brian looked at the injuries all over her body and gritted his teeth Chapter 72 He poured some ointment onto his palm. ¡°Bear with it. It might sting a little.¡± With that, he ced his warm and dry palm on her smooth back. ¡°Hiss¡­¡± He had just rubbed her back gently when she cried out in pain. Brian looked over worriedly and asked, Does it hurt a lot?¡± Grace took a deep breath,¡± It hurs a lot less than when I was beaton. Please continue.¡± Brian increased the pressure bit by bit. He rubbed her bruises until one of them dissipated before he continued rubbing the ointment on another bruise ¡°Who hit you?¡± Grace thought for a moment. ¡°I think they were trying to rob me.¡± Brian sat down by the bed. As he continued to apply the ointment on the bruises, he said, ¡°You¡¯re not even dressed that ostentatiously. Why would they rob you?¡± Grace had the same thoughts. She was clearly dressed very inly and looked like a poor person, but she was still targeted by the robbers. ¡°I¡¯m probably just unlucky!¡± Brian asked again, ¡°Do you remember what they looked like?¡± I Grace shook her head. ¡°They were all wearing ck masks. I only remember that the leader had a scar on his forehead.¡± Brian looked at her for a while. ¡°I will look into this. I will not let them go scot¨Cfree.¡± He continued to apply the medicine for her. After a while, he was done with her back. He poured a little more ointment onto his palm and said gently, ¡°Turn around.¡± Grace tilted her head and asked, ¡°Are you done?¡± ¡°You still have a wound on your chest.¡± Grace looked at her chest and could not help but imagine that scene in her mind. She said awkwardly, ¡°I can see the front. I¡¯ll do it myself.¡± Brian said calmly. ¡°I already have the ointment on my palm.¡± Closing her eyes, she turned around. ¡°Transfer the ointment onto my palm. I¡¯ll do it myself.¡± Brian looked at her. Her cheeks were flushed. He chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s not like I haven¡¯t touched you there.¡± Dang it, why would he say such a thing! d Grace wished she could find a hole to hide in. ¡°Forget it. You can¡¯t do it yourself if you want to. Don¡¯t move. Let me apply the ointment on the injuries on your face.¡± He held her down by her shoulder with one hand and ced the other palm with ointment on her face. Her checks felt especially sensitive as the heat from Brian¡¯s palms warmed her face. As they sat facing each other, her checks felt like they were on fire. She wasn¡¯t sure if she was seeing things, Brian¡¯s breathing seemed to be more erratic. With each breath getting slower, heavier and morebored. After finally treating the wound on her face, he quickly stood up. ¡°Do the rest yourself. I¡¯m going to the washroom.¡± Brian strode into the bathroom. Grace nced at him and lowered her head to apply the ointment on herself. A momentter, she heard the sounds of running water in the bathroom. Wasn¡¯t he just using the bathroom? Why is he suddenly taking a shower? To avoid the awkwardness of being seen by Brian applying the ointment on herself when he came out, Grace quickly applied the medicine haphazardly and got dressed quickly. Brian came out of the shower and felt much more refreshed. ¡®Pack up. We¡¯ll have dinnerter and return to Capern City tonight.¡± Grace wanted to say something, looked at him, but then hesitated and stopped herself. ¡°What? After what happened, you still want to travel? Don¡¯t you fear death?¡± Brian Francis gave her a stern look, his tone unfriendly. Grace opened her mouth but said nothing eventually. She just did not want to return to the vi. She slowly stood up, and seeing her awkward movements, Brian Francis frowned, walked over without a word, and swept her up in his arms.N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Chapter 73 Grace hurriedly hugged Brian¡¯s neck and asked, ¡°Where are we going?¡± Brian frowned and looked at Grace. ¡°Aren¡¯t we going to eat?¡± ¡°I¡­ I want to go to the bathroom,¡± Grace mumbled softly. ane In Brian didn¡¯t know what to say in response. After pausing for a few seconds, Brian turned around and carried Grace into the bathroom. Grace used the bathroom awkwardly and then slowly walked out with her hand on the wall. Brian was waiting for Grace outside. When Brian saw Graceing out, Brian was about to step forward, but Grace reached out to gesture for Brian to stop. ¡°It¡¯s okay, I can walk on my own,¡± said Grace. Brian nced at Grace coldly and walked ahead with his hands in his pockets. Brian called Nancy, and the three of them went to a nearby restaurant. Nancy sat opposite Brian. Although Brian did not say a word throughout the meal, Nancy could feel the huge strain due to the presence of Brian. After two bites, Nancy couldn¡¯t eat anymore, looking nervously at Brian and Grace opposite her. Grace did not have much of an appetite either. At the thought of returning to Capern City, Grace felt depressed. However, for the sake of the baby in the belly, Grace still had to eat more. Seeing that Nancy had put down her fork, Grace asked, ¡°Nancy, are you full?¡± Nancy shook her head and nodded. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m full,¡± Nancy replied. Brian suddenly picked up a piece of fish for Grace and said in a deep voice, ¡°We¡¯re not going back to the vi. We¡¯re going back to Southbay Residence.¡± Grace was stunned. What Brian meant was that Brian would not let Grace stay in the vi when Grace returned. Instead, Brian would let Grace stay in the apartment where Grace used to live. Grace picked up some fish and ced it in her mouth as if all the frustration in her heart was gone in an instant. Then Grace started to chomp on the spaghetti on her te. Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. Nancy looked at Brian¡¯s face and felt that Brian was in a better mood. Seeing that Brian was about to finish eating. Nancy called out tentatively, ¡°Mr. Francis.¡± Brian looked up at Nancy and replied coldly, ¡°Let¡¯s talk about it when we get back to thepany.¡± Nancy¡¯s heart sank even more. On the way back to Capern City, Brian did not say a word. Grace sat in the back seat and squeezed Nancy¡¯s hand, giving Nancy a reassuring look. p PD 100% 13:19 The car stopped outside Southbay Residence. Nancy wanted to get out of the car and take a taxi back home. Nancy grabbed the car door uneasily and hesitated for two seconds. In the end, Nancy closed her eyes and decided to go all out. ¡°Mr. Francis, this time it was my mistake to let Miss Sherman get hurt. I promise I won¡¯t make the same mistake again. I¡¯m willing to ept any punishment. Can you please give me another chance?¡± Nancy begged sincerely. Brian casually lit a cigarette. ¡°Ms. Patel, do you know how serious the consequences of this mistake can otherwise be? You¡¯re not suitable to work for the Francis Group anymore. Go to the finance department tomorrow to draw your sry.¡± Grace did not expect Brian to be so harsh on Nancy. ¡°Brian¡­ You can¡¯t me Ms. Patel for that,¡± Grace said. Nancy held Grace¡¯s hand and patted it gently. Nancy then gave Grace a smile and got out of the car. Brian drove the car into the underground parking lot of the residence. Brian got out of the car first and walked to the elevator. Grace followed him slowly. After sending Grace home, Brian was ready to leave, not giving Grace a chance to plead for forgiveness for Nancy Grace quickly grabbed Brian¡¯s wrist and called out, ¡°Brian. I hope you can let Ms. Patel stay. If she had gone downstairs alone today, the same thing would have happened, Besides, it is Ms. Patel¡¯s job to keep mepany, but she¡¯s not obligated to ensure my safety.¡± Brian frowned, looked at Grace, and said, ¡°Grace, I advise you to stay out of it.¡± The car stopped outside Southbay Residence. Nancy wanted to get out of the car and take a taxi back home. Nancy grabbed the car door uneasily and hesitated for two seconds. In the end, Nancy closed her eyes and decided to go all out. ¡°Mr. Francis, this time it was my mistake to let Miss Sherman get hurt. I promise I won¡¯t make the same mistake again. I¡¯m willing to ept any punishment. Can you please give me another chance?¡± Nancy begged sincerely. Brian casually lit a cigarette. ¡°Ms. Patel, do you know how serious the consequences of this mistake can otherwise be? You¡¯re not suitable to work for the Francis Group anymore. Go to the finance department tomorrow to draw your sry.¡± Grace did not expect Brian to be so harsh on Nancy. ¡°Brian¡­ You can¡¯t me Ms. Patel for that, Grace said. Nancy held Grace¡¯s hand and patted it gently. Nancy then gave Grace a smile and got out of the car. Brian drove the car into the underground parking lot of the residence. Brian got out of the car first and walked to the elevator. Grace followed him slowly. After sending Grace home, Brian was ready to leave, not giving Grace a chance to plead for forgiveness for Nancy. Grace quickly grabbed Brian¡¯s wrist and called out, ¡°Brian. I hope you can let Ms. Patel stay. If she had gone downstairs alone today, the same thing would have happened. Besides, it is Ms. Patel¡¯s job to keep mepany, but she¡¯s not obligated to ensure my safety.¡± Brian frowned, looked at Grace, and said, ¡°Grace, I advise you to stay out of it.¡± Chapter 74 Brian reached out to pull Grace away with one hand, but Grace grabbed Brian¡¯s wrist tightly. Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. *Ms. Patel was sent out by you because I was going on a trip. In the end, she lost her job because of that. I¡¯ll feel guilty for the rest of my life! Brian, don¡¯t fire her, okay?¡± Grace said. ¡°What does your guilt have to do with me?¡± Brian asked. Grace looked at Brian in disbelief. ¡°Brian, how could you be so heartless?¡± Brian¡¯s indifference shocked Grace. Grace thought that if Brian knew about Grace¡¯s pregnancy, Brian would be even colder to Grace than he was now. Brian looked into Grace¡¯s eyes and saw the pain in Grace¡¯s eyes. Brian pressed the corner of his eyebrows hard, feeling helpless. ¡°Have a good rest, and don¡¯t be a busybody.¡± Brian wrenched his wrist out of Grace¡¯s grip finger by finger. Grace panicked. When Brian came to Grace¡¯sst finger on his wrist, Grace suddenly hugged Brian¡¯s waist tightly. Grace didn¡¯t care. Grace had to help Nancy stay. Nancy had helped Grace hide Grace¡¯s pregnancy, so Grace couldn¡¯t let Nancy lose her job because of Grace. On a However, Brian seemed to be unmoved no matter what method Grace tried. Grace really did not know what to do. C sudden impulse, Grace threw herself forward and hugged Brian. Brian¡¯s body stiffened, and so did Grace. In the next second, Grace again did not know what to do. ¡°Let go,¡± Brian demanded in a cold voice. The scene of Louise acting coquettishly to Brian came to Grace¡¯s mind. Grace gritted her teeth and tried to talk like Louise. ¡°I¡¯ll be very sad if you fire Ms. Patel. You¡­ You don¡¯t want my depression to worsen and turn me into a madwoman in the remaining month, right?¡± Grace asked. What Grace had just said made Grace¡¯s toes curl. Brian¡¯s heart skipped a beat. For a moment, Brian had an inexplicable urge. Then Brian seemed to take a deep breath and jerked his hand away from Grace. Brian turned around and looked at Grace with a meaningful gaze in Brian¡¯s dark eyes. ¡°You can take some medicine if you suffer depression. I¡¯ll get a doctor for you tomorrow,¡± Brian said. Grace¡¯s face stiffened. ¡°Huh? But I don¡¯t need to see a doctor,¡± Grace replied. Brian raised his eyebrows and looked at Grace. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that seeing Ms. Patel lose her job would worsen your depression? Since you¡¯re sick, you should see a doctor.¡± Grace bit her lip. ¡°No need. I already have a psychiatrist.¡± Brian narrowed his eyes and asked, ¡°Who?¡± ¹ñ 100% 13:19 ¡°Dr. Flores and she was the one who suggested that I go on a trip, Grace answered. Brian remembered that the day before Grace went on a trip, someone called to tell her that Grace had gone out. That was the first time Grace had gone out since Grace moved here. Although Brian agreed that Grace moved out, Brian had sent someone to keep an eye on her. Brian nodded slightly and turned to leave. The moment the door was closed, Grace realized that she had let Brian change the topic. Just like that, Grace failed in her attempt to help Nancy keep the job. Grace sat on the chair dispiritedly. After thinking for a while, Grace took out her cell phone and called Brian. Grace analyzed everything that had happened today with a serious expression. Brian listened to Grace on the phone as he drove It was rare that Brian did not hang up on Grace. Grace said so many kind words over the phone, but Brian didn¡¯t respond to Grace at all. ¡°Are you still there?¡± Grace asked. ¡°Yeah,¡± Brian answered faintly. Then, Grace heard the sound of the vi¡¯s door opening automatically and the sound of the car reversing. Brian got out of the car and closed the car door. Then Grace heard Louise asking, ¡°Brian, why did you come back soter tonight?¡± Grace heard Brian¡¯s reply in a low voice over the phone, ¡°Be good and get better. I¡¯ll consider it.¡± Çú Chapter 75 Before Grace could say anything, Brian hung up on Grace. Grace thought Brian must have already entered his house with Louise in his arms. Grace was a bit down, but when Grace thought about how Brian said he would consider it, Grace was in a rxed mood. At the Francis estate. Louise walked over and hugged Brian¡¯s waist, looked up at Brian, and smiled brightly, ¡°Did you work overtime today? I sent you a message, but you didn¡¯t reply. Have you been very busy?¡® asked Louise. Brian grunted faintly, nced at Louise, and said, ¡°You seem to be in a good mood today.¡± Louise lowered her eyes and tucked her hair behind her ear shyly. ¡°I¡¯m happy every day to be able to see you,¡± Louise replied. Brian nodded slightly with a smile. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± elled a faint fr A breeze blew over, and Louise smelled a faint fragrance on Brian¡¯s clothes. Louise sniffed and asked, ¡°Brian, what¡¯s the smell on your clothes?¡± ¡°What smell?¡± asked Brian. Louise wrinkled her nose. ¡°Oh, nothing. It might be the smell of detergent. Let¡¯s go inside. I made soup for you tonight.¡± Brian was deep in thought. Brian held his arm close to his nose and sniffed gently. It was the fragrance from Grace, and it was very faint. Brian tilted his head and nced at Louise. When Brian thought that he had just lied to Louise while Louise had specially made soup for Brian at home, Brian felt a faint sense of self¨Cme. The next day. When Brian arrived at thepany, Brian called Camren over. ¡°Go and find out where Grace went and who she met on the 12th, Brian said to Camren. ¡°Okay, Mr. Francis, Camren replied. Brian waved his hand, indicating for Camren to get down to work. When Camren went out, Brian looked up and noticed Nancy outside the door. Nancy was quietly packing her things at her post. Brian thought about what Grace had said to himst night. Grace sounded very anxious as Grace pleaded for Nancy. Briant thought Grace seemed to have be good friends with Nancy during the few days of travel. 100% 13:20 Nancy had already packed her things and looked at her desk, feeling reluctant to leave. Just as Nancy was about to turn around and leave, a low and cold voice came and stopped Nancy. ¡°Ms. Patel.* Nancy turned around and nodded at Brian instinctively. ¡°Mr. Francis, what can I do for you?¡± ¡°You can stay,¡± said Brian. Nancy was stunned for a moment. ¡°Mr. Francis¡­¡± ¡°Grace doesn¡¯t want to see you leave.¡± After exining calmly, Brian turned around and returned to his office. Nancy was overjoyed! Nancy couldn¡¯t wait to call Grace and share this good news with Grace. Thinking that Grace had lost her cell phone, Nancy sent Grace a series of messages. Grace woke up early in the morning. Grace went to a cell phone store to get a new SIM card and phone. Just as Grace inserted the card into the new phone, Grace received messages from Nancy. After knowing that Brian did not fire Nancy, Grace finally felt relieved. After hanging up, Grace sent a message to Brian, [Thank you!] As expected, Brian did not reply. Grace put away her phone and took a taxi to Angie¡¯s ce. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Angie was making something with y in the front yard. When Angle saw Grace enter, Angie stood up in surprise. ¡°What happened to your face?¡± asked Angle. ¡°Nothing serious. There was just a small ident on my trip,¡± answered Grace. ?? Angie frowned. ¡°Almost every time I see you, you¡¯re injured. When will you be able to look after yourself and spare me the worry?¡± Grace lowered her eyes and smiled. ¡°I¡¯m already used to it.¡± Grace came over today to ask about her own condition. Grace seemed to be in a much better mood recently. Grace did not know if it was because she had moved out or because she had gone out for a trip. Chapter 76 However, Grace was still unwilling to tell Angie so much about her private life. Angle could only tell Grace to maintain Grace¡¯s current state and try to stay where Grace lived now. As Grace and Angie talked to each other, the door was suddenly pushed open. At the same time, a gentle voice sounded. ¡°Angle,¡± Grace¡¯s body stiffened. She quickly lowered her head and took out her mask to cover the wounds on her face. Angie looked up and saw Justin standing at the door with a basket of fruits in his hand. When Justin recognized that petite figure standing next to Angie, he was delighted and strode over. ¡°Grace!¡± Justin called out. Grace lowered her eyes and then looked up at Justin. She put on a half¨Csmile. Justin said in surprise, ¡°You¡¯re finally here! I¡¯ve beening here every day for the past few days. Do you know how worried I was about you?¡± Grace took a small step back and kept a distance from Justin. ¡°Thank you for your concern, Dr. Vance. I¡¯ve been doing very well recently,¡± Grace replied. Justin reached out and held Grace¡¯s arm. He bent down to look into Grace¡¯s face, not believing what Grace had just said. ¡°Really? Brian didn¡¯t make things difficult for you?¡± he asked. Suddenly, Grace gasped softly in pain. Justin¡¯s eyes narrowed as he asked, ¡°Are you okay?¡± Justin¡¯s gaze fell on Grace and lingered on her arm. He suddenly raised his hand and flipped up Grace¡¯s sleeve. Justin found Grace¡¯s arm battered. After a day¡¯s rest, Grace actually had more bruises. Justin¡¯s gaze suddenly turned cold as he stared straight into Grace¡¯s eyes. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Where did you get all those?¡± Grace gently pulled her arm away from Justin and said, ¡°It was just a small ident. Dr. Vance, there¡¯s no need to make such a fuss.¡± Justin stared into Grace¡¯s face with his cold eyes. He did not believe her at all. ¡°Did Brian do that to you?¡± Justin asked. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Grace immediately shook her head. ¡°Of course not.¡± Justin exhaled deeply. ¡°You¡¯re still defending Brian even now! If it weren¡¯t for him, would you still have suffered so much?¡± N 100% 13:20 When Angie saw that Justin was getting too emotional, she could not help but pull Justin away. ¡°Justin, aren¡¯t you being a little too concerned about Grace?¡± asked Angie. Justin said coldly, ¡°Angle, it¡¯s none of your business.¡± Angie¡¯s heart sank as she thought, Justin actually used such a cold tone to speak to me just because of Grace! Can¡¯t he tell that Grace¡¯s background is veryplicated? Can¡¯t he tell that Grace is very likely to have been married? Moreover, she is pregnant!¡® Angie felt that she barely knew Justin anymore. Angie had always thought that Justin was the kind of man who was gentle to everyone. But today, Angle realized that she was wrong about Justin. The appearance of Grace had already begun to change Justin slowly. Angie was a little disappointed. She looked at Justin deeply, nodded, and said, ¡°Okay, it¡¯s none of my business. I want to go out and get some fresh air. You guys go on.¡± Grace saw Angie¡¯s reaction and thought that Angie must have taken a fancy to Justin. Grace wanted to chase after Angie, but Justin grabbed her wrist. ¡°Grace,¡± Justin called out. Grace was anxious. ¡°You angered Dr. Flores so much that she left! Hurry up and get her back!¡± Justin¡¯s mind was not on Angie at all. He pressed his temples hard and looked at Grace. ¡°Tell me, how can I help you? I don¡¯t want to see you get hurt again!¡± Grace nced down at Justin¡¯s hand and replied, ¡°Justin, I think I¡¯m very lucky to have met you, but you¡¯ll be unlucky if you get close to me. You can¡¯t help me.¡± Unexpectedly, Justin pulled Grace into his arms. ¡°It¡¯s just Brian, right? I¡¯m not afraid of him. I¡¯m willing to do anything to save you from his hands.¡± The next second, Justin and Grace were interrupted by the sound of pping. Then they heard cold laughtering from the door. Chapter 77 ¡°A knight in shiny armor to rescue the princess! How touching, isn¡¯t it, Grace?¡± Grace looked at Brian, who had appeared out of nowhere and instinctively pushed Justin away. Things just got out of control. She¡¯s doomed. Grace know ng maller how hard she tried to exin, Brian would not believe a word she said. Her lips quivered. ¡°Brian, listen to me to¡­. ¡°To see a psychiatrist.¡± Before she could finish speaking, Brian Interrupted her coldly and finished her line Grace didn¡¯t know what else to say. She didn¡¯t know how to convince Brian that she was only here to see a doctor. Brian¡¯s face was dark. He looked like he could explode any minute. Justin turned around and looked at him. ¡°Brian, do you find it fun to torture a woman like this?¡± Brian¡¯s gloomy gaze turned to him. He suddenly raised his fist and punched Justin Justin Uilted his hand to dodge. But be still got hit. Blood seeped out from the corner of his mouth. Then he quickly hit back. Grace gasped ¡°top fighting Affected by tiredness, Justin was soon at a disadvantage. Grace cried loudly, ¡°Brinn, It¡¯s all my fault. I¡¯ll go back with you! Please stop now!¡± R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Brian had no intention of stopping. When Grace saw that Justin was beaten up pretty lindily, she made up her mind and rushed between the two of them. Brian¡¯s fist stopped two centimeters above her forehend. Grace closed her eyes tightly because of fear and then slowly opened them. Brian¡¯s eyes were blood red no he stared at her. Suddenly, he grabbed her wrist and dragged her out. Brian threw her roughly onto the passenger seat. Grace felt the pain in her back. Brian started the car. He did not any a word the entire time and drove at a terrifying speed, Grace was scared, but she felt that she should try to exin. Otherwise, things would only get worse. ¡°Brian, believe it or not, Dr. Flores was introduced to me by Justin a long time ago. I was there to nen Dr. Flores. I didn¡¯t expect to meet Justin there today. I promise.¡± With a sharp turn, the car seemed to fly. Grace was so frightened that she couldn¡¯t make a sound anymore. ¡°Do you think I would believe this nonsense?¡± Brian growled as he drove. Grace nced at the numbers on the dashboard and was so frightened that she didn¡¯t dare to say a word. Driving at such a high speed while talking, they could die any minute. There were many cars on the road, and Grace didn¡¯t want to die in a car ident. She gripped her seatbelt tightly. ¡°Grace, you have betrayed my trust in you!¡± Grace closed her eyes. A desperate smile appeared on her face. In less than ten minutes, the car arrived at the vi, Grace did not how what he was going to do with her. She couldn¡¯t even imagine. She was like amb waiting to be ughtered. Brian dragged her out of the car and threw her into the gate. ¡°From today onwards, you are not allowed to step out of this door without my permission!¡± The sounds of them talking at the door attracted the attention of everyone in the vi. Brian said coldly and got into the car to leave, leaving Grace on the ground. Gracey on the ground. The cobblestone pavement was scorching hot from the sun, but she felt cold as ice inside. Melvin was the first to help her up. He asked softly, ¡°Miss Sherman, what happened to you? Why is Mr. Brian so angry? Why are you injured?¡± Grace smiled like a puppet and shook her head. Louise and Ava also walked out. Chapter 78 When Louise saw the injuries on Grace¡¯s body, she narrowed her eyes. A trace of ruthlessness shed across her eyes. Ava walked in front of Grace and walked around her with her arms crossed. ¡°Wow, wow, wow. If it wasn¡¯t the famous Grace. I was wondering who was back. So it¡¯s you, bitch! Why are you covered in injuries? Did Brian hit you?¡± Grace lowered her head and did not speak, Melvin looked at her in surprise. ¡°Is it really Mr. Brian who gave you all these Injuries?¡± Avaughed. ¡°Brian brought her back. If he didn¡¯t beat her up, who did? So tell me, did you get beaten up by Brian because you seduce him shamelessly?¡± Grace pursed her lips and did not say a word. Ava took her allence as a yes. She got happier and even imagined how Brian beat Grace up. Louise pretended to me Ava for being rude. She walked over and asked with worries, ¡°Grace, how did you end up lika this? You¡¯ve only been away for a few days. Did Brian really hit you?¡± Grace shook her head. ¡°Thank you for your concern, Miss Adkins.¡± ¡°It¡¯s hot here. Let¡¯s go Inside first,¡± Louise held Grace¡¯s hands and helped her walk in, Grace pulled her hands back without saying anything. Ava snorted contemptuously and muttered softly, ¡°Being so close to the maid, you really can¡¯t hide the humble origin in you, can you, Louise?¡± Grace walked to the living room with Louise¡¯s help. Before she could leave for her room, Ava stopped her. ¡°Stop right there, Grace. Wait in the living room! I need you to do something for me.¡± Grace secretly clenched her fists and stood in the living room. Ava couldn¡¯t help but smile. She had never felt so happy before. Seeing what Brian had done and said to Grace, she was positive that Grace was no longer protected by anyone! From now on, she could trample on her at will! Ava went to her room and came out with a pile of clothes. ¡°Wash all my clothes! They are all branded and made of fragile materials. They can¡¯t be machine¨Cwashed. Handwash them carefully! You can¡¯t afford any of them to be damaged!¡± Ava said arrogantly. When she turned around, she saw Brian! Ava¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She took a deep breath. ¡°Brian, 1- just want her to wash my clothes.¡± Brian¡¯s eyes were gloomy. His gaze lingered on Grace for a moment before he turned around and went upstairs without saying anything. Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. Ava was overjoyed when she saw Brian leave. She was even more certain of what she had just thought. Perhaps the more she messed with Grace, the happier Brian would be. Thinking of this, Ava became even more arrogant and ordered Grace around. Grace had never expected Brian to speak up for her. She knew that he was already being kind to her by not strangling her and not ending the contract immediately. Grace silently carried the clothes to the laundry room. Brian took the documents from upstairs and left immediately. Hepletely ignored the fact that Ava bullied Grace. By the time Grace finished washing Ava¡¯s clothes, it was already past three in the afternoon. She had just returned to her room to rest a little when Ava called her out again. ¡°Clean my room! Hurry up! Don¡¯t dawdle!¡± Grace was already injured. After washing Ava¡¯s clothes for a few hours, her entire body was aching. She dragged her tired body to Ava¡¯s room. Ava was lying on the bed and ying with her phone. She was ying games and eating candles at the same time. Grace was sweeping the floor with a broom. Just as she was done, Ava threw the candy wrappers to the ground. Chapter 79 Grace stopped sweeping and straightened her back to look at Ava. ¡°Miss Adkins, I¡¯ll never be able to clean your room properly if you don¡¯t stop littering Ava nced at Grace and smiled arrogantly. ¡°So what? When I tell you to clean my room, you just do it! How to clean it, on the other hand, is your problem!¡± Grace took a deep breath and said, ¡°Then Miss Adkins, I¡¯lle back after you finish eating candies.¡± Ava was so angry that she threw her phone on the bed! This bitch! How dare she to go against me at this time! It seems that she hasn¡¯t bee taught a lesson enough!¡® she thought. Ava picked up a cup of water from the bedside and sshed it on Grace. The water was still pretty hot. Almost the entire ss of water was spilled on Grace¡¯s arm. Burnt by the hot water, Grace frowned in pain. Ava smiled again Her eyes flickered with a vicious light as she looked at her gloatingly. ¡°So, are you going to sweep the floor or not?¡± Grace¡¯s hands trembled slightly, and arge area of her skin spilled by hot water quickly turned red. Gritting her teeth, she took a deep breath and continued cleaning. ¡°Now that I have lost Brian on my side, disobeying Ava would not do me any good. It doesn¡¯t matter. There is only a month left before I can leave here.¡± she thought. With this belief, Grace finished everything that Ava had arranged. When Louise passed by, she stopped and looked at Grace inside. She narrowed her eyes slightly. Suddenly, Ava saw Louise on the bed. Louise immediately smiled and walked into the room. ¡°Ava, will you please stop tormenting Grace? She¡¯s still injured!¡± Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. Ava nced at her unhappily. ¡°Why are you being so weak? You don¡¯t look like the hostess of this house at all! Maybe you should step back and let others try!¡± Louise looked at Ava calmly. Her eyes were cold and deep as ake. When she spoke, her voice was cold and far as if it was from a cave. ¡°Ava, be careful with what you say. You might get hurt for the things you said.¡± Hearing this, Ava turned around to look at her Louise¡¯s face had no expression as she stared at Ava with a dark gaze. Suddenly, Ava felt a chill down her spine. ¡°Why do I have the feeling that this woman is not as simple as she appears to be? she thought. Ava finally stopped tormenting Grace because she saw that Grace did not resist at all and felt that it was boring. At night. Grace stood in the corner of the restaurant. Brian sat next to Louise. Ava sat opposite them. When Ava saw that Brian had not even looked at Grace since he returned home, she was even happier. ¡°Grace! How many times have I told you? I want water before dinner! Why can¡¯t you remember? Or did you just ignore everything I said?¡± Grace moved her lips and hesitated for two seconds. Then she said, ¡°Miss Adkins, you didn¡¯t mention that before. This was the first time. Ava stood up immediately. ¡°How dare you to talk back?!¡± Grace calmly walked over and took the ss in front of her. ¡°I¡¯ll remember it in the future.¡± She walked to the kitchen and filled the ss with water before cing it on the table. Brian held his fork, and his gaze fell on her arm. The skin on her arm was red as if she had been scalded, making her already scarred arm look more terrible. Brian silently clenched Chapter 80 Buchdenly, Brian cast his fork onto the table Ava¡¯s heart skipped a bent the thought that Brian was going to scold her for forturing Grace Louise looked at him in surples and asked, ¡°Brian, what¡¯s wrong? Bran suddenly stood up and walked towards Grace with a mad expression. This is what your cooked? Do you call this food? It tastes like shit if you can¡¯t cook properly, dont cook! Why are you putting on a pouty face? be Grace looked up at him Dit he have to pick up on her on purpose now? Itrian suddenly grabbed her west. His actions were very tough, but he managed to avoid the wounds on her wrist somehow Louise frowned and immediately stood up. ¡°Brian, what are you doing Brian dragged Grace out of the living room, passed through the courtyard, and arrived at the entrance of the wine cer Melvin and Louise followed Brian kicked open the door, ¡®Get in The wine cer was in the basement. There were a fa stairs behind the door Grace was almost pushed down the stairs by Brian the grabbed the railing, still in shock ¡°Without my permission, no one can let her out! Upon hearing his words, Louise narrowed her eyes slightly and turned to look at Brian. She smiled and grabbed his arm Trian, why do you have to lock her up? Grace is injured. How can she recover from her injuries if you lock het up alone?¡± Brian didn¡¯t answer but coldly told Melvin to lock the door Melvin hesitated for a few seconds. He looked at Grace, sighed heavily, and locked the door. Ava snorted at the closed doot ¡°Serves you right¡± Only Louise secretly clenched her fists. She could tell that Brian was not punishing Grace! He was protecting her by imprisoning her! This was because he felt sorry for Grace when he saw Grace being bullied by Ava, even though she was already covered in injuries! Now Louise only hated herself for being too soft hearted back then She should have gotten someone to beat Grace up until she could not get up! Brian walked away and noticed that Louise did not follow up. He turned around and looked at her ¡°Lourse, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Louise blinked. She hid the hatred in her eyes and smiled. I¡¯m fine. Let¡¯s go back and eat.¡± The dark cer was cold and damp Grace shrank her neck and turned on the light in the room. The light was yellow and felt warm, and the temperature in the room seemed to have be higher because of the light. There was nothing in the cer but wine Grace could only curl up in the corner all by herself. About an hourter, the door opened Melvin brought her food Looking at her wounds, Melvin said sympathetically, ¡°Poor Miss Sherman, how can anyone live in this wine cer! Grace pursed her lips. ¡°I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s quiet here. I like it. I think it¡¯s quite good¡± Melvin looked at her for a while and persuaded. ¡°Why don¡¯t you go and apologize to Mr. Brian? If you give in to him, he will let you out¡± Grace shook her head. She did not know what to apologize for. She did not think that she had done anything wrong ¡°Melvin, you don¡¯t have to worry about me. If you really want to help me, bring me a nket.¡± Melvin hurriedly nodded. ¡°Alright, alright, I¡¯ll bring it over for you immediately!¡± Melvin was afraid that she would catch a cold, so he carried two nkets over. There was a huge table in the wine cer. Grace moved all the wine on it to the ground and spread the nkets over it, just enough to sleep on 100% 13:28 Suddenly, Brian cast his fork onto the table. Ava¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She thought that Brian was going to scold her for torturing Grace. Louise looked at him in surprise and asked, ¡°Brian, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Brian suddenly stood up and walked towards Grace with a mad expression. ¡°This is what you cooked? Do you call this food? It tastes like shit! If you can¡¯t cook properly, don¡¯t cook! Why are you putting on a pouty face?¡± Grace looked up at him. Did he have to pick up on her on purpose now? Brian suddenly grabbed her wrist. His actions were very rough, but he managed to avoid the wounds on her wrist somehow. Louise frowned and Immediately stood up. ¡°Brian, what are you doing?¡± Brian dragged Grace out of the living room, passed through the courtyard, and arrived at the entrance of the wine cer. Melvin and Louise followed. Brian kicked open the door, ¡°Get in!¡± The wine cer was in the basement. There were a few stairs behind the door. Grace was almost pushed down the stairs by Brian. She grabbed the railing, still in shock. ¡°Without my permission, no one can let her out!¡± Upon hearing his words, Louise narrowed her eyes slightly and turned to look at Brian. She smiled and grabbed his arm. ¡°Brian, why do you have to lock her up? Grace is injured. How can she recover from her injuries if you lock her up alone?¡± Brian didn¡¯t answer but coldly told Melvin to lock the door. Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. Melvin hesitated for a few seconds. He looked at Grace, sighed heavily, and locked the door. Ava snorted at the closed door. ¡°Serves you right!¡± Only Louise secretly clenched her fists. She could tell that Brian was not punishing Grace! He was protecting her by imprisoning her! This was because he felt sorry for Grace when he saw Grace being bullied by Ava, even though she was already covered in injuries! Now Louise only hated herself for being too soft¨Chearted back then. She should have gotten someone to beat Grace up until she could not get up! Brian walked away and noticed that Louise did not follow up. He turned around and looked at her. ¡°Louise, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Louise blinked. She hid the hatred in her eyes and smiled. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Let¡¯s go back and eat.¡± The dark cer was cold and damp. Grace shrank her neck and turned on the light in the room. The light was yellow and felt warm, and the temperature in the room seemed to have be higher because of the light. There was nothing in the cer but wine. Grace could only curl up in the corner all by herself. About an hourter, the door opened. Melvin brought her food. Looking at her wounds, Melvin said sympathetically. ¡°Poor Melv Miss Sherman, how can anyone live in this wine cer!¡± Grace pursed her lips. ¡°I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s quiet here. I like it. I think it¡¯s quite good¡± Melvin looked at her for a while and persuaded, ¡°Why don¡¯t you go and apologize to Mr. Brian? If you give in to him, he will let you out¡± Grace shook her head. She did not know what to apologize for. She did not think that she had done anything wrong. ¡°Melvin, you don¡¯t have to worry about me. If you really want to help me, bring me a nket.¡± Melvin hurriedly nodded. ¡°Alright, alright, I¡¯ll bring it over for you immediately!¡± Melvin was afraid that she would catch a cold, so he carried two nkets over. There was a huge table in the wine cer. Grace moved all the wine on it to the ground and spread the nkets over it, just enough to sleep on. Chapter 81 The basement was very cool and it was actually prettyfortable to sleep in at night so Grace slept very peacefully. There was nothing bad with being locked in the basement. Grace woke up naturally andfortably the next day. After breakfast, she received a call from an unknown number. ¡°Grace Sherman, this is Justin Vance.¡± A gentle voice came from the other end of the phone. Grace gripped her phone tightly and called out calmly, ¡°Dr. Vance.¡± ¡°How are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. I just finished eating breakfast.¡± Justin asked worriedly, ¡°Really? I¡¯m at the door. Come out and let me take a look.¡± ¡°1¡­ I don¡¯t want to Justin knew that it was just an excuse. ¡°Tell me honestly, did Brian do something to you?¡± Grace pressed her temples. She then made up her mind and hung up. Justin nced at his phone and was extremely worried. He immediately dialed her number again, but this time, it went to her voicemail, He got out of the car and nced at the door of the vi, Suddenly, he saw Melvin. He waved at Melvin. Melvin frowned slightly when he saw who it was. However, he still walked forward and asked politely, ¡°Sir, who are you looking for?¡± ¡°Is Grace home?¡± Melvin¡¯s expression darkened slightly as he asked again, ¡°Sir, why are you looking for Miss Sherman?¡± ¡°I just want to make sure she¡¯s okay. She¡¯s hurt, so I¡¯m worried about her.¡± Melvin hesitated for a moment. He looked at Justin and said earnestly, ¡°Sir, if you¡¯re really worried about Miss Sherman, you shouldn¡¯t look for her again in the future.¡± Justin frowned. He continued questioning. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with her? Did Brian lock her up?¡± Melvin replied with a heavy heart, ¡°I¡¯ll make sure to take good care of Miss Sherman so don¡¯te again in the future. You¡¯ll be doing her a favor that way¡± With that, Melvin turned around and left. Justin let out a shaky breath and returned to the car. He stared at Grace¡¯s phone number for a long time. 99% 13:22 In the afternoon, Grace got up and walked around the basement. The basement was about 150 square feet. There was a window on the wall and a lighted patio outside. She pushed open the back door of the wine cer, crossed the patio corridor, and saw a small door. Brian¡¯s vi was very big. Although she had lived here for almost three years, there were still many ces in the vi that she had never been to. Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. The s small door was not locked. When she opened it, she realized that it was a hot spring. She had been to this hot spring once before. However, she had not expected it to be connected to the wine cer. The hot spring was located in the southeast corner of the vi. It was quite a distance away from the main building. Although Brian did note to the hot spring often, there were still servants cleaning this ce. There was a small shower stall beside it. There were clean bathrobes, towels, and a toilet. She quickly walked to the door and locked it. She then took off her clothes and jumped into the pool. There was no ce to take a showerst night. She was even worried that Brian would end up locking her up for ten days and lice would grow on her body. Now that she had a ce to sleep and shower, she could stay here for a month without a problem. It was sofortable that she started to doze off so she got up to put on her clothes. She changed out of her clothes and washed them clean. Then, she returned to the wine cer wearing her bathrobe before lying on the bed. She ended up sleeping for the entire afternoon. When s she w woke up, she nced at her phone. There was a text message from an unknown number. ¡°Grace, as long as you need it, I will do my best to take you away.¡± É« Chapter 82 She knew that the message was from Justin. Her heart felt bitter and ufortable. She put away her phone and thought for a moment before deleting the message. Justin was not from the same world as her. The wounds on her body were painful and itchy. However, she did not dare to scratch them even if she wanted to. It was so torturous that she could not sleep. She looked at the time. It was almost eleven o¡¯clock. In the end, she got up and went to the hot spring again. Upstairs Brian stood on the balcony, cigarette butts scattered around his feet. He stared at the dark night sky, his dark eyes bottomless After a long time, he turned around and quietly walked back to the bedroom. He took an unopened medicine and left the R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only room He took the key to the door of the wine cer and opened the door very gently. He used his phone to light the room up and realized that Grace was not inside. He then nced at the back door and smiled. ¡°Not so stupid after all,¡± he muttered. His footsteps were light as he walked across the patio. As expected, he saw the lights in the hot spring. Grace sat in the pool, her slender armszily resting on the sides of the pool. There were alsorge bruises on her smooth and fair back. She did not notice his arrival. He approached her quietly. It was not until he walked behind her that he realized that she had fallen asleep in the water. He frowned slightly and nced at the medicine in his hand. In the end, he went to the shower to get a towel and ced it on the ground. He then gently pulled her out of the pool. She opened her eyes in a daze. However, she had been in the water for too long, so her entire body felt very weak. As soon as her eyes opened slightly, she fell back asleep again. He saw her opening her eyes and subconsciously held his breath. Seeing that she had fallen asleep again, he ced her on the towel and wrapped it around her body. A faint scent wafted to his nose. He nced at the woman in his arms and stopped in his tracks. Suddenly, he lowered his head and sniffed her neck It was the unique scent of her body mixed with the fragrance of wine. It was both refreshing and intoxicating. He gulped unconsciously. He took a deep breath and walked back to the wine cer unhurriedly. Heid her on her side on the bed and was about to pour out the medicine when she rolled over and lay t on the bed. He frowned. Her injuries were basically all on her back. How was he going to apply the medicine if she was lying¨Ct like this? He turned her body sideways again. Just as he poured the medicine out, she slowly slid over andy t on the bed again. He moved his lips and spat out a word. ¡°Pig!¡± He stood by the bed and thought about it before taking off his shoes and getting on the bed. He supported her body with one hand and turned her body to face him. This way, he could hold her with one hand and apply the medicine for her with the other. Because of this, he could not really see the wounds on her body. As such, he could only sit up slightly and stick close to her body. After applying the medicine for five minutes, he felt that the air seemed to have be hot. He looked down and his gaze trembled slightly. Her body seemed to be a little different from before. His throat bobbed as he closed his eyes, as if he wanted to throw away some thoughts that he shouldn¡¯t be having. Grace seemed to have sensed thefortable heat and smacked her lips as her body moved forward involuntarily. Brian¡¯s body stiffened. Her skin was really unbelievably soft. After he finally finished applying the medicine for her, he was about to get out of bed when the person in his arms suddenly grabbed his clothes tightly. ¡°Brian¡­ É« Chapter 83 Brian¡¯s body suddenly stiffened. He lowered his head slowly. Grace frowned slightly as if she was having a bad dream. She muttered, ¡°Brian¡­¡± Brian suddenly felt suffocated. He could not help but raise his hand as his hand hovered above her body for a long time. In the end, he gently patted her shoulder twice. In his mind, images of the past when they were in bed together suddenly shed in his mind. He suddenly moved his body down and gently closed his eyes. After a while, he felt sleepy. Grace had a dream. She dreamed that she had returned to half a year ago when Brian was still treating her nicely and gently. When she woke up in the morning, she subconsciously touched the space beside her. The cold touch made her slowly open her eyes, and a wave of loneliness surged in her heart. She sat up on the bed. Suddenly, the nket slipped off and her chest was empty. She grabbed the nket and covered her chest. She scratched her head. Why wasn¡¯t she wearing any clothes when she sleptst night? The wound on her back didn¡¯t seem so ufortable anymore. She turned her head and suddenly smelled the faint smell of medicine on her shoulder. She thought that it was strange because she had already soaked in the hot spring twice so why did she still smell like medicine? Everything was too strange. She carefully recalled the situationst night. How did she return to bed? Why did she have no recollection of it at all? At this moment, she saw some medicine on the ground. She widened her eyes in surprise. Last night¡­ Could it be that Brian really came? In that case,st night was not a dream! He had applied medicine to her body, and he had seen her when she was not wearing any clothes! Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. The thought of that made her confused. Why did Brian always like to push and pull so much? His actions were undoubtedly torturing her! Melvin brought her breakfast. She ate absent¨Cmindedly. After eating, she pushed open the back door and went out for a walk. 99% 13:22 The area she could walk around was quite limited. She could only walk from the wine cer to the hot spring and back to the wine cer. When she walked to the hot spring for the fifth time, she saw maidsing to the hot spring to clean up and bring clean toiletries. Did Brian instruct the maids to change it? Her mind was in a mess. After thinking about it for a while, her head started to hurt. She simply went back to bed and fell asleep after she got tired from ying games. After living in the basement for a week, she clearly realized that her face had be rounder when she looked in the mirror at the shower. Moreover, the food she received during this period of time was not bad as well. Every day, she did not have to do anything except eat, sleep, or soak in the hot spring. Her skin had also turned healthy during this period of time, and her injuries hadpletely healed. As for Brian, it seemed that he never came again. In the vi. Brian and Louise were eating at the dining table. Louise counted the days as she ate and she realized that it had been a week since Grace was locked up. But why was Brian looking more and more calm? At the thought of this, she could not help but ask, ¡°Brian? When are you going to release Grace Sherman?¡± Brian elegantly swallowed the bread in his mouth and replied, ¡°Why would I let her out? She looks like a jinx.¡± Louise bit her lip and was about to say something when Ava interrupted, ¡°Brian, why don¡¯t you just chase her out? She must have made the wine cer dirty and smelly after staying in there for a week! There¡¯s nothing in the wine cer. She can¡¯t just eat and not poop, right? How can we drink the wine there in the future?¡± Chapter 84 When Louise heard her words, she almost spat out her food. Brian nced at her coldly as he said, ¡°She has already been locked up inside. It¡¯s not like she did anything to you.¡± Ava was so frightened by his cold tone that she did not even dare to breathe loudly. Was¡­ Was Brian speaking up for Grace? That¡¯s impossible. He must be in a bad mood. Louise red at her silently. After eating, Brian went to work. Louise personally walked him to the garage and kissed him gently on the cheek. ¡°Be careful on the way there.¡± Brian nodded slightly and drove away. After the car drove away, Louise retracted the smile in her eyes and walked out of the garage to look at ther. She took a mask and went to look for Melvin. ¡°Melvin, I want to see Grace Sherman. Help me open the door.¡± Melvin hesitated for a moment, but when he met Louise¡¯s cold gaze, he could only follow her orders. ¡°Alright, please wait a moment.¡± Although what Ava said this morning was disgusting, she had the same thoughts as Ava. Grace had been locked up in the wine cer of about 100 square feet for a week. Who knows how smelly the wine cer was now? Therefore, when Melvin opened the door, she put on her mask tightly, covering her mouth and nose before walking in disdainfully. The lights in the room were on. Grace was lying on the bed and ying with her phone. When she heard the sound of high heels, she subconsciously raised her head. Louise looked as if she had walked into a pigsty. She had one hand crossed over her chest and the other covering her nose. She did not even want to touch the railing. Grace looked at her and asked curiously, ¡°Miss Adkins, what are you doing here?¡± Louise covered her nose and smiled. She replied, ¡°I¡¯m here to see how you¡¯re doing.¡± Louise looked at Grace¡¯s rosy face and wondered how her skin had be so good! Her skin was like a baby¡¯s skin, soft and supple. Moreover, her face was round. It seemed that she had lived well in this cer. rface MMM ¡°Thank you, Miss Adkins. I¡¯m doing fine.¡± 99% 13:22 Louise¡¯s eyes turned cold. She could tell that Grace was doing very well. So well that it made her very angry! Grace seemed to know why Louise was covering her nose. She could not help but lower her head and chuckle. Louise looked at her and questioned, ¡°What are youughing at?¡± R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Grace squinted her eyes and replied, ¡°Miss Adkins, you don¡¯t have to cover your nose. There¡¯s no strange smell in the wine cellor.¡± Louise did not believe Grace¡¯s words, even though she could only smell the fragrance of alcohol. However, in order to show that she was generous and easy¨Cgoing, she slowly lowered her hand. She took a light breath. There was indeed no strange smell. She looked at Grace in surprise. ¡°How did you use the bathroom when you¡¯re locked up here for a week?¡± Louise finally asked the question she was curious about. Initially, she thought that she would see a dirty and smelly crazy woman living in a pigsty. Contrary to her belief, she saw Grace with her rosy face and clean body! How could she not be angry? Grace lowered her eyebrows and chuckled. ¡°There¡¯s a patio at the back. I took care of it there.¡± Louise¡¯s eyes shed with disdain. How could there be such a disgusting woman? Louise felt extremely disgusted. In the end, Grace suddenly said, ¡°Miss Adkins, do you not believe me? Do you want to go take a look?¡± Louise suddenly felt nauseous. She suppressed her difort and shook her head. ¡°Grace, it¡¯s good that you¡¯re fine. I was just worried about you, so I came to take a look. I¡¯m relieved to see that you¡¯ve recovered.¡± 0 Chapter 85 Just as Louise was about to leave, she nced at Grace¡¯s phone by the bed. She rolled her eyes and turned to look at Grace as she asked, ¡°I¡¯m a little thirsty. Do you have any water here?¡± Grace looked at her in surprise. ¡°Yes,¡± she replied, but she did not believe that Louise was willing to drink the water here. ¡°Can I have some?¡± Grace pursed her lips but agreed, ¡°Of course, but I only have my own cup here.¡± Louise looked at the water dispenser at the side and smiled. ¡°It¡¯s okay, I don¡¯t mind.¡± As she spoke, she walked to the water dispenser and filled a cup with water. She held the cup and pretended to look around the room as she slowly walked to the bed. ¡°Are there mosquitoes here at night?¡± Grace said indifferently, ¡°No.¡± Louise nodded and sat down next to Grace¡¯s phone. Just as she was about to drink some water, her hand suddenly trembled. All the water in the cup was poured onto the phone. Louise eximed, ¡°Grace, I¡¯m sorry. I wet your bedsheets.¡± Grace frowned and took a look. Wetting her bedsheets was just a small matter! However, her phone probably couldn¡¯t be used anymore! She hurriedly ran over and picked up her phone. She tapped the screen, and it still lit up. She wiped the water off her phone and shook it twice. When she unlocked it again, she realized the water had seeped into the screen. Louise looked anxious. ¡°Grace, how¡¯s your phone? I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t do it on purpose.¡± Grace pursed her lips and shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± She continued to shake her phone, but the screen hadpletely turned ck, leaving only rows of blue and green lights. ¡°I really didn¡¯t do it on purpose. Why don¡¯t I help you take it out and fix it?¡± Grace shook her head without a second thought. ¡°No need.¡± She felt that Louise must have deliberately damaged her phone. Perhaps she wanted her to hand over her phone so that she could do something. Thinking of this possibility, Grace decided not to give her phone to Louise no matter what, ¡°Thank you for the offer, Miss Adkins, but I don¡¯t have anything to do here, so I don¡¯t need a phone.¡± dd MM M Seeing her persistence, Louise apologized again and turned to leave. Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. Louise turned around and her expression instantly darkened. She quickly walked out of the basement and returned to her room. She took off her mask and clothes and threw them into the trash can. Then, she went to the bathroom to take a shower before feeling a little morefortable. Thinking about how she had just spoken to a disgusting woman who hadn¡¯t showered for a week and had defecated everywhere, she lost her appetite. She sat in front of the mirror and looked at her face carefully. There were two pimples on her forehead, and the pores on her face were a littlerge. Her skin was even worse than that of the woman who had not showered for a week! She was so ar angry that she applied two masks before applying some clean makeup which made it look like it was her bare face. Only then was she slightly satisfied. When she went downstairs for lunch, she caught a glimpse of a maid serving food for Grace in the kitchen. She put down her fork and walked into the kitchen. ¡°I knocked over a cup of coffee in my room just now. Help me clean it up first.¡± The maid immediately stopped her work and said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go now.¡± Louise nodded slightly. ¡°Let me help you pack the food.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. Miss Adkins, you can go and eat first. I¡¯ll do it.¡± Louise smiled gently and pushed her out of the kitchen. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I can help you.¡± After maid left, she nced around the kitchen before her gazended on the trash can.. Chapter 86 She took a spoon and scooped a spoonful of rancid soup from the trash can. She poured it on the food and added some clean food to cover it. After doing all this, the maid, who had just gone upstairs, came down. I She went to Louise and said puzzledly, ¡°Miss Adkins, I didn¡¯t find the spilled coffee when I went to your room just now.¡± Louise raised her eyebrows and exined indifferently, ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry, I forgot. I think I¡¯ve already gotten someone to clean It for me. Hurry up and deliver the food.¡± ¡°Oh, okay.¡± Louise smiled and returned to the dining table to continue eating. In the wine cer. Grace picked up the food. Just as she brought the bowl to her mouth, a sour stench wafted into her nose. She felt nauseous and almost vomited. She used her fork to stir the food around and the sour smell intensified. She covered her mouth and nose before she ran out of the patio and retched a few times. The food she had eaten in the morning had already been digested, so there was nothing left in her stomach to vomit. She returned to her room and took the bowl of sour¨Csmelling food out onto the patio. She was so hungry that she was panicking. She wanted to call Melvin to get him to send her food again, but her phone was broken, so she could not contact anyone outside. She recalled Louise¡¯s actions in the morning and suddenly realized that Louise had done it on purpose! Louis had deliberately broken her phone so that she could not contact Melvin and then tampered with her food. Her heart turned cold. Why? She was already living cautiously. She no longer dared to hope to be with Brian, so why did Louise still treat her like this? Louise was really a woman who was good at acting. In front of everyone, she seemed so gentle and magnanimous. But in secret, she probably wished that Grace could get out of the Francis family as soon as possible. Grace was so hungry that her limbs were a little weak. She climbed the steps to the door. ¡°Is anyone there? Is there anyone outside?¡± She asked as she knocked on the door with all her might. Louise stood about fifteen feet away, staring coldly at the door. Hearing the shoutsing from inside, her lips curled coldly. up Grace¡¯s throat turned hoarse from all the shouting, but no one came. She was so hungry that she could only run to the water dispenser and drink two sses of water. Time ticked by and soon after, it was dark outside. A S & M M M Grace fell asleep in a daze. If she was not pregnant, she would be fine even if she starved for a day. However, the baby in her stomach needed nutrition. As long as she did not eat, she would be so hungry that she would feel dizzy. She struggled to get up from the ground andy on the bed. Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. She just had to hold on a little longer until nighttime when Melvin woulde to deliver dinner, She no longer had the energy to knock on the door. In the evening. Louise walked into the kitchen and said to the maid, who was preparing the food, ¡°Let me cook today.¡± Hence, the maid had no choice but to hand the kitchen over to Louise. Louise made a few simple dishes and prepared a ¡°special¡± meal for Grace like she did in the afternoon. ¡°You can take this to Grace Sherman.¡± The maid received the order and went to the wine cer with the food. When the maid opened the door, she found Grace lying on the bed. Thinking that Grace was sleeping, she ced the food on the steps by the door and left. Grace heard themotion and hurriedly got out of bed. However, as soon as she got out of bed, she felt light¨Cheaded. Then, she fell to the ground. She supported her body with her hands and took a deep breath. She then slowly got up from the ground and staggered to the door. É« Chapter 87 She picked up the food and the disgusting sour stench wafted into her nose again. Her h hand that was holding the bowl was trembling. She put down the bowl heavily. Shey on the ground weakly. She caressed her stomach, clearly aware of the heartbeat of her baby that was beating hard. Late at night. Brian came to the hot spring. He passed through the patio behind the hot spring and walked towards the wine cer. As soon as he reached the back door, he smelled something sour. He turned on the shlight on his phone and frowned slightly when he saw the food on the ground. He went forward to pick up the bowl of food. When he smelled the sour smelling from the food, his stomach felt nauseous. Why was there wastewater in the food? How long had the food been here? It had been a long time since he came to visit Grace. Could it be that she had started a hunger strike? This guess made his heart sink. He strode over and pushed open the back door. The cer was dark so he turned on the cer light. The next second, he saw the woman lying on the steps, unconscious. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only His eyes narrowed as he quickly walked over. ¡°Grace! What are you up to now?¡± He lifted her head and found her lying limp on the ground as if she had no bones. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Grace!¡± He nced at the food on the steps before picking it up. He smelled it and frowned fiercely. Judging from the dishes, they were prepared for tonight. How could they be spoiled so quickly? Someone must have done it on purpose! His eyes were filled with coldness. He patted Grace¡¯s face and called out anxiously, ¡°Grace!¡± Grace slowly opened her eyes and said weakly, ¡°So hungry¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll get you out of here.¡± Brian picked her up and walked out of the hot spring. He kicked open the living room door.. Themotion woke up Melvin and the maids, who were sleeping. Melvin was the first to run out. He rubbed his eyes and asked, ¡°Mr. Brian, what¡¯s going on?¡± ¨C JJ MM M ¡°Open the door to Grace¡¯s room and get some warm milk. Prepare a bowl of porridge.¡± *Ó† 98% 13:23 When Melvin saw that Grace had fainted, he did not dare to dy for a moment and immediately opened the door. Brian ced Grace on the bed. After a while, Melvin brought the milk over. He helped Grace up and fed her the milk. ¡°Open your mouth and drink it.¡± Grace was still somewhat conscious. She opened her mouth to drink the milk, but it was a little difficult for her to swallow the milk because she did not have the strength. The milk dripped down the corners of her mouth. When Louise came down, she saw Brian gently wiping Grace¡¯s mouth with a tissue. She clenched her fists tightly. It was already midnight but Brian still brought Grace out of the cer! He actually went to visit Grace in the middle of the night! What kind of rtionship would make a man look for a woman in the middle of the night? Louise stared at Grace, who was on the bed. At this moment, she wished that this bitch could die! Brian called out to her, ¡°Grace! Wake up! Get up and eat!¡± Grace opened her eyes in a daze and saw Brian holding a bowl of porridge. ¡°Eat the porridge!¡± Brian ordered. When Grace saw the food, her throat bobbed. She raised her hand to take the porridge from the bowl. However, she really could not exert any strength in her hands. Just as she held the bowl, her hand tilted! Thankfully, Brian reacted quickly and caught the bowl so the porridge did not spill. He frowned at that sight. He scooped a spoonful of porridge and blew on it before feeding it to her. Chapter 88 Grace opened her mouth forcefully and ate a spoonful of porridge. After eating a few mouthfuls of porridge, she finally felt that she had regained some strength. Louise was so angry that her eyes were red. She walked into the room and asked in a concerned tone, ¡°Grace, what¡¯s wrong? Can¡¯t you eat?¡± Grace looked up at Louise. She gulped before calling out, ¡°Miss Adkins.¡± Louise sneered in her heart. She thought, ¡°What a bitch! She¡¯s definitely pretending!¡± She only skipped two meals, but she pretended to be so weak and tried to gain sympathy from Brian! Louise snatched the bowl from Brian¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Brian, let me feed her instead.¡± Brian looked up at her and nodded slightly. He stood up and moved aside. Louise sat on the bed with a smile and fed Grace the hottest spoonful at the bottom of the bowl. She then asked her with concern, ¡°Weren¡¯t you fine when I went to see you today? What¡¯s wrong? I haven¡¯t seen you for just R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only a little over ten hours. Why are you not able to get up from the bed? Is your body so weak?¡± Louise¡¯s words implied something. Her eyes were fixed on Grace. Grace felt a little ufortable. When she saw the porridge by her mouth, she opened her mouth. It was hot! It was so hot that her tears flowed out, but she still swallowed the porridge. Louise gripped the spoon tightly, wishing she could dunk the entire bowl of hot porridge into Grace¡¯s mouth. ¡°Miss Adkins, I can do it myself.¡± Louise smiled and refused, ¡°How can that do? You¡¯re weak now so I should feed you.¡± Grace¡¯s heart sank. At this moment, Brian instructed Melvin, ¡°Melvin, bring the two tes of food from the wine cer over.¡± Melvin did not understand, but he still said ¡°yes¡± and went to the wine cer to bring the food. After searching for a while, he finally found the food on the patio. Melvin brought the two tes back and ced them on the table. Brian looked around the room and frowned slightly. ¡°Where¡¯s Ava? Ask her toe here!¡± When Louise heard Brian¡¯s words, she took a deep breath. As she expected, his first suspect was indeed Ava. JJ M M M Ava was sleeping when Melvin woke her up. She cursed as she came downstairs. When she saw the scene in the living room, she was shocked. Her footsteps were a little stiff. As she went downstairs, she asked, ¡°Bri¡­ Brian, what¡¯s going on?¡± Brian waited for her to walk into the living room before asking, ¡°Who sent Grace Sherman lunch today?¡± A female maid stood up with a trembling body and admitted, ¡°It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s me, Mr¡­ Mr. Brian.¡± ¡°Were you the one who sent the food tonight as well?¡± 98% 13:23 ¡°Yes, yes¡­ It¡¯s me, but I really don¡¯t know why the food is like this. When I¡­ sent it over, it was clearly good¡­ It wasn¡¯t spoilt.¡± Brian¡¯s cold gaze swept across the room and finallynded on Ava¡¯s face. Ava was so scared that her heart skipped a beat. ¡°Bri¡­ Brian, it wasn¡¯t me. I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t know anything about this!¡± ¡°You¡¯re the only one who keeps causing trouble all the time. Who else would do this except you?¡± Brian asked her coldly. ¡°I, I really didn¡¯t. I don¡¯t even know what happened. You, you bitch! Why did you frame me?¡± Ava could not find any evidence to clear her name, so she vented her anger on the maid. The maid was on the verge of tears as she quickly denied, ¡°Mr. Brian, it really wasn¡¯t me.¡± Chapter 89 Brian gritted his teeth and nodded. ¡°Since you all said that you didn¡¯t do it yourself but can¡¯t produce any evidence, get out of the Francis family Immediately!¡± Ava did not even understand the situation. She was woken up in the middle of the night for no reason and was just told that she was getting kicked out of the Francis family! The maid also cried, ¡°Mr. Brian! I really didn¡¯t do it! Please don¡¯t chase me out. My husband is paralyzed in bed, and my son is still in school. I have to shoulder all the expenses of my family alone. I really can¡¯t lose this job! Please give me another chance¡­¡± Ava was about to die from anxiety. When she saw that this maid was still spouting so much nonsense, she was furious. She walked over and kicked her hard. ¡°You damn bitch! It¡¯s all your fault! How dare you say that you were wronged! Could it be¡­¡± Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. ¡°Ava Adkins!¡± Brian suddenly growled coldly. Ava gasped in shock. ¡°Brian, I really don¡¯t know anything. I still don¡¯t get what happened!¡± Louise was in Grace¡¯s room. When she heard the sounds outside, she smiled and looked at Grace. She said, ¡°Listen, Brian has lost his temper because of you.¡± Grace clenched her fists nervously andmented, ¡°Mr. Brian is a fair and just person. Even if I was just a maid, Mr. Brian would still stand up for me.¡± Louise scooped a spoonful of porridge and slowly fed it to her. ¡°Is that so?¡± Grace snatched the bowl from her hand and said, ¡°Miss Adkins, I¡¯ve already recovered my strength. I¡¯ll eat myself. You should go and persuade Mr. Brian.¡± Louise pursed her lips coldly. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that I won¡¯t be able to appease his anger even if I tried to persuade him.¡± Louise nced at her strangely before turning around and leaving. When she came to the living room, she saw Ava crying. The maid was also crying. Brian¡¯s expression was terrifyingly gloomy. Those who didn¡¯t know better would think that something big had happened. Who would have thought that he would be so angry just because Grace had skipped two meals? Louise gritted her teeth and walked to Brian¡¯s side. ¡°Brian, don¡¯t be angry. The two of them are crying so pitifully that it doesn¡¯t look like they did it.¡± At her words, Brian gave her a dark look. Her heart skipped a beat. ¡°Don¡¯t you think your sister has caused enough trouble?¡± Her heart sank. It seemed that Brian wanted to use this opportunity to chase Ava away! Ava looked at her pleadingly. ¡°Louise! You have to help me! I really didn¡¯t do this!¡± * UN 98% 13:23 Louise stared at her coldly. This idiot only called for her help at a time like this. Other times, she was still thinking about her man! However, she had to help Ava this time. Ava was her sister after all. If her sister was chased out just because of Grace, wouldn¡¯t she be humiliated as well? ¡°Shut up!¡± Louise red at Ava. Ava sobbed twice and stopped. Louise looked at Brian and pleaded, ¡°Brian, Ava is still so young. That¡¯s why she tends to be insensible and yful. It¡¯s my fault for not taking good care of her, but I promise you, she¡¯s actually not a bad person.¡± ¡°You promise? What can you use to guarantee that? Thest time she hit someone at home, you said you¡¯d keep an eye on her. And what happened?¡± Louise was slightly angry. All the maids in the vi were standing here in the living room. But Brian still reprimanded her in front of so many people! Chapter 90 Louise took a deep breath and looked at Brian coldly ¡°So, are you saying that you must let Ava get out?¡± Brian confirmed in a low voice, ¡°Yes!¡± Louise¡¯s chest heaved up and down violently. She stared at Brian angrily and said, ¡°Fine! Ava, let¡¯s go!¡± Brian frowned and quickly grabbed her wrist. ¡°Louise, what are you doing?¡± Louise smiled and replied, ¡°Ava is my sister. Since you want to chase her away, that means you don¡¯t even care about my feelings. In that case, I¡¯ll leave with her.¡± She looked at him with grief and indignation. Her eyes were filled with grievance and stubbornness Brian frowned fiercely and pulled her back forcefully. He pressed his temples and exined helplessly. ¡°Louise, I didn¡¯t mean that. It¡¯s just that Ava¡¯s actions are really infuriating¡± Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. Louise nodded andmented, ¡°I know. Aren¡¯t you just saying that Ava is insensible andcks discipline? Then I bring her back to the Adkins family. I¡¯ll discipline her myself. Can¡¯t I?¡± Brian gritted his teeth and stared at her for a long time. In the end, hepromised. ¡°Alright, let her stay here then. But from now on, she¡¯s not allowed to cause trouble again.¡± Louise pursed her lips and lowered her eyes to hide the gloominess in them. Not allowed to cause trouble? He meant not allowed to do anything to Grace! Brian nced at his watch before saying, ¡°Alright, it¡¯s already veryte. Let¡¯s go back and sleep first¡± Everyone returned to their rooms. Ava also wiped her tears and returned to her room. Louise nced in the direction of Grace¡¯s room and then back at Brian She reached out and held Brian¡¯s arm. ¡°Brian, talk to me for a while.¡± Brian nodded and nced toward Grace¡¯s room before going upstairs with Louise. Louise pulled him into her room and closed the door. Her face was filled with grievance. With tears in her eyes, sheined aggrievedly, ¡°Brian, why did you look for Grace in the middle of the night?¡± Brian was taken aback by her sudden tears. He pursed his lips and said calmly, ¡°Louise, don¡¯t misunderstand. I¡¯m just too tired and couldn¡¯t fall asleep. I wanted to go to the hot spring for a while. The hot spring is connected to the wine cer and Grace fainted in the hot spring.¡± JMM M Louise paused. ¡°The hot spring?¡± *Çø 98% 13:24 Brian nodded slightly before continuing, ¡°Yes, the hot spring is not often used. I haven¡¯t brought you there yet.¡± Louise bit her lip. Since Grace could take a shower and eat, there must be a drainage system in the hot spring pool. If there was a drainage system, there must be a toilet. Therefore, the situation that Grace mentioned today did not exist at all! ¡°Grace Sherman! How dare she trick me!¡± She thought. She looked at Brian. This meant that he locked Grace in the wine cer to protect her! He wanted her to eat, drink, and sleep well inside! She could even soak in the hot spring from time to time! Heh¡­ Louise felt like a clown being kept in the dark! Brian put his arm around her shoulders and said in a low voice, ¡°Louise, don¡¯t let your imagination run wild. You¡¯re the only one in my heart. We¡¯re getting married in three months. Our engagement has already been announced to the public. Don¡¯t you believe me?¡± Louise bit her lip and looked up at him. ¡°I¡¯m surprised you even cared that we¡¯re getting married! You threw such a big tantrum today because of Grace Sherman and even fed her milk and porridge personally. Aren¡¯t you treating her too well? I¡¯m your fianc¨¦e!¡± 0 Chapter 91 Although Louise always appeared to be gentle and magnanimous, she knew that she women should asionally throw tantrums at men. Otherwise, those men would think that women were easy to control. She was gentle, but it didn¡¯t mean that anyone could bully her and use her. Today, she had to make Brian understand that he had to keep a distance from Grace! Brian¡¯s face froze for a moment. A hint of guilt shed past his eyes as he exined, ¡°Louise, it¡¯s not that I¡¯m good to her. As long as I¡¯m still a member of the Francis family, I won¡¯t allow such a despicable thing to happen.¡± After a pause, he said, ¡°Even if it¡¯s the other maid, I¡¯ll find out who did it.¡± Louise pursed her lips and lowered her eyes. Brian¡¯s words were exactly the same as Grace¡¯s. It seemed that Grace really knew him well! N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Louise clenched her fists tightly. Brian pulled her into his arms and patted her gently. ¡°Alright. Stop letting your imagination run wild, okay?¡± Louise wrapped her arms around his waist and leaned into his embrace. She said in a slightly annoyed tone, ¡°But how can I not let my imagination run wild? Look what you have done?¡± Brian patted her back and coaxed her patiently. ¡°I don¡¯t care! You¡¯re staying with me tonight!¡± Brian stopped patting her. After a while, he said, ¡°Okay.¡± Louise was overjoyed. After hugging him for a while, she couldn¡¯t wait and whispered, ¡°I¡¯ll go take a shower first.¡± Brian frowned slightly. ¡°It¡¯s already sote. Haven¡¯t you showered yet?¡± Louise¡¯s eyes shed for a moment. ¡°Uh, no. I went down and had a walk just now. I feel a little ufortable. I think I need another shower.¡± Brian nodded. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll wait for you.¡± Louise lowered her head and smiled shyly before entering the washroom. Louise took a shower calmly and stood in front of the mirror in a thin sleeping robe. She chose a seductive perfume and sprayed it on herself. She only walked out after making every part of her body smell good. Briany on the bed with his feet outside of the bed. He had not taken off his shoes but seemed to have fallen asleep. Louise bit her lips. How could he fall asleep on such an important day? Louise sat on the bed and shook Brian. ¡°Brian.¡± Brian opened his eyes. He just closed his eyes to rest. When Louise came out, he smelled a pungent fragrance and woke up suddenly. ¡°Brian, spare me somece to lie down.¡± Brian moved to the other side of the bed. Louisey on the bed and wrapped her arms around his waist. As soon as she approached, the fragrance became stronger. It was not the fragrance of shower gel, but a lot of perfume. Brian¡¯s body stiffened and he slowly closed his eyes. Louise¡¯s hand gently caressed his waist and explored his body. Brian did not stop her. Louise moved her hand closer and closer to his abdomen. At the same time, she also slowly moved her lips closer to his neck She exhaled gently on his neck and moaned, ¡°Brian¡­¡± Brian¡¯s entire body stiffened. He did not know if it was because her fragrance was too strong, but he felt very ufortable He wasn¡¯t turned on by her seduction at all. Louise¡¯s lips moved closer and closer to his ear. Her fingers moved closer and closer¡­ At this moment, Brian suddenly grabbed her wrist. Chapter 92 Louise¡¯s body stiffened and she opened his eyes. Brian¡¯s actions were like pouring a basin of ice water over her head, making her feel cold from head to toe. ¡°Louise, stop disturbing my sleep and go to sleep.¡± Louise¡¯s heart turned cold. ¡°Brian, I¡¯m not disturbing you.¡± Brian patted her shoulderfortingly. ¡°Alright, it¡¯ste. If you don¡¯t sleep soon, you¡¯ll have dark circles tomorrow.¡± Louise froze for a moment. Her mind was terrifyingly clear, and she did not feel sleepy at all. After thinking about it, she couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡®Brian, why?¡± Brian did not seem to understand what she was asking. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°So, you are unwilling to have sex with me?¡± Brian frowned slightly. ¡°Louise, why are your thoughts running wild again?¡± Louise said in a sobbing voice, ¡°Then why did you refuse me just now? We are already sleeping on the same bed.¡± At this point, Louise sobbed aggrievedly. The room was so quiet that only Louise¡¯s sobbing could be heard. After a long while, Brian said, ¡°Louise, I just feel that our first time is an important thing. It should happen on the most important day.¡± Louise stopped sobbing and looked at him nkly. ¡°Really?¡± Brian said softly. ¡°Go to sleep.¡± He took hold of her wrist and moved her hand away from him a little to put it in a safe position. Louise said softly, ¡°Okay.¡± In the darkness, her face was cold. Their first time should happen on the most important day? Total bullshit! However, Brian had already said so. If she did anything else, it would make her look cheap and casual. At that time, her actions would be self¨Cdefeating. Downstairs. When she was full, she looked at the time. It was already three in the morning. Grace had not eaten for two meals. Now that she had eaten a bowl of porridge, she was still quite hungry. When everyone was asleep, she took a shower and went to the kitchen to heat up something to eat. neat She yawned and was about to go back to bed when she heard the soft sound of a door closing upstairs. Grace subconsciously looked upstairs. Brian came out of Louise¡¯s room in his pajamas. Brian came out and saw Grace downstairs. He paused and walked downstairs. Grace looked at him. ¡°You¡­ Aren¡¯t you going to sleep?¡± Brian approached her and asked instead of answering, ¡°Why are you still here?¡± As he approached, Grace smelled a strong perfume. She instinctively wrinkled her nose and took half a step back. I Brian¡¯s eyes darkened when he saw her reaction. ¡°What? I saved you today. Why do you make it look like I¡¯m your enemy?¡± Grace pursed her lips. ¡°Yes, I should thank you. If you hadn¡¯t locked me up, would the food I ate have been tampered with then?¡± ¡°Did I take your phone? Can¡¯t you make a call on your phone?¡± Grace lowered her head and looked at the tip of her shoe. She said softly, ¡°My phone is broken.¡± ¡°You just bought your phone not long ago. How could it be broken?¡± Grace took a deep breath. If she told him that Louise was the one who broke her phone, he probably wouldn¡¯t believe her. Therefore, Grace just shook her head. ¡°I identally broke it.¡± Brian looked at her as if she was an idiot. ¡°Sleep early.¡± Grace nodded. After taking a step, she remembered something and said to him, ¡°Oh right. My phone is broken. Can I go out and buy a phone tomorrow?¡± N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Brian was silent for a while before saying, ¡°Okay then.¡± Chapter 93 Grace did not expect Brian to agree. She was just probing. Brian strode upstairs and watched as the master bedroom door closed. Grace then turned around and returned to his room. She slept peacefully the entire night. She didn¡¯t even have a dream, The next day, when Grace woke up, it was almost nine o¡¯clock. After breakfast, Ava found that Grace seemed to be preparing to go out. When she thought about how she had been scolded for no reasonst night because of Grace, she felt so angry that she was about to explode. Ava just didn¡¯t know why Gace greeted her in the morning. Who did Grace think she was? Grace just had no respect for her employer. The more Ava thought about it, the more unhappy she became. She called out to Grace, ¡°Grace!¡± Grace was about to change her shoes when she heard that. She stopped. Her intuition told her that Ava was going to find trouble with her again. She asked neither servile nor overbearing, ¡°Miss Adkins, what¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°What kind of expression is that? Do you think you¡¯re very awesome? You bitch caused me to be scoldedst night, but didn¡¯t even greet me this morning!¡± Grace frowned. ¡°Miss Adkins, are you done? I applied for leave from Mr. Brian yesterday, I¡¯m going out today.¡± Ava gritted her teeth. ¡°Ha! Are you using Brian to pressure me? Are you very smug now, you bitch!¡± ¡°You misunderstood,¡± Grace replied coldly. you When Ava saw Louiseing down the stairs, she deliberately raised her voice. ¡°What did I misunderstand about you? Don¡¯t think that I don¡¯t know that you have a crush on Brian. You¡¯ve been coveting the position of his wife for a long time!¡± Grace did not want to argue with Ava. She changed her shoes, ignoring Ava¡¯s shout. Ava reached out to pull Grace¡¯s cor. ¡°You bitch, how dare you look down on me! I think you need to know your identity again!¡± As soon as Louise arrived, she saw the noise downstairs. It annoyed her. She said irritably, ¡°Ava! Stop i ¡°Louise, I¡¯m helping you vent your anger! Look at your fianc¨¦¡¯s attitude yesterday! If the reporters saw that, they would write a report that Brian got angry because of an unknown woman!¡± Louise¡¯s face turned cold. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to shut up? If you don¡¯t want to listen to me, get back to the Adkins family immediately!¡± Ava gritted her teeth in anger. Louise and Grace were both abnormal! She turned around and rushed back to her room. Grace nced at Louise and bowed slightly to her. ¡°Thank you, Miss Adkins. Please don¡¯t take your sister¡¯s words to heart.¡± Louise smiled coldly. ¡°You¡¯re wee. As I said, I treat you as a friend. Of course, I believe you.¡± MMM Grace bent down to change her shoes. At this moment, the phone in the living room rang. Louise was the closest to the phone. She walked over and took a look. It was Brian. She picked up the phone but didn¡¯t speak immediately. A low voice sounded from the other end. ¡°Melvin, ask Grace to send lunch over.¡± Louise tightened her grip on the receiver and red at Grace. Brian sensed that something was wrong. ¡°Hello?¡± Louise gulped and said gently, ¡°Brian, it¡¯s me.¡± Brian squeezed his fingers and exined calmly over the phone, ¡°She¡¯s going out to buy a phone today. I asked her to bring food over.¡± Louise pursed his lips. She wanted to force a smile, but she could not. ¡°I¡¯ll send lunch to you Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. ¡°It¡¯s 102.2 degrees Fahrenheit outside today. I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll feel hot.¡± Louise did not say anything else. ¡°Alright, I understand. I¡¯ll pass the message on to her.¡± Chapter 94 After hanging up, Louise looked at Grace. ¡°Don¡¯t be in a hurry to change your shoes. Go and cook. Send lunch to Brian at noon.¡± Grace was slightly stunned. ¡°Miss Adkins, it¡¯s better for you to deliver lunch to him yourself. I still have other things to do after buying my phone. I might not make it in time to deliver the food.¡± Louise sneered. In her opinion, Grace was showing off Brian¡¯s favor. It looked like Grace quit the chance so Louise got it. The more Louise thought about it, the angrier she became. ¡°No, Brian said that the weather is too hot. He¡¯s afraid that I¡¯ll get heatstroke.¡± Grace looked at Louise for two seconds and nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll go cook.¡± After making lunch, it was almost 11:30 p.m. It was just in time to rush over to Brian¡¯spany. Grace changed her shoes and left in a hurry. No one arranged a driver for her, so she took a taxi to Brian¡¯spany. The downstairs of the Francis Group. Grace had just reached the door when the receptionist blocked her way. ¡°Work pass.¡± ¡°I¡¯m here to deliver food to Mr. Francis.¡± The receptionist¡¯s eyes revealed a trace of disdain. There were too many women who used such an excuse to meet Brian. ¡°Who are you to Mr. Francis?¡± ¡®I¡¯m a maid from his home. Please open the door. It¡¯s almost noon.¡± ¡°Ma¡¯am, Mr. Francis is in a meeting now. You can¡¯t go up without an appointment.¡± Grace was a little anxious. She looked at the time. It was already twelve in the afternoon. She still had to buy a phone and do a medical check¨Cup in the afternoon. She took out her phone and wanted to call Brian, but she remembered that he was in a meeting upstairs, so she didn¡¯t dare. to call him. She was afraid of disturbing him. Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. After some thought, she handed the food to the receptionist. ¡°Miss, please help me put it in the office at Mr. Francis.¡± The receptionist nced at her lunch box in disdain. It was obvious that the receptionist was very unwilling to touch her things. Grace sighed. ¡°How about this? You guys open the door. I¡¯ll go up and put it in his office. I¡¯ll leave immediately, okay?¡± The receptionist shook her head firmly. ¡°We¡¯ve seen plenty of people like you, Miss.¡± Grace watched as the minutes ticked by. She caught a glimpse of an employee swipe his card and went in. She quickly followed behind him. At this moment, the receptionist saw that. She stood up and shouted, ¡°Someone! Drag this woman out!¡± The bodyguards outside the door immediately rushed in and threw Grace out of the hall. ¡°I¡¯m really a maid in the Francis¡® ce! Just let me go in!¡± ¡°Miss, the receptionist said you don¡¯t have an appointment. If you want to see Mr. Francis, you¡¯d better wait. If someonees down to pick you up, you can go up again.¡± The weather outside was extremely hot. It was noon, and there was no ce to hide outside. She was afraid that she would miss someone she knew if she walked far away, she could only wait at the door. 1. om. Why wasn¡¯t At the CEO¡¯s office, Brian came out of the conference room and looked at his watch. It was already 12:30 p.m. Why Grace here yet? He nced at his phone. No messages or calls from her. Brian sat on the chair and handled some work. Camren walked in. ¡°Mr. Francis, aren¡¯t you going to eat?¡± Brian nced at his watch. ¡°You can go by yourself. I asked Grace to deliver me food.¡± Camren looked at the time on the wall and suddenly thought of something. ¡°At this time, could Miss Sherman have been stopped by the receptionist downstairs?¡± Brian frowned. ¡°Go and take a look immediately.¡± ¡°Okay. Got it.¡± Grace felt that she was about to be burnt by the sun when she finally saw Camrene out. Çú Chapter 95 ¡°Camren!¡± Grace hurriedly waved at Camren as if she had seen his savior. Camren saw that her cheeks were red from the sun and walked forward with a dark expression. ¡°Miss Sherman, why are you standing outside? There are so many seats in the hall,¡± Grace pursed her lips. ¡°Perhaps the rules and regtions in the Francis Group are too strict. The receptionist sald that I didn¡¯t have an appointment and chased me out.¡± ¡°Miss Sherman, why didn¡¯t you call Mr. Francis?¡± ¡°He¡¯s in a meeting. I don¡¯t want to disturb him.¡± Camren sighed. ¡°Let¡¯s go. Follow me.¡± When Camren walked to the front desk, the receptionist subconsciously stood up. The arrogance and disdain from before had disappeared, and there was only fear in her eyes. Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. ¡°You two really made a big mistake. Keep it in your mind. If Miss Shermanes again, bring her upstairs personally!¡± The receptionist quickly nodded. ¡°Yes, yes. Okay, we understand.¡± Grace was anxious. She pulled Camren and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Camren led her to the door of the CEO¡¯s office. ¡°Please go in.¡± Grace knocked on the door and heard a low voice from inside. ¡°Come in.¡± Brian sat on the chair and seemed to be resting with his eyes closed. Grace walked over and ced the lunch box on the table. ¡°Mr. Brian, your meal has been delivered. I¡¯m leaving first.¡± Brian opened his eyes and looked at her. His gaze stopped at her flushed cheeks. ¡°Are you sunbathing downstairs?¡± Grace was a little angry, but she suppressed her anger and did not show it. She said calmly, ¡°Yes, I don¡¯t have an appointment. The receptionist won¡¯t let me in.¡± Brian stood up and walked to her. He stared at her for a while and said, ¡°You haven¡¯t eaten, right?¡± Grace nodded. She not only didn¡¯t have lunch but also didn¡¯t have breakfast since she needed to do a medical check¨Cup. by now. If he hadn¡¯t asked her to deliver food, the medical check¨Cup would have finished by Now, she was so hungry that she was dizzy. She looked forward to eating soon after the medical check¨Cup. ¡°Sit,¡± Brian said in a concise andmanding tone. Z 97% 13:25 Grace pursed her lips. ¡°Mr. Brian, I still have something on.¡± Brian did not let her go. He took the lunch boxes and ced them on the table. He opened them one by one. ¡°Come and eat. ¡°What are you going to do?¡± Grace couldn¡¯t find a reason at the moment, so she said, ¡°I need to buy a phone.¡± ¡°You can ask the shop to deliver the phone to the door,¡± Brian said as he took a ss of water and handed it to her. After being under the sun for so long, Grace was really thirsty. She took the water and took a big gulp. ¡°Kaff, kaff, kaff¡­¡± As she drank too quickly, she choked hard. Brian frowned and handed her a piece of paper. He said in disdain, ¡°Pay attention to your image, okay?¡± The fragrance of food wafted through the air. Grace felt her stomach empty. She was about to drool. She was now used to cooking her favorite dishes. Coupled with the fact that she was hungry, she felt that she could not take it anymore. At this moment, her stomach growled a few times. It was especially ear¨Cpiercing in the silent office. Brian chuckled and pulled her wrist to force her to sit down. He handed the fork to her and used the spoon himself. ¡°You¡¯ve packed too much food. I can¡¯t finish the food alone.¡± Grace hesitated for a moment. In the end, she picked up the fork and began to eat. Forget it. At most, she wouldn¡¯t have her blood drawn in today¡¯s medical check¨Cup. Brian suddenly gave her some beef. Then he gave him some more. Grace looked up at him in surprise. ¡°You seem to have a good appetite recently. Have you recovered from your stomach problems?¡± Chapter 96 Grace was stunned and looked at Brian in a daze. ¡°Hmm¡­ It should be much better. I¡¯m just preparing to go for a checkup In the afternoon.¡± Brian¡¯s expression froze for a moment, and his eyes turned cold at a speed visible to the naked eye. Grace knew what he was thinking and exined slowly, ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand. I¡¯m going to Dr. Ford for a checkup.¡± Brian¡¯s expression improved slightly. He got another slice of beef for her. Grace looked at her bowl. Her bowl was filled with meat but his bowl was filled with vegetables. She was stunned and did not move. When Brian saw that, he asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± you Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. Grace bit the fork and suddenly smiled. ¡°Brian, I¡¯m not used to you doing this.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Grace¡¯s nose felt a little sour. The harmonious and gentle scene made her feel like she was back to half a year ago. At that time, Brian would also be like this. He would leave her what she liked. Every time he went out to eat, he would gentlemanly pull out a chair for her. When he came back from a business trip, he would never forget to buy gifts. Grace blinked and said self¨Cdeprecatingly, ¡°I¡¯m used to your cold words. I¡¯m not used to this.¡± The corners of Brian¡¯s mouth twitched slightly. ¡°You won¡¯t live in the Francis family for long. There¡¯s only half a month left. After all, we¡¯ve been together for three years. I don¡¯t want you to only hate me when you leave.¡± Grace looked up at him and smiled. Her eyes were very bright and made Brian¡¯s heart ache. Wetter ¡°How can that be? I won¡¯t hate you. You had better treat me badly.¡± She would not hate him. She would only feel pain. If he treated her worse, she might not feel as much pain when she left. Brian stared at her face for a long time. Suddenly, he felt a little suffocated and lost his appetite. Last night, he fell asleep veryte. All he could think of was Grace. When he carried her outst night, he saw that her injuries had all healed. Her skin was smooth and her face was rosy. This seemed to be the only time that she was not injured or sick after Louise came. Some time ago, she either fainted, had low blood sugar, had gastric problems, or was covered in injuries. When he saw her unharmedst night, he had mixed feelings. It was as if a voice was telling him not to hurt her anymore. a Since it was thest half a month, they should leave a good impression on each other. Brian put down his spoon. ¡°I¡¯m done eating. I¡¯ll get the driver to take you to the hospital.¡± JMM M 97% 13:25 ¡°There¡¯s no need. I¡¯ll go alone.¡± Her voice was a little cold, and it was obvious that she was deliberately appearing to be cold. Brian was even more frustrated. However, it was not because of Grace¡¯s attitude, but because he understood why Grace was talking to him in such a tone. Grace thought that he was going to say that she was too ungrateful, but he didn¡¯t expect her to just stand up and walk to his desk. Grace clenched her fists and stood up as well. ¡°I¡¯m full. I¡¯ll get going first.¡± Brian Brian opened the drawer. ¡°Wait.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already called a cab. You don¡¯t have to see me out.¡± After saying that in a hurry, she walked out of his office. Brian lowered his head and nced at the brand new phone in the drawer. He held it in his palm and clenched it tightly. His gaze lingered on the office door for a long time before he threw it back into the drawer in frustration. He had called her over today because he wanted to give her a phone. When Grace walked out of the office, tears fell uncontrobly. 0 Chapter 97 Grace wiped her tears and raised her head, blinking rapidly to force back the tears in her eyes. In the vi, Louise paced around the room uneasily. Thinking about everything that happenedst night and the call she received in the morning, the more she felt that Grace was more important to Brian than she had imagined. ¡°If Brian can chase Ava away for Grace, what is to say that he won¡¯t chase me away for Grace in the future? Louise thought. Thinking of these possibilities, Louise clenched her fists tightly, and a gloomy coldness appeared on her face. She thought about it for a while, then took out her phone and made a call. ¡°It¡¯s me. I need you to do something for me. I¡¯ll send you the addresster.¡± Grace went to the phone shop to buy a new phone and rushed to the hospital. hern By the time Grace got the results from her medical check¨Cup, it was already 4:30 pm. Dr. Ford looked at the checkup report and said to Grace, ¡°I finally see that you¡¯re in a better state.¡± ¡°Your anemia has improved a lot. It¡¯s just that the fetus¡® development is a little slow, but it doesn¡¯t have much of an impact. Take note that you can replenish it with more nutritionter.¡± Grace stroked her t stomach and smiled. ¡°Thank you, Dr. Ford.¡± Dr. Ford gave her some calcium tablets. Grace took the medicine and left the hospital. As soon as she walked out of the hospital, she received a call from Brian. Grace stared at his name for a long time before answering. ¡°Where are you?¡± Brian asked. Grace hesitated for a moment. She nced at the report in her hand, walked to the trash can, and threw the checkup report into the trash can. ¡°I¡¯m outside. Do you have any orders for me, Mr. Brian?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re not back yet, let¡¯s go back together. I just got off work.¡± Grace wanted to refuse, but Brian had already asked her to send him her location. Grace hesitated for a moment before finally sending him the location. Brian¡¯s car soon arrived in front of her. Grace was now by the door. Her gaze lingered on the passenger seat for two seconds before she opened the door of the backseat. Brian nced at her in the rearview mirror. His eyes darkened slightly, but he did not say anything and started the car. ¡°How¡¯d it go?¡± Brian asked as he drove. Grace was stunned. Then, she remembered that she had told Brian that she was going to get her stomach examined in the afternoon. JJMM M Shebed her hair and said calmly, ¡°Yes, the doctor said that I¡¯m recovering well. I¡¯ll be fine If I keep away from certain foods.¡± R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Brian nodded slightly. It was very quiet in the car. After a while, a shrill ring rang out. Grace looked at the screen. It was a call from Louise. Brian swiped his finger and picked up the call. ¡°Brian? Are you off work?¡± Louise asked gently. ¡°Yes, on the way.¡± ¡°I¡¯m at the new house. The renovation is almost done. Can youe and pick me up? Take a look at how the renovation is going.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± When Grace heard Brian¡¯s answer, she felt very depressed. If she had known this would happen, she would have firmly rejected Brian and not gotten into his car. The car turned around and drove towards Brian and Louise¡¯s new house. The car drove into the grounds of the vi. Grace felt a little stuffy in the car, so she rolled down the window. Outside the window, a ck car slowly drove past. Grace looked at the man in the driver¡¯s seat and her face instantly turned pale. ¡®That man! There¡¯s a scar on his forehead, Grace thought. shbacks of what happened in Jacksonville shed through Grace¡¯s mind. The scar¨Cfaced man¡¯s face gradually ovepped with the face of the man that just passed by. Chapter 98 Grace¡¯s body turned cold. She looked ahead. Louise was waving at Brian¡¯s car by the roadside, Grace could not believe her own guess. If that man¡¯s appearance wasn¡¯t a coincidence, then there was only one possibility. He¡¯s here to look for Louise!¡® Grace thought. The car stopped in front of Louise. A beautiful smile blossomed on Louise¡¯s face and she opened the door of the passenger seat. ¡°Brian, come on.¡± She looked at Grace who was in the backseat and her expression froze. ¡°Grace¡­ why are you here?¡± I Brian exined, ¡°She went to the hospital for a checkup. I bumped into her on the way back.¡± Louise looked at Grace and nodded thoughtfully, ¡°Oh, I see.¡± Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. Brian got out of the car and closed the door. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Louise nced at Grace and smiled at her. ¡°Grace,e with me to take a look at mine and Brian¡¯s new house.¡± Grace¡¯s heart skipped a beat when she heard Louise¡¯s voice. Louise¡¯s voice gave Grace the sickening feeling of a snake¡¯s tongue. When Louise smiled at her, it was as if a poisonous snake was clinging to her neck and flicking its tongue coldly. Grace¡¯s face was pale. She shook her head. ¡°No, thank you. I¡¯m not feeling well. I want to sit in the car for a while.¡± Louise paused for a moment. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go up with Brian.¡± Grace nodded nkly. She watched as Brian held Louise¡¯s hand and walked into the vi side by side. Grace¡¯s stomach suddenly felt very ufortable. ¡®Why would Brian fall in love with a woman like her?¡± Grace thought. Louise was very good at pretending. She always appeared gentle and perfect in front of everyone, but there was something dark and murderous under that gentle smile.. ¡°Louise just met with the scar¨Cfaced man today. They must be discussing how to get rid of me, right? When she saw Brian standing on my sidest night, she must have hated me. Therefore, she can¡¯t sit still and ns to attack again, Grace thought. Grace felt a chill gradually rise from the soles of her feet and spread to her limbs and bones. ¡®What are they nning to do? There¡¯s only half a month left. I just want the days to pass peacefully. Why won¡¯t Louise let her go?¡® Grace thought. After an unknown period of time, Brian and Louise came out after looking at the house. The two of them walked over with 2 28 1328 Shapewa on the faces The var dos opened and touise got into the passenger seat Grace subconsciously shrank back Her petite body set up to theer, and her body could not help but tremble slightly As Louse spoke to tuan, she reached out to han utan freest his hand to hold her The Bogers intertwined it hurt dace to see this For the entoe night, dace was absent minded and looked like a lost soul 4 ?? ??? sc When Grace was standing in the dining room, she was distracted a few times when Ava asked her to bring her something. However, then was extremely sensitive to Louise voice. When Grace heard Louise call her, she instinctively trembled. Louse smuted in confusion Grace, what¡¯s wrong with you today as cisco abook her head ¡°Mr Busan, Miss Adkins, 1 h not feeling well today. Can I take leave and rest for a while? Ava pused her lips and cursed softly Butan nces at Grace and nodded slightly ¡°You can leave¡± Grace nodded, turnest ansund, and staggered away the closed the doses and thought for a long time in her room. She felt that she could not just sit back and do nothing. I wing with touho is too dangerous Grace thought Grace took out her phone and sent Brian a message: BB Chapter 99 [Do you have time toe to my room tonight?] When Brian saw this message, his hand trembled and his phone almost fell to the ground. Louise, who was eating beside him, looked at him suspiciously. ¡°Brian, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Brian shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± However, his mind was filled with the line of words on the screen. ¡®What does Grace mean? At night¡­ in her room¡­were these suggestive words an invitation? Brian thought. Brian was a little distracted as he ate. After a few bites, he put down fork. ¡°I¡¯m full.¡± Louise looked at Brian¡¯s back as he went upstairs and then looked in the direction where Grace was at. Louise felt that there was something wrong. After Brian returned to his room, he took out his phone and sent Grace a message. [What time?] Grace seemed to be holding her phone and waiting for his reply because she replied almost immediately. [As long as it¡¯s convenient for you. I¡¯ll wait for you.] These words were sent from Grace¡¯s phone, leaving Brian in slight disbelief. Although Grace had always shown her love for him in the past, she had never said anything like this before. Brian¡¯s heart was beating a little fast. He nced at the time. Why is it only seven o¡¯clock?¡± Brian thought. Downstairs, Grace was also anxiously looking at the time. ¡®Brian must be waiting for Louise to fall asleep beforeing over, so I¡¯ll have to wait at least until after eleven o¡¯clock, Grace thought. For Grace, every minute and second was torture. Around ten o¡¯clock, she received a text message on her phone. [Wait for me at the hot spring.] Grace received the message and got up to go to the hot spring. There was no one in the living room. Grace snuck into the hot spring. After waiting for about five minutes, Brian came. Brian had just showered and was standing in front of Grace in his bathrobe, his chin slightly raised. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°For thest few days remaining, I want to move out, Grace said. Brian frowned hard. He did not expect Grace to ask him to meet her in the middle of the night only to make such a request! His expression instantly turned cold. ¡°What do you want?¡± JMMM Grace saw the change in his expression and panicked. ¡°Just make arrangements for me to stay in the same sportmenda before. I won¡¯t run all over the ce. You can even send people to monitor me 24/7! Her anxious tone was enough to tell how eager she was to leave. Brian said heavily, ¡°Reason¡± R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only He did not reject her iden immediately. If Grace could give him a convincing reason, Brian would consider it However, Grace did not know how to exin it. ¡®Am I to tell him that I suspect the robbery in Jacksonville was done by people sent by Louise? Brian will never believe it. Am i to say that i am being targeted? That someone wants to harm me? He will probably think that I am being delusionall Even if he doesn¡¯t think that I must be crazy, he will tell me that the wa was the safest ce to bel¡® Grace thought. Seeing that Grace could not any a word for a long time, Brian¡¯s face turned even colder. ¡°Since you can¡¯t say anything, then stay herel Grace grabbed Brian¡¯s clothes. ¡°Brian.¡­¡­. Brian turned around and looked at her with a deep gaze. Grace begged, ¡°I beg you. Can you let me move out?¡± Her face was pale, her eyen filled with tearn. She was on the verge of copse. Her small face was so pitiful that it made one¡¯s heart ache. Brian narrowed his oyen. ¡®She has only gone out for a while today, yet she¡¯s making a fuss about moving out aftering back. What happened? Brian thought. Çú Chapter 100 ¡°So something must have happened for her to want to move out today¡® Brian thought. Brian knew that Grace was unwilling to tell him, so there was no way he would let her leave. He said in a low voice, ¡°Grace, there¡¯s only half a month left. I hope you can behave yourself! Don¡¯t cause trouble for me again. Otherwise, I won¡¯t give you a single cent¡± Grace¡¯s face was pale as she looked at him. ¡°1¡­¡± Brian stared at her face and said sarcastically. ¡°Have you thought it through? Are you moving or not?¡± Grace clenched her fists and lowered her eyes. ¡°No, I¡¯m sorry to disturb you tonight.¡± Her voice sounded deste and lonely in the empty hot spring. Brian¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He looked at her deeply and turned to leave. Grace rubbed her arms and suddenly felt that this ce was very cold and scary. She hurriedly followed behind Brian and went back to her room. Grace couldn¡¯t fall asleep. She tossed and turned but could not fall asleep. After turning off the lights, she felt that the room was too dark. She pulled open the curtains and the light from outside shone in. Then, she felt insecure looking out of the window, feeling as if someone would pop up outside. She tossed and turned until one or two in the morning. Unable to resist her sleepiness, she gradually closed her eyes. She did not sleep well and kept touching her stomach. Suddenly, she felt that there seemed to be a sounding from outside the door, like the sound of someone picking the lock! Grace wanted to run, but the room was so small that she could only escape through the window. tup She wanted to get up, but her body seemed to have been frozen. She could not get up no matter how hard she tried. At that moment, the lock detached with a bang. She saw a scar¨Cfaced man wearing a cap enter. He was still wearing a ck mask, and his expression was the same as when he wasmitting the robbery at Jacksonville. However, this time, he had a shiny dagger in his hand. Grace was so terrified that she wanted to scream for help, but she could not make a sound no matter how hard she opened her mouth. She watched as the scar¨Cfaced man¡¯s ferocious face approached her with the dagger. The dagger stabbed into her abdomen. She widened her eyes in fear and felt the small life in her body draining away bit by bit, but she was helpless to do anything. In the end, Grace saw Louise wearing a wedding dress with a cold smile on her face. Louise was enjoying the night of Grace¡¯s blood flowing like a river. Then, Louise turned around and held Brian¡¯s arm as they walked into the church. In the darkness, Grace suddenly opened her eyes. She sat up on the bed, turned on the bedsidemp, and panted desperately. She looked around and touched her abdomen. She gradually returned to her scenes. Only then did she realize that she had Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. been dreaming. Grace grabbed the cor of her shirt and closed her eyes tightly. The dream she had felt much too real for her, She nced at the time and was no longer feeling sleepy. The moon was hanging high up in the sky outside. Grace got up and went to the courtyard. Looking up at the night sky, she suddenly wanted to get drunk and have someone tell her that the days she spent with Brian were fake. Grace sat on the steps, hugging her knees and curling up. After sitting outside for a long time, her feet s started to feel numb. Only then did she slowly get up and walk back to her room. The next day, Grace¡¯s biggest worry came true. ¡°Grace, I¡¯ve bought plenty of products that remove formalin. Help me put them in the new houseter.¡± Grace took a deep breath and immediately became vignt. ¡°Miss Adkins, I don¡¯t know anything about formalin removal. Why don¡¯t you find someone else?¡± Chapter 101 Louise smiled and held Grace¡¯s hand. ¡°No, it¡¯s very simple. Just put them in all the rooms and cabs. You are the person trust the most in this house. Grace, why are your hands so cold?¡± Grace¡¯s heart trembled as Louise held her hand. Grace pulled her hand away. ¡°I¡¯m just a little cold.¡± Louise said with concern, ¡°Then put on more clothes.¡± Grace nodded. ¡°Miss Adkins, how about I find someone to go with me? I wouldn¡¯t know what to do on my own.¡± ¡°The other maids have things to do. Alright, go quickly! I¡¯ll arrange a driver for you.¡± Louise smiled and pushed her out of the door, Grace pursed her lips. If I continue to reject Louise¡¯s request, Louise might run to Brian and lie to him. There are only ten or so days left. It¡¯s not worth it if Brian breaks the contract because of this, Grace thought. In the end, Grace still got into the car, feeling cold all over. An ominous feeling rose in her heart. She had a feeling that Louise must have done this on purpose. Grace looked at the driver. ¡°Sir, I won¡¯t be long. Can you wait for me downstairs?¡± The driver said apologetically, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Miss Adkins has nster. I have to go back and drive Miss Adkins elsewhere.¡± Grace frowned. She was even more certain that Louise was up to something. At that moment, she saw a familiar ck car behind her. ¡°That car has been following me!¡® Grace thought. rm bells rang in Grace¡¯s head. She clenched her fists and forced herself to calm down. In her mind, she quickly filtered out a list of people who could help her. She took out her phone and scrolled through her contact list. Finally, she called Nancy. ¡°Hello? Nancy, it¡¯s me, Grace.¡± Nancy was at work. As she worked, Nancy asked, ¡°Grace, what¡¯s wrong? I¡¯m at work now.¡± ¡°Nancy, I¡¯m currently at 101 Sixth Street, Tinley Hills. Didn¡¯t you say that you wanted to eat together in the alley outside Jacksonville Supermarketst time? Come and find me hereter.¡± Puzzled, Nancy asked, ¡°In the alley? Eating?¡± Grace¡¯s expression was calm. ¡°That¡¯s right. Have you forgotten? It was back when I went to buy something for you, didn¡¯t I not return for a long time? You were worried that something happened to me. In the end, didn¡¯t you say you would treat me to a meal?¡® She tried her best to hint at Nancy, who finally realized that something was wrong. Nancy lowered her voice and asked softly, ¡°Grace, is it Inconvenient for you to speak now?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± Grace curled her fingers. The car behind her kept following her. She was panicking. ¡°Sir, please drive slower. I feel a little unwell. I¡¯m carsick.¡± She had to stall for time. Nancy¡¯s v voice sounded through the phone. ¡°From now on, I¡¯ll ask and you¡¯ll answer. Did you meet the person who robbed you in the alley?¡± N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. ¡°That¡¯s right! You finally remembered!¡± ¡°Alright, 101 Sixth Street in Tinley Hills. I¡¯ll be right there. Do you need me to call the police?¡± ¡°No, no. I¡¯m not very sure either. Anyway, juste over. We¡¯ll decide which restaurant to go to when we get there.¡± Nancy had already picked up her car keys and rushed out of thepany. ¡®Grace is pregnant and in great danger right now! Nancy thought. After hanging up, Grace¡¯s palms were covered in cold sweat. It wouldn¡¯t be long before Nancy came here from the Francis Group. The car slowly drove into Tinley Hills. As it was currently undergoing transference of ownership, the security guards didn¡¯t check the cars entering and exiting. Hence, the car behind them followed them in. 0 Chapter 102 Grace got out of the car and quickly walked into the vi with the box. She immediately locked the door. After locking the door, she immediately locked all the windows. She even locked the windows on the second floor tightly. When she was done, she sat on the sofa, breathing heavily. The new house was empty and quiet. At this moment, Grace was extremely nervous. Even the slightest movement was able to rm her. She walked slowly to the balcony. Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. The ck car was parked by the roadside not far away. The window was closed, and Grace could not see if the person inside hade out. She took out her phone and took a photo before sending it to Nancy. [It¡¯s this car. I¡¯m not 100% sure that he¡¯s the person who robbed me that day, so don¡¯t call the police for the time being. Be careful when youe over.] After sending this message, Grace walked back to the living room to put away the bag of bamboo charcoal that was used for formalin removal. When Grace walked to the living balcony outside the kitchen, she suddenly saw the scar¨Cfaced man at the entrance of the first floor! He was pushing the door open. When he realized that he could not push it open, he ran to look at the doors and windows elsewhere. Realizing that all the doors and windows were locked, he raised his head and looked upstairs. Grace was so frightened that she quickly hid behind the pir. Her heart was pounding. She stuck her neck out to take a look. The scar¨Cfaced man was obviously unwilling to give up. He walked to the other side of the vi and checked around to see if there was anywhere he could climb into the vi. At this moment, Nancy¡¯s car drove in. Grace hurriedly gave her a call and asked her to stop by the side and not to do anything. Nancy sat in the car and watched the man walk around the vi. Nancy was so nervous that her heart was about to jump out of her chest. Tinley Hills was a high¨Css vi area. In terms of safety, it was still rtively reassuring, unless the scar¨Cfaced man broke through the window. However, the man did not have the guts to do so in broad daylight. The scar¨Cfaced man looked around and realized that he could not enter the vi. He suddenly realized that something was wrong. ¡°Even if she has the habit of closing the door behind her, it¡¯s impossible for her to lock all the doors and windows. The only possibility is if she had discovered him! Perhaps there will even be police officers arrivingter, the scar¨Cfaced man thought. Thinking of this possibility, the scar¨Cfaced man looked around vigntly. He pulled on his mask and quickly walked back to his car before driving away. Grace heaved a sigh of relief. She supported herself against the wall and went downstairs to open the door. Nancy hurried over to support her weight. ¡°Grace! Vare you?¡± Grace felt unsafe and waved her hand. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Let¡¯s go back to the car quickly.¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Nancy nodded heavily. Grace sat in the car and felt weak all over. She didn¡¯t dare to imagine that if Brian hadn¡¯te to pick her up yesterday, she wouldn¡¯t have discovered Louise¡¯s secret. Then today¡­maybe I won¡¯t even live to see another day, Grace thought. Nancy held Grace¡¯s hand. ¡°Oh my god, your hand is so cold.¡± Nancy took a piece of clothing from the backseat and draped it over Grace. ¡°I¡¯ll get you some water.¡± Nancy poured a cup for Grace from her thermos. ¡°Drink slowly. Be careful not to burn yourself.¡± Grace drank some hot water and gradually came back to her senses. ¡°We should have called the police just now. There¡¯s definitely something wrong with that man! Grace, did you see him clearly? Is he really the person who robbed you that day? They¡¯re hooligans from Jacksonville. Why did hee to Capern City? Is he here for you?¡± Nancy w was anxious and confused, asking a lot of questions. Grace massaged her temples. ¡°This matter can¡¯t be exined clearly at the moment. In short, I am their target.¡± Çú Chapter 103 ¡®How could there be such a coincidence in this world? The person who robbed mest time and the person sent by Louise this time both have a scar on their foreheads. This can only mean that it wasn¡¯t an identst time. It was Louise who instigated it,¡® Grace thought. Nancy looked at Grace in surprise. ¡°Then do you know who¡¯s trying to hurt you?¡± Grace looked at her, her gaze slightly dazed, and shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Nancy bit her lip. ¡°Think about it carefully. Did you offend anyone recently?¡± Grace closed her eyes and rubbed her hair. ¡°Nancy, stop asking.¡± Nancy saw Grace¡¯s pale face and couldn¡¯t bear to ask her again. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll take you back to the company first, I didn¡¯t even take leave when I came out.¡± Grace turned to look at her and smiled. ¡°Thank you, Nancy. If it weren¡¯t for you today, I probably wouldn¡¯t have dared to walk out of the vi.¡± Nancy started the car. Just as she drove out of the vi district, her phone rang. Nancy nced at the phone screen and turned to look at Grace. She whispered, ¡°Mr. Francis.¡± Nancy picked up the phone. ¡°Hello, Mr. Francis.¡± ¡°Ms. Patel, I heard that you went out for no reason.¡± Nancy nced at Grace. Just as she was about to tell him about Grace, Grace hurriedly gestured for her not to say anything. Nancy paused for a moment. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Francis. There was an emergency at thest minute. I¡¯m back. I¡¯ll be back to thepany in ten minutes.¡± w on my way Brian¡¯s low and cold voice came from the phone. ¡°Go to the human resources department and record your absence.¡± ¡°¡­Alright.¡± When Grace heard Brian¡¯s words, the anger in her heart suddenly surged. ¡°Brian, are you crazy? Nancy already said that it was an emergency. How can she have time to ask for leave? Is the Francis Group so inhumane?¡± Brian was stunned for seven to eight seconds before he said, ¡°Grace, where are you?¡± Grace was extremely frustrated and did not want to talk to him. She took Nancy¡¯s phone and hung up. Nancy was dumbstruck as she watched Grace¡¯s series of actions. ¡°Grace, that was amazing. You¡¯re really the only person I¡¯ve seen who dares to fight Mr. Francis head on!¡± Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. Grace pursed her lips helplessly. She just couldn¡¯t stand Brian¡¯s way of doing things. He wanted to fire Nancy for no reason d and wanted to fine her for no reason. In fact, Grace didn¡¯t dare to do so in the past, but too many things had happened during this period of time. She was extremely depressed. ¡®Who doesn¡¯t have a temper? Grace thought. w 96% 13:26 Grace was still in shock from what just happened, but Brian had to say that he was going to punish Nancy at this time, causing the anger in her heart to surge. The car was driven back to thepany. Grace went upstairs with Nancy. Grace¡¯s desk was outside the president¡¯s office. Grace sat at her desk, her hands and feet cold. In the ck car, the scar¨Cfaced man with the cap took out his phone and made a call. As soon as the call went through, an impatient voice came from the other end. ¡®How is it? Did you seed?¡± ¡®I¡¯m sorry, Miss Adkins. She locked all the doors and windows as soon as she went in. I couldn¡¯t get to her.¡± ¡°Locked? Can¡¯t yo think of another way? I don¡¯t believe she¡¯ll stay in there forever!¡± The scar¨Cfaced man pondered for a moment and said in a hoarse voice, ¡°No, I¡¯m guessing that she might have noticed something. Normal people wouldn¡¯t close all the doors and windows the moment they enter the house.¡± There was a pause on the other end of the line, and then an angry voice sounded. ¡°Then you must have followed her too obviously! She discovered you! You idiot!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss Adkins. I¡¯ll look for another opportunity.¡± Chapter 104 Grace sat on the chair in a daze when her phone suddenly rang. She looked at the shing phone number on her phone screen and felt cold all over. She swallowed and answered the call with trembling hands. Grace controlled her voice and called out calmly. ¡°Hello, Miss Adkins.¡± ¡°Grace, are you still in the vi? Have you put everything away?¡± Grace subconsciously tightened her grip on the phone, her knuckles turning white. ¡°No, I¡¯m sorry. Something came up at thest minute¡± Louise paused for a moment. ¡°Oh, I see. What¡¯s the matter? Are you going backter?¡± Im sorry, Miss Adkins. It¡¯s a personal matter.¡± Louise smiled. ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll talk about it when youe back.¡± Grace hung up the phone and began to tremble. Louise had called to test me. The man from before must have called her and exined the situation to her, Grace thought. When Brian came out of the office, what he saw was Grace looking like she was i When Nancy saw him walking over, she subconsciously stood up. Brian gestured for her to keep quiet. in a daze. Brian stood in front of Grace. Grace did not even notice. Brian saw that her body was trembling slightly. He reached out and held her fingers. The cold touch made Brian frown. ¡°Why is your hand so cold?¡± Grace came back to her senses. She pulled her hand away and stood up. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Brian grabbed her wrist. ¡°Come to my office.¡± Grace was forced into his office. Grace looked at Brian¡¯s hand and thought about how he must have held hands with Louise, hugged Louise, and even slept with Louise in bed. Grace felt a wave of nausea hit her stomach. She struggled to break free from Brian¡¯s grasp. Brian stared at her in confusion. ¡°Grace, what¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Grace rubbed her hands behind her back in disdain. Her actions made Brian¡¯s eyes turn cold. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± Grace said coldly. Brian took a deep breath. He did not want to argue with her. He rubbed his temples and asked in a deep voice, ¡°Why are you nearby ¡°Your fianc¨¦e asked me to go to your new house to get rid of the formalin. I happened to think of Ms. Patel, so I called her to pick me up.¡± Brian narrowed his eyes and scrutinized Grace for a while. He did not seem to believe her words. Grace was irritated by his gaze. He doesn¡¯t believe me, no matter what I say or do. However, he trusts Louise unconditionally. Grace thought. Grace thought. Even if Brian sees with his own eyes that Louise stabbed me with a knife, he will probably think that I forced her to stab mel This is the difference in treatment. Grace asked irritably, ¡°Why are you staring at me? Mr. Francis, do you think that you have a good eye for people and think that I¡¯m lying?¡± Brian¡¯s eyes darkened It was not that he did not believe her. He just felt that her behavior was very abnormal. He felt that something had happened to her and she was hiding it from him. Hearing her nasty tone, Brian became very impatient. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only ¡°Just because you wanted to see Ms. Patel, you called her and made her run out without even applying for leave?¡± Grace thought that he was going to punish Nancy again. Grace moved her lips and said, ¡°Yes! I lied to her and told her that it was an urgent matter, so she immediately rushed over. You can punish me if you want, but don¡¯t me Ms. Patel¡± ¡°What the hell happened?¡± 0 Chapter 105 Brian suddenly asked Grace a serious question. Grace was stunned. Looking at his dark pupils, for a moment, Grace had the urge to tell him. However, she immediately controlled herself. ¡®If I tell him now, he will only think that I am ndering Louise and sowing discord between them. Besides, I don¡¯t have any evidence now, Grace thought, At the thought of this, Grace stopped thinking about it. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Maybe because I¡¯m in a bad mood. I beg you not to make things difficult for Ms. Patel.¡± After looking at her for a few seconds, Brian walked back to his office chair and said calmly, ¡°Rest for a while.¡± Grace did not want to stay in his office. She was also afraid that she would affect Nancy¡¯s work if she went out, nor did she want to go back and face Louise. After hesitating for a moment, Grace found a chair furthest away from Brian in his office and sat down. Grace casually picked up the magazine on the table and flipped through a few pages, but she could not read anything. Out of the corner of his eye, Brian saw Grace¡¯s absent¨Cmindedness. His long fingers rhythmically twirled the hand. Grace put down the magazine in her hand and looked up to see Brian looking at her. I¡¯m sorry. Am I distracting you?¡± Grace asked. pen in his Brian shook his head and closed theputer. He pinched his eyebrows and asked, ¡°Grace, I¡¯ll give you another chance. If you have anything to say, just say it. I¡¯ll consider helping you before the contract ends.¡± Grace looked at him for a long time before finally saying, ¡°How¡¯s the investigation going?¡± Brian frowned slightly. He knew that she was talking about what happened in Jacksonville. He said in a deep voice, ¡°Nothing. The location is too remote. We haven¡¯t found them yet.¡± Lor CVCS. Wh Grace lowered her eyes. Brian could not see the expression in are you suddenly asking this?¡± ¡°¡­it¡¯s nothing.¡± Grace wanted to say something but hesitated. Brian nced at his watch. It was almost five o¡¯clock. He stood up. ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll drive you back.¡± Grace looked at Brian and thought of something. Her gaze changed slightly. ¡°Forget it. I¡¯ll go back myselfter.¡± Brian frowned. ¡°Grace, are you throwing another tantrum?¡± Grace was stunned. Am I throwing a tantrum in his eyes? she thought. She exined patiently. ¡°After all, your fianc¨¦e is still at home. If she sees me taking your car back, she will, more or less, be unhappy.¡± MAM 96% 13:26 Brian felt frustrated for no reason. ¡°Don¡¯t judge Louise because you¡¯re a petty person. Louise is not that kind of person.¡± His words deeply pierced Grace¡¯s heart. ¡®He actuallypared me to a petty person!¡± Grace thought. na Graceughed. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m a petty person. I wish you and Miss Adkins a long life together.¡± She looked at him deeply. ¡®Brian, you blind man! You¡¯re blind and your heart is blind tool¡® she thought. Grace turned around and left the office. She went to Nancy¡¯s desk. ¡°Nancy, I¡¯m leaving now. Thank you for today.¡± R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Nancy saw that Grace¡¯s face was frighteningly pale. Nancy immediately stood up and stopped her. ¡°Where are you going? Do you still want to run alone in this state?¡± Grace smiled. She felt cool liquid slowly seeping out of the corners of her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Nancy refused to allow Grace to leave. She pulled on Grace and forced her to sit on the chair. ¡°Be good. I¡¯ll get off work in ten minutes. I¡¯ll send you backter.¡± Grace did not refuse and said gratefully, ¡°Nancy, thank you.¡± Not long after, Brian came out of the office. He gave off an oppressive air. Wherever he went, he seemed to be able to bring a gust of cold air with him. Chapter 106 Brian didn¡¯t even look at Grace as he strode towards the elevator. The exclusive elevator that Brian took quickly disappeared in the hallway. Nancy silently retracted her gaze and looked at Grace. ¡°Did you guys quarrel?¡± Grace pursed her lips and took a deep breath. She smiled at Nancy. ¡°Not really I¡¯m not qualified to quarrel with him.¡± Nancy shook her head helplessly. She whispered into Grace¡¯s ear, ¡°Are you blind? Mr. Francis was so anxious when he saw you covered in injuries that day. Can¡¯t you see that? Mr. Francis won¡¯t waste his emotions on unimportant people.¡± Grace chuckled. She understood what Nancy meant, but no one knew better than her the difference in the way he acted towards her and Louise. ¡®Louise is the only one Brian has in his heart, Grace thought. Nancy drove in the direction of the Francis estate. Grace looked at the scenery outside the window and her heart sank. She did not know what she was going to face next. ¡®Louise did not seed this time. What other tricks will she think of to get rid of me?¡® Grace thought. The car stopped in front of the Francis estate. Nancy held Grace¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Grace, actually, you can tell me if you need anything. As long as I can help, I will definitely help you. If I can¡¯t¡­then use it as a way of unloading your problems.¡± ¡°Nancy, the less you know about me and Brian, the better.¡± Nancy looked at her worriedly. ¡°If anything happens, you must call me.¡± Grace leaned over and hugged her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll be free in half a month. I¡¯ll treat you to a meal then. I¡¯ll remember the meal I owe you today.¡± dat Grace waved at Nancy with a smile and got out of the car. Nancy watched her go in before turning around and leaving. Grace walked through the door, and the smile on her face gradually disappeared. Brian was not in the living room. Louise was standing in front of the fish tank, feeding the fish. When she saw Grace return, she took off her gloves and looked at Grace. ¡°You¡¯re back.¡± Looking at Louise¡¯s impable smile, Grace was very impressed. ¡®No matter when it is, Louise always disguises herself almost perfectly, Grace thought. Grace blinked and lowered her eyes. She calmed herself down and hid the emotions in her eyes. ¡°Miss Adkins, something cropped up at home today, so I came back a littlete.¡± Louise smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s fine. Did you open the window?¡± Grace lowered her eyes. When she heard Louise¡¯s words, Grace looked up at her. Louise¡¯s eyes were very clear, and her smile was slightly curved. ¡®Even as she is probing me out, she still disguises herself so perfectly,¡® Grace thought. ¡°The windows are locked. Once I was inside, I locked all the doors and windows. I¡¯ve heard that when removing formalin, it¡¯s better for the doors and windows to be locked.¡± Louise¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly. She stared at Grace¡¯s face for a few seconds and realized that there was no abnormality in Grace¡¯s expression. ¡°Hadn¡¯t she locked the doors and windows because she realized she was being followed?¡® Louise thought. Grace nced upstairs and said indifferently, ¡°Miss Adkins, Mr. Brian ising down. You guys chat first. I¡¯m going back to my room.¡± Grace closed the door and exhaled heavily. Not long after, her phone rang. Grace looked at it and frowned slightly. It was her mother. Grace¡¯s mother only called her for one reason, money. Grace picked up the phone and called out, ¡°Mom.¡± N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. ¡°Grace, have you eaten?¡± Daisy¡¯s voice had a hint of ttery. ¡°I did.¡± It was only when Daisy wanted money that she would show a token concern or two. Chapter 107 Daisy chuckled and asked, ¡°Grace, something has happened at home recently. I¡¯m a little tight on money. Send some more money home.¡± This time, Daisy said that something had happened at home, not because of Carson¡¯s hospital fees. Grace frowned and asked worriedly. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. ¡°It¡¯s¡­it¡¯s just that there¡¯s a distant rtive. You don¡¯t know him. He has cancer and is trying to borrow money from us. He borrowed all the money¡­ now our family¡­¡± Daisy stuttered on the phone for a long time. It was obvious that she was making up an excuse. Grace pinched her eyebrows and interrupted her. ¡°Mom, which distant rtive? What¡¯s his name? Our family is in a mess, and you¡¯re still lending money to others?¡± Daisy paused for a moment. ¡°But I have to help him. He looks so pitiful. Don¡¯t you think so?¡± Grace sighed silently. ¡®Alright, I won¡¯t expose her lie. Even if she really lent the money, it would only be four thousand to six thousand dors at most. Our family does not have that much money to begin with, Grace thought. ¡°Alright, tell me how much you lent.¡± ¡°Twenty¨Cfour thousand dors,¡± Daisy said tentatively. She said it very softly. This number stunned Grace. After a while, Grace questioned coldly. ¡°Where did our family get twenty¨Cfour thousand dors to lend to others? We can¡¯t even take out five thousand dors from our savings, so where did we get twenty¨C four thousand dors?¡± When Daisy heard her cold voice, Daisy was afraid that she would not pay, so Daisy acted shamelessly on the phone. ¡°Our family can¡¯t afford so much, so I borrowed twenty thousand dors from someone else! Now that I owe him, I can¡¯t not pay him back!¡± Grace took a deep breath. ¡®Don¡¯t I know my own mother? Even if she was held at knifepoint, she would not lend money to others! She had definitely gambled again. Now, the gamble was getting bigger and bigger! She had lost more than twenty thousand dors¡± Grace thought. ¡°You¡¯re still lying to me!¡± ¡°Who said I lied? Hurry up and transfer the money to me! I know you have money!¡± Grace felt a chill in her heart. She said coldly, ¡°I don¡¯t have it!¡± ¡°How could you not have it? You¡¯re with Brian and living the good life, while your father and I are laboring in the fields. While I you¡¯re having a good time, you ignore us. You heartless thing!¡± ¡°Mom, do you know what kind of life I¡¯m living in the Francis family? You think I¡¯m here to be a rich wife, but do you know that I¡¯m living as a maid? I¡¯m even¡­ Grace stopped talking. FUZN96% 13:27 ¡°Forget it. Since I was a child, you haven¡¯t cared if I¡¯m doing well or not. The contract will expire in a few days. Once I get the money, we¡¯ll return what you borrowed,¡± When Daisy heard Grace¡¯s words, she remembered that the three years were almost up. Her eyes darted around as she calcted the estimated cost of Carson¡¯s surgery and treatment. ¡®There will still be some money left after the surgery, but I want to use that money to buy another house! How could there be any left? Besides, I owe the loan sharks money. By the time the contract expires, I will have to pay more interest! Daisy thought. ¡°Grace! Don¡¯t hang up yet!¡± Grace massaged her temples. ¡°What else do you want?¡± ¡°Brian hasn¡¯t fallen for you in the past three years?¡± Grace remained silent. Daisy sneered. ¡°That¡¯s true. With your looks, how can Brian fall for you? You haven¡¯t captured his heart in three years. You¡¯re also a good¨Cfor¨Cnothing!¡± É« Chapter 108 Grace was annoyed by her words. "If that''s all you want to say, I''m hanging up.¡± "Wait!" Daisy said to her in a sincere tone. "It''s fine if you can''t catch the man, but the contract is about to expire. Hurry up and think of a way to get more money out of him!" "Mom! What are you talking about?" "Am I wrong? Are you just going to take that 600 thousand dors and leave?" Grace did not want to talk to her anymore and hung up the phone. Daisy called out twice. She lowered her head and looked at the phone that had turned ck. She cursed, "Useless, ungrateful wretch!" For the rest of the time, Grace was on tenterhooks every day. Every time Ava ordered her to do something, Grace was the most enthusiastic Because what Ava asked Grace was tasks to be done at home. No matter how hard and tiring it was, it was done in the vi. At least there was no danger. This was the first time Ava saw Grace so obedient to act on her orders. Ava felt satisfied. Ava had gotten a lot of rose seeds from somewhere and wanted Grace to nt flowers. Without another word, Grace picked up the shovel and went to the courtyard to nt flowers. Seeing that she was so obedient, Ava walked over and patted her shoulder. "You''ve been doing well recently! When the flowers are nted, you can go and rest for a while." Grace lowered her head slightly and said, "Thank you, Miss Adkins, but I''m not tired. If you have anything for me to do, you can tell me. You can tell me if you want to eat anything." Ava raised her eyebrows and tilted her head. "I don''t have anything I want to eat now. Let''s talk about it tonight." Oh." "Im going to take an afternoon nap!" Grace lowered her head and nted the flowers. She deliberately slowed down her movements. After nting the seeds, she went to find scissors and trimmed all the bushes in the courtyard, The autumn weather was no longer as hot, but in the afternoon, the air was still very stuffy. Grace''s back became wet under the sun. Louise stood on the balcony with a coffee cup in her hand as she looked at Grace. Louise narrowed her eyes. Although Grace did not show any abnormalities, she had a feeling that Grace already knew something. Louise put down her coffee cup and walked over. "Grace, stop trimming. Let Melvin do the work." Grace''s b*dy stiffened when she heard Louise''s voice. She turned to look at Louise. "Miss Adkins, I''m not tired, I''ve trimmed the bushes before." Louise snatched the scissors from her hand. "Look, there are so many calluses on your palm. It doesn''t look like a girl''s hand!" Grace silently pulled her finger away. "Tell you what. Why don''t you go to the dry cleaners and pick up some clothes for me?" Grace pursed her lips and looked at Louise for a while. Then, she said calmly, "Miss Adkins, actually, I''ll be leaving here in less than a week. You can let the other maids do your errands so that you can familiarize yourself with them in advance." Grace said this because she hoped that Louise would understand that she was about to leave this ce and would not be a threat to her and Brian. Louise''s eyes revealed a sad expression. Seeing her change so quickly, Grace simply admired her acting skills. "Grace, is your contract about to expire? I can''t bear to part with you. I just realized that I''ve been here for three months and haven''t gone out with you." Grace''s heart sank. "Louise wants to go out alone with me? Grace thought.Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. Chapter 109 96% 13:27 Just as this thought shed through her mind, Grace heard Louise say, ¡°I¡¯ll get Brian to give you a day off tomorrow. Let¡¯s go to the nearby Sunnyside Meadow to y, okay?¡± Grace instinctively refused. ¡°Miss Adkins, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea. I don¡¯t think I need to rest¡­¡± Louise interrupted her. She said, ¡°Who doesn¡¯t need to rest? It¡¯s a deal. I¡¯ll go buy ticketster.¡± Grace had no choice but to nod and say, ¡°Alright, alright.¡± Louise smiled. Just as Louise was about to leave, she thought about it and stopped to look at Grace. Louise asked, ¡°Grace, is it a trouble to you for you to apany me to y?¡± Grace hurriedly said, ¡°No, how could that be? Miss Adkins, you¡¯re mistaken.¡± Louise smiled in satisfaction. She said, ¡°That¡¯s good. I¡¯m going to buy tickets.¡± At night, Brian returned. During dinner, Louise suggested to Brian that he should give Grace a day off tomorrow. Louise also told Brian that she was going to the flower field with Grace tomorrow. Brian was a little surprised and nced at Grace. Grace immediately asked, ¡°Mr. Brian, if you¡¯re not busy tomorrow, you can apany Miss Adkins. I can choose not to go.¡± Unexpectedly, as soon as she finished speaking, Louise said, ¡°Grace, I just want to go with you. I still have a lot of days with Brian. You¡¯re leaving in a few days. I might not be able to see you again.¡± Grace was rendered speechless by Louise¡¯s words. She could only ce her hopes on Brian. Brian¡¯s gaze changed slightly. He looked up at Grace. She looked at him eagerly with a pleading look in her eyes. ¡°Thepany isn¡¯t busy tomorrow. I¡¯ll go with you,¡± Brian said. Grace heaved a sigh of relief. ¡®With Brian around, Louise would not dare to act rashly Grace thought. Louise¡¯s expression froze for a moment. A trace of coldness shed across her eyes, but she hid it well. She smiled and picked up some food for Brian. ¡°Alright then. I¡¯ll buy another ticketter.¡± Ava, who was eating on the side, was unhappy. She did not care if Grace went with Louise. But if Brian was going too, he can¡¯t possibly leave me home alone, right?¡± Ava thought. She pouted and asked, ¡°Brian! What about me?¡± Brian nced at her and said, ¡°Let¡¯s all go together.¡± Louise squeezed the fork tightly and smiled, but she felt that it was a little strenuous to smile. Early the next morning. Louise sat in the front passenger seat. Ava could only sit in the back seat with Grace. She looked at Grace in disdain and sat closest to the window. It was as if sitting in the same row as Grace would dirty her. 96% 13:27 Grace did not care about this at all. She only hoped that Louise would not cause trouble today. When they arrived at their destination, Louise held Brian¡¯s arm and walked in front. She leaned against Brian and pointed at the scenic spot on the signboard. Louise said, ¡°Brian, let¡¯s go there first.¡± Grace looked around silently. Suddenly, a familiar ck car in the parking lot made her freeze on the spot. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only ¡°Ava, Grace, I¡¯m going over there with Brian. You guys can y as much as you want. I¡¯ll contact you by pher,¡± Louise, said. Louise took Brian¡¯s arm and led the way. Grace immediately followed. It was obvious that Louise wanted to shake her off and leave her alone. Although there were many people in the scenic area, the enemy was in the shadows while she was out in the open. She did not dare bet on her life. Louise quickly noticed that Grace was following her. Louise kept changing her scenic spots as if she were admiring the flowers. Meanwhile, Grace followed her closely. Chapter 110 Louise was very frustrated. She deliberately leaned into Brian¡¯s arms intimately and raised her head to kiss him from time to time. Brian did not stop her and hugged her waist dotingly. Although Louise was looking at Brian, she was still paying attention to Grace from the corner of her eye. She thought that Grace would leave when she saw them being intimate, but Grace did not. Instead, Grace stood there shamelessly and watched. Grace looked at them expressionlessly, while her heart felt like it was being pricked by needles. Just as Louise was about to provoke Grace again, Brian suddenly grabbed her wrist. ¡°Stop fooling around. This is a public ce.¡± Louise froze for a moment before she burst outughing. ¡°Brian, are you shy?¡± Brian pulled her and stopped her from doing whatever she wanted. Louise was frustrated. ¡®Brian must have stopped me because of Grace!¡± Louise thought. Annoyed, she turned to look at Grace. ¡°Grace, I¡¯m thirsty. Go get me some water.¡± Grace was stunned for a moment. ¡°Oh, okay.¡± Grace bought two bottles of water and returned to where they were before, but Brian and Louise were nowhere to be seen. Grace suddenly turned her head and looked around. There were few people here, and a strong sense of uneasiness rose in her heart. She quickly walked back and sat down where there were people. She looked around. It seemed like there was someone in the bamboo forest. Then, Grace took out her phone and called Brian. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. The phone picked up on the second ring. ¡°Hello?¡± Grace asked nervously, ¡°Where are you guys?¡± Brian could hear the slight tremble in her voice. He asked, ¡°Where are you?¡± Grace nced at the signs around her and reported her location. Brian did not hang up and quickly found her. When Grace saw him walking over, her anxious heart finally calmed down. Brian walked up to her and saw that something was wrong with her expression. He asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Grace¡¯s fingers twisted together uneasily. Brian looked down and suddenly reached out to pinch her fingers. The cold touch made him frown. ¡°Why are your hands so cold in this warm weather? Is something bothering you?¡± 96% 13:27 Grace quickly pulled her finger away and shook her head. Brian stared at her for a while before saying in a low voice, ¡°Since we¡¯re outside to y, you should be happier. Grace smiled bitterly. ¡°How could I be happy to see the person I liked being intimate with another woman? Grace thought. Brian stared at the top of her head for a long time. Suddenly, he slowly raised his hand and ced it above her hair. After a pause, a deep crease appeared between Brian¡¯s eyebrows. Finally, he slowly clenched his fingers, and his arm fell back. Brian raised his hand and rubbed his heart. Something seemed to be stirring there. It was ufortable and a little vexing. The sunlight was a little blinding. He narrowed his eyes at Grace. ¡°What are your ns for the future?¡± Grace was stunned momentarily. She immediately said in a low voice, ¡°Leave Capern City.¡± The corner of Brian¡¯s eyes twitched. His expression froze for a moment. ¡°Why do you want to leave?¡± Grace looked up at the sky. ¡°The world is so big. I have to go and take a good look at it.¡± With that, she looked at Brian and smiled. ¡°I wish you and Louise happiness and a long life together.¡± Even though Louise was good at pretending and thinking of ways to harm others, Louise loved Brian, and Brian loved her too. Grace had once heard a saying that one would meet about 30 million people in one¡¯s life, but the probability of two people falling in love was 0.0000049. Look, it¡¯s so rare, Grace thought. So, she wished them well. Chapter 111 Grace tried her best to smile until the tip of her nose itched with the urge to cry. Brian¡¯s chest felt as if it was about to explode. An inexplicable emotion gradually surged into his heart. This unfamiliar feeling made him panic for a moment. Brian lowered his eyelids to hide the emotions in his heart. He looked at Grace sullenly and said. sarcastically, ¡°Haven¡¯t you been ying the ruse of self¨Cinjury previously? Why have you given up struggling now?¡± Graceughed out loud. She lowered her head and used her fingers to wipe the tears from the corners of her eyes. ¡°Miss Adkins is so outstanding and perfect. How can my little tricks win against her?¡± Her voice was filled with helpless sadness. As soon as she finished speaking, it was as if the wind had blown it away. The strange feeling in Brian¡¯s heart seemed to have intensified. At this moment, a gentle voice sounded. ¡°Brian, why are you here? I¡¯ve been all over for you.¡± Grace looked at Louise and quickly lowered her eyes. When she looked up again, her expression returned to normal. Brian hummed and exined calmly, ¡°I came to get water from her. Weren¡¯t you thirsty?¡± Brian took the water from Grace¡¯s hand, unscrewed it, and handed it to Louise. Louise smiled sweetly at him and took a sip from his hand. Grace looked at the two of them and lowered her eyes in destion. Brian nced at his watch. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. The temperature is rtively high in the afternoon. Let¡¯s go back.¡± Louise nodded, ¡°Okay.¡± She nced at Grace and paused for two seconds before catching up with Brian. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Grace looked at Louise¡¯s back and narrowed her eyes slightly. ¡®Is she regretting that she did not find a chance to get at me today? There are still a few days left. It doesn¡¯t matter. I just have to hang in there, Grace thought. The four of them went back together. The car drove into the courtyard. Grace, Ava, and Louise got out of the car first. Brian went to the garage to park the car, Just as they were about to enter the living room, a gorgeously dressed middle¨Caged woman Ox Dreame Read Best Romance. Read and Earn 44 FREE Installed Open Free Rewards Now! Dreame §·? suddenly rushed in. Gracel When Grace heard a familiar voice, her body trembled and she suddenly turned around to look at Daisy. Grace widened her eyes in surprise. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Daisy was carrying a high¨Cquality imitation LV in her hand. She was wearing a dark red dress and a silk scarf. At first nce, Daisy gave off a noble aura, but those who knew the industry could tell at a nce that none of her clothes were real. Daisy red at her in dissatisfaction. ¡°What kind of tone is that? Why can¡¯t Ie?¡± Grace held Daisy¡¯s hand nervously and warned her in a low voice, ¡°Come with me.¡± Just as she was about to pull Daisy out, Louise suddenly stepped forward. ¡°Grace, who is this?¡± Grace was afraid that Daisy would spout nonsense. She hurriedly said, ¡°It¡¯s my mother. She might be looking for me for something. I¡¯ll bring her out immediately. Miss Adkins, you guys go in first.¡± Louise looked at Grace¡¯s expression and knew that things were not that simple. Louise smiled and stopped Grace. ¡°Since your mother is here, go in and sit for a while. Why are you in such a hurry to leave?¡± Louise invited Daisy into the living room. Grace felt a headacheing on. ¡®It¡¯s over once Brian returns!¡® she thought. ¡°Mom, let¡¯s talk outside!¡± Grace walked over and grabbed Daisy¡¯s hand to drag her out. At that moment, Brian came out of the garage and bumped into them. When Daisy saw Brian, she immediately revealed a ttering smile. ¡°Mr. Brian, you¡¯re finally back.¡± Brian looked at her and his face suddenly darkened. Chapter 112 Grace quickly covered Daisy¡¯s mouth and tried to pull her outside. Grace warned in a low voice, ¡°I¡¯ll give you the money if you want it! Come out with me now!¡± Daisy¡¯s goal today was to make a fortune from Brian. She had already seen Brian in person. ¡®How can I let this chance go?¡® Daisy thought. She pushed Grace so hard that she fell to the ground. Louise looked at the scene in front of her and asked suspiciously, ¡°Brian, who is she?¡± Brian¡¯s expression was terrifyingly dark. ¡°I don¡¯t know her. Louise, hurry up and go upstairs.¡± ¡°No.¡± Louise rejected it without thinking. Grace struggled to get up from the ground. Daisy had already rushed in front of Brian. She grabbed Brian¡¯s clothes and asked, ¡°Mr. Brian, I came to look for you today mainly to discuss something with you. I see that your contract with Grace is about to expire¡­¡± ¡°Mom!¡± Grace growled. ¡°Shut up!¡± Grace shouted, trembling with anger. Daisy didn¡¯t mind it and continued, saying, ¡°Although you¡¯ve only been married for three years, you and Grace are still husband and wife. No matter what, you should give her two houses, right?¡± Daisy¡¯s words were like a muffled thunderp. Grace copsed to the ground, her heart sinking to the deepest pit. Ava looked at Daisy in shock. Then, she looked at the other three people¡¯s faces. ¡®What a good show!¡® Ava thought. Louise¡¯s expression froze for a moment. ¡°Ma¡¯am, what did you just say? Who did you say was husband and wife?¡± ¡°Mr. Brian and my Grace!¡± ¡°Get out of here!¡± Grace shouted at her. Daisy looked at the reactions of everyone present. Brian¡¯s expression was so dark that it looked like he wanted to kill someone. Daisy took a step back in fear and finally realized that something was wrong. Louise sneered and looked at the man beside her. ¡°Brian, is what she said true?¡± Brian gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. The veins on his arms were bulging. ex Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. Dreame Dream¨CRead Best Romance Read and Earn 4.4 ¡ï FREE Free Rewards Now! Installed Open Louise saw that he was silent and felt a chill in her heart. ¡°I already guessed that there might be some unspeakable rtionship between you and her, but I never thought that you were husband and wife, while I¡­¡± Louise pointed at her own chest. ¡°What am I? Brian, why did you lie to me and force me to be a mistress?¡± She angrily roared out thest sentence. ¡°Louise, it¡¯s not what you think. She and 1¡­¡± Louise covered her ears and shouted crazily, ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear it! It¡¯s the truth that me! I will never forgive you for the rest of my life!* yo you lied to Louise snatched the car keys from Brian¡¯s hand and ran into the garage to drive out of the vi. Brian clenched his fists tightly as his cold gazended on Grace¡¯s face. Grace knew that everything was over. Grace¡¯s lips trembled as she looked at Brian. ¡°Let me exin. I didn¡¯t know she woulde over¡­¡± Brian looked down at her and said in a voice that sounded like it came from hell, ¡°600 thousand dors. Don¡¯t even think about it!¡± With that, he went back to get his car keys, strode into the garage, and drove after Louise. Daisy looked at Grace in confusion. ¡°G¡­Grace, what¡¯s going on? Who was that woman just now?¡± Ava sneered and answered her question for Grace. ¡°She¡¯s the Adkins family¡¯s lost eldest daughter, Brian¡¯s fianc¨¦e! Do you really think that your daughter can go from rags to riches just because she married Brian? Dream on.¡± 0 Dreame Dreame¨CRead Best Romance. Read and Earn Chapter 113 Ava crossed her arms and looked at Grace and her mother as if she was watching a good show. Ava¡¯s eyes were filled with jealousy, ¡®It turns out Grace is actually Brian¡¯s wife! But it doesn¡¯t matter. Grace will soon be a thing of the past. Louise won¡¯t forgive Brian. When the timees, the one with the best chance to approach Brian is me, Aval While the two of them fight, I will benefit, Ava thought.. Ava had some wishful thinking as she leisurely walked back to the living room. Daisy finally understood how much trouble she had caused. She grabbed Grace with trembling hands. ¡°Grace, go and beg Brian. If he doesn¡¯t pay, what will happen to your brother¡¯s illness?¡± Grace¡¯s eyes were dull. She slowly turned to look at her. ¡°You caused this trouble yourself. You want me to beg him? Do you think I¡¯m anything in his heart? I told you to leave, but why didn¡¯t you listen?¡± Grace closed her eyes and tears fell from the corners of her eyes. ¡°Are you just going to ignore your brother¡¯s illness? Why are you so cold¨Cblooded and heartless?¡± Daisy pounded at Grace like a madman. Melvin could not stand it anymore. He went forward and pulled Daisy up. ¡°Madam, you should home now. No matter how much you beat and scold Miss Sherman, it won¡¯t change the reality!¡± Grace said coldly to Melvin, ¡°Get her out.¡± ¡°Gice! You heartless thing! You ingrate! Go beg him! If your brother doesn¡¯t have the money for the surgery, I won¡¯t let you off!TM Daisy cried like a shrew outside. After scolding for a while, she left. Louise drove all the way back to the Adkins family. Marshall was at home. When he saw Louise return, he asked in surprise, ¡°Louise, my precious daughter, why are you back?¡± ??????? go Louise cried and threw herself into his arms. ¡°Dad! Brian lied to me! He has already been married for a long time!¡± Marshall asked in shock, ¡°What? How is this possible?¡± Louise wiped her tears andined aggrievedly, ¡°It¡¯s that maid who injured mest time. Brian said that she was a maid sent by his mother. In fact, they had already registered their marriage three years ago!¡± Marshall mmed his hand on the table angrily. ¡°This Brian is outrageous! Louise, what do you §ç§Ö Dreame Dreame- Read Best Romance. Read and Earn 4.4 FREE Installed Open Free Rewards Now! §¡§â§Ô n to do now?¡± Louise gritted her teeth. ¡°I want to cancel my engagement with him!¡± At this moment, Brian also rushed over. ¡°Louise! I¡¯ll divorce her immediately!¡± Brian shouted. Louise turned to look at him and cried pitifully. ¡°Brian, do you think that your divorce with her would case the pain in my heart? You owe me. You will never be able to repay me in this lifetime!¡± Brian¡¯s heart ached when he saw her crying her heart out. ¡°Louise, I¡¯ve never loved Grace!¡± Brian R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only said. Louise covered her ears and shouted, ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear it!¡± She rushed upstairs and mmed the door. Downstairs, Marshall saw his daughter crying her heart out and wanted to beat Brian up. However, when he thought of the power behind the Francis family, Marshall did not dare to make a move. Marshall only said coldly, ¡°Brian! Louise is right! Even if you don¡¯t love that woman, you still lied to my precious daughter! Besides her, as her father, I won¡¯t forgive you!¡± Marshall did not dare to say anything too excessive. ¡®After all, the Francis family has a huge influence in the business world. If the Adkins family wants to expand its industry, I still have to rely on the Francis family! Marshall thought. Brian lowered his eyes slightly and apologized respectfully, ¡°I will wait here for Louise. I will personally exin to her and ask for her forgiveness.¡± E É« 0 Dreame Chapter 114 Upstairs, Louise sat in front of the dressing table and looked at herself in the mirror expressionlessly. Although Brian and Grace were married for a period of time, after today¡¯s incident, Grace was no longer a threat to her. Perhaps previously, Brian still had somepassion for Grace, but from today onwards, she, Louise, was the victim. Grace would only be thrown away like a broken shoe. However, even if Brian begged for her forgiveness, Louise would not agree so easily. Because men were all the same. Once they got what they wanted, they would not cherish it anymore! ¡°If I turned around and forgive him the moment he divorced Grace and got together with him, my ending would be the same as Grace¡¯s, Louise thought. Louise could vaguely hear Brian¡¯s apologetic voice and Marshall¡¯s reprimanding voice. Louise opened the door and cried, saying, ¡°Dad! I don¡¯t want to hear his voice. Tell him to leave the Adkins family!¡± Brian looked up at her. ¡°Louise, believe it or not, I¡¯ve never loved Grace. You¡¯re the only one in my heart from the beginning to the end.¡± Loise looked at him with tears in her eyes. She was heartbroken but reluctant to let go. The conflict and sorrow in her heart were vividly portrayed by her. She bit her lip and said in pain, ¡°Leave!¡± Brian nodded heavily. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll wait for you outside until you¡¯re willing to see me.¡± After Brian left, Marshall went upstairs to Louise¡¯s room. Louise, are you really not going to forgive him?¡± Louise looked up at Marshall. ¡®How can I not know what Marshall is thinking? He¡¯s just afraid I won¡¯t marry Brian, affecting thepany in the process, Louise thought. She shook her head. ¡°He¡¯s already lied to me like this. Do I still have to forgive him? I, Louise, will not be so cheap!¡± Marshall persuaded, ¡°Louise, Brian has already exined it to me just now. He married Grace to use her as a shield. He will get a divorce soon. Besides, how many men have never gotten a divorce now? Brian is still so young. Although he was married, fortunately, he didn¡¯t have children. You Dreame D Dreame¨CRead Best Romance. Read and Eam 4.4¡ï FREE Free Rewards Now! Installed Open n to do now?¡± Louise gritted her teeth. ¡°I want to cancel my engagement with him!¡± At this moment, Brian also rushed over. ¡°Louise! I¡¯ll divorce her immediately!¡± Brian shouted. Louise turned to look at him and cried pitifully. ¡°Brian, do you think that your divorce with her would ease the pain in my heart? You owe me. You will never be able to repay me in this lifetime!¡± Brian¡¯s heart ached when he saw her crying her heart out. ¡°Louise, I¡¯ve never loved Grace!¡± Brian said. Louise covered her ears and shouted, ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear it!¡± She rushed upstairs and mmed the door. Downstairs, Marshall saw his daughter crying her heart out and wanted to beat Brian up. However, when he thought of the power behind the Francis family, Marshall did not dare to make a move. Marshall only said coldly, ¡°Brian! Louise is right! Even if you don¡¯t love that woman, you still lied to my precious daughter! Besides her, as her father, I won¡¯t forgive you!¡± Marshall did not dare to say anything too excessive. After all, the Francis family has a huge influence in the business world. If the Adkins family wants to expand its industry, I still have to rely on the Francis family!¡® Marshall thought. Brian lowered his eyes slightly and apologized respectfully, ¡°I will wait here for Louise. I will personally exin to her and ask for her forgiveness.¡± Çú Dreame 0 Upstairs, Louise sat in front of the dressing table and looked at herself in the mirror expressionlessly. per Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. Although Brian and Grace were married for a of time, after today¡¯s incident, Grace was no longer a threat to her. Brian still had somepassion for Grace, but from today onwards, she, Perhaps previo tim. Louise, was the victim. Grace would only be thrown away like a broken shoe. However, even if Brian begged for her forgiveness, Louise would not agree so easily. Because men were all the same. Once they got what they wanted, they would not cherish it anymore! ¡®If I turned around and forgive him the moment he divorced Grace and got together with him, my ending would be the same as Grace¡¯s, Louise thought. Louise could vaguely hear Brian¡¯s apologetic voice and Marshall¡¯s reprimanding voice. Louise opened the door and cried, saying, ¡°Dad! I don¡¯t want to hear his voice. Tell him to leave the Adkins family!¡± Brian looked up at her. ¡°Louise, believe it or not, I¡¯ve never loved Grace. You¡¯re the only one in my heart from the beginning to the end.¡± Loaise looked at him with tears in her eyes. She was heartbroken but reluctant to let go. The conflict and sorrow in her heart were vividly portrayed by her. She bit her lip and said in pain, ¡°Leave!¡± Brian nodded heavily. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll wait for you outside until you¡¯re willing to see me.¡± After Brian left, Marshall went upstairs to Louise¡¯s room. ¡°Louise, are you really not going to forgive him?¡± Louise looked up at Marshall. ¡®How can I not know what Marshall is thinking? He¡¯s just afraid I won¡¯t marry Brian, affecting thepany in the process, Louise thought. She shook her head. ¡°He¡¯s already lied to me like this. Do I still have to forgive him? I, Louise, will not be so cheap!¡± Marshall persuaded, ¡°Louise, Brian has already exined it to me just now. He married Grace to use her as a shield. He will get a divorce soon. Besides, how many men have never gotten a divorce now? Brian is still so young. Although he was married, fortunately, he didn¡¯t have children. You Dreame Dreame Read Best Romance, Read and Earn 4,4¡ï FREE Installed Ox 0 Free Rewards Now! Open don¡¯t have to be someone¡¯s stepmother. Is there a difference with getting married for the first time?¡± ¡°Dad! How can you speak up for him? The problem with this matter isn¡¯t whether he¡¯s married or not. The main point is that he lied to me!¡± Marshall sighed. ¡°Louise, then you have to think about it. Concerning the marital alliance of our two families, if the two of you fall out at this critical moment, our Adkins family business won¡¯t have an easy time.¡± Louise looked at him. ¡°Dad, don¡¯t worry about thepany. He let me down first. He feels guilty and will naturally think of ways to make it up to me. He won¡¯t ignore the Adkins Group.¡± Hearing this, Marshall nodded. Louise¡¯s analysis made sense. ¡°Then¡­ what¡¯s your n now?¡± Louise pursed her lips. ¡°If he really has me in his heart, I¡¯ll forgive him. Men are all like this. If I forgive him too easily, he won¡¯t cherish me.¡± A smile appeared on Marshall¡¯s face. ¡°Louise, I believe you can definitely control Brian!¡± Shannon heard their conversation from outside the door. She narrowed her eyes slightly and returned to her room. She called Ava and asked for the exact situation. Ava described what had happened this afternoon over the phone. É« Dreame Chapter 115 Ava said proudly, ¡°There is no way Grace can save the situation. Louise has also left. Now, as long as I stay by Brian¡¯s side, as time passes, he will definitely fall in love with me!¡± Shannon pondered for a moment and said, ¡°Ava, don¡¯t jump to conclusions. Louise hasn¡¯t left yet. Don¡¯t act rashly. Be careful so it won¡¯t backfire.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mom. I know what I¡¯m doing. What Brian needs most now ispany andfort. I know what to do.¡± The sky was already dark. A series of muffled thunder sounded in the somber sky. Brian stood at the entrance of the Adkins family and stared straight at the second floor. He took out his phone and tried to call Louise. As expected, the call was hung up. He dialed a second time, but the line was still dead. Brian gripped his phone tightly and stared at her name for a long time before turning to leave. At the Francis estate, it was alreadyte at night. Grace sat in the empty living room in a daze. Her heart was in a daze. There was the sound of a car outside. Grace was shocked. Her heart suddenly beat faster, and she subconsciously stood up from the chair. Brian walked out of the darkness with a gloomy aura around him. He looked at Grace coldly. Grace¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°Brian, I¡¯m sorry.¡± The corners of Brian¡¯s lips curled up into a cold smile. He walked in front of her step by step and raised his hand to pinch her chin. His voice was as cold as ice. ¡°Grace, the three of us could have been fine. Now, everything is over.¡± ¡°I really didn¡¯t do it on purpose. I didn¡¯t know my mother woulde¡­ I¡¯m more afraid than anyone else that Louise knows about our rtionship.¡± Brian¡¯s lips curled into a cruel smile. He raised his index finger and gestured for her to keep quiet. ¡°There¡¯s no need to exin. Follow me to the study.¡± Grace followed him into the study like a soulless puppet. Brian sat in front of theputer and turned it on. His fingers typed on the keyboard for ten minutes. Free Rewards Now! Dreame Dreame Read Best Romance. Read and Earn 4.4 FREE Installed Open 11:20 Fri, 19 Apr MG These ten minutes were torture for Grace. She seemed to guess what he was writing. His fingers stopped typing and the mouse clicked lightly. Soon, a few pieces of A4 paper came out of the printer. Brian stood up. His slender fingers were cold as he pinched the edge of the paper and handed it to her. He also brought her a pen. He said coldly, ¡°Sign it.¡± R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Grace looked at the words ¡®divorce agreement¡® and her heart sank. This divorce agreement was very simple. Grace would leave with nothing. Brian meant what he said. She could forget about the 600 thousand dors. Grace¡¯s mind went nk. Grace was not afraid of leaving with nothing, but what would happen to her brother¡¯s illness without the money? ¡®He¡¯s only 19 years old! Grace thought. She dropped her pride and said humbly, ¡°Brian, if I don¡¯t have the 600 thousand dors, my brother will die. I don¡¯t want anything, but please save my brother.¡± Brian¡¯s pitch¨Cck pupils were filled with bloodthirsty cruelty. His voice was extremely cold. ¡°You reap what you sow. You can¡¯t me anyone! Sign this divorce agreement. From today onwards, you¡¯re free.¡± Grace bit her lips tightly as her abdomen throbbed in pain. She subconsciously touched her t stomach and looked at the man she loved deeply. Suddenly, her knees bent. With a thud, a dull sound rang out as Grace knelt on the ground. ¡°Brian! I beg you. Save my brother.¡± She had already ced her dignity on the ground and trampled on it. É« D Dreame Dreamne Read Best Bonspor 0. 0 Chapter 116 Brian¡¯s eyes trembled slightly. From the corner of his eye, he saw her petite body kneeling on the ground, her thin shoulders trembling slightly. ¡°Don¡¯t think that I¡¯ll be soft¨Chearted just because you¡¯re ying this game with me, Sherman. Louise is my bottom line. You¡¯ve touched my bottom line. Do you understand?¡± Grace looked at him and suddenly felt that the man in front of her was really unfamiliar. She never thought that Brian would be so cold and heartless to her. She heard her own broken voice and made a final struggle. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I know this is my fault. Can you save my brother¡¯s life on ount of the three years we¡¯ve been together?¡± Brian looked down at her. His jawline was set so coldly that it seemed to be able to freeze the air. ¡°I have no obligation to save him. I¡¯ll say it onest time. I don¡¯t have the patience to waste time with you. Do you want to sign it or not?¡± Grace closed her eyes and tears kept flowing out of the corners of her eyes. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll sign it.¡± She staggered to her feet and walked to the desk. She gripped the pen and stared at the page. covered in words. Tears blurred her vision. Her heart ached so much that she could not breathe. It was as if holding a pen was an extremely difficult thing. She found the ce to sign her name on thest page. Her fingers trembled as she wrote her name crookedly, stroke by stroke. There were three copies, and on each piece of paper, there were traces of tears. Grace wrote down thest bit of the word ¡°Sherman. Her heart ached so much that she felt like she was suffocating. She took a deep breath and put down the pen. She did not even have the courage to look at Brian. She lowered her head and said, ¡°I¡¯m done.¡± Brian put his hands in his pockets and stood there coldly. He said coldly, T¡¯ll send you the divorce certificate in two days.¡± Grace lowered her head. Her long hair covered her face. She nodded and walked out of the study. Ava happened to be eavesdropping outside the door. When she saw Graceing out, she crossed her arms and looked at her gloatingly. ¡°You¡¯re leaving tonight? My, you¡¯ve been with Brian for three years, but you didn¡¯t get away with anything in the end. I really feel sorry for you.¡± Grace could not hear anything from the outside world. Her mind was nk and buzzing. Dreame 11:20 Fri, 19 Apr MG. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Tears kept flowing out of her eyes, and everything she saw was blurry. She reached the top of the stairs, gripped the railing, and slowly descended the steps. She was really tired and wanted to copse, but the child in her stomach was still reminding her that she could not copse! When she reached thest step, she suddenly felt as if her feet were filled with lead. She couldn¡¯t lift them up and fell heavily to the ground. Melvin immediately went forward to help her up. ¡°Miss Sherman, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Upstairs, a cold and heartless voice sounded. ¡°Melvin, from now on, she has nothing to do with the Francis family! Do not bother with her!¡± Melvin looked at Grace with a pained gaze. Grace walked back to her room in a daze. She mechanically packed her clothes. She did not have many clothes to begin with, so she only packed some clothes for this season and two autumn and winter coats. Thinking of the child in her stomach, she packed all the gifts and bags that Brian had given her into her suitcase. She looked at the ck suitcase and suddenly thought of the day she came. It was the same suitcase. She dragged her luggage behind her and slowly walked into the night. The night wind blew, messing up her long hair. Her eyes, which had just finished crying, were hurting from the wind. At this moment, as a muffled thunder sounded, bean¨Csized raindrops fell from the sky. Chapter 117 Upstairs, in the master bedroom, Brian stood in front of the window and looked at the heavy rain. pouring outside. He could hear the sound of thunder and rain outside, as well as the asional whistling of the wind. Amidst the mor, there seemed to be the dull sound of wheels rumbling. Brian took a deep puff of his cigarette. He could not see anything, but the image of Grace walking in the rain appeared in his mind. He turned his head and his gaze,fell on an umbre in the cab. The hands by his side clenched and unclenched, clenched and unclenched again. He took a deep drag on his cigarette and stubbed it out, suppressing theplicated emotions in his heart. ¡®Brian, what are you thinking? It¡¯s all because of Grace that Louise left so upset. How can you still have compassion for her?¡® he thought. He closed his eyes and the image of the little girl carrying him out of the mountain path with all her might from more than ten years ago appeared in his mind. ¡®Louise has been so kind since she was a child, while Grace¡¯s family only cared about money!¡® Brian thought. Brian seemed to have found the perfect excuse for himself, so he walked back to the bedroom in peace. He picked up his phone and sent a message to Louise. ¡°It¡¯s raining heavily, Close the doors and windows when you sleep at night.¡± Louise did not reply. Brian looked at his phone for a while before getting up to take a shower. The sudden downpour seemed to be ready to drown the world. In just a few seconds, Grace was drenched. She dragged her suitcase and walked for about 0.6 miles. Her footsteps were heavy as if they weighed a thousand pounds. A blinding white light shed and Grace raised her hand to block the headlights. The car braked only a few centimeters away from her knees. Grace¡¯s body went weak and she fell to the ground dispiritedly. The owner of the car got out nervously with an umbre and shook Grace who was on the ground. ¡°Hey! Hey! Don¡¯t scam me! I have a dashcam! I didn¡¯t bump into you!¡± ¡°Hey! Wake up!¡± The owner of the car patted her face. Seeing that she did not move, he quickly §±§â§à§Ñ§â§Ñ§Õ carried her into the car and sent her to the nearest Southside Hospital. Grace vaguely heard a lot of noise around her. She seemed to be in the hospital and heard a doctor talking. ¡°The patient has a fever. Let¡¯s get an IV to cool her down immediately¡­¡± Grace¡¯s brows furrowed tightly. She wanted to open her eyes and tell them that she was pregnant and could not get an IV, but her eyelids were so heavy that she could not open them at all. A slight pain came from the back of his hand. A tear fell from the corner of Grace¡¯s eye and she fainted. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. When she woke up again, all she saw was white. She had a splitting headache and her thoughts gradually returned. The smell of disinfectant filled her nose. She suddenly sat up from the bed. Her violent movements shook her head so much that it felt like it was about to explode. ¡°Grace, you¡¯re awake.¡± A gentle voice sounded in his ear. Grace looked up in surprise. Justin sat beside her. He was wearing a white coat and looked like he had been guarding her all night. Justin, why are you here?¡± ¡°You fainted in the rain and happened to be taken to my hospital. If I hadn¡¯t happened to see you on the night shift, I¡¯m afraid your child would have died.¡± When Grace heard his words, tears welled up in her eyes and fell. ¡°Justin, thank you. You saved us again.¡± Justin took out a tissue and gently wiped her tears. ¡°If you really want to thank me, take care of your body.¡± He looked at the luggage in the ward and hesitated for a while before asking, ¡°Have you left Brian?¡± Grace looked away as Brian¡¯s cruel words surfaced in her mind. 0 1. Chapter 118 She felt a dull pain in her heart, but a bleak smile appeared on her face. ¡°Yeah, Justin. I¡¯m free.¡± Justin looked at her with heartache. He reached out and pulled her into his arms, gently stroking her hair. ¡°I¡¯ll apany you.¡± Grace felt that no matter how sad she was, she could still endure it alone. However, when Justin. hugged her andforted her, her heart instantly broke down and she cried uncontrobly. Justin patted her shoulder gently like he was coaxing a child. He only let go of her slowly when she was tired of crying and her tears had dried up. ¡°Have a good sleep. I¡¯ve checked you into the hospital. You¡¯ve been too sad these past two days. The fetus is a little unstable.¡± Grace nodded. Thank you.¡± Justin gently rubbed the top of her head. ¡°I told you, you don¡¯t have to thank me. Go to sleep. Call me if you need anything¡­¡± Justin thought of something and paused. He reached out his hand to her. ¡°Give me your phone.¡± Grace was stunned for a moment. She took her phone from beside the pillow and handed it to him. Justin found his name in the contact list and pulled his number out of the cklist. The corners of his mouth curled into a satisfied smile before he handed the phone back to her. ¡°From now on, don¡¯t cklist me again.¡± Grace¡¯s eyes were red and swollen from crying. ¡°Okay.¡± Justin was very worried about Grace. Whenever he was free, he would go to the ward to chat with her. The sky cleared up after the rain. There were no clouds in sight, and the temperature gradually returned to gentle coolness. In the afternoon, Justin finished his round around the ward and came to the ward to look for Grace. Grace sat on the bed and looked out of the window in a daze. Her eyes were dull, like that of a soulless doll. She did not even hear Justin¡¯s footsteps. Justin walked up to her and shouted, ¡°Grace¡± £¤37%Èâ Grace came back to her senses and looked at him. Justin saw the dried tears on her face and his heart ached. ¡°Let¡¯s go. It¡¯s lukewarm outside. I¡¯ll take you out for a walk.¡± Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. Grace paused for a moment. She did not want to go out at all, but she knew that Justin had good. intentions. She did not want him to worry. She nodded and got out of bed. Justin supported her. ¡°Slow down.¡± Grace was amused by his careful actions. ¡°It¡¯s not like I hurt my bones.¡± Justin shook his head. ¡°You¡¯re even more worrying than those who suffered external injuries!¡± Justin brought her to the garden of the hospital. ¡°Take a seat.¡± Justin walked over to a wooden chair. Grace stared at the wooden chair. The image of her taking care of Louise in the hospital suddenly appeared in her mind. ¡®It was at this same time, on this same chair when Brian came back from work and criticized me for not taking good care of Louise. Grace thought. Justin saw her staring at the chair in a daze and looked down at her. ¡°Grace, what¡¯s wrong? What are you daydreaming about?¡± He held her shoulders and realized that she was already in tears. Justin¡¯s heart ached as he pulled her into his arms. ¡°Don¡¯t cry. Don¡¯t cry. Alright, if you don¡¯t like it here, I¡¯ll bring you somewhere else, okay?¡± Grace wiped her tears and shook her head. ¡°No need. I¡¯ll just sit here for a while.¡± Justin sat down beside her. In order to make her happier, even though he was not good with words, he still told her some jokes. Grace couldn¡¯tugh. In order not to worry Justin, she tried her best tough. Justin held her hand with heartache. ¡°Grace, no matter what happened in the past, forget about it from now on, okay? I¡¯ll take care of you from now on.¡± Chapter 119 Grace was stunned. Justin felt a little ufortable. He straightened his back and looked at her seriously and intently. ¡°Grace, if you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯m willing to spend the rest of my life taking care of you. Are you willing¡± Grace was stunned for a long time. The setting sun scattered on the ends of Justin¡¯s brown hair, coating it with ayer of golden warmth. Is he confessing to me? Grace thought Grace was a little uncertain. She did not believe that a single young man like Justin would say that he would take care of her for the rest of her life when she was pregnant and divorced. Justin was at a loss for what to do. He apologized to her hurriedly as if he was afraid of scaring her. I¡¯m sorry. Was I in such a hurry that I frightened you?¡± Grace lowered her eyes and shook her head. ¡°Dr. Vance, I¡¯m not worthy of being taken care of by you for the rest of my life.¡± Justin frowned and looked at her seriously. ¡°Grace, I won¡¯t allow you to say that. It¡¯s not up to you to decide if it¡¯s worth it or not. If I say it¡¯s worth it, it¡¯s worth it!¡± Grace looked at Justin. Justin¡¯s usually gentle eyes became hot at this moment as if they were filled. with a raging fire. He heart skipped a beat and she stood up in a panic. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. I want to go back and rest for a while.¡± Justin pursed his lips and looked at Grace¡¯s retreating back. Justin¡¯s heart was pounding because of his confession just now. He hurried after her. ¡®It doesn¡¯t matter. There is plenty of time. I can take my time, Justin thought. On the second day of hospitalization, Daisy called. Grace didn¡¯t pick up. She let her phone ring over and over again. There was a knock on the door. Justin was holding a thermos in his hand. He was dressed in white as he stood at the door and looked at her with a smile. The scene was gentle and beautiful. Justin paused at the door and walked into the ward. He ced the thermos on the cab and opened it, oneyer after another. ¡°I asked the nanny at home to make some chicken soup. Try it.¡± The fragrant smell of chicken soup hit Grace in the face. Grace happened to be hungry. When she smelled this, she drooled. Justin scooped a spoonful and blew on it gently before bringing it to her mouth. ¡°Be careful not to burn yourself.¡± Grace took a sip. It was as if her taste buds had experienced something wonderful. ¡°Does it taste good?¡± Grace nodded heavily. ¡°It¡¯s delicious. Your nanny¡¯s culinary skills are amazing.¡± Justin smiled. ¡°Then I¡¯ll bring it for you every day from now on.¡± Grace paused. ¡°Justin, you don¡¯t have to do this. I¡­¡± ¡°What? You¡¯re not even going to give me a chance to pursue you?¡± Grace¡¯s face heated up and her mind went nk. 35 23 At that moment, her phone rang again. Grace came back to her senses and instinctively answered. the call. As soon as she picked it up, Daisy¡¯s sharp voice came through the phone. ¡°You ingrate! I¡¯ve raised you for more than twenty years! You didn¡¯t even answer your mother¡¯s call! Are you not going to care whether your brother dies? Why are you so heartless?¡± Grace frowned and moved the phone away, Day¡¯s roar continued toe from the receiver. ¡°Brian has already sent the divorce agreement to our house! Hurry up and beg Brian! Do you really want to watch your brother die from illness? You evil creature!¡± On the side, Justin could hear Daisy¡¯s harsh voice, but he could not hear what Daisy said clearly. Daisy did not hear Grace speak. After scolding Grace long enough, Daisy asked, ¡°You heartless. ingrate! Say something! I asked you to say something! Are you mute? Why don¡¯t you die, you beast!¡± Grace heard her endless cursing. Sometimes, she even wondered if she was really Daisy¡¯s child!R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Chapter 120 Grace slowly put the phone to her ear. ¡°Mom, you disobeyed me and went to look for Brian. Now you want me to beg him? I¡¯m sorry, there¡¯s nothing I can do.¡± With that, she hung up and turned off the phone. Justin stroked her hair and asked gently, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? If you have any difficulties, you can tell me. As long as it¡¯s something I can do, I can help you.¡± Grace looked at him and thought for a while. In the end, she shook her head. ¡°How am I going to tell Justin that bone marrow transnts aren¡¯t cheap? My situation isplicated enough. I don¡¯t want to drag Justin into my troubles, Grace thought. She looked up at him and smiled. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. She just thinks that I didn¡¯t get any benefits from Brian, so she called to scold me!¡± Justin¡¯s expression changed slightly. He opened his mouth and wanted to ask something. Grace saw that he wanted to say something but was hesitating. Grace asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. ¡°You¡­¡± Grace smiled. ¡°I know you want to ask me about my rtionship with Brian.¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t care about your past. Whenever you want to tell me, I can be the person you can talk to at any time.¡± Justin looked at her with heartache.. Grace looked at Justin in a daze. Justin¡¯s fervent attitude over the past two days was shocking to her. ¡°Eat up.¡± Justin said. The food Justin brought was very rich. There were vegetables, risotto, and soup. Justin specifically found a pregnancy nutritionist for Grace to help pick these foods. He waited for Grace to finish everything before leaving, reassured. The next day, as soon as Crace turned on her phone, she received another call from her mother, Daisy. This time, Daisy did not scold her. Daisy changed from her usual self and asked her in a soft voice, ¡°Grace, Brian has already divorced. you. Where are you staying now?¡± Grace was a little puzzled. ¡®Yesterday, she was still asking me to go to hell on the phone. Why did. her attitude change 180 degrees today?¡® Grace thought. Grace asked suspiciously, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? What¡¯s the matter?¡± Dreame 19 Apr ¡°Your father saw that you haven¡¯te back and asked me to call you. You¡¯ve been chased out by Brian for two to three days and you haven¡¯t returned home yet. Where can you stay?¡± ¡°I¡¯m in the hospital.¡± Daisy hurriedly asked, ¡°You¡¯re in the hospital? Which hospital? Why did you go to the hospital?¡± Grace simply exined, ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I just caught a cold, so I¡¯m in the hospital.¡± Daisy asked again, ¡°Which hospital are you in?¡± Grace frowned. She felt that Daisy was acting very strange. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯te looking for trouble with you. You¡¯re already in the hospital. What else can I do? I just wanted to see you. I¡¯ve thought it through. I really can¡¯t me you¡­. but your brother¡­ Daisy sighed. As Daisy spoke, her voice became a little choked up. ¡°Your brother is already in that state. Nothing can happen to you anymore!¡± Grace felt a surge of sadness in her heart. She said the name of the hospital. ¡°Southside Hospital.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll bring you some foodter.¡± Grace was still in shock after hanging up the phone. At noon, Justin came to deliver food to her. She stared at the lunch box for a long time before pushing the food back. ¡°My mother ising to deliver food to meter. You can keep it for yourself!¡± Justin was stunned. A trace of disappointment appeared in his eyes, but he immediately pushed it off. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll leave it here. If you want to eat itter, warm it up.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Not long after, Daisy came over with a lunch box. 11:21 Fri, 19 Apr M Chapter 121 Daisy walked into the ward and smiled at Grace. As she spoke, she put down the lunch box. ¡°Grace, what happened to you? Why were you hospitalized?¡± Grace locked at the kind smile on Daisy¡¯s face and said in a daze, ¡°The day I left, I caught a cold because I got caught in the rain.¡± ¡°How could you be so careless?¡± Daisy scolded as she opened the lunch box. ¡°You must be hungry. Come, let¡¯s eat.¡± Daisy handed fork to her. Grace nced at the food in the lunch box. It was very spicy and there was no meat. It did not look like it was for a patient at all. She looked up at Daisy ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Grace smiled. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. It¡¯s just that I haven¡¯t eaten your cooking in a long time.¡± Although the food Daisy made for her was neither nutritious nor suitable for sick people to eat, Grace could not help but feel a lump in her throat when she thought about how Daisy rarely cared for her over the years. It could be said that she had not received much maternal love from Daisy since she was young. It would be a lie to say she did not crave Daisy¡¯s maternal love. Grace ate the food in the bowl. She didn¡¯t know if it was because the food was spicy or something, but tears flowed down her face. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? Why are you crying?¡± Grace smiled and shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m not crying. It¡¯s too spicy.¡± Daisy smiled and looked around the ward absent¨Cmindedly. Seeing Grace¡¯s suitcase under the bed, Daisy asked, ¡°When are you leaving the hospital?¡± ¡°After two more days. Daisy nodded. ¡°Oh.¡± After Grace finished her meal, Justin came. Justin walked into the ward and nodded at Daisy. ¡°Hello, Mrs. Sherman.¡± Daisy looked up at him. ¡°You¡­.you are¡­ 1/2. Dreame Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. 11:21 Fri, 19 Apr MG Justin smiled and extended his hand to her. ¡°Hello, Mrs. Sherman. I¡¯m Grace¡¯s attending doctor and her friend. I¡¯ve known her for a few months.¡± A smile appeared on Daisy¡¯s face. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re Grace¡¯s friend. How should I address you?¡± ¡°My name is Justin Vance, Justin said politely. ¡°Dr. Vance, it¡¯s all thanks to you for taking care of our Gracel Dr. Vance is so young. You wouldn¡¯t have a girlfriend yet, would you?¡± Grace frowned. Afraid that Daisy would say something out of line again, Grace hurriedly stopped her. ¡°Mom!¡± P2 02 6 2 Daisy looked at Justin with a smile, her eyes filled with admiration for him. Justin nodded. ¡°Yes, not yet.¡± Daisy¡¯s eyes darted between Justin and Grace as if she understood something. ¡°By the way, Dr. Vance, if it¡¯s convenient for you, leave me your contact number. If Grace feels ufortable when she goes home, I can consult you! Justin did not refuse and nodded. ¡°Okay. Grace massaged her temples. ¡°Mom, Dr. Vance is usually very busy. Why did you want his phone number? If I¡¯m sick, wouldn¡¯t I know that I needed to go to the hospital?¡± Daisy red at her. ¡°Shut up. What do What do you know?¡± Grace sighed. She knew Daisy¡¯s personality. ¡®She definitely has other motives for asking for Justin¡¯s number, Grace thought. After Justin gave the phone number to Daisy, he looked at her seriously and said, ¡°Mrs. Sherman, Grace¡¯s health is very poor and her emotions are very unstable. She even had moderate depression a while ago. Do you know about this?¡± Daisy was saving Justin¡¯s phone number. When she heard him speak, she squinted at the screen and asked, ¡°¡­Huh? What did you say?¡± ¡°I said, Grace is not in good health. She even suffered from depression previously. Please don¡¯t scold her often in the future.¡± Chapter 122 Daisy¡¯s jaw dropped in surprise. Justin reminded her again, ¡°She¡¯s very fragile. At times like this, she needs thefort and encouragement of her family even more. So I hope that after she¡¯s discharged, you won¡¯t scold her. anymore.¡± Daisy rolled her eyes. ¡®How does Justin know I was scolding Grace? Did Grace go around telling others how fierce I was as a mother?¡® Daisy thought. Justin seemed to know what Daisy was thinking. He exined, ¡°When I was doing my rounds yesterday, I heard you giving her a call. Your tone was a little nasty. To be honest, there isn¡¯t any daughter who wouldn¡¯t be sad to hear her parents scold her like this.¡± Daisyughed awkwardly. ¡°Damn! Look at what you¡¯re saying. I was just too angry yesterday. This child hasn¡¯t answered her phone and hasn¡¯te home. Her father and I are very worried about her. Daisy sighed. ¡°How can parents not like their children? I just hope that my daughter can have a good family¡­ Daisy looked up at Justin with a meaningful gaze. Justin nodded. ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± ¡°Dr. Vance, don¡¯t worry! When Grace gets home, I¡¯ll take good care of her. I won¡¯t make her sad again. Justin nodded slightly. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go back to the office first. Call me if there¡¯s anything.¡± Daisy was all smiles. ¡°Go, go.¡± Justin looked at Grace and smiled at her. His gaze suddenlynded on the lunch box beside her. There were still some leftover vegetable dregs inside. It was a bright red color, and it was obvious how spicy it was. ¡®But this fool still finished all of it!¡® Justin thought. He could not help but frown slightly. He looked at Daisy again. ¡°Mrs. Sherman, it¡¯s not appropriate for Grace to be eating such spicy food. In the future, when you cook for her, you should prioritize light foods.¡± If he had known that she would give Grace these, he would have forced Grace to finish the food he brought. Daisy¡¯s face stiffened slightly/¡°Aye, alright, I¡¯ll remember.¡± Dreame 11:219 Fri, 19 Apr M G The smile on Daisy¡¯s face gradually faded as she watched Justin¡¯s figure disappear. She looked at a doctor who had a dignified appearance, ¡®His words were so unpleasant! He even went on to lecture me! Who gave him the guts?¡¯ Daisy thought. Daisy was very unhappy. ¡®How much money could a doctor have these days to be so arrogant?¡± Daisy thought. Grace looked at the expression on Daisy¡¯s face and could not help but ask, ¡°Mom, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Daisy looked at her and smiled. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Yes, you can sleep for a while. I¡¯ll go wash the lunch. box. ¡°Okay.¡± Daisy apanied Grace in the ward for a while. Daisy looked outside and asked, ¡°Grace, do you stay in the ward all day? Do you want to go out for a walk?¡± Grace shook her head. She did not want to go out. ¡°Fine Suddenly, a nurse came in. ¡°Room 23, Room Grace, you¡¯re almost out of hospitalization fees. Remember to pay the hospitalization fees tonight.¡± ¡°Oh, okay.¡± Daisy¡¯s eyes shifted. ¡°Grace, go and pay the fees. I¡¯ll be right back after I go to the toilet.¡± ¡°Okay¡± Grace did not think too much about it and took the bank card to the payment counter. Grace queued at the window for a while before getting to the front of the line. After Grace paid the fee, Daisy did note to look for her. Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. Grace walked back and nced at the text message indicating her bnce. ¡®If I sell all the bags Brian gave me and add the money to my card, it shouldn¡¯t be too much of a problem to buy a small ce with the down payment. If I want to raise my child, eventually I have to have a ce of my own, Grace thought. Grace nned to sell the bags online when she got back. In the ward, Daisy was nowhere to be seen. Grace called out twice, but there was no response. Grace pulled out her suitcase and suddenly realized that it had been touched! Chapter 123 One piece of clothing had leaked out from the zipper of the suitcase. It was obvious that someone had flipped through it. Grace hurriedly opened the suitcase. The bag and jewelry inside were all gone! Grace thought of Daisy. Grace was in disbelief and quickly took out her phone to call Daisy The phone had only rung once before it was hung up. Unwilling to give up, Grace dialed again. After ringing for a long time, the other party picked up t phone reluctantly. ¡°Mom, where are you?¡± ¡°Me? I¡¯ve already left. I¡¯lle and see you another day!¡± ¡°Wait! Where¡¯s the stuff in my suitcase? Did you take it?¡± Grace questioned coldly. Daisy clicked her tongue and asked impatiently, ¡°What kind of tone is that?¡± Grace¡¯s heart sank. As I expect, her purpose foring today is for that pile of bags and jewelry! Now that she has it, she is toozy to even pretend!¡® Grace thought. ¡°Daisy!¡± Grace shouted sternly. ¡°You¡¯re going too far!¡± ¡°How am I going too far? You ate and dressed well while with the Francis family and didn¡¯t care the one about anything at home! You don¡¯t even care about your brother¡¯s life and death. Who why went too far?¡± ¡°Even now, you still don¡¯t know how to repent and continue to me others!¡± Grace said. Grace¡¯s heart ached. ¡°Hmph! I¡¯ve raised you for more than 20 years. What¡¯s wrong with giving me some money? I owe more than twenty thousand dors but you don¡¯t care. You have no conscience at all!¡± the Grace could not help but shout into the phone, ¡°You deserve it for owing money! Who told you to gamble?¡± ¡°You¡­.¡± Daisy choked on her words. Daisy said, ¡°Grace, don¡¯t me me for being heartless. You¡¯re young now and have the assets. If you¡¯re smarter, you should spend more effort to hook up with a rich husband. Brian still has some feelings for you. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have given you so much jewelry. If you want to live a good life, you can think of a way to be his mistress. Although you wouldn¡¯t have any status, at least you. would eat and live well!¡± Grace did not expect Daisy to say something like that. Dreame If you don¡¯t want to be Brian¡¯s mistress, you can also spend more effort on that Dr. Varice from today. Although he¡¯s not as rich as Brian Francis, if you can get him, you can at least be considered. a legitimate wife. You would still have enough money to spend for a simple life in the future¡­¡± ¡°Enough! Daisy, you¡¯re simply unreasonable!¡± Daisy was so angry that she shouted on the phone, ¡°You heartless bastard! I¡¯m teaching you! Am I wrong about anything I said?¡± Grace hung up the phone and sat on the ground dispiritedly. She leaned against the suitcase and broke down crying, but she still tried her best to hold it in and not cry out loud. The door was suddenly opened. When Justin saw Grace lying on the ground, his eyes trembled and he immediately rushed over. ¡°Grace!¡± Justin gently held her face, wiped the tears off her cheeks, and pulled her into his arms. ¡®What is it? What¡¯s happened? Tell me, will you?¡± Grace cried until she was out of breath. After a long time, she stopped sobbing. ¡°My mother cheated me of what little assets I had. How could she be so heartless? How could anyone be so heartless to their children?¡± Justin frowned. ¡°What? She doesn¡¯t know that you¡¯re pregnant?¡± Grace shook her head. ¡®It would be terrible if she knew. She would probably use this as a threat to go to Brian, Grace thought. ¡°She can¡¯t know.¡± Justin looked at her for a long time and ruffled her hair. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m here.¡± R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only 0 CO Chapter 124 Grace was discharged. Justin brought her to his apartment, the same house that Grace had lived in before. He helped Grace tidy up the room and said to her, ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about anything as you stay here. Call me if need anything.¡± Grace was looking down at her phone. When she heard his words, she locked her phone screen and looked up at him. ¡°Thank you, Justin.¡± Following her voice, Justin¡¯s phone rang with the sound of a notification. Justin took out his phone and looked at it. He frowned. ¡°Grace, what are you doing?¡± The phone screen indicated that Grace had transferred money to him. Grace smiled and said. ¡°Rent.¡± Justin¡¯s expression changed slightly. ¡°Grace, what do you take me for?¡± Grace stopped smiling and looked at him seriously. Justin, I owe you a lot. I don¡¯t want to owe you anymore.¡± ¡°Grace, I¡¯ve never felt that you owed me anything. I treat you as one of my own, so I¡¯m willing to pay for you!¡± very Grace¡¯s eyes darkened. ¡°Justin, I understand your intentions, but please respect my choice. I¡¯m lucky to be able to have you as a friend, but I can¡¯t ept your help without any bottom line. If you don¡¯t ept the rent, I can only move out.¡± When Justin heard her words, he panicked. ¡°No, no, no. Don¡¯t move out. I¡¯ll take it.¡± Grace was finally at ease. Justin¡¯s heart was heavy. Although Grace stayed, in Grace¡¯s heart, she considered Justin an outsider. Justin took a deep breath and looked at her beautiful face. ¡®It doesn¡¯t matter. We have a long time. We¡¯ll take it slow, Justin thought. After Grace settled down, she went to the hospital to see Carson. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Grace asked hesitantly, looking at her younger brother. Carson closed his eyes and said indifferently, ¡°I won¡¯t die yet.¡± Grace lowered her eyes and said softly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Carson opened his eyes and looked at her. ¡°I don¡¯t me you. I heard from Dad that Mom went to Brian and messed things up.¡± Grace did not know how tofort Carson. ¡°Can you not put on such a bitter face all day long? You look like I don¡¯t have much time left. We haven¡¯t found a suitable bone marrow, so I can¡¯t treat it even if I have money.¡± Grace felt terrible. This feeling of watching her family fall sick while being helpless was suffocating. She looked up at the ceiling and forced back the moist liquid in her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m useless. Three years have been wasted.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry. Although I¡¯m staying in the hospital, I¡¯m not idle either. I¡¯m writing a game. If nothing goes wrong, it¡¯lle online in two months, so you don¡¯t have to worry about the medical fees.¡± Grace¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Really?¡± Carson raised his chin. There was an arrogance unique to that of a young man on his ¡°Of course. Do you really think I y games every day for fun?¡± Grace smiled through her tears. ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. young face. Carson looked impatient. ¡°Alright, alright. Don¡¯t stay here. Hurry up and leave, okay? Mom will be here soon. I don¡¯t want to see you guys arguing here.¡± Grace smiled. ¡°Alright, have a good rest. I¡¯ll take my leave.¡± Grace returned home, sorted out her r¨¦sum¨¦, and prepared to find a job. She nned to work as an online programmer from home. É« Chapter 125 Brian had not returned home for four to five days. Ever since the night Grace left the vi, no, after Louise left, Brian had not returned to the vi. As long as Brian had the time, he would go the Adkin¡¯s family vi to look for Louise. However, he was, without a doubt, denied entry every time. Brian sat in his office in a daze. Camren brought in a document for Brian to sign. Camren called out to Brian a few times, but there was no response. ¡°Mr. Francis.¡± Camren waved his hand in front of Brian. Brian blinked and came back to his senses. He suddenly realized that the face that had appeared in his mind just now was actually Grace. Brian frowned deeply and sat up straight. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a document here for you to sign.¡± Brian nodded slightly. He carefully and quickly scanned the contents of the document. After confirming that there were no mistakes, Brian signed his name. Camren turned around and was about to leave when Brian suddenly stopped him. ¡°Are there any appointments for tonight?¡± ¡°Mr. Francis, there¡¯s a dinner with the CEO, Mr. Langley, of the Langley Group tonight.¡± Brian frowned slightly. He thought for a moment and said, ¡°If it¡¯s not very important, cancel it.¡± ¡°Will do.¡± Brian nced at his watch. He turned off hisputer and stood up to leave. Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. Brian drove aimlessly on the streets. He did not know what he should do. He had been feeling very confused these past few days, but he understood that the most important thing for him to do now was to chase Louise back. Therefore, he went to the Adkins family every day as if he waspleting a task. Brian was driving in frustration when he suddenly turned his head and saw a flower shop by the street. Brian pulled over, got out of the car, and walked into the flower shop. After looking around the flower shop, his gaze finallynded on arge bouquet of fiery red roses. ¡°Help me with this bouquet of flowers¡­¡± Dreame Installed 4.4 FREE Open Dreame¨CRead Best Romance. Read and Eam 11:22 Fri, 19 Apr MG ¡°Sir, I want this bouquet.¡± Suddenly, a man in a white shirt bent down and picked up the bouquet of roses. Brian saw the man¡¯s face clearly and his eyes darkened. ¡®Who is Justin buying roses for? It must be Gracel How many days has it been since she left? Yet she¡¯s already with Justin! They must have not ended their rtionship before!¡® Brian thought. Justin paid and looked at Brian, a warmthless smile creeping onto Justin¡¯s face. ¡°Thank you for letting me take the flowers, Mr. Brian. My girlfriend will thank you if she finds out.¡± ¡®Girlfriend¡­. Brian thought. The word was painful to Brian¡¯s ears. Brian smirked coldly. ¡°I wonder who Dr. Vance¡¯s girlfriend is?¡± Justin smiled warmly like a gentle breeze in spring. He raised his eyebrows slightly and asked, ¡°Mr. Brian has already guessed it, right? Why ask again?¡± Brian gritted his teeth. For some reason, he felt like something of his had been snatched away. However, he and Grace had already divorced and had nothing to do with each other. Justin looked at the gloom on Brian¡¯s face and smiled in satisfaction. ¡°Goodbye, Mr. Brian.¡± Brian stood where he was, surrounded by a cold aura. The florist was so frightened that he almost didn¡¯t dare to talk with Brian. ¡°This¡­ sir, who do you want to buy flowers for?¡± Brian said coldly, ¡°Girlfriend,¡± ¡°Red roses, blue roses, and champagne roses are very popr gifts for giving to girlfriends. Do you know what flowers your girlfriend likes?¡± Brian¡¯s expression was terrifyingly gloomy, ¡°Whatever!¡± The boss did not dare to ask further. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s choose this bouquet of blue roses!¡± Brian sat in the driver¡¯s seat and took out his phone. He subconsciously clicked on his contact list. Chapter 126 Brian¡¯s slender fingers slid across the screen twice. When he was almost at the bottom, his gaze stopped on the name ¡°Grace.¡± He stared at her name in a daze for a long time. The words Justin had said just now echoed in his mind. Brian looked up, closed his eyes, and pinched his brow wearily. At that moment, he heard faint musicing from his phone. He opened his eyes and looked down. Unexpectedly, his fingers identally tapped on her name and dialed the number! Brian hurried to hang up the phone, but in the next second, the other party picked up. A cold voice came from the other end. ¡°What do you want?¡± Brian was stunned for a moment. ¡®What kind of attitude is this? Does she feel like I¡¯m disturbing her time with her boyfriend by calling? Brian thought. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I just want to give you a piece of advice. Don¡¯t think that you can live a good life just because you¡¯ve hooked up with Justin. With someone like you, the other party is just ying around with you. If you take it seriously, then you¡¯ll lose.¡± Grace felt that Brian was acting very strange. ¡°What does it have to do with you who I get together with? I think that only a scumbag like you would casually y with other people¡¯s feelings!¡± He words sessfully angered Brian. ¡°You¡¯re finally willing to admit that you¡¯re having an affair with Justin? It¡¯s only been a few days and you¡¯ve already hooked up with him! I think you¡¯ve already been with him before the divorce! You fickle woman!¡± ¡°Brian, are you crazy? I¡¯ve already left with nothing. What else do you want? You¡¯re getting married, and I¡¯m dating the boyfriend I should be dating. It¡¯s no hindrance to you, right?¡± Brian was infuriated by Grace, but Brian could not find a reason to refute her words. ¡°Do whatever you want! I¡¯m just reminding you out of the kindness of my heart. Don¡¯t cry when you fail!¡± Grace was so angry that she roared, ¡°You¡¯re the biggest failure in my life!¡± The phone beeped. Grace decisively hung up the phone. §Ö§ç N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Dreame Dreame Read Best Romance. Read and Earn 4.4¡ï FREE Installed Open Free Rewards Now! xe 1123: Fri 9 Apr Brian stared at the phone screen in disbelief. He was so angry that he threw the phone aside and stepped on the elerator. Brian drove all the way to the main entrance of the Adkins¡¯s home, A maid came and opened the door for him. Brian was a little surprised. A few days ago, he had been rejected at the door when he came to the Adkins family. ¡°Why did they open the door so quickly today? Has Louise decided to forgive me? Brian thought. Brian followed the maid to the living room and saw Marshall sitting alone on the sofa. ¡°Mr. Adkins, where¡¯s Louise?¡± Marshall smoked a cigarette in his hand and looked up at Brian before saying, ¡°Brian, you¡¯rete. Louise has already left.¡± Brian frowned. ¡°Left? Where did she go?¡± Marshall stubbed out his cigarette. ¡°She went overseas. Louise said that she¡¯s very disappointed in you.¡± Brian pursed his lips tightly and did not speak. His eyes were very dark, and Marshall could not understand Brian¡¯s emotions. Brian, actually, Louise loves you dearly. These few days, she has been crying at home every day. She said that she was punishing you, but in fact, she is punishing herself.¡± Marshall observed Brian¡¯s expression and asked tentatively, ¡°Now that she¡¯s gone, do you have any thoughts? Or that is to say, do you have any ns for the future?¡± Brian put down the blue roses in his hand and looked at Marshall. ¡°Mr. Adkins, I apologize for what I did to Louise. I don¡¯t me her for leaving. I¡¯ll wait for her toe back. I promised to marry her, so I¡¯ll definitely do it!¡± When Marshall heard Brian¡¯s words, he was secretly relieved. ¡°Brian, I was right about you. It¡¯s not appropriate for me to interfere in this quarrel between you two. Çú Dreame Chapter 127 Brian nodded slightly. ¡°I understand.¡± Marshall pointed at the sofa. ¡°Sit down. Let¡¯s sit down and talk.¡± Brian walked to the sofa and sat down. Marshall then continued, ¡°Louise was indeed a little impulsive to go overseas alone this time. But girls are like this. It¡¯s fine if she throws a tantrum once in a while. However, I hope that this will not affect the rtionship between our two families. A man should know when to yield and when to stand his ground. If Louise chose to run, you could chase after her! Louise has been alone for so many years. I only hope that she can be happy now.¡± Brian nodded. ¡°Mr. Adkins, I understand what you mean. Don¡¯t worry. Everything that happened this time is my fault. I¡¯ve let Louise down. I¡¯ll take good care of thepany while she¡¯s not around and find her as soon as possible.¡± A smile appeared on Marshall¡¯s face. ¡°Alright, Brian. You¡¯re still as sensible as ever.¡± ¡°It is what I should do.¡± Knock, knock, knock! There was a knock on the door. Grace walked to the door vigntly and peeked through the peephole. When she saw that it was Justin, she opened the door with relief. Aldough she no longer had anything to do with Brian, she was unsure if Louise would still think of ways to harm her. After all, Grace was living alone and was pregnant. It would not hurt to be exceptionally careful. The moment the door opened, arge bouquet of beautiful red roses appeared in her field of vision. Grace was stunned. Justin smiled warmly. ¡°Do you like it?¡± Grace smiled awkwardly. ¡°Thank you, but¡­¡± ¡°But what?¡± Justin frowned. ¡°Don¡¯t you like it?¡± Grace shook her head. ¡°No¡­ It¡¯s just that it¡¯s not good for me to ept your flowers.¡± A trace of loneliness appeared on Justin¡¯s face. ¡°Grace, are you not even going to give me a chance to pursue you?¡± 0x 5 Dreame Dreame Read Best Romance Head and Earn 4.4 FREE Installed Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. Open Free Hewards Now! Helpless, Grace took the flowers from him and turned around. ¡°Come in and sit.¡± She poured a ss of water for Justin and said to him solemnly. ¡°Justin, I¡¯m a woman with a child. We¡¯re not suitable for each other. Don¡¯t give me flowers again.¡± Justin smiled. ¡°It¡¯s my business who I decide to pursue, and it is your business if you reject me. Don¡¯t say such things in the future, okay?¡± ¡°Alright, can you be good and listen to me?¡± Justin interrupted her gently. ¡°Can you apany me to a cocktail party the day after tomorrow?¡± Justin then asked. Grace looked at him in surprise. ¡°Huh? What cocktail party?¡± Justin was silent for a while. He then said in a deep voice, ¡°Actually, it¡¯s my father¡¯s birthday. I don¡¯t have a good rtionship with my father. I didn¡¯t want to go back for his birthday this time, but my grandfather had always hoped that my father and I could bury the hatchet It was Grace¡¯s first time seeing a cold expression on Justin¡¯s face. It seemed that his rtionship with his father was really not good. ¡°Then, why do you want me to apany you?¡± Justin looked at her. ¡°My grandfather is old and in poor health. He might notst another two years. He had always hoped I could get a girlfriend as soon as possible.¡± Grace understood what he meant. Justin wanted her to be his shield. Back then, Brian also used her as a shield when his family urged him to get married¡­. Justin saw the change in her expression and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you unwilling?¡± Grace shook his head. ¡°Nothing. I¡¯m just worried that it¡¯s not good for us to lie to an old man like this.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. He doesn¡¯t have the energy to care about me.¡± É« Chapter 128 "I''m only doing this to fulfill his wish. I know you''re afraid that things will getplicated. Don''t worry. I don''t have a good rtionship with my father. I won''t introduce you to him." Grace thought for a moment. "Alright then. I don''t have much to do anyway." Justin revealed a satisfied smile and patted her head. "Alright, I''ll go back to work first." "Be careful on the road." At the Francis estate. Ava was busy cooking in the kitchen while the maid stood at the side. The entire kitchen was in a mess. "Miss Adkins, let me take over! You should go and rest" Ava red at the maid. "I asked you to teach me how to cook, not rece me! It''s rare for Brian toe back for dinner. I must cook for him! Do you know how to teach? If you don''t, get out!" The maid was scolded. Ava spent the entire afternoon in the kitchen, working away until she finally came up with a table full of decent home-cooked dishes.. Around seven o''clock, Brian arrived home. Ava hurriedly ran over to wee him and, much like a wife, helped him undo his tie. "Brian, you must be tired from working all day. You can go wash your hands and get ready for dinner. I specially made it for you tonight!" Brian took half a step back and slightly distanced himself from her. He nodded lightly. "Okay." Brian went upstairs to change his clothes before he came back down and sat at the dining table. Ava personally served him by piling his te with food. She even brought him a bowl of soup. Ava watched as Brian picked up a drumstick and ate it. She looked at him expectantly. "How is it?" It was very salty. Other than the oil, the only thing Ava added was probably salt. This was the worst meal Brian had ever eaten. However, he still ate everything out of politeness. "Considering that you probably haven''t cooked in the Adkins family before, it is good enough that you managed to cook anything at all," Brianmented politely. Hearing Brian''s praise, Ava got even more excited and piled more food on his te. "Then eat more." Brian took a few bites and could no longer stomach any more food. He put down his fork and looked at Ava. Ava blinked shyly. "Brian, why are you looking at me? Do you have something to tell me?" Brian paused momentarily and said. "Your sister went overseas." Ava nodded. "I know." Shannon had told Ava the news immediately! It seemed that Louise did not intend to reconcile with Brian. When Ava heard the news, she was overjoyed for the entire afternoon! She could finally confidently express her love to Brian! Ava believed that as long as she stayed by Brian''s side, he would definitely be touched by her actions! "Your sister has left. You should go back to the Adkins family as well." Ava was immersed in her beautiful fantasy when Brian''s cold words dragged her mercilessly back to reality. She looked at him stiffly. "Brian...you want me to leave?" "Yes, you''re ady. It''s not appropriate for you to stay here alone."N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Ava''s eyes instantly filled with tears. "Brian, I just thought you would be sad since Louise left and you were alone at home. I wanted to stay and apany you. Please don''t chase me away,, okay?" Ava begged Brian pitifully. Brian frowned and looked at her for a long time. The thought of Louise frustrated him. After a few moments. Brian stood up and said, "I guess you can stay for a while." Ava nodded eagerly. "Thank you, Brian!" At night. Brian could not fall asleep. Chapter 129 The ashtray was filled with cigarette butts. Brian nced at the time disyed on his phone. It was already two in the morning. For some reason, he felt empty inside, as if something was missing. Brian had tossed and turned for hours. In the end, he decided to get out of bed and went downstairs. He downed arge ss of ice water. His mind slowly became clearer. Looking at the empty living room, some images suddenly resurfaced in his mind. Unknowingly, Brian had walked to the maid¡¯s room. He pushed open the door. It was dark inside, and a familiar fragrance wafted into his nose. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. The lights turned on and he saw that the entire room was empty. Grace had taken almost everything with her. Brian opened the closet door and saw some clothes lying around. It seemed to be the clothes he had bought for Grace after she came here. The familiar smell of the room put Brian¡¯s heavy heart at case. Hey on the bed and got into afortable position. With the familiar fragrance wafting into his nose, he slowly drifted into dreand. Upstairs. Av was wearing a set of transparent silk pajamas. After hesitating for a long time, she mustered up her courage and walked out of her room. When she arrived outside Brian¡¯s room, she realized that the door was ajar. Ava was delighted. ¡°Wasn¡¯t this tantly giving me a chance?¡® Ava thought. Ava pushed the door open and walked towards the big bed. Her heart was pounding loudly and nervously in her chest. As long as she could trick Brian into sleeping with her, he would have no choice but to marry her! Ava gentlyy down on the bed. When she touched it, she realized that the bed was empty. From the cold bedsheets, Ava could deduce that the bed must have been unupied for a very long time. She had no idea how long Brian had been gone from his room. Ava could only return to her room in disappointment. Early in the morning. Ava was having breakfast in the dining room when she suddenly saw Brianing out of the E Dreame 11:23 Fri, 19 Apr M G maid¡¯s room that once belonged to Grace. Ava bit her lip hard. Ava could not believe that Brian had slept in Grace¡¯s room. ¡°That was the maid¡¯s room! Why would he ever sleep there? Ava thought, unable to understand Brian¡¯s actions. Could it be that he could only fall asleep in Grace¡¯s room?¡® Ava spected. The thought of this made Ava grit her teeth in anger. After washing up, Brian left without even eating breakfast. When he arrived at thepany, he called Camren over. ¡°Find out where Louise went immediately.¡± ¡°Okay, Mr. Francis. I¡¯m on it.¡± About an hourter, Camren returned to the office and reported the results to Brian. ¡°Miss Adkins went to Aunor and is currently studying at the Royal School of The Arts in Aunor.¡± Brian pursed his lips and remained silent. His eyshes hid the emotions in his downcast eyes. Camren asked, ¡°Mr. Francis, should we look for Miss Adkins?¡± Brian tapped his fingers rhythmically on the table a few times before saying, ¡°No need.¡± Louise going overseas to further her studies was a good thing. He should not stop her from improving herself. ¡°ON¡± Camren replied in surprise. Camren then handed over a red invitation card. ¡°Mr. Francis. The Vance family is throwing a birthday banquet for thepany chairman the day after tomorrow. You were specially invited. Would you like to go?¡± Brian took a brief look at the invitation and closed it. ¡°I¡¯ll attend.¡± The Vance family was highly reputable in Capern City and had always been known to be a powerful family. Even if the Vance family did not have many business dealings with the Francis family, it seemed fitting to turn up to the birthday banquet thrown to celebrate the birthday of the Vance family¡¯spany chairman. The birthday banquet was held at the Capern City Clubhouse. The guests who attended the banquet were all well¨Cknown celebrities in the political and business world. Marshall also attended the banquet alon with the rest of his family. Ava was wearing a deep V¨Cneck dress. She held Shannon¡¯s hand and sneaked to a quiet corner. Chapter 130 ¡°Mom, where¡¯s the medicine I asked you to prepare for me?¡± Shannon looked around carefully before she took out a small bag of medicine from her handbag. She said in a low voice, ¡°You have to be careful. You cannot be discovered using this.¡± Ava¡¯s eyes shone with excitement as she held the medicine in her hand. Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. ¡°Everything is going ording to n, Mom! I love you so much! After tonight, I¡¯ll be Brian¡¯s woman! Nothing will be the same when Louisees back!¡± Ava eximed. At the entrance. Justin¡¯s car rolled to a stop at the door. He got out of the car first and walked around the front of the vehicle before stopping at the passenger side door. Justin opened the door and extended his right hand out like a gentleman. He smiled warmly at the woman in the car, Grace was wearing an off¨Cshoulder white dress. As someone who had been conservative since she was young, Grace felt ufortable in this dress even though she was barely showing any cleavage. Justin looked at her uneasy expression andughed dotingly. ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous. I will be right beside you. All you have to do is rx.¡± With one hand covering her chest and the other ced lightly in Justin¡¯s palm, Grace slowly got out of the car. The slim¨Cfitting gown acted her figure. Justin had specially chosen a dress with a rtively high waistline, just enough to cover Grace¡¯s slightly bulging stomach. Her figure was perfect. The off¨Cshoulder design vividly disyed her long neck and sexy corbone. Grace¡¯s makeup today was exquisite. As her skin was clear and in good condition, she only applied a thinyer of foundation. All she had on was some eye makeup, but that alone was beautiful enough to mesmerize everyone. Justin looked at her face and smiled warmly. ¡°Grace, you¡¯re breathtakingly beautiful.¡± Grace lowered her head andughed awkwardly. ¡°Let¡¯s hurry up and go in.¡± When Grace walked into the club, she realized how majestic the birthday banquet was. It was obvious that the host¡¯s family was rich. Grace turned to look at Justin. ¡°Justin, you said that this was your father¡¯s birthday banquet, right?¡± ex Dreame P Dreame¨CRead Best Romance Read and Earn 4.4 FREE Free Rewards Now! Installed Open 11:23 Fri, 19 Apr MG Justin nodded. ¡°Yes, what¡¯s wrong? Is there a problem?¡± Grace looked at him in disbelief and blinked. ¡°N¨Cnothing.¡± way. Justin led her through the crowd. The pair attracted the attention of many people along the Justin walked straight to an old man sitting in a wheelchair. He bent down and greeted, ¡°Grandpa.¡± The old man¡¯s eyesight had deteriorated. He ly recognized Justin when he got closer. When the old man heard Justin¡¯s call, he excitedly held onto Justin¡¯s hand¡­ ¡°Justin, you¡¯re back!¡± The old man held Justin¡¯s hand and stared at his face for a while before asking, ¡°Justin, you said that you wanted to bring your girlfriend backst time. Did you bring her today?¡± Justin looked at Grace. ¡°Grandpa, of course, I never forget the promises that I make.¡± Grace nodded slightly and squatted down to look at the old man. ¡°Hello, Grandpa. My name is Grace. The old man smiled until his eyes narrowed. ¡°Your girlfriend is so pretty. She¡¯s verypatible with our Justin!¡± ¡°Justin, I¡¯m relieved to see that you have a girlfriend. If you can forgive your father, I can die in peace.¡± ¡°Grandfather, don¡¯t say such things. As long as I am alive, I will do everything I can to treat your illness.¡± Justin carefully avoided the topic of his father. The old man didn¡¯t mention it again. The banquet officially began. The Vance family chairman, Zachary Vance, and his wife gave a speech on stage. ¡°Thank you, guests. Today is my birthday, and it¡¯s also the fiftieth anniversary of the startup of Vance Corporation. Thank you foring to my birthday banquet despite your busy schedule¡­¡± É« 0 Chapter 131 Grace turned to look at Justin in shock. ¡°Your father is the chairman of Vance Corporation? That means that you are the heir to the Vance Corporation!¡± Justin¡¯s expression was icy as he looked at the man speaking on stage. There was no warmth in Justin¡¯s eyes. Hearing Grace¡¯s words, Justin only replied indifferently, ¡°It¡¯s a bit of a reach to say that I am the heir to the Vance family. I¡¯m merely an illegitimate child.¡± Grace was taken aback by this new information. She could not believe that Justin was Zachary¡¯s illegitimate son! Although Justin said it casually, Grace could sense the faint sadness in his heart. After Zachary¡¯s speech ended, the hall instantly became lively. Grace stared at Justin¡¯s side profile for a long time. She could not help but suggest, ¡°Since you¡¯re already here, it wouldn¡¯t hurt to go greet him, you know?¡± ¡°He can celebrate his birthday just fine without a son like me,¡± Justin said without a trace of warmth in his tone. He then turned to look at Grace and smiled gently at her. ¡°Let¡¯s go get something to eat. There¡¯s dessert over there.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Grace smiled and held Justin¡¯s hand as they walked towards the snacks area. In the booth, Brian sat quietly on the sofa and smoked. Camren walked over. ¡°Mr. Francis, the gift has been delivered. Would you like to leave now? If you would like to make a move, I¡¯ll go and prepare the car.¡± Brian nodded in response. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Camren turned around and walked ahead of Brian. Brian stubbed out his cigarette and stood up. His slender legs stepped out of the booth. Suddenly, he saw a familiar side profile from the corner of his eye. Brian frowned and turned to look. The woman was wearing a white dress. Her hair was tied loosely behind her head, revealing her beautiful long neck, slender figure, and exquisite face. No one could take their eyes off of her. The man she was holding was wearing a white suit. The pair looked as if they were bathing in the sun as they stood under the bright light. The atmosphere between them felt warm and sweet. It was not an exaggeration to describe the two as the perfect couple. However, this scene made Brian¡¯s eyes sting. His fingers subconsciously clenched into fists. It seemed that Grace had be very carefree after leaving him! th his gaze fixed on Grace, Brian called out to Camren, ¡°Camren! You can leave first. I¡¯ll head back myself later.¡± N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. ¡°What?¡± Camren responded, confused. His queries were answered when he followed Brian¡¯s gaze and saw Grace, whose beauty was akin to that of a white swan. A trace of surprise shed across Camren¡¯s eyes. He looked at his boss and couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡°Alright, then I¡¯ll leave first.¡± Brian¡¯s gaze gaze seemed to be glued to Grace. He walked to the wine table at the side and downed a ss of wine. He had never seen Grace with such a dazzling smile on her face. He had also never seen Grace this beautiful. It was as if her entire body was glowing. Brian¡¯s eyes seemed drawn to her, mesmerized by her beauty. He could not take his gaze off Grace as he downed one ss after another. The pair walked towards the snack area and got closer and closer¡­ Suddenly, Grace seemed to feel a gaze on her. She tilted her head slightly and met Brian¡¯s dark eyes. Grace¡¯s body stiffened, and her grip on Justin instinctively tightened. Her actions caused Justin to stop in his tracks. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Grace quickly lowered her head to hide the expression on her face. ¡°Nothing.¡± Grace did not expect Brian to suddenly walk towards her just as she was about to walk away. Brian could not hide the sarcasm in his eyes as he approached the pair and stopped in front of them with a ss of wine in one hand. Chapter 132 ¡°It¡¯s only been a few days since west saw each other. Yet Miss Sherman seems to be bing more and more full of yourself.¡± Grace took a deep breath and looked straight at him. Her lips curled into an impable smile. ¡°I would have to give Mr. Brian full credit for that. If you didn¡¯t fire me, how could I have had the chance to attend an event like this?¡± Brian gritted his teeth in anger when he heard those words. He knew what Grace was implying. She was reminding him that they had nothing to do with each other anymore. He could no longer control her. He picked up a ss of wine and handed it to her. ¡°In that case, shouldn¡¯t you thank me?¡± Grace looked at the wine ss and pursed her lips. A slender and fair hand reached over and took the ss. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, my girlfriend doesn¡¯t know how to drink. I¡¯ll drink this ss on her behalf and down two more sses as punishment.¡± After saying that, Justin tilted his head back and emptied the wine ss. He then downed another two sses in a row. Brian¡¯s eyes were red with anger. The entire time, he kept his eyes on Grace¡¯s face as if he wanted to tear her apart with his gaze. Grace red back at him indignantly. Justin finished his drifk and looked at Brian with a slight smile. ¡°Mr. Brian, I will have to make a move first. My girlfriend is hungry. I have to take her to eat something.¡± Justin held Grace¡¯s wrist and left Brian¡¯s side. The moment the pair walked away, Brian clenched his fists tightly in an attempt to stop himself from reaching out to pull Grace back. Brian sat back down in the booth and downed one ss after another. Not long after, Ava came over with two sses of red wine. ¡°Brian, there you are! I¡¯ve been looking for you!¡± Brian did not even look at her. He stared at Grace, who was now far away. Ava nced at the ss of red wine in her hand and gently ced it in front of Brian. ¡°Brian, let me offer you a toast.¡± ¦§ Brian turned to look at Ava with a cold gaze. Ava shivered. ¡°What¡­ what¡¯s wrong, Brian?¡± Brian did not say anything in response. He turned back and continued to stare at Grace. Ava followed his gaze in confusion. When she saw the woman he was staring at, she frowned. slightly. Since when was this woman a part of the socialities in Capern City? She was really stunning. Wait a minute! That woman seemed incredibly familiar! It was Grace! Ava gasped and rubbed her eyes in disbelief. It was indeed Grace! When did Grace be so beautiful? ¡°How despicable! Looks like Grace still did not know her ce even after being kicked out of the house by Brian! I can¡¯t believe she had the guts to sneak into an asion like this. She must be trying to seduce Brian!¡® Ava thought furiously. After observing Grace for a while, Ava noticed the suspicious man standing next to Grace, feeding her gently and intimately. ¡°Damn it, why did the man have to be decent¨Clooking? Why is this bitch always surrounded by good¨C looking men?¡® Ava thought. Ava bit her lip and took a sip of wine. She then said sarcastically, ¡°My goodness, isn¡¯t that Grace? Brian, look at her and the man beside her. Do they have no shame? unting their affection for each other in public so shamelessly! How embarrassing!¡± Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. ¡°What a fickle slut. It¡¯s only been a few days since you chased her out, and she¡¯s already hooked up with another man¡­ Tsk¡­¡± Ava continued. BANG! Ava was taken aback. She turned around and saw that Brian had ced his cup heavily on the table and was staring at her gloomily. ¡°Brian¡­ ¡°Even if you stop talking, no one will think you¡¯re mute,¡± Brian said coldly. Chapter 133 ¡°Aren¡¯t doctors supposed to be very busy? Who would¡¯ve thought that the famous Dr. Vance would be able to find time to attend his father¡¯s birthday banquet?¡± A slightly rough voice sounded. Justin paused and slowly turned to look at him. The man was donning a ck formal suit. He looked at Justin arrogantly, his lips curled into a mocking smile. The man shared many simr features to Justin. Grace guessed that the man was likely Justin¡¯s half- brother. However, it was obvious from the man¡¯s odd tone that he did note harboring good intentions. Justin¡¯s face remained expressionless as he said indifferently, ¡°I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ve misunderstood. I¡¯m here to see Grandpa. I have no intentions of greeting the father you mentioned.¡± Ethanughed coldly. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re just as high and mighty as ever. Is that your strategy? To curry favor with the old man so that everything will go your way? You pretend to be aloof on the outside, but you probably already have detailed ns for the Vance family assets, am I right?¡± Justin frowned and replied sarcastically, ¡°Ethan, even though I do not dabble specifically in business, I¡¯ve heard things about the Vance Group. It seems that the subsidiarypany under your care has been going downhill. I wonder how you have the time toe here and show off. Heed my advice and spend more of that energy taking care of your own business instead.¡± It was obvious that Justin¡¯s words hit a sore spot for Ethan. Ethan instantly flew into a rage and red at Justin as he reached for a ss of wine and threw the contents of the ss at Justin. Justin did not have time to dodge and merely tilted his head slightly with his eyes closed. However, the ssh of wine that he expected never came. When Justin opened his eyes, he saw Grace standing in front of him. Her face and chest were now wet with wine. The surrounding crowd descended into a hushed silence as they looked over and observed the scene y out in front of them. In the booth, Brian, who saw this scene, clenched his fists tightly and stood up from the table. ¡°Brian¡­ What are you doing?¡± Ava had also witnessed the scene. She quickly went forward tofort him. ¡°Brian, don¡¯t be angry. I know that you¡¯ll definitely feel a little ufortable when you see her being bullied, but if you go up now, people will gossip.¡± N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Ava took this chance and handed him the ss of wine. ¡°Brian,e, have a ss of wine to calm Dreame µÚ96%1 down.¡± ¡®Ava was right. We are already divorced. Why should I care about her? Besides, Justin was the reason she got caught in the crossfire. She deserved it! Brian thought. Brian gritted his teeth in anger. He epted the wine Ava handed over and downed it in one gulp. Ava¡¯s eyes lit up when she saw that Brian had finally drunk the wine. ¡°Brian, shall I bring you back to rest?¡± Ava stood in front of him, blocking his view. Brian pushed her out of the way. ¡°Get out of the way. If you want to go back, go back yourself.¡± Ava bit her lip and took a deep breath. It didn¡¯t matter. In a while, Brian would be hers! Ava sat in the booth beside him and waited patiently for Brian. At the same time, Justin looked at Grace in disbelief. He immediately took out a handkerchief and wiped the wine stains on her face. ¡°Why did you do that!¡± Ethan mocked, ¡°Oh, the high and mighty Dr. Vance sure has a soft spot for women!¡± Justin wiped the wine stains off Grace¡¯s face before he turned to look at Ethan. His gaze instantly turned as cold as ice. BANG! Before anyone could react, Justin punched Ethan across the face. Themotion here instantly rmed Zachary. Zachary rushed over. When he saw that it was his two sons who were having a conflict, his face darkened. É« Chapter 134 Ethan was about to retaliate but was held back by Zachary. ¡°Aren¡¯t you embarrassed enough?¡± Ethan gritted his teeth and looked at Zachary. ¡°It was an ident. My hand slipped. It was her fault that she stepped in.¡± Zachary red at Ethan fiercely, warning him to keep his mouth shut. Then, he looked at Justin indifferently. He nced at Grace and then looked at Justin. He said calmly, ¡°Bring her upstairs to clean up.¡± Justin nced at Zachary and nodded slightly. Then, he held Grace¡¯s hand and turned to leave. Zachary nced at Ethan and warned him in a low voice, ¡°I¡¯ll settle the score with youter!¡± Zachary then turned to address the crowd. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, everyone. That was an embarrassing disy on my part. Come,e,e. Let me toast everyone as an apology for interrupting the good time you were having. Everyone, continue to have fun!¡± The crowd dispersed. Ethan gritted his teeth and walked toward the washroom. Brian¡¯s eyes darkened. He stood up and strode away. When Ava saw Brian walk into the crowd, she hurriedly stood up. However, in the blink of an eye, she had lost sight of Brian. Ava was anxious. This wouldn¡¯t do! He had drunk the spiked alcohol! What if he slept with another woman? Could it be that he went to look for Grace?¡® Ava thought. Ava nced briefly at the second floor before making her way upstairs to look for Brian. Brian was not looking for Grace. Instead, he had followed Ethan to the toilet. Ethan came out of the cubicle after using the toilet with a cigarette in his mouth. He had bent his back and was about to zip up his pants when the contents of a wine ss were emptied on his face. Ethan shut his eyes tightly and spat out the cigarette in his mouth. ¡°Who the fuck are you? How dare you throw wine at me?¡± R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Ethan opened his eyes and met Brian¡¯s fierce ck eyes. Brian¡¯s eyes exuded a sense of authority. There was no doubt that Ethan knew Brian. The Francis family had a significant influence in the business world. Offending Brian was thest thing that Ethan wanted to do. No matter how arrogant Ethan usually was, the most he dared to do was wipe off the wine on his face. ¡°Mr. Francis, what is the meaning of this?¡± ¡°My hand slipped,¡± Brian said nonchntly. Ethan took a deep breath. Who was he kidding? It was clearly done on purpose!¡® he thought. Then, Ethan remembered what had happened in the hall just now. He had said the same thing back then. It seemed that Brian was avenging that woman! Ethan didn¡¯t dare to fall out with Brian. He could only smile hypocritically. ¡°The should I take Mr. Francis to see a doctor? I happen to know a doctor in the Vance family. Why don¡¯t I take you to see him?¡± Brian sneered. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m not interested in the matters of the Vance family.¡± After saying that, Brian threw the empty cup on the floor beside Ethan. Ethan¡¯s body subconsciously trembled. After Brian left, he kicked away the broken ss by his feet. In the suite on the third floor. Justin handed the towel to Grace as he nagged, ¡°You should not have stood in front of me, you know? I am a man. It wouldn¡¯t matter if I were sshed!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t want you to look like a mess at your father¡¯s birthday celebration. I¡¯m sure you would not want that either.¡± Justin¡¯s heart softened as he pulled Grace into his arms. Grace struggled against it, but he hugged her even tighter. ¡°Grace, thank you, but I really don¡¯t care about that. If I had a choice, I would rather not be a member of the Vance family. Justin knew that Grace was ufortable with being hugged by Justin, so the two only shared a brief hug before Justin let her go. ¡°Go take a shower. You can wear the bathrobe first. I¡¯ll go out and buy you a set of clean clothes.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Ava did not find Brian upstairs. Instead, she saw Justin and Grace enter a suite. Öæ 0 Chapter 135 Ava pursed her lips and cursed under her breath. She turned around and took the elevator downstairs to look for Brian again. At the same time, Brian had walked up the stairs. Just like this, Ava missed the perfect opportunity to approach Brian. As soon as Brian reached the second floor, he saw Justin smiling gently at someone in a room before walking out of the room and into an elevator. Brian narrowed his eyes slightly, loosened his tie, and walked straight to the suite. The door was not locked and swung open with a gentle turn of the doorknob. There was no one in the room. Brian only took two steps before he heard the sound of a showering from the bathroom. He stared at the blurry figure in the bathroom with a gloomy expression. ¡®Not even bothering to close the door when taking a shower¡­was she waiting for Justin toe so they could spend the night together?¡® Brian thought, appalled. What an indecent woman! Owned by N?velDrama.Org. Brian was filled with anger. He decided to lock the door. He sat down on the bed and suddenly felt thirsty. He unscrewed the bottle of mineral water on the bedside table and took a sip. Grace¡¯s phone was still on the bedside table. Brian picked it up and attempted to unlock it. The screen indicated that a password had to be entered. Brian paused before inputting the number 921212. Much to Brian¡¯s surprise, the phone was sessfully unlocked. This realization stunned him. Brian did not know Grace¡¯s password. All he did was input his birthday. He did not expect Grace to use his birthday as the password needed to unlock her phone. Brian¡¯s eyes darkened. He quickly opened Grace¡¯s contact list and found Justin¡¯s number. He clicked on it and toggled to the message log between Justin and Grace. His fingers flew across the phone screen as he hurriedly crafted a text. Brian hit send. The message read, [I have something on. I¡¯ll go back first.] A whileter, a call came through. Brian rejected the call. 11:24 Fr, 19 Apr M G A text message came in. It read, [Okay.] Brian stared at the phone and smirked evilly. The sound of running water in the bathroom was endless. He felt his mouth getting increasingly. dry. Brian had finished the entire bottle of mineral water. Yet, he could still feel the burning heat in his heart. He unbuttoned two buttons of his shirt and lowered the temperature of the air conditioner by two degrees with the remote control. However, the heat in his body became increasingly difficult to ignore. Even his brain had begun to heat up. ¡®Something was not right!¡® Brian vaguely reasoned with himself. He had been drugged! Brian stood up and nced at the figure in the bathroom. His mind was in a mess now. He shook his head hard, trying to clear the cloudiness in his mind. He was about to leave when the bathroom. door suddenly opened. Grace came out of the bathroom wrapped in a bathrobe. Her fair and smooth skin glistened with droplets of water.. She was like an alluring fruit that was waiting to be plucked. Brian felt a lump form in his throat. He swallowed his saliva. Grace saw the man in the room and trembled in fear. ¡°You¡­Why are you in my room?¡± Brian¡¯s eyes were terrifyingly dark. He stared at Grace like a wolf staring at its prey. His gaze moved down her face inch by inch, taking in every part of her. A sense of shame inexplicably rose in Grace¡¯s heart. She subconsciously wrapped her bathrobe tighter around herself. ¡°What are you looking at? There¡¯s nothing between us anymore¡­Mmm¡­¡± Grace was interrupted when Brian abruptly kissed her. Grace widened her eyes in shock and struggled with all her might. However, her strength was iparable to that of Brian, who could hold her wrists in ce with just one hand. ¡®His body was burning up!¡® Grace thought, rmed, Brian¡¯s body was frighteningly hot. He must have been drugged!¡® Grace realized. Chapter 136 Grace began to feel afraid. She took the opportunity of Brian breaking away for air to push him away forcefully. ¡°Brian, open your eyes. I am not Louise. I¡¯m the person you hate the most¡­mm!¡± Before she could finish her sentence, Brian kissed her again. Brian hadpletely lost his mind. He was so strong that Grace could not move at all. Suddenly, she felt her body being lifted into the air as Brian carried her to the bed. In an instant, Brian was hovering over her, not giving her a chance to resist. Grace felt a chill on her chest as the towel was ripped from her body. Tears streamed down her face in despair as Grace knew that she would not be able to escape. In the hall. Ava was driven up the wall with anxiety. She hurriedly went to look for Shannon. ¡°Mom! It¡¯s over! Brian is missing. I¡¯ve searched the entire clubhouse, but I can¡¯t find him. I can¡¯t get through to his phone either!¡± ¡°Did he go home? Do you want to go back and take a look?¡± Ava said anxiously, ¡°That¡¯s impossible! I found his assistant just now. His assistant said that Brian hadn¡¯t left. Mom, it¡¯s been an hour. The drug must have taken effect! What I¡¯m worried about now is someone else benefitting from this after all the effort I had put in!¡± Shannonforted Ava. ¡°Don¡¯t be anxious. Since he hasn¡¯t left, he must still be in one of the rooms! Let¡¯s search the rooms one by one! We will be able to find him!¡± The mother and daughter went to the manager to ask for the surveince footage but were rejected. Thus, the pair could only knock on the door one by one. After searching for an hour, they had already checked all the upied rooms but to no avail. The only room that was left unchecked was the room upied by Grace. Ava¡¯s eyes were bloodshot with anger. ¡°Mom, Brian is definitely inside!¡± When the banquet ended, Ava asked Shannon and Marshall to stay and wait in one of the rooms. She was going to personally catch Grace in the act and beat that shameless bitch to death! B Dreame 11:24 Fri, 19 Apr M G Early in the morning, Brian suddenly opened his eyes, He turned to look at the woman beside him, who was covered with love bites, evidence of the night before. His eyes darkened. Brian vaguely remembered fragments of what happenedst night. He remembered that she seemed to have cried and repeatedly begged him to let her go. However, he had lost all rationality and could only let the medicine take over. Brian slowly sat up and looked at Grace, whose eyes were red and swollen. His expression was complicated. He stared at her side profile for a long time before he quietly got out of bed and got dressed. Brian took out a ck bank card from his wallet and ced it under Grace¡¯s phone. the Brian took onest long look at the woman on the bed and left the room. In the lobby on the first floor. When Ava saw Brianing down alone, she quickly shook Shannon and Marshall awake. ¡°Mom! Dad! Wake up!¡± Marshall woke up with a start. ¡°Huh? What¡¯s wrong? Did that womane out?¡± Ava pointed at Brian. After seeing him leave the venue, the three of them went upstairs to settle the score with Grace. The hotel room door was violently pushed open by Ava. It hit the wall with a dull thud. Grace jolted awake. When she opened her eyes, she saw Ava looming in front of her. Grace sat up from the bed. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Grace pulled the bed covers higher in defense. When Ava saw that Grace¡¯s body was covered in love bites, she was so angry that his face turned ashen. Ava spotted the bank card on the bedside table. ¡°That bank card was the one with no spending limit! Brian gave that to her?¡® Ava thought incredulously. Ava stared at Grace. ¡°This is Brian¡¯s bank card! Grace! How dare you!¡± Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. Smack! Ava stepped forward and whacked Grace across her face. Chapter 137 ¡°You shameless bitch! Brian already kicked you out of the housel How dare you seduce Brian! Have you no shame?¡± Grace¡¯s head had been turned to one side from the impact of the p. She slowly turned her head back to look at Ava coldly. Brian had been druggedst night, and Ava was able to find her so urately this morning. Grace suspected that Ava was the one who drugged Brian. ¡°So what if Brian slept with mest night? You seem very angry. Would you like to call the police?¡± Upon hearing Grace¡¯s cold and indifferent tone, Ava¡¯s chest heaved violently with anger. ¡°Slut!¡± Aval yelled. Ava raised her hand and wanted to p her again, but Grace gripped her arm tightly in midair. Grace pushed her hand away harshly. ¡°If you are so capable, you should go find Brian instead of standing here and insulting me!¡± Shannon steadied Ava and turned to look at Grace. ¡°Your name is Grace, right? I¡¯m Ava¡¯s mother. I¡¯ve heard about you and Brian. As a woman, I hope that you can have a basic sense of shame. Brian has already divorced you. He¡¯ll be our son¨Cinw in the future. Stop pestering him if you know what¡¯s good for you.¡± When Grace heard Shannon¡¯s words, her lips curled up coldly. *Madam, I¡¯m afraid you¡¯re mistaken. Last night, it was Brian who came into my room uninvited. Why don¡¯t you go look for Brian and ask him who was pestering who?¡± Her words sounded like an arrogant provocation to Ava. Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. Ava was so angry that she rushed forward and grabbed Grace¡¯s hair, pulling her off the bed. ¡°You vixen! Bitch! If I don¡¯t teach you a lesson today, you¡¯ll never know how to talk like a decent human being!¡± Grace fell to the ground andnded on her knees. She frowned in pain. Ava violently grabbed at her hair. Grace¡¯s anger rose immediately. ¡°Did Ava really think that I was still a maid and could be easily bullied by her?¡® Grace thought. Grace grabbed Ava¡¯s face and dug her nails into Ava¡¯s flesh. Ava was in pain, but she refused to let go of Grace. ¡°Ah! You bitch! Let go of me!¡± ?§ç D Dreame Dreame- Read Best Romance. Read and Eam 4.4* FREE Installed Open Free Rewards Now! 0 Grace had been working since she was young and was thus much stronger than Ava, Soon, Grace had crawled off the floor and had Ava pinned down firmly under her. Grace now had the upper hand This made Shannon anxious, and she hurriedly pulled Grace off of Ava. Grace had trapped Aval with both of her hands. With her entire body weight, Grace mmed into Ava. The impact of the push knocked Shannon back a few steps. Thankfully for her, Marshall was there to catch her, and she did not fall. Marshall rushed forward and grabbed Grace¡¯s wrist with one hand before swinging down harshly with his other hand.. A crisp sound could be heard as Marshall¡¯s hand made contact with Grace¡¯s face. Grace¡¯s face instantly went numb. There was a buzzing in her ears. Her long hair draped over her face, covering her expression. Grace seemed frozen in ce as her head remained tilted to one side, unable to regain her senses for a long time after that p. ¡°You¡¯re so young and yet so shameless! One look at you, and anyone can tell that you¡¯re a brat who grew up without a mother!¡± Marshall yelled. Grace gritted her teeth and slowly turned to look at Marshall. Fany She stared dead into Marshall¡¯s eyes, her gaze devoid of any warmth. Marshall¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Why did Grace¡¯s eyes look so familiar? Marshall subconsciously clenched his fists. An inexplicable emotion surged in his heart. Grace stared at him coldly and her lips curled into a mocking smile. ¡°Do you think you have the right to say that? Your daughter was raised in a family with both parents. Yet, she became someone who would drug someone for her benefit. If I was not the unlucky onest night, you would probably be educating your youngest daughter to snatch your eldest daughter¡¯s fianc¨¦ now.¡± Çú Chapter 138 Grace continued. ¡°But I guess that doesn¡¯t matter. No matter how embarrassing it is for you, it won¡¯t affect the benefit the Adkins family would gain.¡± Marshall frowned. ¡°What are you talking about? Repeat what you just said!¡± Ava red at Grace. ¡°You bitch! Stop talking nonsense! I didn¡¯t drug Brian! Dad, don¡¯t listen to that bitch!¡± Marshall looked at Ava, then at Grace, then at Shannon. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Dad! Don¡¯t listen to her nonsense! She must have drugged Brian and wanted to shift the me to me! She was not happy when Brian kicked her out, so she kept thinking of ways to seduce Brian!¡± Marshall¡¯s expression was gloomy. His gaze fell on Grace¡¯s face. Weirdly, her stubborn expression made him feel inexplicably sorry for her. Subconsciously, he knew that this girl did not seem to be the kind of indecent and shameless woman who did not know her ce. Ava was still cursing. Marshall gritted his teeth and lightly pushed her. ¡°We¡¯re going home!¡± ¡°Dad! Don¡¯t you care? She already slept with Brian! If Louise finds out that you don¡¯t care about this, she¡¯ll definitely be angry!¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Marshall shouted. Ava bit her lip and shut her mouth. With Brian¡¯s ck card in her hand, she walked out of the room. Grace momentarily shut her eyes before she stood up to close the door. Clutching her abdomen, she walked back to the bed and lifted the nket to take a look. There was no blood on the bed. Other th the fact that she felt a little dry and sore, there was no difort. Grace remembered that she had been crying and had asked Brian to be gentlest night. Although he had been drugged and had been out of it, he had still listened to her. 2 32 32 2 Grace had mixed feelings. When she thought of what happenedst night, she was filled with hatred for Brian. If Brian knew that he was drugged, he could have gone to the hospital! But he didn¡¯t. He chose to hurt her! Grace took a look at the clothes she had. Now, she could only put on the gown fromst night and go home. ex D N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Dreame Dream Read Best Romance Read and Earn 4.4 FREE Free Rewards Now! Installed Open 11:24 Fri, 19 Apr M She changed her clothes and was about to hail a taxi when she received a call from Justin. Grace hesitated for a moment before picking up the phone. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Grace, are you home?¡± Justin sounded anxious. ¡°Oh. 1¡­ I went to visit my brother.¡± Grace casually made up a lie. Justin heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°You scared me to death. I went to buy clothes for youst night, but you suddenly sent me a message saying that you had something to do and had gone home. I didn¡¯t see you this morning. I thought something had happened to you. When will you be back?¡± Grace was puzzled when she heard Justin¡¯s words. ¡°When did I send a message to Justinst night? Oh right, Justin never returned from buying clothes last night! Grace pondered. ¡°I will likely be back in the afternoon. I¡¯ll hang up first.¡± Grace hurriedly said goodbye. She picked up her phone and flipped through it. She realized that there was indeed an additional conversation in the message log. It seemed that Brian had sent it with her phone. However, Brian did not know Grace¡¯s password and had never checked her phone in the three years. of their marriage. That means Brian must have used his birthday to unlock her phonest night. Grace could not help but wonder how he felt when he unlocked her phone using his birthday. Did he think she was stupid? Pathetic? Brian didn¡¯t even want her anymore, but Grace still used his birthday as a password! What a stupid woman! 8 07 Grace gripped her phone tightly. She thought for a moment before she decided to change the password of her phone. É« Chapter 139 It changed to the day she left the Francis estate. This was because she had to remember this day and remind herself at all times how cold and heartless Brian was to her. Grace went for an ultrasound. After confirming that the fetus was fine, she returned home, took a shower, air, and went to bed. She slept until the afternoon. The soreness in her body was still obvious, and she had recovered a little. The doorbell rang. Grace looked through the peephole. The person outside was Justin. She looked in the mirror and saw the densely packed hickeys on her neck. She quickly ran back to the bedroom and found a silk scarf to wrap around herself before opening the door for Justin. ton Justin held the cherries in his hand and looked at her with a gentle smile. ¡°Why did you take so long open the door? Did you just get up?¡± Grace nodded. ¡°Yes¡± ¡°I bought you some fruit. Eating cherries is good for pregnant women. It¡¯s also good for appetizing. I¡¯ll wash it for you. Grace rubbed his hands together, feeling a little guilty for no reason. ¡°Don¡¯t you have to work today?¡± Justin washed the cherries and walked out. ¡°Night shift.¡± He nced at Grace and asked curiously. ¡°Are you cold?¡± Grace was nervous. She covered her scarf and said, ¡°Yes, a little.¡± Justin handed her a piece of cherry. ¡°Try it.¡± Grace was stunned. She tilted his head back slightly and raised his hand to take the cherries in his hand. Because she was already a little nervous, her fingers trembled and the cherries fell to the ground. Grace bent down to pick it up. At this moment, the silk scarf around his neck slipped. The purplish¨Cgreen hickey was exposed to the air. Grace felt a chill on his neck. She sucked in a breath of cold air and hurriedly lifted the scarf. Justin¡¯s body stiffened, and his pupils trembled. Grace could not stay any longer. He stood up and was about to go upstairs. Justin grabbed her wrist. ¡°Is it Brian?¡± Dreame Dreamne Read Best Romance. Read and Eain Free Rewards Now! 44 FREE Installed Open 19 Apr Grace closed her eyes. At this moment, she only wanted to find a hole to hide in. Seeing that Grace did not answer, he did not continue to ask who it was. However, he could guess that it must be Brian. ¡°Is the baby okay?¡± His every question embarrassed Grace, but he was a doctor, so it was normal for him to be worried about her. ¡°I checked this morning. It¡¯s fine.¡± Justin gritted his teeth. After a while, he squeezed out a word. ¡°Alright, have a good rest first. I¡¯m leaving.¡± ¡°Wait.¡± Grace suddenly stopped him.. Justin turned around to look at her. His gaze was as gentle as ever. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°A woman like me is not worthy of your liking¡± Justin walked over slowly and hugged her. ¡°Don¡¯t say that about yourself. I know Brian must have forced you.¡± Grace thought of something and grabbed his arm. ¡°Don¡¯t look for him. He didn¡¯t force me.¡± Owned by N?velDrama.Org. Justin removed her hand, patted the back of her hand lightly, and turned to leave. Grace shouted loudly when she saw Justin walking in the distance. Justin drove all the way to the Francis Group. The hickeys on Grace¡¯s neck kept surging into his mind. It felt as if his things had been taken by someone else. Grace clearly didn¡¯t agree to anything, but he just couldn¡¯t bear to see her having sex with someone else. Justin parked the car in the basement and took the elevator to the president¡¯s office. Brian was sitting on a chair and staring at the phone screen in a daze. The door was suddenly pushed open. Justin rushed in and grabbed Brian¡¯s cor. Then, he punched him. É« Chapter 140 ¡°You despicable creature. What did you do to herst night?¡± Before Brian could react, another punch came.. The taste of rust instantly surged in his mouth. He spat out a mouthful of blood and reacted quickly. Brian punched him hard. ¡°Let me tell you, as long as she¡¯s mine, she¡¯ll be my woman for the rest of her life. Even if I don¡¯t want her now, she¡¯ll always think of me.¡± His words sessfully infuriated Justin. Justin punched out like a madman. Brian sneered. As he defended himself, he mocked, ¡°Why? Are you talking about your sore spot? It¡¯s precisely because she has me in her heart that she¡¯s willing to sleep with me. And you won¡¯t be able to get her heart for the rest of your life.¡± Justin wentpletely berserk and punched him again and again. People outside heard themotion and rushed in. Camren quickly went to restrain the frenzied Justin, and the two struggling individuals finally came to a halt. The two men were injured. Brian was beaten up a little more severely. Justin red at Brian fiercely and warned in a low voice, ¡°If you dare to hurt her again, I will definitely make you suffer the punishment you deserve at all costs.¡± Brian sneered and said in a frivolous tone, I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡± Justin turned around and strode away. Camren asked worriedly, ¡°Mr. Francis, shall I take you to the hospital?¡± N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Brian wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with a tissue. ¡°No need. Go and find out where Grace lives now. Be precise with the room number.¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go now.¡± He sat down in a chair and took out his phone. He opened his contact list and looked at the name Grace. He wondered if Justin¡¯s intense anger was because she went back and cried. His memory ofst night was already a little blurry. He only remembered that she seemed to have been crying all this time. When he left this morning, he saw that her eyes were still swollen. Brian thought about it and finally clicked on a shopping app to buy a lot of things. Dreame Dreame Read Best Romance, Read and Earn 4.4 FREE Installed Open Just as he was about to ask Camren why the address hadn¡¯t been found yet, he sent the location of Sherman¡¯s residence. Brian¡¯s brows furrowed deeply upon realizing that it was Justin¡¯s apartment. The thought that they might already be living together left him breathless momentarily. The idea that her tearsst night. were because she couldn¡¯t protect herself from Justin made him furious. Brian angrily mmed his phone down, frustrated with the situation. The woman was infuriating. He expressed frustration and disapproval of the woman¡¯s perceived inability to withstand solitude. Brian paced back and forth in the oflice angrily. After a long time, he still walked back and picked up his phone. He filled in her address and ced an order. The phone rang. Brian nced at it. It was Ava. Irritated, he cut off the call and tossed it aside. After a while, the phone rang again. He picked it up and asked impatiently, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± When Ava heard Brian¡¯s deep voice, she was a little afraid. However, when she thought of what happenedst night, she could not help but probe, ¡°Brian, you didn¡¯te backst night. Where did you go? I was so worried about you.¡± ¡°I drank too much and slept in the hotel,¡± Brian said and hung up. Ava was relieved to hear that there was nothing unusual in his tone. However, just because Brian. did not suspect her did not mean that he would not investigate this matter. She still had to deal with the follow¨Cup. The doorbell rang, and Grace went to open the door, but she didn¡¯t see anyone. There was a huge pile of food on the ground. Grace opened the bag and took a look. Çú Dreame Chapter 141 There was fresh beef, salmon, fruit, bird¡¯s nest, and various nutritious supplements. Grace thought that it was bought by Justin. She frowned and muttered to herself, ¡°I just brought a bag of cherries over. Why did he buy so many things?¡± Grace didn¡¯t think too much about it. She carried the things back to the kitchen and put them in the fridge. She took out her phone and sent a message to Justin. [Thank you.] When Justin received the message, he thought that she knew that he had avenged her. He replied, [You¡¯re wee.] Grace¡¯s heart felt warm. For two consecutive days, Grace received different nutritional supplements. The fruits and meat were different every day. Justin did note to the apartment for two days. On the third day, Grace received a call from Justin. ¡°Let¡¯s have dinner together tonight. I¡¯ve reserved a table at the Luxe Cuisine.¡± Grace originally wanted to refuse, but she knew that in a restaurant like Luxe Cuisine, the dishes usually had to be prepared two hours in advance. Therefore, they usually had to pay half the price first before they could book a table. Of course, people with Brian¡¯s status didn¡¯t need to use it. Unknowingly, she thought of Brian, and her heart tightened. Jus in did not hear her agree and asked curiously, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Don¡¯t you want to go out?¡± ¡°No, I just remembered that there are still so many dishes you bought for me in the past two days.¡± Justin¡¯s voice paused for a moment. ¡°Vegetables?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Didn¡¯t you buy a lot of beef, fruit, nutritional supplements online?¡± Justin was silent for a moment. His fingers silently tightened around the phone in his hand. After a moment, he said into the phone as if nothing had happened, ¡°Yes, we need to have a meal outside asionally.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Justin said goodbye gently and hung up. Justin Vance pinched the space between his eyebrows. He couldn¡¯tprehend Brian¡¯s actions. Brian seemed set on marrying Louise, yet he was also. bothering Grace. It was utterly perplexing and, frankly, infuriating. At the Francis Group, Brian was working when a text message suddenly came in. It was a deduction Dreame Dreame. Read Best Romance. Read and Earn 44 ¡ï FREE Installed Free Rewards Now! Open 11:25 Fri 19 Apr M notification.Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. His ck card had cost over 80 thousand dors in a luxury goods store in SKP. After that, he received the second message, subsequently followed by the third and fourth messages. The bills primarily pertained to the acquisition of upscale items, including cosmetics, apparel, handbags, essories, and more. Brian looked at these expenditure records, furrowing his brows deeply. He concluded she was indeed a hypocritical woman. 36%”à The day he entered her room, he noticed it. Despite appearing so sad and distressed when he left, she hadn¡¯t forgotten a valuable handbag or piece of jewelry. Grace consistently imed to have strong feelings for him, but her expenditures unmistakably revealed a preference for his wealth. On that particr day, he was convinced that her tears were prompted by the impending possibility of being evicted and losing the prospect of a luxurious lifestyle. Brian calcted Grace¡¯s expenses for the day, and within a mere two hours, she had already spent almost 400 thousand dors. Brianbeled her a gold digger, emphasizing her focus on superficial and materialistic values. Brian threw his phone aside and looked at theputer screen again, but he was no longer in the mood. He stared at his phone, waiting for the text messages toe in. From these text messages, he seemed to be able to see the woman greedily swiping her card in the mall. Simultaneously, at the SKP mall, Ava found herself encircled by her stic sisters, relishing in the adting tones that surrounded her. ¡°Ava, the ck card is boundless in overdraft. Something even with money you can¡¯t achieve. Where did you get this from?¡± Ava, holding shopping bags, arrogantly lifted her chin and said, ¡°Well, why don¡¯t you guess where I got this?¡± Chapter 142 A girl took the shopping bag from her hand ingratiatingly. ¡°Ava, let me help you carry it. You must be tired of carrying so many things, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. We¡¯ll help you carry it. You just have to be responsible for the consumption.¡± ¡°Ava, show me your card. I¡¯ve never seen a ck card before. Let me see what it looks like.¡± Ava proudly took out his ck card. ¡°Here, I¡¯ll show you.¡± The card was custom¨Cmade. There were two initials engraved on the back, B.F. The stic sisters gasped. ¡°Wow. It¡¯s Brian Francis.¡± Ava raised his eyebrows and took back the card. ¡°Yes, Brian gave it to me.¡± A sister whocked understanding of the situation spoke up, ¡°But isn¡¯t Brian your brother¨Cinw?¡± As soon as she said that, Ava¡¯s face darkened, and she nced at her coldly. The girl standing beside her quietly pinched her back and said, ¡°What are you talking about? Since when did you hear about them getting married for him to be her brother¨Cinw?¡± The sister realized that she had said something wrong and covered her mouth. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry. It was just a slip of the tongue.¡± Ava rolled her eyes unhappily. ¡°Let me tell you, Louise is an uneducated little girl. She has been wandering outside since she was young, and she has never seen the world. She has already been chased away by Brian and has gone overseas, so do you understand?¡± The stic sisters nodded in unison. ¡°We understand. Ava, we¡¯re looking forward to your wedding banquet with Mr. Brian.¡± Ava was pleased to hear this. The corners of her lips curled up in satisfaction. He pointed at a luxury goods counter and said, ¡°Each of you can go in and choose one. Consider it a gift from me. Tonight, we¡¯ll go to the Luxe Cuisine for dinner.¡± The stic sisters¡® eyes lit up as they rushed into the specialty store. At the hospital, Justin was sitting in his office when there was a knock on the door. He said without looking up, ¡°Pleasee in.¡± ¡°Are you that busy?¡± A pleasant voice chimed in. He looked up and saw Angie standing in front of her desk with an elegant and gentle smile on her Dreame 11:25 Fri, 19 Apr 197 face. Justin pushed his sses up the bridge of his nose and asked with a smile, ¡°When did youe back?¡± ¡°Last night,¡± Angie said as she took a seat in the chair next to him, cing her bag on her shoulder. ¡°I missed Mr. Vance¡¯s birthday when I went to Quindor to study The smile on Justin¡¯s face froze for a moment, but he did not say anything. Upon her return, Angie promptly presented Zachary with a bted birthday gift. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. The Vance family and the Flores family have known each other for a long time. Zachary has a fondness for Angie. Aware of her close rtionship with Justin, he has been eager to use their connection to mend the strained rtionship between father and son. Aside from Justin, the illegitimate son, the Vance family¡¯s sole legitimate heir was Ethan. Regrettably, Ethan tended to act without much consideration, resulting in several business setbacks over the years. As a result. Zachary did not dare to hand the corporation over to Ethan easily. After thinking about it, although he did not like Justin, he was still Zachary¡¯s son. Therefore, he still hoped that Justin could come back and learn how to do business. Seeing that he was silent, Angie knew that she had upset him by mentioning his father. She smiled and looked at him. ¡°Mr. Vance said that we¡¯d have dinner together tonight.¡± Justin was rejected almost immediately. ¡°No, I have an appointment tonight.¡± Angie was a little surprised. ¡°Who are you meeting?¡± Justin said lightly, ¡°A friend.¡± Angie was silent for a while, thinking that this was just an excuse he came up with to avoid seeing his father. 0 Chapter 143 She continued to persuade him, ¡°Justin, I know you must have suffered a lot growing up with mother all these years, but your father also wants to make it up to you all these years.¡± your It was unknown if Justin was listening to her. He looked down at the medical records on the table, picked up a pen, and continued working. Angie said a lot, but he remained unmoved. Angie was about to give up when someone knocked on the door. Both of them looked up at the same time. ¡°Mr. Justin, the roses you ordered are here.¡± A delivery man stood at the door with a bouquet of fiery red roses. A smile finally appeared on Justin¡¯s face. ¡°Put it on the table. Thank you.¡± Angie looked at the bouquet of roses in surprise. When she thought of what Justin had said just now, she opened her mouth in disbelief. The significance of red roses was widely known and universally understood. Red roses traditionally symbolized love, passion, and deep affection. They were often associated with romantic gestures and expressions of strong emotions. Even though Justin was generally gentle with everyone, he wasn¡¯t known for casually sending flowers to just anyone. She wondered what might have transpired during her absence to prompt such a gesture. Angie took a while to find her voice. ¡°Justin, have you got a girlfriend?¡± Justin said lightly, ¡°I¡¯m still pursuing it.¡± Angie frowned. ¡°So you¡¯re going out for dinner with her tonight.¡± Justin nodded slightly and smiled. ¡°Where are you meeting?¡± Angie asked curiously. ¡°Luxe Cuisine,¡± Justin replied. Angie nodded mechanically, thinking, ¡®It was the most expensive restaurant in Capern City. It seemed that he was very concerned about this woman. She pondered who was fortunate enough to be the favoreddy in his eyes. ¡°Who is she?¡± Angie continued to ask curiously. Justin¡¯s hand, holding the pen, paused. He looked up at her. ¡°Grace.¡± Dreame Angie experienced a surprise upon learning that thedy in question was Grace, someone she did not expect at all. She had actually thought of this possibility just now. Previously, Justin had indeed taken good care of Grace. However, Grace had a child. Moreover, her background was soplicated. Angie felt that Justin would not like Grace. At most, he would just pity her and sympathize with her. However, she did not expect that after staying by Justin¡¯s side for so many years, she could not compare to a pregnant woman with an unclean background. Angie asked softly, ¡°Justin, are you joking with me?¡± Justin smiled. ¡°Do you think I would joke about such a thing?¡± Angie could not help but raise her voice. ¡°Have you forgotten that she has a child?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t forget.¡± Owned by N?velDrama.Org. Angie felt that he was really ridiculous. ¡°You don¡¯t even mind that she has a child. Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re so happy to be someone else¡¯s father.¡± Justin frowned. ¡°As long as she is willing to promise me, I will treat her child as my own.¡± Angie felt her mind go nk. She did not understand what spell Grace had cast on him. ¡°Justin, you really should calm down. I¡¯ll advise you to calm down and think about it carefully. Perhaps you were just impulsive, or perhaps you¡¯re not suitable for her.¡± Justin was a little annoyed. ¡°Angie, I feel that, as my good friend, you should be encouraging me.¡± A good friend automatically defined the rtionship between them. Angie¡¯s heart turned cold. After a pause, she felt that she needed to calm down. ¡°I¡¯ll leave first.¡± Justin nced at her retreating figure, then lowered his head to check the time on his phone screen.. Afterward, he stood up, holding a bouquet of roses. In the apartment, Grace looked at herself in the mirror. There were still some marks on her neck, but they were much lighter. She should be able to cover them with some makeup. At five o¡¯clock, Justin came downstairs to pick her up. Chapter 144 The injuries on Justin¡¯s face had basically recovered. Grace could not tell that he had been in a fight. The car stopped at the entrance of the Luxe Cuisine. Justin gave the car keys to the young man in charge of parking the car at the entrance and walked in side by side with Grace. Justin booked a seat by the window. He could see the river not far away. Grace looked at the window and suddenly saw a familiar figure getting out of a car. She took a closer look and recognized that it was Ava. She was wearing a midriff¨Crevealing outfit with arge logo printed on her chest. She looked like she wanted everyone to know that she was wearing luxury goods. She was surrounded by three or four girls, each carrying a shopping bag. Ava was surrounded by them like a proud peacock. Grace held his chin and watched Ava walk into the dining room. The receptionist at the door asked her politely, ¡°Miss, do you have a reservation?¡± ¡°No.¡± The receptionist smiled and said tactfully, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, if you don¡¯t have a reservation, I can¡¯t receive you for the time being.¡± Ava was unhappy. She rolled her eyes and said, ¡°What do you mean you can¡¯t receive him? Are you looking down on me?¡± ¡°No, Miss. That¡¯s not what I meant. It¡¯s just that if you don¡¯t have a reservation, it¡¯ll probably take a long time to serve.¡± Ava sneered. ¡°I think you¡¯re just looking down on me.¡± She waved Brian¡¯s ck card in front of the person. ¡°Take a good look. Is your restaurant serving or not?¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, could the parents wait for a moment?¡± Ava snorted and swaggered in. ¡°I want to speed it up.¡± person, The receptionist did not dare to offend anyone. Although Ava did not look like a cultured she did not know the identity of the person behind her, so she did not dare to offend her easily. She had no choice but to let her sit. Ava walked into the dining room and suddenly saw Grace. Dreame She said to her sisters, ¡°You guys sit here for a while. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± Grace turned her face away when he saw Avaing over. ¡°You¡¯re really busy. You just seduced Brian, and now you¡¯re busy seducing Dr. Vance.¡± Owned by N?velDrama.Org. Justin frowned. ¡°Watch your mouth.¡± ¡°Did I say something wrong? Is Dr. Vance wooing her?¡± Ava tiptoed and looked at he, hest. The marks on her body have just disappeared, and she can¡¯t wait toe out and seduce people.¡± Grace took a sip of coffee and looked at her calmly. ¡°Ava, I think you¡¯ve forgotten what it was like to be beaten up that morning. Your father isn¡¯t here today, so no one can help you.¡± Ava looked at her warily. ¡°Why? You still dare to hit me? Do you believe that I¡¯ll call for help?¡± Justin looked at her coldly. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you scramming?¡± Ava clenched her teeth. ¡°Barking up the wrong tree, not recognizing a good Samaritan. Beware of being yed to death by this woman.¡± Her warning carried a cautionary tone, urging Justin to be wary of potential maniption or deceit from the woman in question. Justin looked at her apologetically. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t know I would meet her here.¡± Grace smiled and shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m already used to it. She¡¯s no different from a child. I won¡¯t Jower myself to her level.¡± Brian, who was driving home, suddenly received a message. The message notified him that he had spent 36 thousand dors on Luxe Cuisine. Brian tightened his grip on the steering wheel. He suddenly had an impulse to expose the true colors of this vain woman on the spot.. Brian¡¯s car quickly turned around on the road and drove towards the Luxe Cuisine. É« 0 Chapter 145 When the dishes were served, Justin picked up a piece of boiled cabbage for her. ¡°Try it. The dishes here taste good.¡± Grace could not bring himself to smile. He looked at the cabbage leaves in the bowl and felt his heart ache. Halfway through the meal, two figures suddenly appeared in front of him. ¡°Justin,e back with me.¡± Justin frowned when he heard this cold voice.. He looked up at Zachary and sawAngie standing at the side. His face turned cold. Angie pursed her lips and lowered her eyes, not daring to look him in the eye. ¡°Mr. Vance, please show some respect. I¡¯m eating.¡± Zachary¡¯s expression was cold as he pointed at him and growled, ¡°You want me to show respect? I¡¯m your father.¡± Justin put down his fork and shook Grace¡¯s hand. He gave her aforting look before standing up and looking at him. ¡°¡°¡°I¡¯m sorry. I grew up with my mother, so I don¡¯t know the meaning of father. Mr. Vance is also a famous person. It¡¯s not good to cause trouble in public, right?¡°¡°¡± Seeing the tense atmosphere between the two of them, Angie persuaded Justin, ¡°Stop talking. Mr. Vance is doing this for your own good.¡± Justin nced at her coldly and gestured for her to shut up. He had not settled the score with him for revealing her whereabouts. ¡°Today I¡¯ll be clear with you. This woman will never be a daughter¨Cinw of the Vance family.¡± After saying that, he turned to Grace. ¡°The reason why I didn¡¯t ask about it at the banquet that day wasn¡¯t because I agreed, but because I don¡¯t want to embarrass you in public.¡± ¡°But you don¡¯t know how to repent. Don¡¯t stand in the ceremony with me. The Vance family will never ept a woman with an unclean background like you.¡± While Grace took pride in her statement, she struggled to force a smile, revealing potential inner complexities and emotional challenges. She was about to say something when a cold hand suddenly grabbed her wrist. ¡°Mr. Jiang is right, so you should take good care of your son. I¡¯ll take this woman with me first.¡± ¦¨¦¡ D Dreame- Read Best Romance. Read and Earn Free Rewards Now! 4.4 FREE Installed Open Dreame Chapter fus Owned by N?velDrama.Org. Brian nced at justin coldly and dragged Grace out of the restaurant without any exnation On the other side, when Ava saw Brian enter, he picked up the menu and hurriedly covered her face. If she found out that he had taken the card, it would be over. Brian was too preupied with defending Grace to notice Ava. Justin immediately wanted to chase after him, but he was stopped by Zachary and Angie. They both shouted at him, trying to halt his pursuit of Brian and Grace. Justin looked at Angie gloomily. ¡°What did you tell him?¡± Angie lowered her head. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t forget the doctor¡¯s professional ethics, but this matter concerns the Vance family¡¯s reputation. I can¡¯t sit back and do nothing.¡± Justin heard what she said and knew that she did not tell anyone about Grace¡¯s pregnancy. He nodded and looked at Zachary. His gaze was as cold as if he were looking at a stranger. ¡°Zachary, I¡¯m telling you very clearly that I will never forgive you for the rest of my life. If you don¡¯t want me to continue hating you, please don¡¯t interfere in my rtionship problems.¡± With that, Justin took the car keys and ran out of the restaurant. Grace had already been dragged into the car by Brian. se She sat in the front passenger and looked at him. ¡°Brian, what exactly do you want?¡± Brian¡¯s anger seemed to be greater than anyone else¡¯s. He looked straight ahead, and his jaw was tense. ¡°Let me out of the car.¡± Brian turned his head and stared at her gloomily, as if she had done something wrong to him. Grace noticed that there seemed to be injuries on his face. neome Chapter 146 Brian sneered and looked ahead. ¡°You spent my money to treat another man to a meal. Grace, you¡¯re really something.¡± Grace did not understand what he was you sick? if you¡¯re sick, go see a talking about and looked at him in confusion. ¡°Brian, are o Don¡¯t provoke me so easily.¡± She wondered if he was referring to the ba She wondered if he was referring to the bags and jewelry he had given her back then. A!! those items had been taken away by her Ven if she had spent her own money on them, he shouldn¡¯t be so petty about the things he had freely given her. It¡¯s true that the wealthier people are, the more stingy they seem. Individuals umte more wealth, they tend to be more frugal or tight¨Cfisted with their money. Reflecting on his actions that night, Grace felt incredibly unfortunate. It was evident that they no longer shared any connection. Despite this, she found herself enduring his exploitation, subjected to his mockery and sarcasm. She couldn¡¯t help but wonder what debt from her past lifepelled her to repay him in this manner. In his mockery and suretem. Site buildit help but wor Grace¡¯s tears flowed uncontrobly. Brian said fiercely, ¡°Am I wrong? You took my card. ¡°I have nothing to do with you anymore. Why are you still pestering me? Even if I had sex with you that night, I could treat it as if I were bitten by a dog. I beg you, can you stop pestering me?¡± Grace suddenly, roared and interrupted him. Brian was stunned for a moment and nced at her. Her face was streaked with tears, and her shoulders shook slightly. Brian bit his tongue. Just as he was about to mock her again, he heard her say, ¡°I hope you get lost. Get as far away as possible. I don¡¯t owe you anything.¡± Brian felt an indescribable bitterness in his heart. After a carefree day, she even felt aggrieved. It was as if she had bullied her. Having slept with her, he wondered whether this urrence would make her feel incredibly distressed. At that moment, a white Maserati sped over from behind. It made a right turn and steadily stopped in front of him. Justin got out of the car and closed the door behind him. He looked coldly at Brian in the driver¡¯s seat. Dreame Crime Dreame- Read Best Romance. Read and Earn 4.4¡ï FREE Installed Free Rewards Now! Open ¦¶¦¨ 11:26 Fri, 19 Apr M G Grace pushed the car door, only to find that it was locked, and shouted, ¡°Open the door.¡± N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Brian turned to look at her and said sarcastically, ¡°Can¡¯t you see that his father doesn¡¯t wee you? Why are you in such a hurry to lick his boots?¡± Grace raised his hand and wanted to hit him, but he grabbed his wrist. Grace struggled for a moment. ¡°Brian, it doesn¡¯t matter if I marry a beggar or be someone¡¯s mistress. It¡¯s none of your business.¡± Brian stared at her face with a hint of unwillingness in his eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t forget, we¡¯re divorced. 10 longer yours.¡± She kept reminding him that they had nothing to do with each other anymore. Brian¡¯s fingers trembled. He released her hand bit by bit and opened the car door. Justin waited patiently outside because he knew that Grace would definitelye down. Justin took out the roses from the trunk as she pushed open the car door. He smiled and brought the roses to her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Please don¡¯t take what happened just now to heart. My father, I mean Zachary. I won¡¯t acknowledge him, so he has no right to interfere in my rtionship problems.¡± ? ? ? ? ???????????? ????? Grace nodded, took the roses from him, and got into the passenger seat. All she wanted to do now was leave. As he car drove away, the Aston behind them got further and further away. Grace looked at the rearview mirror in a daze. Seated in the car, Brian suddenly clutched his chest, realizing that his heart was overwhelmed with sadness. He lit a cigarette and took a few deep puffs, but it couldn¡¯t fill the empty feeling. After a long time, he started the car again and drove back to the vi. Öæ D 0 Dreame Dreame- Read Best Romance. Read and Earn 4.4 ¡ï FREE Installed Open Free Rewards Now! JJ MM M business.¡± Brian stared at her face with a hint of unwillingness in his eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t forget, we¡¯re divorced. I¡¯m no longer yours.¡± She kept reminding him that they had nothing to do with each other anymore. Brian¡¯s fingers trembled. He released her hand bit by bit and opened the car door. Justin waited patiently outside because he knew that Grace would definitelye down. Justin took out the roses from the trunk as she pushed open the car door. A 96% 11.2Y He smiled and brought the roses to her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Please don¡¯t take what happened just now to heart. My father, I mean Zachary. I won¡¯t acknowledge him, so he has no right to interfere in my rtionship problems.¡± Grace nodded, took the roses from him, and got into the passenger seat. All she wanted to do now was leave. As the car drove away, the Aston behind them got further and further away. Grace looked at the rearview mirror in a daze, Seated in the car, Brian suddenly clutched his chest, realizing that his heart was overwhelmed with sadness. He lit a cigarette and took a few deep puffs, but it couldn¡¯t fill the empty feeling. After a long time, he started the car again and drove back to the vi. Chapter 147 Grace was speechless the entire way. Justin med himself. He did not speak during the drive. It was not until the car drove into the basement that Grace turned to look at him. ¡°Justin, thank you.¡± Justin frowned slightly and said in self¨Cme, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Grace pushed open the car door and turned around to ce the bouquet of roses on the seat. Justin looked at her. ¡°Grace.¡± Grace looked at him with a smile. ¡°Justin, I¡¯m very lucky to know you, but it¡¯s impossible between us. Don¡¯t send flowers in the future.¡± ¡°Thank you for sending me back,¡± Grace said with a smile. He straightened up and walked around the front of the car to the elevator. Justin hurriedly chased after him. ¡°I¡¯ll send you up.¡± Grace looked back at him and shook his head. ¡°No need, Justin. Do you know what it¡¯s like to live with your. parents every day and not be cared for by them?¡± Justin was slightly puzzled. Grace continued, ¡°Although your father didn¡¯t live with you since you were young, now that you¡¯ve grown up, he¡¯s willing to take care of you and care about your rtionship problems. Actually, I¡¯m very envious.¡± ¡°Grace, I don¡¯t care about him.¡± ¡°Think about it. Is your father really so evil that you can¡¯t forgive him for the rest of your life? If not, don¡¯t go against him anymore because you¡¯ll definitely regret it in the future.¡± The elevator door opened, and Grace walked into the elevator without looking back. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Dreame INSTALL Justin was afraid that she would be sad, so he kept sending her WhatsApp messages. Grace looked at the worried words. She actually did not feel very sad. When Brian first brought her back to the Francis estate, she had heard Brian¡¯s mother say those words to her. Although Brian could decide her own marriage, her mother was not someone to be trifled with. Her words were much harsher than Zachary¡¯s. Graceposed himself, turned on hisputer, and looked at the resumes he had submitted previously. Because she had no work experience, all thepanies rejected her resume. No wonder she had not received any calls after submitting her resume for a few days. This blow was like a bolt from the blue for Grace. She found herself pondering what she would do in the absence of a job, contemting the uncertainties thaty ahead. Although she still had around 10,000 dors in her ount, she pondered the challenges of giving birth while being unemployed for an extended period of time. The next day, Grace decided to go out and find a job. She had to go out early. After shopping for the entire morning, she realized that the jobs she could do were all in the service industry. She did not need any skills, but she had to stand at work every day. With her current condition, she could not do it even if she was p pregnant. Grace had been looking for work all morning. At noon, she walked into the convenience store and bought a loaf of bread. She sat on a chair outside dejectedly and nibbled on the bread. At that moment, her phone suddenly rang. It looked like apanyndline number. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Hello, is this Ms. Grace?¡± Her eyes lit up. ¡°I am.¡± ¡°I¡¯m from the Human Resources Department of NovaVise InfoTech. I¡¯d like to invite you for an interview at 10 a.m. tomorrow. Do you have time?¡± Grace was so excited that he stood up from his chair. ¡°Sure, there¡¯s time.¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll send you thepany¡¯s addresster. Please take note.¡± ¡°Thank you Grace was extremely excited. He nced at the bread in his hand and stuffed it into his mouth in a few bites. Then he went home to understand thispany. Thepany was founded in recent years. It seemed to be slightly inferior to its peers, but having a job was a good thing for Grace. Chapter 148 Grace wore a decentmuter dress and went to the interview address. here were two or three other people interviewed with her. Grace was the second to enter. There were three interviewers. A woman in her thirties or forties first asked Grace to introduce herself and asked her what her interests and specialties were. Grace followed the logic of the interview and said a bunch of things rted to work interests. ¡°Isn¡¯t there anything else?¡± ¡°I learned how to draw in university.¡± Why haven¡¯t you The interviewer nodded slightly and looked at her resume again. He asked, ¡°I see your resume. Why gone out to work since you graduated?¡± Grace knew that the interviewer would definitely ask her this questionst night, so she had already thought of a response. ¡°It¡¯s like this. My brother has leukemia and has been hospitalized. My mother¡¯s health isn¡¯t very good either. After graduation, I¡¯ve been taking care of my brother. Now that my mother¡¯s health is better, she can take care of my brother. Only then can Ie out to work.¡± ¡°I know that myck of work experience is a shoring, but my family is very short of money, so I will definitely work hard. I¡¯m not afraid of working overtime or being tired.¡± The interviewer looked at her and nodded slightly. Grace looked at the interviewers. They exchanged opinions in a low voice and nodded slightly. Grace could tell that they were nning to use him. ¡°Grace, go back and wait for the notice.¡± ¡°Alright. Thank you.¡± Grace revealed a sincere smile. Dreame INSTALL She had just gotten up when the person who came in for the interview seemed to have tripped over something at the door. That person charged straight at Grace. Grace sucked in a breath of cold air and instinctively protected his stomach. His body slightly dodged and narrowly avoided him. The interviewer saw what she was doing and pushed his sses up the bridge of his nose. ¡°Grace, you¡¯re pregnant.¡± Grace bit his lip and thought about it. There was no point in hiding it now because he still had to undergo a physical examination when he joined thepany. Her stomach would still be bigger in three months. Grace nodded slowly. ¡°Yes, but I can work overtime like a normal person.¡± The interviewer¡¯s expression changed slightly, but he still smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay. You can go back first.¡± Owned by N?velDrama.Org. Grace went home with an uneasy heart and waited. This was already the onlypany that could ept someone with no work experience. If she couldn¡¯t get an interview, she would really have to starve. Grace entered an anxious wait. There was still no news even when it was almost six in the afternoon the next day. Grace could not sit still anymore. He picked up his phone and made a call to ask. As expected, the other party said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ms. Sherman. After some consideration, we feel that you¡¯re not suitable for this position.¡± Grace lowered his arm in disappointment. She sat in front of the floor¨Cto¨Cceiling window in a daze. After thinking about it, she did not understand what she had been doing for the past three years. He had been by Brian¡¯s side for three years. In the end, he could not save his younger brother and was out of touch with society. He even lost his heart. Now, he was facing the oue of not being able to find a job and not being able to afford a child. Dreame INSTALL Grace closed his eyes in pain. At this moment, a voice call came through on WhatsApp. Grace picked up. It was from an old ssmate. ¡°Grace, are you still painting?¡± ¡°Nothing else. Why?¡± ¡°It¡¯s like this. I¡¯m working for a magazine now. I want you to help me draw a set of illustrations. Do you have time?¡± Grace agreed almost immediately. ¡°I have time.¡± She had plenty of time. Chapter 149 ¡°But I haven¡¯t drawn in a long time. I don¡¯t know if the talismans I draw now meet your requirements.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I know your style. It matches our magazine. Do you have any requirements for the royalties?¡± Grace had never thought about collecting money. He simply felt that he could help draw one when he had the time. Hearing Grace¡¯s silence, the other party said, ¡°How about this? I¡¯ll pay you the royalties ording to the standards of the artist thepany found previously. I¡¯ll hang up first. Bye.¡± The other party sent her a draft request and transferred 100 dors to her. ¡°Here¡¯s the deposit. I¡¯ll forward the rest to you when the drawings are ready.¡± She was shocked to learn that an illustration could earn more than 200 dors. Grace was shocked. Although she had learned how to draw before, she had never understood this industry. Grace instantly became energetic. He took out his tablet and began to draw. It only took her two days to finish it. She had earned two thousand dors from one painting. Grace began to understand the industry online, but she realized that she was overthinking. There were many experienced illustrators on the Inte. It was very difficult to earn money from the beginning if one wanted to be an illustrator because they were not famous. Manypanies did notck people to hire artists from contractpanies because there were too many individual illustrators. Those who were not famous wanted to squeeze into thepany to be contract artists. In the end, she studied it for a long time and realized that only the contract website could serialize comics. There would be a fixed ie every month, and she couldplete it at home without going out. Grace spent a week studying the outline, plot and finding inspiration. After doing all the preparation work, he drew the opening chapter and submitted it to the website. Dreame INSTALL Three dayster, she received a contract notification. Heric could officially start serializing. 0 She did not receive any more ingredients or nutritional supplements these few days, but Justin Vance would still buy her a lot of things when he came to visit her every few days. After two weeks of serialization, Grace¡¯sics was basically on the right track. Although Justin¡¯s apartment was not big, it faced south. He could bask in the sun all day. Sitting in front of the floor¨Cto¨Cceiling window every day to bask in the sun and drawics was also a form of enjoyment. Theics style of the Grace serialization was rtively unique, unlike otherics plots that were eye- catching. Herics was like a cup of warm milk. It was exquisite and smooth. There were no earth¨Cshattering schemes, only longsting love and warm and beautiful kinship. She had engraved her yearning for kinship into theics. This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. At Francis Group, Brian nced at the expenditure alerts on his phone. Each amount exceeded five figures, with average daily spending reaching about 80 thousand dors. Thinking about how she spent her own money all day and hung out with that gigolo Justin, he felt as if a huge rock was pressing down on his heart and he could not breathe. He silently cursed Grace in his heart. At this moment, Camren walked in with several invitations in his hand. ¡°Mr. Francis, these are invitations from major car manufacturers. The auto show will be held the day after tomorrow at the Convention Center in Capern City. It¡¯s on Saturday. Would you like to atter ¡°I¡¯m not going,¡± Brian said coldly. As soon as he finished speaking, he thought that with Grace¡¯s recent spending, she might even go to the car exhibition to buy a car! Suddenly, he called out to Camren, who was about to leave, ¡°Wait. Leave the invitations here.¡± Chapter 150 In the afternoon, after submitting the manuscript, Grace suddenly received a call from home. This time, it was not Daisy, but her father, Frederick. Her intuition told her that something must have happened. Frederick rarely called her. She picked up the phone and answered the call. ¡°Grace.¡± Frederick hesitated. ¡°Dad, what¡¯s wrong? If there¡¯s anything, just say it.¡± There was a cry on the other end of the line. Suddenly, she heard a sharp voice. ¡°Hurry up and call her back. Are you going to watch Carson die?¡± Frederick gritted his teeth and asked, ¡°Do you still have any money? Your brother¡¯s illness has worsened. He needs chemotherapy immediately.¡± Grace¡¯s fingers trembled. ¡°I¡¯ll be right there.¡± She anticipated an extended stay, knowing she couldn¡¯t return for a few days. So, st. packed two sets of fresh clothes and a drawing tablet before heading to the hospital. In the hospital, Carsony on the hospital bed wearing an oxygen mask. The doctor refrained from administering chemotherapy as Carson hadn¡¯t settled the required fees. Grace looked at his pale face, and tears suddenly fell. When Daisy saw Grace rushing over, he immediately rushed up. ¡°Grace. Hurry up and pay your brother¡¯s fees. Hurry up.¡± Grace did not dare to dy for a moment. She ran to the payment counter and paid the money before Carson was pushed into the chemotherapy room. Dreame INSTALL Emergency calls only OK. 094% 11:40 Grace came to the attending doctor and asked politely, ¡°Hello, doctor. How is my brother¡¯s condition now?¡± The doctor looked at her and frowned slightly. ¡°Are you his biological sister?¡°¡± Grace nodded. ¡°I am.¡± The doctor¡¯s eyes were filled with doubt. ¡°Then your bone marrow can be matched with your brother¡¯s transnt.¡± ¡°I think I did this once when I was young. I said it didn¡¯t match.¡± Grace nced at Daisy. ¡°Mom, did I do it once when I was young?¡± Daisy¡¯s eyes shed and he quickly lowered his eyes. ¡°Doctor, her bone marrow has been matched before. It really doesn¡¯t match.¡± The doctor frowned and inclined his head slightly. ¡°What should my brother do now?¡± ¡°Based on the current situation, he can only undergo chemotherapy first and wait for the right bone marrow. However, the chances are very, very small. You have to be mentally prepared.¡± When Daisy heard this, he grabbed the doctor¡¯s arm anxiously. ¡°Doctor, you have to think of something. My son is still so young.¡± Grace pulled her back and said coldly, ¡°Mom, can you calm down first?¡± Daisy stopped sobbing. At this moment, she did not dare to go against Grace. After all, she knew that Grace definitely still had money. ¡°Then, doctor, how many times will he have to undergo chemotherapy this time? Will this happen again in the future?¡± ¡°The chemotherapy needs to be administered at least four to six times. Going forward, advise him to reduce his workload and prioritize rest. Let¡¯s focus on medication management now. If a simr situation arises, we will proceed with additional rounds of chemotherapy.¡± Emergency calls only Mu Grace clenched her fists and said in a deep voice, ¡°I understand. Thank you, doctor.¡± Daisy and Grace walked out of the doctor¡¯s office together. Carson had alreadye out of chemotherapy and was pushed into the ward. 094% 11:40 Frederick stood in the ward and looked at him, asking if he was feeling unwell. Carson looked at Grace with a pale face and shook his head. Daisy asked him with concern if he wanted to eat anything. Carson had no appetite and only drank two mouthfuls of hot water. Daisy looked at Grace and forced a smile. ¡°Grace, the doctor said that your brother needs chemotherapy five or six times. Let¡¯s go and pay the remaining chemotherapy fees first.¡± Carson frowned and called out to her, ¡°Mom.¡±Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. Chapter 151 Daisy red at him. ¡°Rest well!¡± As she spoke, she pushed Grace out of the ward and dragged her to the payment counter. Actually, even if Daisy didn¡¯t pull her over, she would still help her brother pay. After swiping the card, Grace looked at the message notification on her phone. There were only more than 36 dors left on the card. Daisy watched as Grace swiped more than eight times in one go, and her eyes couldn¡¯t help but sparkle. ¡°Grace. How much money do you have left?¡± Grace nced at her and raised the phone in front of her. Daisy leaned closer to take a look, and her expression changed. ¡°Is that all you got?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°What about the doctor? Weren¡¯t you with him? Didn¡¯t he give you any money to spend?¡± Grace looked at her aggressive look and said helplessly, ¡°I¡¯m just friends with him. Why should he give N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. me money?¡± Daisy red at her in disappointment. Daisy poked her head fiercely. ¡°You good¨Cfor¨Cnothing. Can¡¯t you tell that he¡¯s interested in you? Brian hedoesn¡¯t even want you anymore. It¡¯s already good enough that a doctor thinks highly of you.¡± Grace interrupted her irritably, ¡°Can you stop talking?¡± Daisy red at her. Since she had already paid, there was no need for her to be nice to her. ¡°Useless.¡± Emergency calls only Mu 11:41 In a chilly tone, Grace inquired, ¡°I¡¯d like to know if you¡¯ve managed to sell everything you confiscated from me thest time.¡± I Daisy avoided her gaze. ¡°No, I left a bag. It¡¯s in the ward.¡± Grace did not believe her and walked back to the ward. She held the bag and looked at it. It was obvious that it was fake. Even if she continued to ask, Daisy would probably not tell her how much she had sold it for and where she had spent the money. He probably sold them all and used them to pay off his gambling debts. Grace felt extremely troubled. Daisy did not want Grace to have a chance to lecture her, so she said to Carson, who was lying on the bed, ¡°Carson, Mommy will go back and get you something to eat. Have a good rest first.¡± Daisy nced at Grace and quickly slipped away. Frederick was a renovator. He only earned a little money every month. All the money he earned was handed over to Daisy. In the past few years, her gambling addiction had increased. Frederick was also afraid of her. She could be said to bewless. Frederick sat for a while. There was still work to be done at the construction site, so he left not long. after. Grace sat at the side and looked at his tablet. Carson sat up from the bed and looked at her with a pale face. ¡°Go back when it¡¯s dark. You don¡¯t have to guard me.¡± He noticed that Grace was carrying a big bag. He probably wanted to take care of him here. Grace put down the tablet and looked at him. ¡°Aren¡¯t I going to watch over you and let you stay here alone? Look at you. You can¡¯t even get out of bed.¡± Carson frowned. ¡°If you stay here and guard me, Mom will have a chance to have fun.¡± ??? Emergency calls only Mu 11:41 Grace pursed her lips and didn¡¯t say anything. She thought that even if she left, with Daisy¡¯s personality, he probably wouldn¡¯t stay here all day to take care of Carson. The siblings knew what kind of person Daisy was. The ward was very quiet for a moment. Grace kept staring at the tablet. Carson looked at her for a while and asked, ¡°Sister, what are you doing?¡± Grace finished sorting out the outline, looked at him, and told him about herics serialization. ¡°By the way, I haven¡¯t asked you. What¡¯s your situation? The doctor told you not to tire yourself out. Have you been ying games day and night recently?¡± Emergency calls only Mu Chapter 152 Carson¡¯s eyes darkened. ¡°Our game was giarized.¡± ¡°giarized? Who¡¯s so hateful?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a subsidiary of the Vance Corporation.¡± Grace furrowed her brow. The Vance Corporation belonged to Justin¡¯s father. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about these things for the time being. I¡¯ll think of a way for you.¡± Carson pursed his lips. ¡°What can you think of?¡± Grace did not want to bicker with a patient. She lowered her head and continued with her work. After a while, Daisy came with a lunch box. She put down the lunch box and sat for a while before she couldn¡¯t wait to leave. Both Grace and Carson could tell that she wanted to y cards. Carson stopped her. ¡°Mom, stay here with me. Let me go back.¡± Daisy said unhappily, ¡°Your mother is already so old, why am I still staying upte? Your sister is so young. What¡¯s wrong with letting her stay up all night?¡± Daisy nced at the time on her phone and ran away. Grace guarded Carson in the ward for the entire night. There was no small bed here to apany him. She could only sit on the chair and lie on the bed to sleep. The next morning, Grace called Daisy to ask when she would bring breakfast. No one answered the call. Carson sneered. ¡°I¡¯m afraid he didn¡¯t go back until midnightst night.¡± Grace locked his phone and looked at him. ¡°I¡¯ll buy you breakfast outside.¡± Emergency calls only Mu 11:41 Grace got up and went to the breakfast shop not far from the hospital to buy breakfast. There seemed to be an abnormallyrge number of people buying breakfast today. They did not look like people from the hospital. Unintentionally, she heard the conversation between two tall girls. ¡°What district were you assigned to?¡± ¡°Sigh, don¡¯t mention South District. Our district is seriously short of people now. I have to stand from morning to night. The auto show will start tomorrow. I wonder if the manager can recruit anyone.¡± Only then did Grace remember that Capern City was holding a car exhibition recently. The exhibition center was nearby. These people were probably here to participate in the auto show. Grace asked the two girls just now, and after understanding the general sry, she hurriedly carried her breakfast back to the ward. Grace nced at the tablet and thought for a moment before taking it with her. With Daisy¡¯s personality, it would take away anything valuable. While eating breakfast, Carson watched her pack her things and asked in confusion, ¡°Sister, where are you going?¡± Owned by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Convention center,¡± replied Grace. Grace hurried over with her backpack. The car model mainly looked at the face and figure. There was nothing much to interview. The manager asked her to pose a few times. When she felt that there was no problem, she began to tell Grace the working hours and working details. In the evening, the manager arranged amodation. The next day, she went to the exhibition center early in the morning to put on makeup and change her clothes. After putting on makeup, Grace walked into the changing room with the dress. Emergency calls only Looking at the tight dress in her hand, she felt a little awkward. D94% D11:41 Her abdomen had a subtle protrusion, entuated by the dress that boldly revealed her navel. She couldn¡¯t help but wonder why she hadn¡¯t noticed it earlier. Grace gazed at her reflection in the mirror, inhaling deeply. With determination, she pulled in her slightly protruding stomach, making it t with force. The manager was already urging her from outside. Grace gritted her teeth, put on her dress, and walked out in high heels. During this period of time, the fetus was quite stable. It should be fine. Today¡¯s weather was exceptionally delightful. Grace¡¯s skin gleamed with such a luminous whiteness that it appeared to radiate a gentle glow when standing beneath the sunlight. She stood in front of a Panamera car, encircled by numerous phones and cameras capturing her image. Chapter 153 The shing lights made it hard for her to open her eyes. She kept smiling, and the muscles on her face were almost stiff. The more onlookers there were, the sweeter her smile became, and the more she changed her body. movements. Grace felt like her eyes were about to go blind. She felt like she was about to hallucinate because she saw Brian¡¯s face in the crowd. The sh must have blinded her, she thought, and looked away. Brian stood in the crowd and immediately saw the tall woman who was flirting in front of the car. His gaze seemed to have taken root as it fixed on her face. He had thought of meeting her at the exhibition when she swiped her card to buy a car, but he did not expect to meet her in this way. Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. Brian examined the clothes she was wearing and felt frustrated by her outfit. Arge area of her chest was exposed. Her navel, thighs, and arms were all exposed. Her attire was incredibly revealing, leaving little to the imagination and creating the illusion that she had barely anything on. The scantiness of her outfit drew attention, making it appear as if she had. opted for minimal coverage and exposed a significant amount of her body. Brian¡¯s eyelids kept twitching. He wished he could take off his clothes and wrap them around her. Her generous and elegant smile wasplemented by the charming and enchanting makeup at the corners of her eyes. She synchronized these features with uplicated gestures, such as cing her hands on her hips and gently swaying them, creating an ambiance reminiscent of a subtle and silent seduction. emergency vana um Brian exhaled deeply and walked through the crowd to the innermost area. This time, Grace could clearly see Brian. She regretted encountering him in this ce and med herself for not making an effort to avoid seeing him beforeing here. The smile on Grace¡¯s face gradually stiffened. Meanwhile, Brian stood there and looked at her with a faint smile. The corners of his mouth curled into a mocking smile. Grace averted her gaze and continued to smile at the camera. She was very tired. Because she had been. taking deep breaths for a long time, she felt that her lungs were about to explode. The pair of high heels she was wearing were 6 inches long. Although she did not have to walk, her calf muscles had already begun to swell after standing in the high heels for five hours. Brian¡¯s gaze slowly moved from her face to her feet. After staring at her feet for a while, he looked back. at her face. Suddenly, he walked into the exhibition hall. After exchanging a few words with a salesperson, the salesperson led him to Grace. The salesperson said to her, ¡°You can leave first. This gentleman wants to try this car.¡± Grace was stunned for a moment before she was overjoyed. This way, she could.st for a while. Unexpectedly, in the next second, she heard Brian say calmly, ¡°Let her stay.¡± Grace and the salesperson looked at him at the same time. Brian stared at Grace and said with a faint smile, ¡°I bought this car for my girlfriend. Let her help me try how it feels to sit inside.¡± The salesperson smiled. ¡°Alright.¡± ¡°You can leave. There¡¯s no need to introduce me.¡± Emergency calls only M Brian opened the passenger door and raised an eyebrow at Grace, indicating that her should get in. Grace pursed her lips. She did not know what he wanted to do, but she still obediently sat in. As soon as she sat down, Grace felt her entire body rx. She covered her stomach with her arm and rxed slightly. Brian got into the car, pressed the start button, and slowly rolled up the car window, isting it from the onlookers outside. He turned his head to look at her. ¡°You¡¯re really a surprise. Are you here to hang another rich person? Are you not going to do anything about your Dr. Vance?¡± The words that came out of his mouth were nasty. Grace frowned. ¡°Brian, what do you mean?¡± Chapter 154 Brian sneered and turned on the air conditioner. The onlookers outside dispersed. He suddenly reached out and pinched her chin. ¡°Am I wrong? Vanity woman.¡± Grace pped his hand away fiercely. ¡°My vanity has nothing to do with you.¡± Brian was furious about her reckless spending of his money and made it clear that his anger was not driven by personal vanity but solely by the misuse of his finances. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. He was the one who gave her the card. He had indeed bullied her that night. Brian could not exin himself. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen such a shameless woman like you.¡± ¡°Mr. Brian, if you want to buy a car, please go to the exhibition hall. If you¡¯re just here to tell me this, I¡¯ll leave first.¡± ¡°I asked you to get into the car for a test ride. Who allowed you to leave?¡± Brian stared at her. She was always thinking about staying away from him, which made him feel very ufortable! Grace took a deep breath and leaned back in his chair, looking like he was lying t. ¡°How¡¯s the co¨Cpilotfort?¡± ¡°Mr. Brian, this car¡¯s seat adjustment function is very strong. The seat is designed with a bucket seat and a hard cushion. Don¡¯t expectfort. Your girlfriend is so delicate. I advise you to buy another car for her.¡± Brian tilted his head, gazing at her for a moment before giving a slight nod. ¡°Okay,e with me and stay by my side until I find the perfect car.¡± Graze was rendered speechless by Brian¡¯s unreasonable request. Brian got out of the car without any exnation. Then he grabbed her wrist and roughly pulled her down. Seeing this, the salesperson came forward. After hearing the reason, he silently red at Grace and warned her in a low voice, ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense if you still want your sry.¡± It was obvious that Brian was rich. He was not willing to lose such arge client. He smiled obsequiously and said, ¡°Sir, she¡¯s just a model and doesn¡¯t know anything about cars. Don¡¯t listen to her nonsense. Let me introduce you. The seats of this car are sports car seats.¡± ¡°Is what she said wrong?¡± Brian suddenly interrupted him coldly. The salesperson said, ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°The standard seats in the front row are simr to sports seats. It¡¯s ufortable to sit for too long, and it¡¯s not suitable for long distance driving. Your back will ache after driving for an hour. Are you lying through your teeth?¡± The salesperson was stunned. Grace also looked at him in a daze. He actually agreed with what she had just said. Brian held Grace¡¯s hand and turned to look at the next car. Grace was stuffed into the passenger seat again. ¡°How is it?¡± Grace felt that he was deliberately causing trouble for her. She should send him away as soon as possible. It had nothing to do with her if he bought a car for Louise. ¡°This chair has a massage. It¡¯s very functional andfortable. Your girlfriend will definitely like it.¡± Brian turned his head to look at her and sneered. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you very impatient? Am I disturbing you from fishing for a rich husband?¡± Grace frowned. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Emergency calls only ¡°Did I say something wrong? Dressed like that, aren¡¯t you just trying to attract a wealthy person? What¡¯s the matter? You can¡¯t get into the Vance family, so now you¡¯re looking for someone else?¡± Brian¡¯s remark infuriated Grace, causing his face to flush with anger. ¡°Brian, let me make it clear. I am here to earn my money honestly and legitimately.¡± Brian found it amusingly ironic that a woman ustomed to spending hundreds of thousands of dors daily was now attempting to be a part¨Ctime model at an auto show. ¡°Grace, even if you¡¯re lying, you have to prepare a draft first. What¡¯s there to be embarrassed about in front of me?¡± Chapter 155 Grace felt that he was simply unreasonable. She flipped her hair angrily. ¡°Alright, even if I¡¯m hanging a rich person here, it has nothing to do. you! Are you buying a car or not? If you¡¯re not buying a car, don¡¯t disturb me from hanging a rich person.¡± Brian snorted. ¡°You¡¯re finally willing to admit it? Grace, haven¡¯t I given you enough? I can¡¯t let a gold digger like you harm others.¡± ¡°What are you doing?¡± Brian pushed open the car door and got out. He walked around to her side and pulled her down, walking towards the manager. ¡°Brian, let go of me. What are you doing? If you make me lose my job, I won¡¯t let you off.¡± The manager saw that something was wrong with their expressions and immediately went forward to ask, ¡°Sir, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Your model has a sharp tongue. She talks back to customers.¡± Grace was furious. Her anger was fuming like smoke above her head. She shot him a fierce re, as if she could almost rip him to shreds. The manager nced at Grace. ¡°Go find the finance department to settle your say. You don¡¯t have to come in the afternoon.¡± Grace felt as if a basin of cold water had been poured on her. She looked at Brian with indescribable hatred in her eyes. Brian¡¯s heart skipped a beat when he saw her expression just now. Grace turned around and walked towards the changing room. After taking two steps, because her shoes were too high and her center of gravity was unstable, she took off her shoes and walked forward barefooted. Brian looked at her back and clenched his fists tightly. He suddenly asked, ¡°How many days has she signed?¡± ¡°Three days.¡± Brian asked again, ¡°How much per day?¡± ¡°240 dors.¡± Brian nodded and then chased after her. Grace hid in the changing room, and tears fell uncontrobly. She found herself pondering the omnipresence of Brian in her life, questioning whether he carried some sort of jinx that seemed to follow her every move. The mystery deepened as she struggled to comprehend any possible debts from a past life owed to him. With just a modest sum of slightly more than 20 dors in her bank ount, the imminent medical check¨Cup posed a daunting concern. Navigating the impending expenses added anotheryer of complexity to her already challenging situation, leaving her uncertain about how to manage the financial strain. Grace touched his abdomen, wiped away his tears, and stood up to change his clothes. She changed her clothes and came out with herptop. She saw Brian standin the door. She paused for a moment, then looked away coldly and went to the finance department to get her sry. She earned only 120 dors, equivalent to half a day¡¯s sry. Brian watched as she carefully put the 120 dors into her bag. Suddenly, he felt that he could not understand Grace. He contemted why she had to engage in this activity and questioned the possibility that she valued money more than her own life. Emergency calls only M4 Grace walked past him and carried the tablet out of the exhibition hall. Brian chased after her. ¡°Stop right there.¡± 11:41 Grace¡¯s footsteps didn¡¯t falter. In fact, she walked with increasing speed. She had already lost her job. because of him, and frustration brewed within her as she questioned what more he could possibly want from her. Brian took a few steps forward and pulled her back. ¡°Let¡¯s go eat.¡± It was already noon, and she was indeed hungry. Grace looked at him and nodded. ¡°Sure.¡± His meddling had a detrimental impact on her job, reaching a point where even the simple act of sharing a meal felt like she was extending him a favor. Brian was a little surprised. He had even thought of how he would mock her if she rejected him. However, he did not expect her to agree so readily. The two of them arrived at a high¨Cend restaurant, and Grace ordered a variety of dishes. However, when it came time to eat, she found herself without an appetite. Brian held a fork and looked at her. He said irritably, ¡°Eat obediently. I¡¯llpe ¡°e you.¡± Grace looked up at him nkly. ¡°240 dors, three days, 720 dors. You received 120 dors today. I¡¯ll transfer the remaining 600 dors to youter.¡± Brian calcted.N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Chapter 156 Grace¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. She questioned his motives, skeptical about whether his apparent kindness was genuinely rooted in a compassionate nature. Brian chuckled sarcastically when he saw her eyes light up at the mention of money. For you, money is your life, right?¡± Grace pursed her lips. ¡°Yes, money is not only my life but also my brother¡¯s life. You were born with a silver spoon in your mouth. How would you know what it feels like to be poor?¡± Grace felt a lump in her throat. She did not want to be in a sorry state in front of Brian, but he was the one who bestowed on her the most miserable side. Brian tightened his grip on the fork. He found her demeanor perplexing, as if she had suffered a great injustice. He hadn¡¯t given her 600 thousand dors, yet her recent expenditures far exceeded that sum. Grace finally moved her fork to eat. After eating a few mouthfuls of food, her phone suddenly rang. Grace picked up the phone. ¡°Hello? Dad.¡± ¡°Grace, the hospital called just now. They said that there¡¯s a matching bone marrow that can be transnted.¡± Grace stood up from her chair, excitement evident in her voice as she eximed, ¡°Really? So, does that mean Carson can be saved?¡± N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. Hot tears of excitement rolled down her face. ¡°Yes.¡± Frederick¡¯s voice was very excited, but it also carried endless heaviness. Grace knew what he was worried about. They had no medical fees. ¡°Dad, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll think of a way to pay for the medical bills. I¡¯ll go back to the hospital immediately.¡± Grace did not even look at Brian. He picked up the tablet on the table and left as if he hadpletely forgotten that Brian was still sitting in front of her. Grace took two steps and thought of something. He stopped and turned around to look at him. ¡°Oh, right, transfer the money to me quickly.¡± Brian stared at her face and did not move for a long time. Grace frowned. ¡°Why? Are you going back on your word?¡± She opened the collection code and walked up to him. She ced the phone in front of him and gestured for him. to transfer the money quickly. Ox Las mejores nuevas novs para adultoss 4.4¡ï FREE mejores aplicaciones de lectura de historia Dreame Installed Open Brian suddenly felt abnormally frustrated. In this woman¡¯s eyes, money and material things were more important than anything else. In frustration, he retrieved his phone, scanned the QR code, and sent 600 dors to her. Grace expressed her gratitude, took her tablet, and departed, Suddenly, the sleek tablet slipped from her arms and fell to the ground as she reached for her phone. Grace¡¯s eyes widened nervously. She quickly squatted down to pick it up and ced the tablet and hand¨Cdrawn board on the table. She opened the tablet and tested the graphics tablet again. Thankfully, it didn¡¯t break when it slipped. Brian Francis¡¯s gazended on herputer screen, where he saw a cartoon and a row of book titles at the top, including ¡°She Came from the Dust Brian¡¯s gaze fell on her tablet screen. He saw theics on the screen and a row of titles at the top, ¡°She Came From the Dust.¡± Brian narrowed his eyes. ¡°Are you drawing aic?¡± Grace nced at him and ignored him. After confirming that the tablet was fine, she left in a hurry. Brian looked at the table full of untouched food and felt frustrated. He called the waiter to pay the bill and left. On the way home, Brian called Camren as he drove. ¡°Help me investigate Carson¡¯s current situation.¡± Not long after, Camren called back. ¡°Mr. Francis, his condition doesn¡¯t seem to be very good. He often owes hospitalization fees. Two days ago, because he couldn¡¯t pay the chemotherapy fees, he was dyed in the hospital for an entire day. Later, Miss Sherman went to pay the fees before receiving the chemotherapy.¡± ¡°I heard that we¡¯ve just found a matching bone marrow, but we haven¡¯t heard anything about preparing for surgery. I guess he doesn¡¯t have the money for surgery.¡± Chapter 157 Brian gripped the steering wheel slightly. Camren asked, ¡°Mr. Francis, are you trying to help?¡± Brian didn¡¯t say anything when his phone suddenly dinged. He nced at it. It was another consumer notification from a luxury store. Even with her younger brother¡¯s life hanging in the bnce, she continued to indulge in shopping. Instead of using her resources to save her sibling, she prioritized buying designer handbags for herself. He chose not to help her after being frustrated and angered by her actions, believing she should face the consequences of her choices. Brian said angrily. ¡°Ignore her.¡± The steering wheel in his hand tilted slightly, and Brian stopped by the side. He exited the message and stared nkly at the main screen of the phone for a while. For some reason, his fingers clicked on the browser. He entered the title of the book he had just seen on the tablet into the search engine and clicked search. The first search result is marked with small blue text indicating (official first release.] He clicked on it and entered theics introduction page. The pen name was Chaos Dreamer.Owned by N?velDrama.Org. Theics had already been updated to chapter 15. He read it chapter by chapter. The content was not very conflicting, but it was very warm. The female lead was picked up from the streets and lived in an ordinary family since she was young. However, her adoptive parents gave her love that was no less than that of her biological parents. Brian immediately thought of Grace¡¯s mother. She was such a mean,zy woman. She must have drawn thisics because she yearned for a warm and original family. Brian saw thetest chapter in theics serialization and then withdrew to add theics to his collection. He wanted to reward it but paused for a long time. Finally, he left the page. Then, he drove back to his vi. Just as he went upstairs to change his clothes, Ava appeared out of nowhere with an LV box in her hand. She ran over and said to him with a smile, ¡®Brian, I bought you a gift.¡± Brian looked at her. ¡°What gift?¡± Ava took out a belt and walked up to him. ¡°Here, I personally chose it for you. Do you like it?¡± Brian frowned slightly. He looked at the clothes on her body. It seemed that her clothes had not been the same recently, and they were all luxury brands. ¡°Has your father given you a lot of pocket moneytely?¡± he asked mildly. Ava took the cad with the skin in one hand. She lowered her eyes and lied, ¡°Yes,¡± Installed Open Ava wrapped his arms around his waist and was about to test his belt when back The belt in her hand fell to the ground. Ava eximed and bent down to pick it up. At that morient, a ck card with the name Brian slid out of her clothes bag. Aca was only focused on checking whether the buckle on his belt had been damaged without realizing that her bank cand had already fallen out Brian narrowed his eyes and bent down to pick up the card. When Ava saw the item in his hand, she subconsciously touched her pocket and sucked in a cold breath. She looked at him fearfully and took a step back. Brian suddenly understood everything. It turned out that Ava had been using this card all along. Grace had never been used before. She wore high heels under the sun as a car model, carning just 240 dors a day to cover her brother¡¯s medical expenses, as he was unwell andcked the funds needed. This rified why he found her recent extravagant shopping for luxury items to be highly unusual. Ava looked at his gloomy face and shrank back in fear. ¡°Brian, listen to me. I found this card identally ¡°Where did you pick it up?¡± É« Ava wrapped his arms around his waist and was about to test his belt when Brian suddenly jolted and took a step back¡­ The belt in her hand fell to the ground. Ava eximed and bent down to pick it up. At that moment, a ck card with the name Brian slid out of her clothes bag. Ava was only focused on checking whether the buckle on his belt had been damaged without realizing that her bank card had already fallen out. Brian narrowed his eyes and bent down to pick up the card. When Ava saw the item in his hand, she subconsciously touched her pocket and sucked in a cold breath. She looked at him fearfully and took a step back. Brian suddenly understood everything. It turned out that Ava had been using this card all along. Grace had never been used before. She wore high heels under the sun as a car model, earning just 240 dors a day to cover her brother¡¯s medical expenses, as he was unwell andcked the funds needed. This rified why he found her recent extravagant shopping for luxury items to be highly unusual. Ava looked at his gloomy face and shrank back in fear. ¡°Brian, listen to me. I found this card identally.¡± ¡°Where did you pick it up?¡± 13:01 Sat, 20 Apr M Chapter 158 ¡°In the hotel, a waiter picked it up. Because I know you, I asked the waiter to give it to me. I only bought a belt and two clothes. Brian brought all the information over the phone to her. ¡°These are the two clothes and a belt you bought?¡± Ava trembled in fear. She hadpletely forgotten that his phone had a consumer notification. Brian looked at her coldly. ¡°I don¡¯t need you to return the money. Go pack your things immediately and move back to the Adkins family.¡± Owned by N?velDrama.Org. Tears streamed down Ava¡¯s face. ¡°Brian, I was wrong. I won¡¯t do it again. Don¡¯t chase me away.¡± Brian turned around and went upstairs. He paused and turned back to look at her. ¡°Do you want your father to pick you up personally?¡± Ava did not dare to say anything else. If Marshall came to pick her up, it would be strange if he did not beat her to death. Ava gritted her teeth and reluctantly went upstairs to pack his things. Ava packed her things, feeling very aggrieved. He remained calm despite receiving numerous spending reminders. It wasn¡¯t until he found out that she had used his card that he began to lose his temper. She pondered whether he would be equally upset if Grace had been the one spending all that money. She cursed Grace,beling her a despicable woman in her heart. Even after she¡¯s gone, she¡¯s still being chased out! She¡¯s determined to settle this score sooner orter. Ava returned to the Adkins family with a mournful face. Shannon asked her what happened, but Ava didn¡¯t dare speak in front of Marshall. She pulled Shannon to a room upstairs and recounted the whole incident to her. Shannon red at her resentfully. ¡°You asked for it. It¡¯s good that he didn¡¯t suspect that you drugged him. From now on, you better behave yourself.¡± Ava said indignantly, ¡°How can I be obedient? I can¡¯t get close to him anymore. It wasn¡¯t easy for Louise to leave, and Grace was chased out. Now is the best time for me to take over. If Louisees back after thinking it through. then I have no chance.¡± Shannon rolled her eyes at her. ¡°With that brain of yours, you still want to be promoted.¡± ¡°Mom.¡± Ava shouted. I¡¯m your daughter.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the hurry? I¡¯ll think of a way for you. Since you can¡¯t stay at his house anymore, go to his company. I¡¯ll discuss it with your father and ask him to think of a way to send you to work at the Francis Group. Just say that you¡¯re going for an internship. ¡°Mom, you¡¯re the smartest. Why didn¡¯t I think of that! If I go to work, he has no reason to chase me away. Shannon knocked on her head. The premise is that you didn¡¯t make any mistakes at work. Otherwise, he will still Dreame FREE Installed Open # Sat, 20 Apr fire you. ¡°I know. I¡¯ve never seen a mother look down on her daughter like you.¡± Ava pursed her lips. ¡°Alright. Hurry up and discuss this with my father.¡± Shannon red at her and turned to leave. Brian sat in Grace¡¯s room. Her scent waspletely gone. Ever since he realized that the person who had been swiping his card was Ava, her stubborn face kept shing through his mind. He felt remorseful for unfairly using her. He wondered about the amount of money she currently possessed and how much more was required for her brother¡¯s surgery. Brian found Grace¡¯s number in her contact list. His fingers lingered on her name for a long time before he finally retreated. After some thought, he called Camren. ¡°How much does Carson¡¯s surgery cost?¡± Camren was stunned for two seconds before saying, ¡°Mr. Francis, please wait ¡°Didn¡¯t I ask you to investigate just now?¡± a moment. I¡¯ll check again.¡± Camren said awkwardly, ¡°You just said that you don¡¯t care, so I stopped investigating.¡± Chapter 159 While in the attending doctor¡¯s office at the hospital, Grace asked, ¡°Doctor, what is the cost of my brother¡¯s surgery?¡± ¡°I suggest you prepare about 200 thousand dors for the surgery and subsequent treatment.¡± Daisy almost fainted when she heard this mumber. Grace pursed his lips and said, ¡°Doctor, please give me some time. I will definitely think of a way to gather it.¡± Grace looked at the contact list in her hand. The first person she could think of was Justin, but the first person she rejected was also Justin. Because she owed Justin already. 02 2 02 20 Grace finally called Nancy. However, Nancy was just an ordinary office worker and did not have any family background. She could only lend Grace 40 thousand dors. Moreover, 40 thousand dors were all her savings. Grace felt immense gratitude and excitement. Forty thousand dors was a substantial sum, and Nancy, having grasped Grace¡¯s situation and recognizing the challenges she faced in repaying the amount, generously provided assistance. Grace couldn¡¯t have asked for more of Nancy¡¯s help. When Daisy saw that Grace had returned from the call, she hurriedly went forward and asked, ¡°How is it?¡± ¡°I borrowed 40 thousand dors.¡± Daisy said anxiously, ¡°That¡¯s still far from it. Grace, why don¡¯t you go and beg Brian? He¡¯s so rich. Go and beg him. Say something nice. He might give it to you.¡± Without hesitation, Grace declined, stating, ¡°He won¡¯t. He¡¯s marrying Louise now. Louise harbors strong resentment towards me. Going to Brian is like courting death.¡± ¡°That¡¯s it Let¡¯s go find Dr. Vance. I¡¯ll give him a call.¡± Daisy said as she reached for her phone. Grace hurriedly snatched her phone away. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Daisy was so angry that she roared, ¡°You can¡¯t do this or that? Then what exactly do you want? Do you want your brother to wait for death?¡± Frederick, who had been silent all this while, suddenly said, ¡°Sell the house.¡± Daisy widened her eyes and looked at him. ¡°No. If we sell it, where will our family live?¡± ¡°The most important thing now is to save your life. Frederick looked at her and roared, ¡°If you lose your life, you can only live in the mud! If you save your life, you can still earn money to buy a house. Who asked you to y cards all day long and lose so much money? Think about it. How much money can Grace give you? You lost everything. Daisy looked at him in a daze. This was the first time Frederick dared to shout at her like this. Daisy was soungry that she stomped her feet. ¡°So what if I y cards? I also have times when I win.¡± N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. Dreame Grace¡¯s head hurt from her sharp voice. She pressed her temples and said in a low voice, ¡°Stop arguing. Just do as Dad says. Daisy copsed to the ground. Their houses were not easy to sell at all because they were located in the countryside and were self¨C built, which made them even harder to sell. The house had been on the Inte for two days and no one cared about it. The family sat in Carson¡¯s hospital room, feeling bewildered. At this moment, the attending doctor suddenly knocked on the door with a smile. Grace turned around and looked at him. ¡°Doctor, what¡¯s wrong? From the looks of it, is there any good news?¡± The attending doctor smiled and said, ¡°Good news! Great news! We¡¯ve reported your situation to our superiors. We think your brother¡¯s condition is special, so we¡¯ve decided to do this surgery for free for the patient as a medical analysis in the future.¡± The family widened their eyes in surprise and forgot to speak for a moment. Grace asked in disbelief. ¡°Are you serious?¡± ¡°Of course it¡¯s true. However, our hospital has a condition.¡± Chapter 160 ¡°What condition?¡± Grace asked suspiciously. ¡°We hope that the patient¡¯s family will agree to film the entire surgery so that we can analyze itter.¡± ¡°Tm willing. Of course. I¡¯m willing Grace originally thought that it was some harsh condition, but it turned out that it was just a video recording. She was overjoyed. ¡°Doctor, when can we do the surgery? Is what you said true? I¡¯m not dreaming, am I?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m telling the truth. From today onwards, don¡¯t feed the patient. The surgery will be carried out tomorrow. This time, we specially invited the best hematologist in Capern City to perform the surgery for your. brother. You can rest assured.¡± Grace was so excited that tears streamed down her face. She pinched her thigh hard to make sure that she was not dreaming. The next day, Carson was pushed into the operating theater. The surgeon was sent from another hospital. He looked to be about forty years old. Grace asked worriedly. ¡°Doctor, what¡¯s the sess rate of the surgery?¡± ¡°Miss, don¡¯t worry. The bone marrow transnt isn¡¯t difficult. The sess rate is above 70%,¡± Daisy was startled upon hearing the figure of 70%, 70%? Shouldn¡¯t it be 100%? What about the remaining 30%?¡± Grace hurriedly covered her mouth. ¡°Doctor, I¡¯m sorry. She doesn¡¯t understand. Please don¡¯t be angry.¡± The doctor refrained from condescending to Daisy¡¯s level and instead patiently exined the situation to her. The surgery door closed. After waiting outside for about six hours, the surgery door finally opened. The doctor took off his mask tiredly. ¡°The surgery was very sessful. The subsequent patients need to obtain hematopoietic reconstruction and immunity functions for about a month. If they pass it safely, there won¡¯t be any problems. Grace hurriedly nodded and thanked him. ¡°Thank you, doctor. Thank you.¡± Carson was pushed back to the ward andy there until the night before he gradually woke up. Grace and Frederick were guarding him in the ward. Daisy went home and brought the food over. The family gathered around the bedside cab for a meal. After dinner, Frederick looked at Daisy with seriousness and said, ¡°Daisy, now that Carson¡¯s surgery isplete, he needs careful attention. You must quit gambling from now on.¡± Daisy pouted unhappily. ¡°I got it. I¡¯ll take good care of Carson.¡± Grace nced at the two of them and put down her fork. ¡°I¡¯ll go find the doctor and ask him about postoperative precautions. Frederick nodded. ¡°Go ahead.¡± Grace entered the doctor¡¯s office and knocked on the door. The attending physician for Carson was sitting at the desk. ¡°Doctor, where¡¯s the doctor who operated on my brother?¡± ¡°You mean Dr. Olivia? He has already returned to Southside Hospital.¡± Grace¡¯s eyes widened with astonishment. ¡°Are you saying that Dr. Olivia is affiliated with Southside Hospital?¡± Southside Hospital was where Justin worked. She suddenly entertained a suspicion, considering that her brother¡¯s surgery being free might not have been due to a medical analysis necessity. It¡¯s possible that Justin was the one covering the medical expenses. ¡°Miss Sherman, why are you looking for Dr. Olivia?¡± Grace came back to her senses and looked at him. ¡°I just wanted to ask my brother about the things to take note of after surgery,¡± The attending doctor exined to Grace in detail the things to take note of after the surgery and the problem of not eating. Grace carefully recorded it with her phone. She put away her phone and looked at the attending doctor. She couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Doctor, my surgery isn¡¯t actually free because you want to conduct a medical analysis, is it?¡± brother¡¯s 5]+5 ¡°What condition? Grace seked pickedy ¡°We hope that the patient¡¯s family will agree to film the entire wurgery is that we can analyze it farer¡± in i courer. I¡¯m willing Grace originally high was one farsh condition, but it turned out avades rending Tem willing that was to ser She was overjoyed ¡°Doctor, when can we do the surgery? what is said true? I¡¯m not dreaming, am 1 ¡°Thon¡¯t worry, I¡¯m telling the truth. From today onwards, don¡¯t feed the patient. The surgery will be carried out tomorrow. This time, we specially invited the best hematologist in Capern City to perform the surgery for your brother. You can tru poured¡± Grace was so excited that tears streamed down her face. She pinched her thigh hard to make sure that she was not dreaming The next day. Carson was pushed into the operating theater. The surgeon was sent from another hospital. He looked to be about forty years old. N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. Grace asked worriedly. ¡°Doctor, what¡¯s the sess rate of the surgery?¡± ¡°Miss, don¡¯t worry. The bone marrow transnt isn¡¯t difficult. The sess rate is above 70% Dany was startled upon hearing the figure of 70%, 70% Shouldn¡¯t it be 100%? What about the remaining 301 Grace hurriedly covered her mouth ¡°Doctor, I¡¯m sorry. She doesn¡¯t understand. Please don¡¯t be angry.¡± The doctor reframed from condescending to Daisy¡¯s level and instead patiently exined the situation to her. The surgery door closed. After waiting outside for about six hours, the surgery door finally opened. The doctor took off his mask tiredly. The surgery was very sessful. The subsequent patients need to obtain hematopoietic reconstruction and immunity functions for about a month. If they pass it safely, there won¡¯t be any problems.¡± Grace hurriedly nodded and thanked him. ¡°Thank you, doctor. Thank you.¡± Carson was pushed back to the ward andy there until the night before he gradually woke up. Grace and Frederick were guarding him in the ward. Daisy went home and brought the food over. The family gathered around the bedside cab for a meal. After dinner, Frederick looked at Daisy with seriousness and said, ¡°Daisy, now that Carson¡¯s surgery isplete, he needs careful attention. You must quit gambling from now on.¡± Daisy pouted unhappily. ¡°I got it. I¡¯ll take good care of Carson.¡± Grace nced at the two of them and put down her fork. I¡¯ll go find the doctor and ask him about postoperative precautions Dreame Las mejores nuevas novs para adultoss mejores aplicaciones de lectura de historia 44¡ï FREE Installed Open Chapter 161 The doctor looked up at her and suddenly smiled without saying anything. Grace instantly understood that her guess was right. There was no free treatment. Someone had just paid for their surgery anonymously. This person should be Justin. Grace came back to the ward with conflicting emotions, increasingly aware of her growing debt to Justin. She looked at her phone for a long time before calling Justin. Justin¡¯s gentle voice sounded. ¡°Grace, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I just wanted to ask if Dr. Vance is free tomorrow. I want to treat you to a meal.¡± Justin paused for a moment before smiling. ¡°Of course, as long as you¡¯re looking for me, I¡¯m always free.¡± His low and hoarse voice made Grace¡¯s eardrums tingle. Her shoulders trembled slightly. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll send you the addresster. Are you busy now?¡± Justin felt that Grace was a little strange. She had never cared about him so much. ¡°I¡¯m not busy. What¡¯s wrong? Do you want to talk to me for a while?¡± Grace bit her lips. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. We¡¯ll talk about it tomorrow. Go to work first.¡± Justinughed out loud. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m looking forward to tomorrow.¡± The next day, Grace and Justin ate at a cafe near the apartment. Grace pushed the menu toward him after ordering. ¡°Let¡¯s see what you want to eat.¡± Justin looked at her. She seemed to be very happy/Her eyes were filled with smiles, and her mood infected him. He smiled and said gently, ¡°Just order it. If you like it, I¡¯ll like it too in the future.¡± Grace felt awkward as he made ambiguous remarks from yesterday until now. When Justin noticed that she seemed to be shy, his smile widened. ¡°Did you ask me out for a meal today because you have something happy to share with me?¡± The waiter brought the drinks. Grace picked up the cup and held it in front of him with coffee instead of wine. ¡°You know.¡± Justin raised his cup and clinked it with hers. He raised his eyebrows and asked, ¡°I know? What do you know?¡± Grace took a sip of juice and smiled/ Justin was a little puzzled. Grace was so abnormal today. Owned by N?velDrama.Org. AP Justin, stop pretending. I know you helped with my brother¡¯s surgery, right? You specially invited Dr. Olivia from your hospital¡¯s hematology department to operate on my brother.¡± Justin¡¯s expression froze for a moment. He did not speak for a moment, but he was waiting for Grace¡¯s next words in his heart. ¡°I¡¯ve never told you about my brother¡¯s leukemia. You found out from Angie, right?¡± ¡°No matter what, thank you for everything you¡¯ve done for me. I¡¯ll definitely pay you back for my brother¡¯s surgery fees. I really owe you more and more.¡± Justin pieced together some answers from her words, but he was not very sure. He felt a bit flustered and pondered the identity of the anonymous benefactor who covered her brother¡¯s medical expenses. He harbored a suspicion that it might be Brian. It was not until Justin found out that her brother had leukemia. If he had known earlier, he would have transferred her brother to Southside Hospital to take care of him personally. Grace saw that he was in a daze and waved his hand in front of his eyes. ¡°Justin, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Justin blinked. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I was just thinking about work.¡± Justin was absent¨Cminded during the meal. After he finished eating, he sent Grace to the apartment building and hurried back to the hospital. He went to look for Dr. Olivia from the Hematology Department. Dr. Olivia told him that there was no such thing as free surgery fees. The reason he epted this surgery was because he had received payment. Chapter 162 For the past few days, because Carson had to undergo surgery, Grace had not drawnics properly for a few days. She had to update it today. As soon as Grace returned home, she turned off her phone and drew seriously. By the time he finished updating, it was already eleven o¡¯clock at night. Only then did Grace turn on her phone. Suddenly, she received a message on her phone. [Your work, ¡°She Came From the Dust¡± received a tip of 100,000 gold coins.] Grace stared at the zeros and counted them carefully five times. She rubbed her eyes and stared at the name of the work. It was indeed herics. There was no mistake. Grace considered 100,000 gold coins to be a substantial amount. Owned by N?velDrama.Org. dors. She couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that this generous indivo put it differently, it was akin to two thousand had mistakenly tipped the wrong person. She directly replied to the reader whose nickname was a full stop in thements section. ¡°Did you tip the wrong person?¡± The reader did not reply to her, but in less than five seconds, she received another tip notification. The other party tipped her another two thousand dors. Grace was dumbfounded. This reader was using his actions to tell her that he did not reward her wrongly. He was rewarding her. She checked the other party¡¯s information and realized that his ount was a new ount. She was the onlyic on the bookshelf, and thements were empty. She thought for a moment and replied, ¡°Thank you, but you don¡¯t have to spend so much money.¡± She sent her message, but he still didn¡¯t get any reply. However, after a few seconds, she received ten tips in a row. Each of them was two thousand dors. The tform¡¯s single tip limit was only two thousand dors. She wondered if this big shot would spend 200 thousand dors if there was no upper limit. Grace¡¯s heart was pounding. She felt like she was going to be crushed by money. Her fingers were trembling as she held the phone. This big shot rewarded her just because of a disagreement. Because of this big shot¡¯s tipping, herics became popr on the tform. The tipping rankings, collection rankings, and reading rankings came one after another. Thements section was extremely lively. At exactly that moment, in the master bedroom of the Francis estate, Briany on the bed with his phone in hand. He observed asments umted one by one below. Some discussed her comics, others the plot, and a segment of people tagged him, urging him to exercise restraint. Suddenly, a badment jumped into his line of sight. ¡°The plot is in and not exciting enough.¡± Brian frowned and replied, ¡°Scram if you don¡¯t want to see it.¡± Although thisics was mostly positive, there were still a few people who liked to be picky. Brian never hesitated to fire back with venomous replies whenever he came across negative comments. On the other side, Grace was also scrolling through thements. She thought that the other party must have gone crazy and sent gifts randomly. When she saw the other party criticizing the readers who gave bad reviews one by one, she realized that the other party was really looking at herics seriously. Seeing the other party¡¯sments, she couldn¡¯t help butugh out loud. However, as she read, she felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity from the other party¡¯s words. Grace tried to reply to him again, but he still did not receive a reply. The other party scolded all the readers who had given him bad reviews. Only when the other party did not dare to say anything else did thements section finally quieten down. At this moment, she received five more tips. Then, the world returned to calmness. Grace looked at the time. It was almost midnight. Gracey on the bed. Because of the tip, she tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep. Chapter 163 In the following period of time, whenever Grace updated, she would receive tips from the other party. As long as she replied to him in thements section, he would reward her. In essence, this influential figure was quick to give rewards. If faced with negativements, he would counter quickly and then proceed with further rewards, A month passed quickly, and a third of herics has already been serialized. When she sorted out the royalties in the middle of the month, she earned more than 60 hundred dors just from tips, and this was after the tform deducted her 50% share. Grace received the royalties and immediately returned the money to Nancy. In the chilly month of October in Capern City, Grace was easily noticeable due to her growing baby bump. The clothes that Grace had bought were all A¨Cshaped, just enough to cover her bulging abdomen. Because she was very thin, it was almost impossible to tell that she was pregnant. Although she had not seen Brian for a long time, they were all in the same city. She was still afraid of suddenly meeting him one day. Given the weather conditions, it would probably be the winter season when her belly became more prominent. Wearing a loose¨Cdown jacket would be an effective way to hide her stomach so that her secret would remain concealed if she unexpectedly ran into him someday. Grace went to Justin¡¯s hospital for a prenatal check¨Cup, and everything with the fetus was normal. After the medical check¨Cup, Grace went to Justin¡¯s office and sat for a while. ¡°I¡¯ve already paid my royalties. I¡¯ll return a portion of the money to you first.¡± Grace lowered her head and looked at the phone screen. She found Justin¡¯s name and prepared to transfer the money to him. Justin¡¯s eyes shed. He reached out and took her phone away. ¡°What are you doing? I said that I didn¡¯t know about this. I didn¡¯t say that I helped you pay for the surgery. The doctor has already told you that it¡¯s free treatment for your brother.¡± Grace looked at him and let out a shaky breath. ¡°Justin, I know you don¡¯t want to admit it, but I will definitely return the money to you. Justin Vance pressed his lips together, his gaze deep and enigmatic, revealing depths that remained inscrutable. He turned to look at her seriously. ¡°If you really think you owe me a lot, I hope you won¡¯t pay me back with money and material things. Grace bit her lips. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Justin smiled and rubbed her nose lovingly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m not asking you to devote your life to me. I¡¯m not the kind of person who would take advantage of others.¡± ¡°If you want to repay me, you can bring me lunch every day, okay?¡± Apr¨CgraN?velDrama.Org ? 2024. Grace did not expect his request to be so simple. ¡°Really?¡± Justin nodded. ¡°Of course, Being a doctor is very busy. Sometimes, when you¡¯re busy, you can only cat takeout. If you can eat your food every day, you¡¯ll be happier than anything in the world.¡± Grace thought for a moment. ¡°Alright, I promise you.¡± Before he lef, Grace suddenly thought of something. ¡°By the way, can I trouble you to help me investigate something?¡± ¡°What is it?¡± I¡¯ve been informed that apany affiliated with Vance Corporation has allegedly copied my younger brother¡¯s game. titled Astral Saga.¡± Justin expressed concern as he furrowed his brow. The softwarepany affiliated with the Vance Group was owned by Ethan. ¡°Okay, I will look into it. If it is indeed giarism of your brother¡¯s game, I will find a way to ensure that your brother gets justice.¡± ¡°Alright, thank you. I¡¯ll go back first.¡± Justin nodded. ¡°I called a taxi for you. Be careful on the way back.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± The next day, Grace finished cooking and put the food into a thermos. She carried the food downstairs. Today¡¯s weather was not good, with a drizzle of rain. When Grace was at home, it seemed like the weather was fine. outside, so she didn¡¯t wear thick clothes. It wasn¡¯t until she came out that she realized how piercingly cold it was. Chapter 164 Grace stood at the bus stop and waited for the bus. The rain drenched her hair in front of her forehead, and the cold wind made her shiver uncontrobly, At that moment, a white Aston suddenly sped over and stopped right in front of her. Grace¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She knew that this car belonged to Brian. She wondered why he was here, and she suspected that he might be trying to mock her again. The car window rolled down, and the exquisite side profile of Brian appeared in front of him. It¡¯had been a long time since theyst met, and he seemed to have lost some weight. ¡°Get in the car. I¡¯ll drive you.¡± ¡°Come on, I can¡¯t park here.¡± Grace nced at the bus behind her. It wasn¡¯t the one she intended to take. If Brian¡¯s car didn¡¯t move, the bus behind it wouldn¡¯t be able to enter the station. Grace didn¡¯t want to take his car, but considering that there were other people waiting for the continuing the stalemate would only cause trouble for others, so she still got in. car around, Brian nced at the lunchbox in her hands, thinking that she was probably delivering lunch to Carson. With that in mind, he turned the steering wheel and headed towards the hospital where Carson lived. Grace saw him driving in the opposite direction and hurriedly said to him, ¡°You¡¯re going the wrong way. I¡¯m going to Southside Hospital.¡± Brian thought that he had heard wrongly. He stepped on the brakes and slowly turned to look at her. Grace¡¯s eyes gradually darkened as he looked at her. She immediately said, ¡°There¡¯s no need to trouble you. I¡¯ll take a taxi there myself.¡± Brian grabbed her wrist and looked at the thermos in her hand. So, she assumed that she endured the rain just to deliver food to Justin. This realization made Brian feel like a fool. ¡°What are you doing? Let go of me.¡± Grace red at him in frustration. Brian sneered. ¡°You¡¯re really good to Dr. Vance. What earth¨Cshattering thing did he do for you to make you take care of him so carefully and personally deliver food to him?¡± Grace looked away. ¡°It¡¯s none of your business.¡± Brian squeezed her hand even harder. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. His fury was so intense that it appeared as if steam was billowing from his head. This woman disys apleteck ofpassion. She made every effort to care for her brother¡¯s illness, but ultimately, she didn¡¯t even spare a nce for him. 13:02 Sat, 20 Apr M Instead, she spent her days engrossed in dating. Contemting this, Brian felt like he was on the verge of being infuriated to the point of exhaustion by this woman every passing minute. Brian started the car and drove forward without saying a word. ¡°Where are you taking nie? Brian, let me out of the car.¡± Brian turned a deaf ear to her words. The car sped towards the suburbs, getting further and further away from the hospital. Grace was so angry that her head hurt. She knew that she could not dissuade him, so she simply gave up struggling. The car drove into the wilderness. Brian looked at her and said, ¡°Get out¡± Grace did not move. He took out his phone and turned on the camera. ¡°Mr. Francis, you¡¯d better send me back obediently. Otherwise, this video will be sent to Miss Adkins.¡± Brian¡¯s face darkened, and he reached out to snatch her phone. Grace nimbly dodged backwards. Brian suddenly pounced on her, pressing his body tightly against hers. ¡°Brian, don¡¯t do anything rash, Grace said nervously. Brian straightened up bit by bit, took a deep breath, and drove the car back. Instead of heading to Southside Hospital, he drove back to his ownpany, Grace had no choice but to take a taxi there herself. When the food arrived, it was already past one o¡¯clock. At this moment, Grace¡¯s phone suddenly received dozens of tips. The other party seemed to be filled with anger, as if he wanted to smash her to death with money. Chapter 165 Grace was stunned. She held her phone as if she were holding a hot potato. She pondered the identity of this reader and how affluent they must be to be rewarded with such generous tips. consistently. At this moment, Justin walked in from outside. He ced the medical record on the table and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? me too many times. I feel a little afraid.¡± N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Justin looked at her in amusement. ¡°You were tipped because yourics is well¨Cliked by the other party. What Grace pondered for a moment and said, ¡°This person has ti are you afraid of?¡± Im just a newbie who just started serializingics. My drawing skills aren¡¯t considered high, and the plot isn¡¯t like other works on the website. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s strange to receive so many tips under such circumstances?¡± ¡°What¡¯s so strange about that? Grace, don¡¯t deny yourself. You¡¯re very good. Maybe someone will want to buy your copyright tomorrow and adapt it into a television drama.¡± Grace chuckled. ¡°Stop daydreaming.¡± I¡¯mte bringing food today. You must be starving, right?¡± Justin looked at her and pretended to be aggrieved. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m starving. I¡¯ve been waiting for you for so long,¡± Grace said guiltily, I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll definitely send food over early tomorrow. There was an ident on the way today.¡± When Justin heard her mention the ident, his heart skipped a beat. ¡°What ident? Are you alright?¡± Grace pursed her lips and lowered her eyes. Justin¡¯s heart froze. ¡°You met Brian?¡± I met him while waiting for the bus.¡± It¡¯s okay. Next time you go out and take a taxi, don¡¯t take the bus. Grace nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± Grace would never have thought that what Justin said yesterday would be reality today. Early in the morning, Grace received a call from the tform. An entertainmentpany named S.E expressed nterest in acquiring the rights to her work for adaptation into film or television. Grace thought that she was dreaming and pinched her thigh hard. It was so painful that tears flowed out. she was afraid that she would meet a swindler. She would only dare to believe the truth after confirming it with her editor, editor¨Cin¨Cchief, and editor¨Cin¨Cchief. Not long after, the person¨Cin¨Ccharge of S.E came to talk to her about the copyright fees. fter all the questions were finalized, Grace was still in a daze. No matter how she thought about it, she felt uneasy. Despite theics¡¯s strong sales and positive reputation since its release, the decision to purchase the copyright outright before Grace hadpleted her work seemed overly hasty Grace went online to research S.E, an entertainmentpany. The viewership ratings of the television dramas and movies produced by thispany were not bad. Last summer, a television drama with a broken viewership record was produced by theirpany. Grace thought about it and still felt uneasy. He called Justin to tell him about this. Justin heard her worried tone and teased, ¡°It¡¯s such a good thing. Why do you sound like you¡¯re in trouble?¡± ¡°I just think it¡¯s too strange. Ever since I started serializingics, I¡¯ve encountered strange things one after another. First, I was rewarded for no reason, and then I sold the copyright. I don¡¯t believe this will happen to me.¡± Justin chuckled and said, ¡°You¡¯re thinking too much. Don¡¯t be anxious. From today onwards, paint seriously. You don¡¯t have to send me food in the future. It¡¯s a waste of your time.¡± It was only at Grace that he remembered that it was already 12 o¡¯clock and she had yet to cook. She quickly said to Justin, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I forgot to cook.¡± É« Chapter 166 Justin smiled dotingly. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m not hungry yet. I¡¯ll just order takeout. I¡¯ll also order one for you? ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll still send you food when I have time, but I¡¯ll be signing the contract in a few days. I won¡¯t be able to send you food then.¡± ¡°Yeah, sure.¡± On the day of the contract signing. Grace put on light makeup and wore a loose white shirt with a light blue knitted vest and a pair of loose, wide¨Clegged pants. She exuded a youthful and artistic aura in the mirror. S.E. had sent a driver to pick her up. The dinner was arranged at one of the grand hotels in Capern City, and Grace arrived at 6 o¡¯clock. Upon her arrival, the editor¨Cin¨Cchief introduced her to the key figures, ¡°Grace, meet Mr. Booth, the Director of S.E. responsible for finalizing the contract this time. Also, Mr. James and Ms. Eunice.¡± Grace sat down. After everyone got to know each other, they began to discuss the contract and sign it. Grace signed and pressed her thumb. Mr. Booth also took out thepany¡¯s seal and stamped it on Party A¡¯s column. After signing the contract, Mr. Booth raised his ss. ¡°Miss Sherman. I wish us smooth and happy cooperation in the future.¡± The leaders of S.E. raised their sses. Grace quickly stood up and nced at the ss in front of her. It had been filled long before she arrived. Mr. Booth saw her hesitation and asked, ¡°Miss Sherman, what¡¯s wrong?¡± I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m pregnant.¡± Owned by N?velDrama.Org. At this moment, the door of the private room was suddenly pushed open, interrupting Grace¡¯s words. She subconsciously turned her head. A tall and slender figure appeared at the door. Grace looked at that cold face and frowned slightly. She pondered the suddenness of his appearance at this moment. Just as she was feeling puzzled, Mr. Booth¡¯s words made her mind go nk. ¡°Mr. Francis, you¡¯re here. The contract has been signed. This is the author, Miss Sherman. This is our Mr. Francis.¡± Grace was dumbfounded. She was stunned for a moment. ¡°What¡¯s his rtionship with S.E?¡± Her question made Mr. Booth feel a little awkward. Heughed dryly and exined, ¡°It¡¯s like this. S.E is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Francis Group. In other words, Mr. Francis is our big boss.¡± Grace was stunned by his words and looked at Brian, who was looking at her with a faint smile. He walked slowly towards her and sat down in the only empty seat beside her. Grace¡¯s head was buzzing. She felt like she had boarded a pirate ship, but the contract had already been signed. She could not break it. That was close. She had almost revealed that she was pregnant just now. She couldn¡¯t fathom why it was Brian once more. She suspected it was not a mere coincidence. Grace¡¯s thoughts were in disarray. In that moment, Brian lifted his cup and gave her a slight toast. ¡°Miss Sherman, here¡¯s to a fruitful coboration.¡± He raised his eyebrows at her, a smile on his lips, but Grace felt cold all over. Seeing that she was in a daze, the editor¨Cin¨Cchief secretly poked her waist. Grace came back to his senses and said with a smile and aloofness, I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Francis. I¡¯ve caught a cold. recently and am taking medicine. I can¡¯t drink alcohol. I¡¯ll use coffee as a toast to you. Thank you for giving me at chance.¡± Grace picked up her cup and clinked it with his, When Brian saw that she had finished drinking, the corners of his eyes seemed to be filled with mockery. He curled his lips evilly. ¡°Is it serious? If it¡¯s serious. I¡¯ll bring you to the doctor now. Miss Sherman is sick and came to the dinner. It¡¯s really difficult for you.¡± Grace clenched his fists. ¡°Mr. Francis is too much.¡± Brian finished the wine in his ss, lit a cigarette, and took a puff from time to time. - Chapter 167 After the meal, Grace deliberately dawdled to the back. She wanted to wait for Brian to leave before leaving. Unexpectedly, Brian scented to know what she was thinking. Now, he said goodbye to someone by the roadside and stopped walking. Grace could only lower her head and walk over. She looked at him coldly. ¡°Did you do that on purpose?¡± Brian frowned in confusion. ¡°On purpose?¡± ¡°You know that it was me who bought the copyright, right?¡± Grace suddenly thought of something, and his eyes narrowed. ¡°Are you also the reader who has been giving me tips?¡± Brian raised his eyebrows and admitted generously, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me. Do you feel ufortable knowing that I¡¯m the one who tipped you?¡± Grace took a deep breath and felt very ufortable. ¡°No, who wouldn¡¯t want money? Then thank you Mr. Brian for tipping. I hope Mr. Brian can maintain the good habit of tipping in the future.¡± Just treat it as child support for the child in the future. Grace said it coldly and walked forward quickly. In the Francis Group, Marshall walked into the building in a suit. Ava followed beside him. ¡°Dad, don¡¯t forget to tell Brian about arranging a job for meter.¡± Owned by N?velDrama.Org. Marshall scoffed at her. ¡°Dad hasn¡¯t forgotten. Just make sure you don¡¯t stir up any trouble.¡± Ava pouted unhappily. ¡°You make it sound like I only know how to cause trouble. If I didn¡¯t remind you, you would have forgotten about me again.¡± Marshall clicked his tongue and exined, ¡°Why are you in such a hurry? The reason why I didn¡¯t mention this to Brian previously was because he didn¡¯t seem to be in a good mood.¡± The father and daughter chatted as they arrived at the CEO¡¯s office. Marshall and Brian were in the office, engaged in a discussion about work matters, while Ava waited in the living. room. Nancy made a cup of coffee and brought it over. Ava sized her up and asked, ¡°Are you Brian¡¯s secretary?¡± ¡°Yes, it is.¡± Seeing that a did not say anything else, Nancy left the office. 13:02 Sat 20 Apr 2175 In the office, Marshall, who had finished talking about work, saw that Brian seemed to be in a good mood today. He asked while drinking coffee, ¡°Brian, have you been in contact with Louise recently?¡± Brian said calmly, ¡°She didn¡¯t answer my call, but I know where she is now. I¡¯ve been paying attention to her news. You can rest assured.¡± Marshall smiled and nodded. ¡°That¡¯s good. By the way, there¡¯s something I need to trouble you with.¡± ¡°Mr. Adkins, just tell me. ¡°Here¡¯s the situation. Ava has been out of school for over six months now and hasn¡¯t been working. I was thinking that perhaps yourpany has a suitable position for her. Consider it an internship to help her gain some practical experience.¡± After a moment of contemtion, Brian frowned slightly and said, ¡°I¡¯ll assign her to the Human Resources Department, then.¡± ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll get her to familiarize herself with thepanyter. She¡¯ll officiallye to work tomorrow.¡± Brian nodded. Marshall left the office. Ava was waiting outside. When he saw hime out, he immediately rushed up. ¡°Dad, how is it?¡± ¡°I agree. I¡¯ll work in the human resources department tomorrow.¡± ¡°Human Resources?¡± Ava expressed disappointment with the arrangement, as it didn¡¯t seem much different from taking on menial tasks. Ava pouted. Coincidentally, Nancy happened to pass by. She grabbed Nancy¡¯s clothes and asked, ¡°Which floor is the HR department on?¡± Nancy nced at her. ¡°The 22nd floor. Ava¡¯s expression fell as she realized the office was far from the CEO¡¯s office. This arrangement seemed to defeat her purpose of joining the Francis Group, as she wouldn¡¯t even get to see Brian a few times a day. É« Chapter 168 Ava rushed into Brian¡¯s office without thinking. ¡°Brian, I don¡¯t want to stay in the HR department. Can you let me go to another department?¡± Brian put down the document in his hand and looked at her. Marshall was furious. He reached out to pull her, but she shook him off. ¡°What are you studying?¡± Brian leaned back in his chair and askedzily. ¡°Broadcast,¡± replied Ava. Brian thought for a moment and said, ¡°There¡¯s no professional position for you in thepany. If you feel that the HR department is not suitable for you, you can go to the sales department. You don¡¯t need any professional knowledge. You just need to run the business every day.¡± Ava bit her lip. ¡°Then what about a secretary? I can be a secretary too.¡± There¡¯s no shortage of people in this position.¡± N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Brian sat up straight and prepared to continue working. Marshall¡¯s anger reached an intense level. He advanced towards Ava with determination, seizing her wrist firmly. ¡°Go back with me.¡± His words carried a weight of authority and frustration. Ava deftly freed herself and hurried to Brian. ¡°Brian, could you do me another favor and arrange something for me? Maybe a secretary assistant position?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no such position, and my secretary doesn¡¯t need an assistant.¡± In that moment, Ava noticed a contract lying on the table. The two words at the bottom immediately caught her attention, and Grace¡¯s name stood out prominently in the document. Ava picked up the contract and quickly nced at it. Brian looked up and took the contract from her hand with slight displeasure. ¡°You don¡¯t understand this.¡± ¡°Who said I don¡¯t understand? Brian, you bought theics rights to Grace and want to make it into a movie?¡± Brian looked up at her and did not answer. It was a tacit agreement. Marshall could clearly feel Brian¡¯s cold expression. He quickly went forward and grabbed Ava¡¯s hand before walking out. ¡°Brian, I¡¯ll bring Ava out to familiarize himself with thepany environment first.¡± Marshall quickly pulled her out of the office and red at her. ¡°I told you to behave yourself. Don¡¯t you understand what I¡¯m saying?¡± Ava turned around and red at him. ¡°Dad, I don¡¯t think you care about me at all. You went in for half a day, and you only asked me to do odd jobs in the HR department. You didn¡¯t even get to see Brian.¡± Marshall¡¯s expression hardened. ¡°What¡¯s the meaning of this? I arranged for you to work at the Francis Group, and now you¡¯re contemting meeting Brian? Ava, let me make it clear. Brian is your sister¡¯s fianc¨¦. Despite their current issues, you must not exploit the situation.¡± Ava was so angry that her face turned pale. ¡°Am I your daughter or not? You only think of that son of a bitch, Louise, all day long¡± ¡°Shut up. Don¡¯t talk about your sister like that.¡± Marshall red at him fiercely. Ava snorted coldly. ¡°Dad, I think you can¡¯t see the situation clearly, Louise has already gone overseas, and you¡¯re still pinning your hopes on her. If I were Brian, I would have changed my mind long ago.¡± She arrogantly lifted her head and continued, ¡°If you still want the Adkins family to form a marital alliance with the Francis family, then you should help me get Brian. Instead of using me of stealing my sister¡¯s fianc¨¦.¡± Marshall was so angry that he could not speak. Ava took a deep breath. ¡°Forget it. There¡¯s no hope relying on you at all. Dad, just watch. I¡¯ll definitely stay by Big Brother Brian¡¯s side with my own abilities.¡± Ava quickly left the Francis Group. Marshall thought about it and felt that what Ava said made sense. In particr, Brian seemed to have formed a partnership with the woman called Grace. This was indeed a dangerous sign for the Adkins family. Chapter 169 Grace rushed to the hospital with the lunch box. Last night, she struggled to sleep, her thoughts consumed by the events that unfolded. She entered Justin¡¯s office. Justin was not back yet. She sat in her chair and waited for a while. After about five minutes, Justin returned to the office. He took off his mask and smiled warmly. ¡°Congrattions on signing the contract. Grace parted her lips, drawing a subtle smile as she nodded and expressed her gratitude with a simple ¡°Thank you.¡± Justin keenly sensed that something was wrong with her expression. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did the contractst night not work out?¡± Grace scrutinized him, taking a moment to contemte before ultimately divulging the previous night¡¯s events. She recognized his sincere dedication to helping her and her brother, treating her as if she were family. Justin¡¯s expression tightened when he heard this. Brian must have done all this on purpose to get close to Grace. He couldn¡¯t decipher Brian¡¯s intentions in trying to get closer to Grace, especially considering he had a fianc¨¦e. Justin looked at her and earnestly said, ¡°Grace, don¡¯t worry. Brian¡¯s actions are definitely not simple. Since you¡¯ve entered into a cooperation with the Francis Group, you¡¯re bound to frequently encounter him in the future. Considering your growing belly, being frequently with him might lead to discovery.¡± Grace was frowning and instinctively touched her abdomen. Justin¡¯s caution was valid; being in Brian¡¯s company frequently was risky. Despite that, the contract had already been signed, leaving her with no better alternatives at the moment. Justin pressed her shoulders with both hands and continued, ¡°I know what you¡¯re worried about. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll help you pay for the breach of contract. You just have to stay far away from him.¡± Grace looked at him nkly. Justin¡¯s gaze was very focused. When he thought of everything Brian had done, Justin felt terrified. The two of them looked at each other for a long time before Grace shook her head firmly. ¡°No, you¡¯ve already helped me enough. If 1 meet him again in the future, I¡¯ll be careful not to let him find out that I¡¯m pregnant.¡± Justin frowned. He was somewhat concerned about the possibility that Brian might reveal he was the one who covered the cost of her brother¡¯s medical expenses, leading to her disappointment. However, there was nothing he could do. He could not be like Brian and forcefully keep her by his side. That would only push her further and further away from him. The next day, Ava officially went to work at the Francis Group. She did not go straight to the HR department. Instead, she ran outside the CEO¡¯s office as soon as she arrived and waited for Brian. E As soon as Brian appeared, she ran up to him and held his arm. ¡°Brian, who¡¯s taking me to report?¡± Brian looked down at her hand and pulled his arm out without a trace. When he passed by Nancy, he instructed indifferently. ¡°Ms. Patel, take her to the HR department to report. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. ¡°Alright, Miss Adkins, please follow me.¡± Ava followed Ms. Patel to the elevator. Ava sized up Nancy. She was very beautiful. She had sexy eyes, a high nose bridge, and a standard oval face. However, this face made Ava very ufortable. This was because she had always been indifferent and distant to him. This woman was really lucky to stay by Brian¡¯s side all day. The elevator stopped on the 22nd floor. Nancy led her to the HR department. ¡°Mr. Brown, this is the new employee, Ava. Please take care of herter.¡± Ava quickly answered, ¡°Mr. Francis asked me toe.¡± She looked at Nancy and reminded her, ¡°Ms. Patel, I don¡¯te to thepany often. You might not be familiar with me. I¡¯m family with Mr. Francis.¡± É« SEND GIFT 0 Chapter 170 Nancy offered a subtle smile and a nod. She understood the implication, but being Brian¡¯s personal secretary, she felt no obligation to assist a new employee from the human resources department. Ava observed her with a in and unremarkable response, leaving her with the distinct impression that her efforts were akin to striking a punch into soft, yielding cotton. She pondered what might be the issue with Natal, as Natal seemed unable to grasp her underlying message. Despite clearly expressing their familial connection to Mr. Francis, Natal showed a surprising lack of sensitivity by not trying to build a positive rtionship with her. Ava was very dissatisfied. She crossed her arms and looked at her arrogantly. ¡°Ms. Patel, go buy me a cup of coffee. I want caramel mhiato iced coffee.¡± Nancy¡¯s expression was calm as she looked at her and smiled without saying anything. Ava raised her eyebrows and tumed to look at Mr. Brown. ¡°Where is my desk?¡± That arrogant demeanor, as if she were the leader herself. Mr. Brown knew that she had a powerful background and did not dare to offend her easily. He personally brought her to her desk and arranged for a female colleague to take her. She sat on the chair and dozed off in front of theputer. Her female colleague chattered on as she taught her how to do the report. Ava covered her ears and looked at her irritably. ¡°Hey, do you really think I¡¯m here to do odd jobs? It¡¯s just for show.¡± The female colleague¡¯s face paled. ¡°Well, you can read it for yourself.¡± Ava nced at the time on her watch. It was already noon, and Nancy hadn¡¯t brought her coffee yet. Ava stretchedzily, stood up from her chair, grabbed a set of documents, and headed upstairs. When she arrived at Nancy¡¯s workstation, she found her engrossed in her own tasks,pletely neglecting to get her the coffee she had expected. She walked up to her angrily. ¡°Ms. Patel, I asked you to buy me coffee this morning. Why didn¡¯t you go? Did you forget?¡± Nancy looked up at her and smiled. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss Adkins. I¡¯m Mr. Francis¡¯s secretary. I¡¯m only in charge of Mr. Francis¡¯s matters.¡± Ava was surprised. Although her initial impulse was to reprimand Nancy, she refrained from doing so after some consideration. It appeared that Nancy was still not paying attention to her requests. Nancy looked at her calmly. Ava took a deep breath and suppressed the anger in her heart. She smiled at her and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay. It seems that you¡¯re busy.¡± She nced at Brian¡¯s office and walked in. Nancy guessed that she must have gone toin, but she believed that Mr. Francis would not condone an unreasonable person like Ava. Brian was standing in front of the floor¨Cto¨Cceiling window and making a call. Ava could only wait silently at the side. From overhearing his phone conversation, it seems there¡¯s an urgent project underway. She seemed to be going on a business trip in the afternoon. After hanging up. Brian nced at Ava and asked casually, ¡°Why are you here?¡± N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. Ava opened her mouth to speak, just managing to utter ¡°Ms. Patel.¡± She heard Brian pick up the phone on the desk. He instructed, ¡°Ms. Patel, you need to be in Silrow City by 5 PM this afternoon. Please book a suitable flight immediately.¡± After hanging up, he looked at Ava. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Ava rolled his eyes and quickly said, ¡°It¡¯s nothing. The manager is looking for me. I¡¯ll go down first.¡± He walked out of the office and went to Nancy¡¯s office. He nced at it and saw that she was indeed booking a ne ticket on theputer. He walked over and handed the document in his hand to her. ¡°These are the documents for Mr. Francis¡¯s business trip this afternoon. Make two copies.¡± Nancy looked up at her suspiciously. Chapter 171 Ava frowned. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Nancy took the docunients and walked to the photocopying room, Ava nced at theputer. The screen stopped at the interface to confirm the payment. She quickly clicked return. changed the date to the same flight tomorrow, and entered the interface to wait for the payment. After doing all this, she looked around Nancy¡¯s office without changing her expression and smiled in satisfaction. After a while, Nancy returned and handed her the photocopied document. Ava smiled and said. ¡°Thank you.¡± Nancy nodded slightly. Ava watched as she finished paying. A trace of viciousness shed across her eyes, and she left in satisfaction. At 3 p.m., Brian came out of the office with his briefcase. ¡°Ms. Patel, send me the flight information.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± replied Nancy. She opened the message, and her face suddenly turned pale. Brian saw her abnormal expression and frowned. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Nancy immediately stood up. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Francis. The date is wrong. ¡°What date?¡± Nancy swiftly retraced the ticket booking process, identifying the error in the ticket details. Without dy, she realized she needed to inform Ava. She nced at Brian. If she was told that Ava had tampered with it, Brian would definitely not believe her. ¡°I¡¯m asking you, what¡¯s wrong with the date?¡± Brian¡¯s expression suddenly darkened. Owned by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Francis. The flight date is wrong. It¡¯s booked for tomorrow.¡± Nancy¡¯s heart sank to the bottom. Brian took a deep breath and pressed his forehead. ¡°High¨Cspeed rail. When will the high¨C speed rail arrive?¡± ¡°The high¨Cspeed rail will take five hours. Nancy quickly checked and looked up with a pale face. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Brian stared at her with dark eyes. Recognizing his furious demeanor, she realized she had made a significant error and that consequences were inevitable this time. As expected, in the next second, she heard Brian say in a deep voice, ¡°From tomorrow onwards, you don¡¯t have toe.¡± Nancy pursed her lips and looked up at him. ¡°Mr. Francis, I know it¡¯s my negligence this time. I can¡¯t exin it, but I still hope you can hear the reason. 13:02 581, 20 Apr At this moment, Brian¡¯s expression was terrifyingly gloomy. It was obvious that he did not want to hear her exnation. *Regardless of your reasons. Wrong is wrong. Regarding the incident with Gracest time, I¡¯ve already given you a chance ¡°Okay, I understand.¡± At the corner of the corridor, Ava smiled in satisfaction and left quietly. The next day, Ava waited for Brian to settle his matters and calm down beforeing to his office. ¡°Brian, Ms. Patel is gone. It¡¯s not easy for you to find a personal secretary. I¡¯ve been with you for so long. Why don¡¯t you let me be your personal secretary?¡± Ava looked at him expectantly. Brian was a little frustrated. He nced at her and said, ¡°You¡¯re not suitable.¡± your likes. Ava pouted. ¡°Who said that? I can do it. You¡¯re recruiting a newbie now, and you¡¯re not familiar with all and dislikes. How can I take good care of you! I¡¯ve lived in your house for so long and have a certain understanding of your daily life. I¡¯m the most suitable.¡± ¡°Okay. That¡¯s enough.¡± Her chattering made Brian a little irritated. ¡°Brian, can you let me be your personal secretary?¡± Brian pinched the space between his eyebrows. ¡°Alright, sit down for the time being. Go out first. I still have a video conference to attend.¡± Ava left the office ecstatically. Chapter 172 The weather in Capern City has been unpredictable recently. Grace sat in front of the floor¨Cto¨Cceiling window and drew. He sneezed a few times, She hurriedly put on her clothes, but she still couldn¡¯t escape the glorious cold. Grace¡¯sics had been updated by almost two¨Cthirds. Ever since she signed the contract and found out that the fan who tipped her was Brian, he had never tipped her again. Grace would still deliver food to Justin whenever he had the time. As soon as she finished packing the food, her phone rang She nced at the caller ID, and her eyes darkened. Brian. Why was he calling her? Her intuition told her that nothing good was going to happen. She slowly picked up the phone and asked coldly, ¡°Mr. Francis, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Brian was slightly dissatisfied when he heard her indifferent and distant tone. ¡°Yourics is ready tounch. The audition will begin at two in the afternoon, on the second floor of the Prosperity Pavilion.¡± There was a forcefulmand in his tone that made Grace ufortable. ¡°Mr. Francis, the audition is between your producer and the director, right? What do you mean by telling me? Do you want me to go?¡± Brian sneered. ¡°You¡¯re right. I want you toe. Moreover, you have toe. Look at the contract. Article 18. clearly states that Party B is obligated to assist Party A inpleting the project better. Choosing a role is a very important thing. Only you know every role the best. Therefore, Miss Sherman must participate in the entire audition. Grace rubbed her temples. ¡°Brian, I can handle choosing the main actor, but I don¡¯t need to be involved in selecting the supporting actor, correct?¡± Brian paused for a moment. ¡°Do you have a cold?¡± Grace did not want to talk to him anymore and hung up. She nced at the lunch box and called Justin. ¡°Justin, I¡¯m sorry. The movie audition is about to start. I can¡¯t deliver lunch today. You have to order takeout.¡± Justin paused for a moment before saying, ¡°Alright, be careful.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± replied Grace. Grace finished her lunch and looked at the weather outside. She changed into a T¨Cshirt and a sweater before heading to the Prosperity Pavilion. Grace had just arrived at the audition venue when he saw Brian sitting on the judging panel. To her surprise, Ava was sitting beside her. They seemed to be very close. Ava poured coffee for him and personally brought it to his mouth, looking at him affectionately. Grace paused at the door, contemting Ava¡¯s presence with Brian and questioning when their rtionship had be so intimate. N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. Upon discovering details about their rtionship, Grace felt a sharp emotional pain, as if a thorn had pierced her heart.. Mr. Booth was the first to greet her. ¡°Miss Sherman,e over quickly. This way! Grace nodded slightly and walked over. When Ava saw her, his lips curled into a mocking smile. When Grace¡¯s gaze swept towards her, he smiled provocatively at her. Grace sat down silently. At two o¡¯clock, the audition officially began. Although Grace was an unknown neer, many popr celebrities still came to audition for S.E. After all, S.E. was not short of money and was a big production. Brian sat two seats away from her, asionally ncing in her direction. He saw her take the bottle of mineral water thaty on the table. She put her finger on the cap, retracted it. then finally Brian pursed his lips and turned to Ava. ¡°Get the property management to change all the water to hot.¡± Ava asked in confusion, ¡°Is it very cold?¡± Chapter 173 Brian looked at her coldly. ¡°What is your duty?¡± Ava¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She immediately said, ¡°I¡¯ll go now.¡± The property manager quickly brought hot water over. Grace smiled at the property manager. ¡°Thank you.¡± Brian felt a little ufortable. He could even smile so gently at a strange man. It was as if he had seen his This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. enemy. She pondered Brian¡¯s intense hatred. Grace picked up the ss to warm her hand. Her gaze inadvertently swept over Brian. She paused for a moment, blinked, and looked away at the audition performance on stage. Ava had been paying attention to Grace the entire time. He saw her every move. Naturally, he did not miss her gaze when she met Brian¡¯s eyes just now. Ava seethed as Grace flirted with Brian openly, revealing her restlessness. Grace found herself using the restroom more frequently as she entered the mid¨Cterm of her pregnancy. Just after taking a few sips of water, she headed to the bathroom again. As soon as Grace came out, she saw a face that she hated. Ava leaned against the wall with a contemptuous smile on her lips. She said sarcastically, ¡°It¡¯s only been a few days. since west met, but Miss Sherman has already be an artist. Congrattions.¡± Grace turned on the tap and washed his hands. She said expressionlessly. Thank you, Miss Adkins.¡± Ava hated her nonchnt look the most. She looked cold on the outside, but deep down, she was thinking about how to seduce Brian all day long. Ava crossed her arms and warned, ¡°Grace, as you can see, I¡¯m with Brian now. I¡¯m not that idiot, Louise, who can let you flirt with Brian. You¡¯d better behave yourself. If I see you seducing Brian, I won¡¯t let you off.¡± Grace furrowed her brow, unable to discern the underlying meaning of Ava¡¯s actions. Ava looked at her puzzled expression and smiled. I¡¯m afraid you don¡¯t know yet. Louise isn¡¯t married to Brian. She went overseas. I¡¯m the one who¡¯s with Brian now.¡± Ava raised her chin arrogantly and turned to leave. Grace¡¯s heart turned cold. She suddenly felt very disgusted and wondered how men could casually change their girlfriends. When he was with Louise initially, I witnessed firsthand how affectionate and tender he could be. Now that Louise had only left for a month, he was already with Ava. She pondered the potential awkwardness of the situation, contemting what it would be like if he were to marry someone win in the Adkins family in the future. 13-03 7 Sat, 20 Apr 188 Grace closed her eyes and secretly told herself not to think about it anymore. She had already divorced Brian It was his freedom to be with whoever he wanted. It had nothing to do with her. When Grace returned, Brian noticed that her expression had be even colder. She didn¡¯t know if it was because she had a serious cold, but she kept sneezing and coughing. She was wearing such a thick sweater, but she still felt cold. STRAU The auditionsted until 6 p.m. Grace left with her bag. She couldn¡¯t help but nce at the seat. That person had left at some point. Grace went downstairs to hail a taxi. A familiar Aston Martin car stopped in front of her. Grace¡¯s gaze only paused for a second before he averted his gaze and walked forward. Brian frowned and got out of the car. He followed behind her and grabbed her wrist. ¡°Am I a ghost?¡± Brian looked at her gloomily. Grace¡¯s expression was cold and distant. She flicked her hair that was blown by the wind. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t see it was you just now. What¡¯s the matter? Mr. Francis?¡± Chapter 174 Brian said without changing his expression. There are some things I need to discuss with you about the project.¡± ¡°Mr. Francis, if I remember correctly, Mr. Booth is in charge of this project. I can discuss it with him directly, right?¡± Brian was furious when he heard her tone. She was clearly inviting trouble, going so far as to purchase medicine on her behalf. It seemed pointless, especially considering he sensed her disdain and had nothing more worthwhile to upy his time. Grace sniffled and coughed twice. Brian gritted his teeth and said fiercely, ¡°Wait here.¡± Grace felt that he was very strange, but she still wanted to see what he wanted to do. Brian returned to the car and came down with a transparent bag. It seemed to be filled with medicine. He walked over, took her hand, and ced the medicine in her palm. This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. There¡¯s a way to take it. Remember to eat it when you get back.¡± Grace nced at the medicine in his hand and threw it back to him without thinking. ¡°I don¡¯t need it.¡± Brian frowned fiercely. ¡°Grace, I advise you not to challenge my bottom line.¡± You¡¯re such a scumbag. I was afraid that the medicine you bought was poisonous. Can¡¯t I buy the medicine myself when I¡¯m sick?¡± I¡¯m a scumbag?¡± Brian looked at her in disbelief. le was shocked when she brazenlybeled him a scumbag despite having bought her medicine and provided onsiderable assistance. le divorced her, but their rtionship was originally based on a contractual agreement. Even taking a step back nd considering it from a different perspective, he hadn¡¯t been intimate with Louise to this day. But this shouldn¡¯t ake him a scoundrel with her. You know very well whether you¡¯re a scumbag,¡± Grace said coldly. ¡°I¡¯ve already divorced you. Mr. Brian, you¡¯d etter be careful not to cause trouble for me. After all, you¡¯ll be the Adkins family¡¯s son¨Cin¨C law sooner orter.¡± rian was so angry that her eyes turned ck. This ungrateful woman was treating her kindness with ill intent. e curled his lips coldly. ¡°You¡¯ve misunderstood. I just don¡¯t want to see you deceive others¡® sympathy with your ying look.¡± rian threw the medicine into her arms and drove away quickly after a few days. race looked at the medicine in his hand and hesitated for a moment. These medicines could not be eaten. In the id, he threw them into the trash can. ian observed her actions through the rearview mirror. His anger surged, prompting him to press down on the 13:03, Sat, 20 Apr. M elerator while silently admonishing her in his heart. Grace went to the hospital. Dr. Ford prescribed someme root for her to take at a controlled dosage and told her about some food therapy methods. Grace returned home and began to draw. At night, Justin called. ¡°How was the audition today? Did you encounter Brian? When Justin asked this question, he almost held his breath. Grace grunted. She did not dare to say too much. Because of her cold, her nasal voice was very strong now. She was afraid that Justin would find out and make him worry. ¡°Did he say anything to you?¡± ¡°No.¡± Grace suddenly wanted to cough. She quickly took her phone and covered her mouth to cough twice. Justin asked nervously, ¡°What happened today?¡± After Grace finished coughing, he picked up the phone again. ¡°Nothing much. There¡¯s nothing special about today¡¯s audition. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Justin heaved a sigh of relief when he heard that her tone was fine. ¡°Alright, are you painting?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Alright, then rest early after you¡¯re done.¡± For a few days in a row, Grace insisted on going to the audition site every day. It was really difficult to recover from a cold without taking medicine. Grace almost coughed while working these few days. SEND GIFT 0 Chapter 175 Even on thest day of the audition, her cold had yet to recover. Ever since the fight that day, Brian would conie to the audition venue every few days. When he saw her, he would only nce at her indifferently. Most of the time, he looked at her with mockery. They barely spoke. Owned by N?velDrama.Org. During the audition on thest day, Brian blocked her at the entrance of the washroom. Grace frowned at him. Without another word, Brian grabbed her wrist and strode forward. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Brian pulled her into the car in one breath. He started the car and said, ¡°Go to the hospital. Infusion.¡± Grace¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He hurriedly mmed the car door, ¡°I don¡¯t want to go to the hospital. Who wants you to take me to the hospital? Let me get out of the car. Brian did not listen to her at all and continued driving. The car stopped at the entrance of the nearest hospital. Grace opened the door and ran. He had only run two steps when he was grabbed by Brian. ¡°You¡¯ve had a cold for a week. Do you want to infect everyone in the crew?¡± Grace fiercely broke free from his constraints. ¡°I just have amon cold. It¡¯s not contagious.¡± Brian grabbed her cor and lifted her up like she was a little chick. ¡°If I tell you to lose, you lose.¡± ¡°Let go of me.¡± Grace struggled fiercely. ¡°Your touch disgusts me.¡± Brian stopped in his tracks and looked at her. ¡°What did you say? Disgusting?¡± Grace looked straight at him and said without thinking, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s disgusting. Don¡¯t touch me with your hands that have touched other women. I find it dirty even if I sit in your car now.¡± Brian¡¯s chest heaved violently as he tried his best to control the urge to strangle her to death. ¡°He hasn¡¯t even found her disgusting, and this ungrateful woman was already starting to despise him. He found this discovery so unbelievable.¡± Brian felt that he must be crazy to be asking for trouble again and again. He flung her wrist away forcefully, got into the car, and sped away. After their falling out, Brian never contacted Grace again. Theics wasing to an end, and the production team was preparing to officially start filming On the day of filming, Grace received another call from Brian. On the phone, his voice was as strong as ever. ¡°The production team has officially started filming. From today onwards, you must go to the set every day to assist the director in filming.¡± Grace took deep breath. She knew that there was no point in resisting Brian¡¯s decision. Hence, she said helplessly, ¡°I understand.¡± Brian was somewhat surprised. After a pause, he continued, ¡°Then get ready. I¡¯ll send someone to pick you up shortly. The movie is being filmed in Silrow City, and you¡¯ll need to stay at a hotel. Grace was taken aback by this arrangement, and she realized that regrets were useless now. After Grace packed his luggage and got out of the car, he saw that Brian was also in the car. The two of them sat side by side in the back seat. They were silent the entire way as the car drove to the airport. When the nended at Silrow City Airport, it was already 2.00 p.m. in the afternoon. The weather in Silrow City was still very hot. Everyone was wearing sweaters on the streets. Grace was wearing a loose coat. She was very hot, but she did not dare to take off her clothes because it was easy to tell that she was pregnant from the clothes inside. Grace wrapped herself in thick clothes and persevered all the way to the hotel. When she came, she did not study the weather in Silrow City carefully. When she opened her luggage, she realized that there were almost no clothes to wear. She found a dress that could barely fit. Çú Chapter 176 She had to suck on her stomach to barely cover it up. She had to buy clothes quickly. Grace put down her luggage and went shopping for clothes. Brian put away his luggage. When he was about to call her for dinner, he realized that she was no longer in the hotel. He held the phone and stared at her name for a while. In the end, he did not make the call. When it was almost five in the afternoon, Ava also rushed to the hotel with her suitcase. As Brian descended the stairs, he unexpectedly ran into her. A frown formed on his face as he remarked, ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you that your presence wasn¡¯t necessary?¡± Ava smiled and said. ¡°I¡¯m worried about you. With me around, I can take care of you.¡± This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. If she didn¡¯te, something might happen between Grace and him. Therefore, when she found out that Grace was going too, she bought a ticket and rushed over immediately. Ava booked a room and pushed her luggage to Brian with the room card. ¡°I¡¯ll put my luggage away. I¡¯m so hungry. Brian, let¡¯s eat togetherter.¡± Brian nodded faintly. He sat on the sofa on the first floor. Ava came down not long after and changed into a cool backless outfit. She walked to Brian¡¯s side and held his arm. ¡°Brian, do you think my clothes look good?¡± Brian looked down at her hand and frowned slightly. At this moment, Grace walked in from the entrance of the hotel with a shopping bag. The first thing he saw was the intimate scene between the two of them. Her expression darkened as she lowered her head and quickly walked through the hall. Brian, about to push open the door, abruptly halted when he saw Ava¡¯s figure. As watching her walk away, an inexplicable surge of anger welled up within him. He strode out of the hotel. Ava bit her lips and looked at Grace¡¯s back. She stomped her feet in anger. It was Grace¡¯s influence once again. Even a mere nce from her could stir such intense emotions in Brian. In such a precarious situation, that¡¯s precisely why she had to make an appearance. Grace bought two loose A¨Cshaped dresses and two oversize T¨Cshirts. After changing her clothes, she went to the hotel for a simple meal before returning to her room to draw. Her phone suddenly rang. She picked it up and saw that it was Justin. Only then did she remember that she had left in a hurry today and had forgotten to tell Justin. ¡°Grace, aren¡¯t you at home?¡± Justin¡¯s gentle voice came from the receiver. I¡¯m sorry, I forgot to tell you. I¡¯m in Silrow City. I need to follow the crew today.¡± Justin¡¯s voice sank. ¡°Why do you have to join the team? Isn¡¯t there a screenwriter? It was Brian who asked you to do this, right?¡± Grace was silent for a moment before saying. ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t matter. Anyway, the filming will onlyst for two months, ¡°But you¡¯re pregnant and alone over there. I¡¯m worried.¡± Grace smiled. T¡¯m really fine. I¡¯m not a child. Besides, it¡¯s been more than four months. It¡¯s been very stable recently. There won¡¯t be a problem.¡± Justin was still worried. He thought for a moment and said, ¡°How about this? I¡¯ll take a month off and come over to apany you.¡± When Grace heard him say that, he quickly rejected him sternly. Justin could not do anything to her. He could only say that he would visit her during his break in two days. The next day, filming officially began. The weather was very hot. Grace sat in a temporary awning and blew a small fan. Other than the crew members who were filming, everyone else was squeezed into the awning. Ava sat beside Brian. She was hot and impatient and wanted to go back, but Brian and Grace were guarding the filming location, so she didn¡¯t want to leave them alone. Chapter 177 At this moment, an actor ying the third male lead walked over to Grace with a cup of iced coffee. ¡°Miss Sherman, the weather is too hot. Have a cup of milk tea to relieve the heat.¡± The male actor handed her the iced coffee in his band and looked at him with a smile. Grace looked sideways at him and quickly stood up to take the coffee from him. ¡°Thank you.¡± The e actor¡¯s assistant brought him a small chair. He smiled at Grace. ¡°Sit.¡± Grace sat down on the chair. The male actor also sat down beside her and smiled at her. Grace didn¡¯t know much about male celebrities in the entertainment industry. She only knew that this male actor¡¯s name was Lucas. To her, everyone in the crew could be considered colleagues. Lucas saw that she was holding the iced coffee in her hand and didn¡¯t drink it. He couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Don¡¯t you like iced coffee? Shall I order you a cup of iced milo?¡± Grace shook his head. ¡°No, there¡¯s no need.¡± She put away her habit and took a sip because she was pregnant. She did not dare to drink too much. Lucas smiled and said, ¡°Actually, I¡¯ve been reading yourics for a long time. I went to the audition because I¡¯m a fan of yours, so I thought I¡¯d have a chance to see you.¡± Grace smiled in embarrassment. ¡°Really? How do you feel when you see me?¡± Lucas raised his eyebrows at her and smiled brightly. ¡°I really didn¡¯t expect that the person who could draw such a delicateics would be such a beautiful and delicate young girl.¡± Thank you,¡± replied Grace. Brian had already noticed Lucas walking towards her. He looked at the smile on Grace¡¯s face with disdain in his eyes. He fretted over Grace¡¯s innocence, fearing she would take his words to heart. In the cutthroat entertainment industry, no one spoke candidly. It astonished him how a fewpliments could bring her such joy. Grace thought that Lucas was just joking. He didn¡¯t expect Lucas to understand every character so thoroughly after talking about the plot with her. The two of them gradually became more and more engrossed in their conversation. Lucas even shared some of his simr experiences in his youth andics with her. Brian kept drinking iced water. Suddenly, he heard a voice from the other side. ¡°Miss Sherman, shall we have dinner together tonight? Do you have time?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Grace dly epted. N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. Brian held the ss tightly and took a big gulp. He handed the ss to Ava and said, ¡°Get some more ice.¡± Ava had already run seven to eight rounds in a row. She was already sweating profusely from exhaustion and was about to get heat stroke. 13.03: Sat 20 Apr However, she did not dare to disobey Brian¡¯s instructions. She could only ept her fate and hit the ice cubes under the scorching sun. At eight o¡¯clock in the evening, after filming thest scene of the day, when the director was about to call it a day, Mr. Booth suddenly said, ¡°Wait.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s film the 33rd scene tonight. The weather is good tonight. I think it will rain in a few days. Everyone, work hard. Lucas nced at the script and gave Grace Sherman an apologetic look. Grace smiled at her. Brian looked at her face as if he could hear her telling Lucas that it was okay and that she could wait. The 33rd scene was between the third male lead and the third male lead. It was also the third male lead¡¯s highlight in the drama, so this scene was still rtively important. The director¡¯s requirements were rtively high. The scenested until past midnight before it ended. Grace was already exhausted and kept yawning. Chapter 178 Lucas ran over and said apologetically, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss Sherman. I didn¡¯t expect to work overtime tonight.¡± She forced her eyelids open and forced a smile. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Even if you guys work overtime, I have to work overtime too. ¡°Then shall we have dinner together another day?¡± Grace narrowed her eyes and nodded. ¡°Okay¡± Grace turned around, picked up her bag, and prepared to take a taxi back to the hotel. As soon as she turned around, she saw Brian. He was alone. Ava was not by his side. He must have returned to the hotel to sleep. He looked energetic, and there was no sign of him when they were filming just now. Grace guessed that he must have hidden somewhere to sleep. Her sleepiness instantly disappeared without a trace. Brian stared coldly into her eyes, as if the abundance of attention he gave wasn¡¯t sufficient, and she was contemting dating someone else. Grace¡¯s eyes s turned cold. She walked past him and left. She knew that Brian must be the reason why she was working overtime tonight. As for the reason, it was probably because he didn¡¯t want her to have a good rest. After all, as long as she started filming, no matter whose scenes she filmed, he would force her to be present. Grace returned to the hotel and fell asleep after taking a shower. At seven o¡¯clock the next morning, there was a violent knock on the door. This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Grace opened her eyes. Her eyes were dry and ufortable. ¡°Grace. Get up quickly. There¡¯s a sunrise scene this morning. Get up quickly.¡± Ava¡¯s sharp voice continued toe from outside the door. She got out of bed in frustration and opened the door with her messy hair. ¡°Are you crazy? Who are you to order me around? Do you think I¡¯m you?¡± Grace scolded her. Ava was so angry that she stomped on her feet and pointed at Grace¡¯s nose. Before she could curse, Brian¡¯s cold voice suddenly sounded. ¡°She¡¯s my Personal Life Assistant. I¡¯m your immediate superior. Why can¡¯t we wake you up?¡± Grace paused for a moment, then frowned. ¡°Personal Life Assistant?¡± Grace was taken aback by the title that Brian assigned to Ava, sparking questions about her new responsibilities and injecting intrigue into her professional role. Ava crossed her arms and looked at her arrogantly, ¡°Why? Are you not convinced! Hurry up and get up: Grace looked at Ava and then at Brian. ¡°Where¡¯s Ms. Patel Ava sneered. ¡°She could even make a mistake in booking a ne ticket. Of course she packed up and left¡± Grace was stunned for two seconds before she suddenly looked at Ava coldly. ¡°It better be like this. Grace mmed the door shut. She picked up her phone, opened Nancy¡¯s WhatsApp. nced at the time, and felt it was too early to message her now, afraid of disturbing her. She opened Nancy¡¯s WhatsApp Status. She realized that she had posted a message on her Statusst week, stated ¡®Goodbye. Nancy had followed Brian for so many years. She did not believe that Nancy would make such a low¨C level mistake. Brian must have fired her on purpose for Ava. Grace got dressed and headed outside. The day¡¯s shoot took ce by the sea, and the production team¡¯s vehicle was already parked at the hotel entrance. As soon as she got into the car, she saw Brian and Ava sitting side by side in the first row. Grace¡¯s expression suddenly darkened. She lowered her head and walked past them to the furthest ce to sit down. Her deliberate indifference made Brian very unhappy. He wished he could pull her over and press her against his side. When the car arrived at their destination, Grace walked alone by the sea and called Nancy. She must have been still asleep. ¡°Hey,¡± she saidzily. ¡°Nancy, it¡¯s me, Grace.¡± É« Chapter 179 Nancy¡¯s drowsy voice became much clearer. She asked, ¡®Grace, why are you looking for me?¡± ¡°Did Brian fire you because of Ava?¡± Nancy was silent for a while before saying, ¡°I was careless. I¡¯m also partially responsible. I should have logged out first when Ava sent me away or double¨Cchecked when I bought the ne ticket. If I had been more careful that day. she wouldn¡¯t have seeded.¡± ¡°So it was Ava who framed you!¡± Grace clenched her fists angrily. Nancy smiled nonchntly. ¡°Perhaps my fate with the Francis Group hase to an end. It¡¯s alright. You don¡¯t have to worry about me. I just want to rest for a while before finding another job.¡± Nancy didn¡¯t want Grace to worry, so she changed the topic and said, ¡°By the way, I have recently been thinking about traveling. Do you want to go on a trip with me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m in Silrow City, Brian asked me toe.¡± This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Nancy paused. ¡°In other words, Ava is there as well?¡± ¡°Yeah Nancy suddenly smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯lle and look for you in two days. Then, I will get to meet Ava. I¡¯ve already lost my job anyway. Why should I be afraid of her?¡± After hanging up. Grace had mixed feelings. To keep Ava by his side without issue, Brian even fired Nancy, an employee who had followed him for many years. He was no different from an ipetent ruler. After Grace returned from making her call, Brian realized that her aura had be even colder. Moreover, she was only acting cold toward him! She smiled warmly at everyone else, but when she faced him, she looked as though she wanted to cut him into pieces. Brian could not figure out how he had provoked her again. Grace slept verytest night and was woken up early this morning. She was dozing off on the chair. She had just dozed off when the director woke her and asked her how the scene went. Grace was in a daze. She forced herself to stay awake. The more Crace thought about her overtimest night and the news she received this morning, the angrier she became. When it was almost noon, she suddenly saw a familiar figure walking over from afar. It was Justin! The direction he came from was coincidentally facing the sunlight. The sunlight shone on his face, giving him a warm yellow halo and making him appear radiant. With a smile, Grace walked over and asked, ¡°Why are you here?¡± Justin scratched Grace¡¯s nose as if no one was around. ¡°Didn¡¯t I say that I woulde and see you during my break?¡± Grace suggested, ¡°It¡¯s a little hot in Silrow City. Let¡¯s sit over there.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± The two of them walked side by side. A young female celebrity smiled and teased, ¡°Miss Sherman, is this your boyfriend? He¡¯s so handsome! It¡¯s a pity that he isn¡¯t in the entertainment industry. What does your boyfriend do?¡± Grace felt awkward and wanted to exin her rtionship with Justine, but thetter beat her to it. ¡°Thank you. I¡¯m just a doctor. I look ordinary. I¡¯m just a weed in a ce like the entertainment industry where stars gather.¡± Justin was humble and polite. His demeanor was gentle and warm. Soon, he was chatting with the crew. Brian looked at Justin and Grace coldly. He had a bitter look on his face as though he had just tasted a mouthful of coffee beans. At this moment, a car slowly drove over. Justin announced, ¡°Everyone, you¡¯ve worked hard. I¡¯ve ordered lunch boxes for everyone. I hope they suit your tastes.¡± Justin and the driver ced the food on the table. There was a wide selection of food that looked appetizing. They were worlds apart from the lunch boxes the crew usually ate. Chapter 180 Everyone happily gathered around the table to eat. Only Brian sat silently at the side and watched them coldly. Since Brian did not join the group, Ava dared not go over to join them to eat. Even if she was drooling from looking at the food, she could only watch regrettably from the side. Justin looked at Brian and put on a fake smile. ¡°Mr. Francis, aren¡¯t youing over to join us?¡± Before Brian could speak. Justin said, ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. You must be having lunch with Miss Adkins next to you. Sorry for disturbing the two of you.¡± Brian¡¯s face turned dark as he said, ¡°Dr. Vance, please refrain from ndering me. I have a fianc¨¦e, but she¡¯s studying abroad now. Miss Adkins is my personal secretary. Dr. Vance, please be careful with your words in the future.¡± Brian¡¯s words made Ava¡¯s face turn pale. She did not dare to look Grace in the eyes. Two days ago, she had unted in front of Grace that she was now Brian¡¯s girlfriend. In the end, Brian had personally rified their rtionship today. However, with so many people present, Ava could only endure her embarrassment and stand there with a smile. as exposing Grace was busy eating. She did not even look at Brian. To her, his exnation sounded more like he was himself. Justin smiled brightly. ¡°Really? I¡¯m sorry, then. It seems that I¡¯ve misunderstood. Mr. Francis, if you don¡¯t mind. would you like toe and join us?¡± Owned by N?velDrama.Org. Brian snorted. Tm afraid I won¡¯t be able to enjoy Dr. Vance¡¯s loving meal.¡± With that, he stood up and strode away. Justin had a two¨Cday break, and he spent both days apanying Grace on set. The more Brian saw how close Justin and Grace were, the more unhappy he felt. The filming time at night felt longer and longer. On the day Justin was about to leave, Nancy came. Nancy was wearing a slim¨Cfitting dress and a sunhat. When she saw Grace, she ran over and hugged her, not forgetting to avoid pressing against her stomach carefully. Grace introduced Justin to Nancy. Nancy sized up Justin while drinking coffee. Then, she turned to nce at Brian. The atmosphere was awkward. € 285 Nancy¡¯s eyes twinkled as if she was scheming something. She looked at Grace and said loudly, ¡°Dr. Vance is reallypatible with you.¡± Grace hurriedly covered Nancy¡¯s mouth. ¡°What nonsense are you talking about?¡± Justin enjoyed Nancy¡¯spliment very much. He looked at Grace and smiled gently. He looked as though he had stepped out a beautiful painting. In the afternoon, Justin set off for Capern City Before he left, he told Nancy, ¡°I¡¯ll leave Grace to you.¡± Nancy raised her eyebrows at him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. With me around, no one will bully Grace¡± Brian stared nkly at the document on hisputer screen and did not manage to read a single word. He then stood up and left in frustration. At night, it was still a day of overtime filming. Nancy was worried for Grace. ¡°How are you holding up? It¡¯s already 11 pm. By the time you return to the hotel and shower, it¡¯ll be 1a.m. Grace shook her head andforted Nancy, saying, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± After Grace returned to the hotel and took a shower, she turned on her tablet to draw. It was already two in the morning when she uploaded her work. She yawned and fell asleep on the table. The next day. Grace was sleep¨Cdeprived and went to the set with dark circles under her eyes. Brian didn¡¯te to the set, and Ava wasn¡¯t there either. Chapter 181 Brian had vital work to deal with today. On top of that, he had a video conference at noon, so he did not have time to go to the set. Ava was feeling uneasy in her room. Yesterday¡¯s incident had dealt a huge blow to her. She felt that she had lost all face in front of Grace. She did not want to see Grace again! After thinking about it, she went to Brian¡¯s room. Brian nced at her and asked coldly, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Ava sensed he was in a bad mood, but she still mustered her courage and said, ¡°Brian, look, you are swamped with work and supervising the set. How tiring is that? Actually, Mr. Booth can handle things on set. Why don¡¯t we go back to Capern City?¡± Brian looked up at her. ¡°Are you telling me what to do?¡± Ava was anxious. He must have stayed here for Grace! She tried to reason with him, saying, ¡°Brian, isn¡¯t what I said reasonable? You might as well¡­¡± ¡°Get out!¡± Brian suddenly interrupted her coldly. Ava¡¯s heart trembled in fear as she pleaded, ¡°Brian¡­¡± ¡°I told you to get out. Didn¡¯t you hear me?¡± Ava gritted her teeth as tears welled up in her eyes. She turned around and ran out of the room. Ava stormed all the way to the set. At the filming location, Grace was lying on a chair and had fallen asleep. She had dark circles under her eyes, and her lips were as pale as a sheet. After filming a scene, the director noticed that Grace had fallen asleep on the chair when he wanted to ask her opinion. Just as he was about to wake her up, Nancy hurriedly gestured for him not to disturb Grace. Nancy then went to find an eye mask for Grace. Ava witnessed this scene as soon as she arrived on the set. She walked over angrily and grabbed Grace by the arm. Ava shricked, ¡°Did you think thepany sent you here to sleep on the job?¡± Grace woke up with a start. She was so shocked that she sprained her ankle as she fell to the ground. This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Nancy turned around and saw Grace lying on the ground. Ava looked at Grace arrogantly and kicked her in the leg. Ava urged, ¡°Stop pretending! Hurry up and get up.¡± Nancy¡¯s eyes widened in anger. She rushed over, grabbed Ava by the arm, and pped her hard. Ava was stunned. Her eardrums were ringing from the p. Nancy squatted down and helped Grace up. ¡°Grace, are you alright? Did you fall on your belly?¡± 13:04 Sat, zu Apr 8 AM 211 Ava came back to her senses and red at Nancy with red eyes. She screamed, ¡°You bitch, how dare you hit mel She raised her hand, wanting to p Nancy back. However, Nancy stopped her mid¨Caction. Nancy looked at her coldly. ¡°Miss Adkins, I won¡¯t tolerate your behavior. I¡¯m not working at the Francis Group anymore. So what if Mr. Francis is protecting you? Do you think I¡¯m afraid of you? If you want to fight,e at mel Ava screamed and kicked Nancy. The two of them were soon locked in a catfight. When the crew saw this, they quickly pulled them apart. Ava¡¯s hair was messy, and she was still cursing Nancy as they were pulled apart. Seeing this, Mr. Booth immediately called Brian. When Brian arrived at the set, he saw Grace wiping Nancy¡¯s face andbing her hair. Ava was sitting alone in a chair with an ice pack on her face. Ava was clearly in a worse state. Nancy had mustered all her strength and vented all her anger from being tricked by Ava. When Ava saw Brian, she immediately rushed forward toin to him. ¡°Brian, you have to help me!¡± Chapter 182 Avained to Brian, saying. ¡°You were busy with work and didn¡¯t have time toe to the set, so I came over to help you supervise. As soon as I arrived, I saw Grace sleeping on the chair. I went up and said a few words to her. but who knew that Nancy would hit me as soon as she camel¡± Avapletely ignored the part where she kicked Grace. She said pitifully, ¡°Brian, Ms. Patel must hate me for recing her after she was fired! That¡¯s why she hit me on purposel Nancy sneered and stood up from her chair. ¡°Ava, I¡¯m not as petty as you think. You know very well why I hit you! If you hadn¡¯t deliberately pushed Grace to the ground and kicked her, would I have hit you?¡± Ava retorted, ¡°I only touched her lightly! She deliberately fell to the ground! She was sleeping on the set. What¡¯s wrong with me giving her a kick? Did you have to hit me so hard? You definitely did it on purpose!¡± Enraged, Nancy wanted to teach Ava a lesson again. However, Grace stopped her. Grace said, ¡°Ava, you¡¯re really good at distorting the truth. If I were Nancy, I would beat you up so badly that even your mother wouldn¡¯t recognize you! To stay by Brian¡¯s side, you plotted to get Nancy fired for buying the wrong ne ticket! Your little tricks can only fool a blind person like Brian!¡± After saying that, Grace red at Brian. Brian frowned slightly. He was facing the light, so Grace could not see his expression. However, she could feel the cold aura emanating from him. Ava looked at Brian and said pitifully, ¡°Brian, don¡¯t listen to her nonsense. Nancy deliberately came here to sow discord because she felt wronged from being fired by you!¡± Brian looked at her coldly andmanded, ¡°Shut up. Let¡¯s go back to the hotel.¡± ¡°Wait!¡± Nancy called out to Ava. ¡°Are you nning to leave just like that after bullying Grace? Apologize to her immediately!¡± ordered Nancy as she red at Ava coldly. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Ava looked aggrieved and pitiful as she stared at Brian. ¡°Brian, look, she hit me and even asked me to apologize! They¡¯ve gone too far!¡± Nancy reasoned, ¡°I hit you to seek justice for myself. You bullied Grace, so you have to apologize to her.¡± Nancy blocked Ava¡¯s way, showing no intention of letting Ava go until she apologized to Grace. Ava hid behind Brian and looked at him with puppy eyes. She pleaded, ¡°Brian¡­¡± * 2 2 2 2 5 5 39 2 Grace nced at Brian coldly and met his dark gaze. She seemed to be waiting for him to say something. Grace wondered whether Brian would protect Ava as he did in the vi or he would make Ava apologize to her. Brian looked at Grace¡¯s cold and emotionless gaze. His mind was filled with the scene of her smiling at Justin two days ago. Brian took two steps forward and saw the dark circles under Grace¡¯s eyes. He frowned and said in a low voice, ¡°If you didn¡¯t sleep well, you should have taken leave to rest in the hotel. Who asked you to come to the set?¡± Grace thought, ¡®So, is he using me now?¡® Brian chided, ¡°Nobody wants to see your pale, sleep¨Cdeprived face. Go back to the hotel. If people see you like this, they¡¯ll think that I¡¯ve been abusing you.¡± Grace sneered. Sheughed at herself for thinking too highly of Brian. She slowly turned around and walked back to the chair beside the director. She sat down and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Director. I identally fell asleep just now. Which scene were we at?¡± Brian was so enraged by her actions that his chest heaved violently. He stared at her back for a long time before his phone rang. Brian answered the call and turned around to return to the hotel. Chapter 183 Brian left in a hurry. Something had happened to thepany. One of the Francis Group¡¯s payment software had a severe security w. Hackers could use this loophole to obtain arge amount of user information. If not fixed in time, it could cost thepany hundreds of millions of dors in losses. The security center detected that a hacker was currently trying to exploit this vulnerability. For now, they could only temporarily build a new defense system. Brian joined a video conference. On the other end of the call, everyone in the design department was working overtime to fix the loophole. Time ticked by. The ashtray on Brian¡¯s table was filled with cigarette butts. He nced at the time on his phone screen. It was almost six o¡¯clock. He seemed to have thought of something. He picked up his phone and scrolled until he found Mr. Booth¡¯s number. He instructed Mr. Booth over the phone. You don¡¯t need to work overtime tonight.¡± Grace was surprised that there was no overtime filming today. She was so angry at Brian that she had forgotten her fatigue. She still felt energetic when she got off work. After Nancy and Grace had a meal, they returned to the hotel arm in arm. A waiter pushing a cart of wine entered the elevator with them. Nancy¡¯s room was a floor below where Grace¡¯s room was. When Nancy reached the fifth floor, she waved goodbye to Grace and said, ¡°Sleep early tonight.¡± Grace nodded, and the elevator door closed. When they reached the sixth floor, the waiter with the cart of wine got off on the same floor as Grace. Grace thought, ¡°Who would drink so much at night?¡± As Grace pondered about this, she saw the waiter stop at the door to Brian¡¯s room.. After the waiter knocked on the door, it opened. This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Grace¡¯s room was next to Brian¡¯s room. She passed by and saw that Brian was still wearing the clothes he had worn during the day. The pungent smell of cigarettes came from his room. When their gazes met, both of them paused for a moment. Brian was still holding a burning cigarette in his hand. Grace was unsure whether she was overthinking, but she felt that Brian looked much more haggard, even though it had only been a few hours since shest saw him. His eyes were bloodshot. ¡°Sir, the wine you ordered costs 1,720 dors.¡± The waiter¡¯s voice snapped the two of them back to reality. Grace lowered her head and took a few steps forward. without changing her expression. She swiped her card, entered her room, and closed the door, shutting out all the sounds. Grace took afortable hot shower. After she dried her hair, she checked the time. It was almost nine o¡¯clock. 13:04: Sat, 20 Apr 2013. She turned off the lights andy down on the bed. Amidst the silence, she suddenly heard a low, angry growl from next door. Brian¡¯s voice was not loud, but Grace was agitated by it. She suddenly recalled theirst encounter. Brian had smoked so many cigarettes and drunk so much wine. Grace wondered whether he had encountered some trouble with work. Grace shook her head and told herself everything about him had nothing to do with her. She tried to force herself to sleep. However, the more she thought about it, the more she could not fall asleep. Grace got up in frustration. She wrapped herself in a bathrobe and decided to check in on Brian. She opened the door and walked to his room. She raised her hand and knocked on his door. Standing there, she could hear Brian¡¯s voice. He seemed to be saying that there was something wrong with the program. It sounded like the situation was urgent. After a while, Brian came over and opened the door. Brian thought it was Ava. He opened the door with a gloomy expression and saw that the person standing at the door was Grace. A trace of surprise shed across his eyes. His eyes became even more bloodshot. He asked, ¡°Is there a problem?¡± Grace said in a t tone, ¡°You¡¯re too noisy. I can¡¯t sleep.¡± Brian nced at his wristwatch. It was just half past nine. 13:04. Sat, 20 Apri SA Chapter 184 Grace teased. ¡°I didn¡¯t sleep wellst night and didn¡¯t want to dy the filming time. Coincidentally, I got off work on time today. I n to sleep early tonight, so you won¡¯t im I doze off on set to gain sympathy.¡± Brian was at a loss for words. Actually, he did not mean what he said in the morning. He just wanted Grace to go back to the hotel quickly to rest because she did not look too good. In the end, she insisted on staying on set to spite him. He had something urgent to attend to, so he ignored her and returned to his room. A trembling voice could be heard from the other end of the video call. ¡°Mr. Francis, the hacker is still attacking our defense system. Brian frowned. He nced at Grace and said in a low voice, ¡°Understood. I¡¯ll keep my voice down.¡± He was about to close the door when Grace suddenly pressed her hand against it and said, ¡°Wait.¡± She then asked, ¡°Is there a bug in some program? Perhaps I can help you.¡± Grace did not know why she said that. After saying that, she regretted it a little. Why did she take the initiative to offer her help? Wasn¡¯t Brian mocking her enough? He would probably say she was taking the opportunity to get close to him again, right? Grace lowered her head and bit her lower lip. To her surprise, she heard Brian say, ¡°Come in.¡± Brian walked back into the room. Grace followed behind him. The choking smell of cigarettes in the room made Grace wrinkle her nose ufortably. She requested, ¡°Can you open the window?¡± Brian nced at her and opened the window. Then, he sat in the office chair and pointed at the sofa, gesturing for her to sit. Although Brian agreed to let her in, he did not intend to ask her for help. He returned to his matters once she entered the room. Grace crossed her arms and looked at him. Brian realized she was standing behind him and turned to look at her. He was fixing the loophole. However, whenever it seemed to be fixed, another loophole would appear immediately after. There seemed to be no end in sight Grace looked at hisputer screen and raised her eyebrows. ¡°Didn¡¯t you let me in to ask for my help? Can you please show me the most basic level of respect?¡± Brian was speechless. He stood up and said, ¡°Have a seat.¡± Since Grace was eager to fix the prograin, Brian would let her try. Brian walked to the dining table, opened a bottle of whiskey, poured it into a ss, and turned to see Grace expertly working on the code. Brian looked at her in surprise. Her focus was on theputer screen as she worked. Brian squatted beside her. He stared at her side profile in a daze. Two hourster, Grace fixed the loophole. She had also written a more robust defensive code for every computer in Brian¡¯spany. Grace stretched, her bones cracking from staying in the same position for so long. Brian handed her a ss of wine. He said, ¡°Drink some. It¡¯ll help you sleep betterter.¡± Grace looked at the wine ss in his hand and did not move. Brian put down the ss in embarrassment. He suggested, ¡°Let me massage your shoulders.¡± With that, he ced hisrge hands on her shoulders. There was almost no flesh on her shoulders. They were all bones. Only then did Brian realize that she was really skinny. N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. Grace closed her eyes and felt the warmth from Brian¡¯s palms. Behind her, she heard Brian say in his low and hoarse voice, ¡°You studiedputing.¡± Grace grunted in response. He asked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you be a programmer? Why did you end up drawingics at home instead?¡± Grace said casually, ¡°I didn¡¯t have any work experience. Who would want to hire me?¡± Brian¡¯s fingers paused. He suddenly recalled that Grace had married him right after her graduation. She had not gone out to work for three years. Öæ Chapter 185 It was not that Grace did not want to go out to work, but Brian did not allow her to show her face in public. He was afraid that others would know that she was his secret wife. Grace smiled bitterly. This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Brian was at a loss for words. He wanted tofort her but felt he would sound hypocritical. After hesitating for a while, he said, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. Gold will shine wherever it is. Look at your comics. Aren¡¯t they doing well?¡± Brian wanted to bite off his tongue after saying this. He sounded too awkward. He cleared his throat and continued, ¡°You cane to the Francis Group if you want. I can offer you a high sry.¡± Grace broke into smiles. She would never go to the Francis Group, but she did not reject Brian on the spot because she knew that with Brian¡¯s personality, if she turned down his offer on the spot, he would probably fly into a rage and say that she did not know what was good for her. It had been a long time since they got along so peaceful Brian crossed his arms and raised his eyebrows at her. Grace exined, ¡°Don¡¯t you know that she targeted me in the vi because she felt something was off between us? She likes you, so she plotted to frame Nancy to get closer to you! She reced Nancy so she could stay by your side every day. You chose to turn a blind eye to Ava¡¯s actions and fired Nancy.¡± Brian frowned. The day before yesterday, he had dered in front of everyone that he had nothing to do with Ava. Had Grace lost her memory? The more Grace thought about it, the angrier she became, and the more she felt that Brian was ipetent. She said, ¡°If you still have a conscience, give Nancy her job back! I suppose this job will be difficult for a rich youngdy like Ava. You feel this is a bother as well, right?¡± Grace revealed a self¨Cdeprecating smile and continued, ¡°Sorry, I was overthinking. Perhaps you consider girls like Ava cute.¡± ly. Brian did not hear Grace agree, nor did he hear her reject him. He said, ¡°I won¡¯t let your work go unpaid tonight.¡± Grace lowered her eyes and thought momentarily before saying, ¡°There¡¯s no need to pay me. If you really want to thank me, give Nancy her job back.¡± Brian stopped massaging her. Grace felt that her neck no longer hurt and her shoulders no longer ached. She said softly, ¡°That¡¯s enough. Thank you for the massage.¡± Even as Brian sat down on the bed, he was a head taller than her. He looked at her and said, ¡°I know you are close with Ms. Patel, but she was indeed responsible for her mistake.¡± Grace frowned unhappily. She reasoned. ¡°Brian, I want to discuss this incident properly with you. I didn¡¯t speak up for Nancy because I¡¯m on good terms with her.¡± Brian gestured and said, ¡°Alright, go ahead.¡± ¡°Louise is your fianc¨¦e. Perhaps because of this, you trust Ava a lot. I can understand that.¡± Brian scoffed, ¡°Grace, don¡¯t have double standards. I don¡¯t favor Ava because of my rtionship with Louise.¡± Grace was momentarily stunned before she continued, ¡°Alright. Even if you don¡¯t favor Ava, I don¡¯t know what you think of her. I¡¯ll only describe what I saw. She¡¯s unruly, willful, and oppressive. You saw how she bullied me in the vi. You probably know why she keeps targeting me, right?¡± Brian frowned slightly. He asked, ¡°Why?¡± Grace chuckled and mocked, ¡°Brian, you two are already together. Why are you still feigning ignorance?¡± É« Chapter 186 Brian looked at Grace and asked in a deep voice, ¡°Grace, is that what you think about all day? How can you be so sure that I find her cute?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t Grace retoriat how domineering CEOs act in television dramas? The female lead is useless, and the supporting agress is as perfect as the stars in the sky. Unfortunately, the male lead is blind and doesn¡¯t know what is good for him. Tkk. You keep saying you love Louise, but look at what you¡¯ve done¡­¡± Brian massaged his temples and interrupted her, saying, ¡°Stop right there!¡± Brian exined, ¡°First, there¡¯s nothing between me and Ava. Second, I only asked her to be my personal life. assistant temporarily. Third, I didn¡¯t turn a blind eye to Nancy¡¯s matter like you said. I¡¯ll consider your suggestion if Ms. Patel is willing to return to thepany. Grace looked at him in surprise. It was really rare for Brian to talk to her so calmly. Grace looked at the time. It was already past midnight. If she didn¡¯t sleep soon, she would doze off again tomorrow. She said. ¡°It¡¯ste. I should go to bed.¡± She stood up and barely took two steps when she suddenly cked out. She swayed and fell headfirst. ¡°Grace!¡± Before she fainted, she heard a nervous voice call out her name. Brian patted her pale face and called, ¡°Grace! Wake up!¡± Her lips were pale, and she had dark circles under her eyes from staying upte. Brian carried Grace in his arms and rushed out of the hotel. He never realized that she was so light. He carried her all the way to the nearest hospital without feeling exhausted. When Brian rushed into the hospital lobby, a nurse immediately came over to ask about the situation while. pushing a bed over. Brian carefully ced Grace on the bed. The doctor pushed her into the emergency room. Brian waited patiently in the corridor. A nurse came out of the emergency room, looked at Brian, and asked, ¡°You¡¯re the patient¡¯s husband, right?¡± Brian was stunned for a moment before nodding. ¡°Yes.¡± The nurse instructed, ¡°Go and settle the bill first. She¡¯s alright. Just remember that pregnant women can¡¯t overwork. themselves.¡± Brian, who was about to pay the bill, stopped in his tracks. He grabbed the nurse¡¯s wrist. ¡°What did you just say?¡± The nurse repeated, ¡°I said your wife should rest more during her pregnancy. It¡¯s not good for her to work too hard.¡± With that, the nurse pushed Brian¡¯s hand away and returned to the emergency room. Brian was in a daze. He repeated the nurse¡¯s words five times in his mind. Did he mishear her just now? She said Grace was pregnant! Brian thought, ¡®When did she get pregnant? Why didn¡¯t I know about it at all? It has been almost two months since Grace left mc. Is the child in her womb Justin¡¯s? No. Is it Justin¡¯s or mine?¡® Grace and Brian had done it once before in the hotel. Countless questions gued Brian. At this moment, the nurse walked out again and asked, ¡°Why haven¡¯t you paid the bill yet?¡± Brian jolted back to reality. He looked up at her and wanted to ask something. In the end, he pursed his lips and turned around to pay the bill. Grace was already lying on the hospital bed when Brian returned from paying. He stared at her face intently. Brian lifted Grace¡¯s clothes. She was lying t on her back, so her pregnancy bump was not noticeable. This child could not be his! It looked like it had only been three months at most, and he had not touched her since Louise came back! This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. /2 Chapter 187 Then, whose child was in Grace¡¯s womb? Was it Justin¡¯s? N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. Brian recalled the time when he came back from a business trip. Grace was detained, and Justin brought her back to his apartment. She had stayed in his apartment for three days! Brian spected that Grace had gotten pregnant then. Brian calcted the time and became even more convinced that the child in Grace¡¯s womb was Justin¡¯s! A nurse came over to give Grace an IV drip. Brian watched as she inserted the needle into the back of Grace¡¯s hand. Atst, he could not help but ask the nurse, ¡°My wife didn¡¯t tell me she was pregnant. How long has she been pregnant?¡± The nurse replied, ¡°We¡¯re not sure about that, but the doctor said she appears to be around four months pregnant. We¡¯ll need to ask the patient when she wakes up when herst period was to be sure.¡± The nurse¡¯s wordspletely shattered Brian¡¯sst shred of hope. Brian stared coldly at the woman on the bed. He wanted to strangle her to death. He knew when Grace¡¯sst period was. He remembered clearly that one night, he drank too much and almost bedded Grace. Her lower body was bleeding at that time. Therefore, his deduction was correct! The child in her womb was indeed not his! This realization almost made Brian copse. He stared at Grace¡¯s pale face, his eyes almost popping out of his sockets. He looked at his hands and thought about how he had carried her over just now. He suddenly felt filthy! Even staying in this room made him feel dirty! Brian turned around and left the room, mming the door behind him.. He was like a soulless puppet, sitting outside the corridor without moving. His mind was a mess. Thoughts and spection flooded his mind. After a long while, he took out his phone and searched for paternity tests during pregnancy. Brian sat in the corridor without sleeping for the entire night. At eight o¡¯clock in the morning, Brian¡¯s phone kept ringing. He picked it up irritably. Ava asked, ¡°Brian, where are you? Weren¡¯t you in the hotelst night?¡± Ava was flustered. She woke up early in the morning and did not see Brian. To her horror, Grace was also not around! Brian uttered in frustration, ¡°I¡¯m at the nearby hospital. He ended the call after saying that.. Ava nced at the phone screen that had turned ck. She clenched her fists and rushed to the hospital immediately. The ring sunlight outside the window awakened Grace. When she opened her eyes, she saw herself lying in the ward. She sat up on the bed. She thought. Who sent me to the hospital? She quickly recalled what happenedst night. She fainted in front of Brian! So, was it Brian who brought her to the hospital? Grace¡¯s heart was pounding. She felt that something big was about to happen. At this moment, the door was slowly pushed open. A cold¨Clooking Brian stood at the door. His gaze was as cold as ice as he walked toward her step by step. Grace¡¯s instincts told her that Brian already knew she was pregnant. Grace subconsciously shrank back. She stuttered, ¡°You¡­ What are you doing?¡± Brian smirked coldly and said, ¡°What do you think I am doing? Grace, you should know what I want.¡± Grace shook her head and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± Brian suddenlyughed out loud. He questioned, ¡°Whose child is it?¡± Grace covered her belly and protested. ¡°We are already divorced. The father of my child has nothing to do with you!¡± Brian gritted his teeth and nodded. He then cursed, ¡°Yes, it has nothing to do with me! However, you fucking got pregnant before we got divorced!¡± Chapter 188 Brian approached the bed and grabbed Grace¡¯s chin. He pulled her toward him. He interrogated, ¡°When was yourst period? Do you remember?¡± Grace looked at Brian with her head raised. Her face was even paler than it wasst night. She had thought that Brian might ask her to abort the child as soon as he found out about its existence, but she never thought that he would suspect her of infidelity. Seeing that she was silent, Brian¡¯s lips curled into a cruel smile. ¡°If you don¡¯t remember, I¡¯ll help you recall. Do you remember that night when I was drunk? You said that your period was irregr!¡± Tears rolled down Grace¡¯s cheeks. She closed her eyes. She could not refute Brian¡¯s words. Seeing her like this, Brian became even angrier. He ordered, ¡°Speak!¡± Grace opened her eyes. Her gaze was deadpan. ¡°I have nothing to say. Brian, let me remind you again. We¡¯re already divorced. Even if the child in my womb belongs to someone else, it has nothing to do with you. You have no right to take my child¡¯s life!¡± Brian red at Grace and wanted to strangle her to death on the spot.. Ever since he found out that she was pregnant, he had never thought of asking her to abort the child! Brian loosened his grip on Grace¡¯s chin bit by bit. Her chin was visibly bruised. Brian stated, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Grace. I¡¯ll not use you. The results will speak for themselves.¡±Owned by N?velDrama.Org. Grace shrank back. ¡°What do you n to do?¡± Brian announced, ¡°We will carry out an amniocentesis!¡± Grace¡¯s eyes widened in horror. ¡°No! I don¡¯t want to! Amniocentesis is very dangerous. I don¡¯t want to do it!¡± Brian ignored her protest. He reached out and pulled her off the bed. He carried her out of the ward. No matter how much Grace struggled in his arms, he did not budge and held her firmly. Ava stood outside the door. When she saw Briane out, she hurriedly stepped out of his way. She covered her mouth and digested this shocking news. Grace was pregnant. Brian believed the child to be Justin¡¯s and wanted to take her for an amniocentesis! What if the child was Brian¡¯s? Ava¡¯s heart skipped a beat. If the child were Brian¡¯s, Brian would definitely take Grace back in. 13:04 Sat, 20 Apr ¨C M Even if he didn¡¯t remarry her, he might still let her give birth to their child! Ava gritted her teeth. She thought, ¡®Nol Grace can¡¯t go through the amniocentesis!¡± Brian quickly carried Grace to the obstetrics department. Grace cried and begged, ¡°Brian, didn¡¯t you want to marry Louise? The child in my womb has nothing to do with you. Please let me go. I¡¯ll disappear far away. I promise you, my child won¡¯t be a stumbling block for you and Louise. We¡¯ll never appear in front of you again. I¡¯m begging you. Let me go.¡± Brian looked at her coldly with a cruel smile. ¡°Grace, I¡¯ve said it before. I won¡¯t use you. We have to do this test. today.¡± This examination was Brian¡¯sst hope, even though all the signs indicated the child was not his! Grace bit her lip and looked at Brian. She said firmly, ¡°There¡¯s no need for this examination. The child is indeed not yours. You have no right to him.¡± Brian¡¯s eyes flickered in anger. He insisted, ¡°Since the child is not mine, I have to find out who this bastard belongs tol Grace took a deep breath. She had to force herself to calm down. She could not panic in such a situation. A nurse walked over and asked, ¡°Are you Grace Sherman? Are you here for amniocentesis?¡± 0 Chapter 189 Brian answered on her behalf, ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Please follow me, ma¡¯am.¡± Grace¡¯s heart sank. She followed the nurse and walked toward the examination room. Next to the examination room, there was a pile of sma on the trolley. Grace rolled her eyes and quickly took a bag of sma and hid it in her clothes. She covered her abdomen and said to the nurse, ¡°I need to go to the washroom.¡± The nurse nced at her. ¡°Just go.¡± Grace held her abdomen and came out of the corridor. Brian looked at her gloomily. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Grace looked at him gloomily as well. ¡°I need to use the toilet. If you¡¯re worried, you cane with me.¡± Brian nced at her. Afraid that she would y tricks, he followed her to the washroom door. Grace walked into the cubicle and took out her phone to call Nancy. Then, she took out the sma from her clothes and poured it on her thighs. This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. She threw the sma into the trash can and walked to the sink to check herself out in the mirror. Because she had struggled with Brian just now, her forehead was covered in sweat and her lips looked very pale. That was exactly the effect she¡¯d wanted. Grace covered her stomach and walked out of the washroom with her back bent. ¡°Help¡­ My stomach hurts¡­¡± Brian suddenly turned around and saw Grace leaning against the wall with a pale face. The space between her legs was stained with blood. Brian¡¯s expression turned pale. He suddenly widened his eyes as he rushed over to hold her arm. ¡°What¡¯s going on with you?¡± Grace raised her head and looked at him. Her voice was weak and gloomy. ¡°It¡¯s all thus to you. Are you happy¡­. to see me suffer a miscarriage?¡± Panic shed in Brian¡¯s eyes. He held her hand tightly. ¡°No. You¡¯ll be fine.¡± Grace frowned. Her heart ached. Why did she see nervousness in his eyes? Brian picked her up horizontally and shouted, ¡°Doctor! Where is the doctor?¡± His arms were trembling as he held her. He seemed to have never seen so much blood before. At that moment, he felt fear as it hit him so violently. The nurse quickly rushed over. Gracey on the hospital bed and was sent into the operating theater. Grace was lyg on the operating bed. Because the situation was urgent, the doctors and nurses were flustered. She ex Dreame Las mejores nuevas novs para adultoss 4.4 FREE Installed mejores aplicaciones de lectura de historia Open took this opportunity to jump down from the bed and run out of the operating theater through another smal doon She picked up a blue gown from the operating theater, put it on, and ran downstairs. She had just reached the first floor when she was blocked by a familiar figure. Grace¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Ava crossed her arms and looked at her. She showed a gorgeous smile on her face. ¡°You don¡¯t need to be afraid. I¡¯m not here to catch you. On the contrary, I hope you can leave as far as possible! If you need me, I¡¯m willing to help you. Grace pursed her lips. ¡°I don¡¯t need your help. I¡¯m already very grateful to you for letting me go now.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll let you go, but you have to answer one question.¡± Grace took a deep breath and said, ¡°Ask away.¡± ¡°Is your baby Brian¡¯s?¡± ¡°No,¡± Grace said firmly. Ava narrowed her eyes and looked at her for a while. Of course, she would not easily believe Grace¡¯s words. At this moment, Grace¡¯s phone rang. Nancy was already waiting for her outside. ¡°Don¡¯t you want me to leave? It¡¯ll be toote when Brian finds out that I¡¯m gone. Movel¡± Chapter 190 Ava smiled and moved aside to let Grace leave. Grace quickly ran out of the hospital and got into a taxi. Ava nced at the taxi and hailed another one to follow Grace. Nancy was sitting in the taxi. When she saw that Grace¡¯s legs were covered in blood, she was shocked. ¡°Oh my god! Why are you bleeding so much?¡± Grace got into the car. She was still in a nervous state. She thought of something and took out her phone with trembling hands. Nancy looked at her tense expression and asked, ¡°Grace, what exactly happened?¡± Grace held Nancy¡¯s hand and said with a trembling voice, ¡°Brian knows that I¡¯m pregnant. He wants me to undergo amniocentesis. If he finds out that the baby is his, he will kill it!¡± Nancy looked at her and frowned. ¡°He wants you to do an amniocentesis? Does he think the baby isn¡¯t his?¡± Grace nodded dully. Suddenly, she thought of something and looked up at Nancy. ¡°We need to switch cars. There are surveince cameras at the entrance of the hospital. He can quickly find out where I went! Let¡¯s find a ce without surveince cameras and get out of the car!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± In the hospital, Brian was standing in the operating theater, giving off a gloomy and sinister vibe. ¡°How could you let her go?¡± The nurses were so frightened that they did not dare to speak. At this moment, a female nurse shouted from the door, ¡°Kim! You made a mistake about the amount of sma you counted just now. Why is there a bag missing?¡± The nurse called Kim said, ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t make a mistakel I counted three times. There can¡¯t be a mistake. Could it be¡­ Could it be that someone took it?¡± Brian narrowed his eyes as the truth gradually took shape in his mind. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. ¡°Grace!¡± He called out her name through gritted teeth. God knew how terrified he was when he saw her walk out of the washroom covered in blood. However, she had used his sympathy to deceive him. He decided that even if she ran to the ends of the earth, he would find her. A doctor came over, wrote an application for Brian, and instructed a nurse to follow him to check the surveince footage. Dreame Las mejores nuevas novs para adultoss mejores aplicaciones de lectura de historia 44 FREE Installed Open 13:18 Sat, 20 Apr M The surveince camera at the entrance of the hospital captured Grace getting into a taxi. Since Brain wasn¡¯t in Capern City, he could not track her location immediately. He could only ask his connections. for help to find her. After three long hours, there was finally some news. However, what he learned was that ice had gone missing. Grace and Nancy got out of the car at a remote ce and hailed a taxi to the station. ¡°Nancy, can you use your ID to buy me a bus ticket? I want to leave.¡± Nancy looked at her worriedly. ¡°You mean you want to leave alone?¡± Grace nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± soon.¡± ¡°No! I can¡¯t let you go alone. Brian must be looking for you everywhere. He might not be able to find you in Silrow City so quickly, but once he returns to Capern City and uses his power, you will be discovered very Grace subconsciously scratched her nails. Then what should I do? Should I not leave today?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s alreadyte now. You haven¡¯t even thought about where you should go. How about this? A former ssmate of mind lives in Silrow City. I¡¯ll bring you to her ce for the night so that you can think about what to do tonight. Grace¡¯s face was pale as she nodded stiffly. ¡°Okay.¡± Nancy took a taxi to her ssmate¡¯s ce. Chapter 191 After taking a shower, Grace sat on the bed and curled up into a ball. Nancy went over to hug her. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. He won¡¯t find this ce for the time being. Go to sleep.¡± Grace did not sleep well. She kept holding Nancy¡¯s hand tightly and had nightmares from time to time. Nancy looked at her and opened her contact list. Staring at a name on her contact list, she gently walked to the balcony and dialed the number. Grace woke up the next morning. She wanted to wake Nancy up, but when she saw that Nancy was sleeping, she couldn¡¯t bear to wake her up. She got up and dressed. Carrying her suitcase, she tiptoed out the door, With her current situation, she supposed that it was better not to drag Nancy down. Grace opened the door and went to the elevator. She waited as it went upstairs from downstairs. When the door opened, she saw a familiar face. Grace looked at him in surprise. ¡°Justin?¡± Justin looked very anxious. He looked as if he had not slept the entire night. There was still some stubble by his mouth. Justin walked out of the elevator and checked her up and down. After confirming that she was fine, he looked at her suitcase. ¡°Where are you going?¡± 1. Grace looked down. ¡°I liaven¡¯t decided yet. I¡¯ll just go wherever I can get to.¡± At this moment, Nancy, who discovered that Grace was missing, came out of the apartment to look for her. When she saw that Justin had stopped Grace by the elevator, she heaved a sigh of relief. Nancy went forward to take her luggage. ¡°You got me so terrified! Even if you want to leave, you have to tell me!¡± With that, Nancy looked at Justin. ¡°Dr. Vance,e in and have breakfast first.¡± Grace sat at the dining table and ate the cereal absent¨Cmindedly. Before leaving, Nancy held her cold hand. I¡¯m sorry, Grace. I called Dr. Vance her mind your back, but I can¡¯t have you leave alone. I can tell that Dr. Vance treats you well whole¨Cheartedly. With him taking care of you, I can rest assured.¡± She sighed and continued, ¡°I took Mr. Francis¡¯s side previously, but he disappointed me too much! Take care, Grace. Grace hugged her. ¡°Nancy, thank you. I¡¯ll call you when I¡¯m settled.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Justin brought Grace to an old town in a small county near Silrow City. This ce was filled with ethnic minorities. Grace bough a set of ethnic clothes and covered her face tightly with a veil. This way, even if she was captured by Dreame Las mejores nuevas novs para adultoss 4.4 * FREE Installed mejores aplicaciones de lectura de la historia Open the surveince cameras, it would not be easy to be discovered. When they arrived at the town, it was already noon. Justin led her into a restaurant and ced her suitcase at the door. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Across the street, sitting in the car, Ava squinted at the two people in the restaurant. At that moment, her phone rang. When Ava saw the caller ID, her heart skipped a beat and she carefully picked up the call. ¡°Hello, Brian. Brian¡¯s low and hoarse voice sounded. ¡°Where are you? Buy me a ticket immediately. I need to go back to Capern City!¡± ¡°My, my dad needed me for something urgent, so I went back first. I¡¯ll buy you the ticket now.¡± After eating, Grace looked up at Justin. ¡°Justin, you should go back to the hospital. I don¡¯t want to drag you down with me. I can do it alone.¡± Justin stopped eating and looked up to look at her gloomily. Grace¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Justin never seemed to look like this. He seemed to be angry. He put down his fork and looked at her. ¡°Grace, it¡¯s impossible for me to go back! Don¡¯t you know me well? Do you think I¡¯ll leave you alo Chapter 192 Justin¡¯s tone was very domineering. ¡°You can chase me away, but where I go is my business. If you think that you¡¯re dragging me down with me by your side, which makes you feel guilty, I¡¯ll watch you from afar, but there¡¯s no way I¡¯ll leave you. Grace felt a lump in her throat and then her tears fell. ¡°Justin¡­ I¡¯m sorry. You¡¯ve done so much for me. I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t ever be able to make up for it.¡± Justin took a tissue and wiped her tears. ¡°Don¡¯t cry. If you really want to repay me, you should give me a chance to take good care of you.¡± Grace wiped her tears and sniffed. She looked at him and decided to tell him about herself honestly. ¡°I¡¯ve been married to Brian for three years, but I¡¯m just a shield for him to deal with his family. I would be his wife for three years, and he would give me 600 thousand dors to treat my brother¡¯s illness. This is our contract marriage. ¡°Unfortunately, in thest three months of our marriage, I crossed his bottom line, which was what happened between me and Louise, so I lost the 600 thousand dors and divorced Brian with nothing¡± Grace was unusually calm when she talked about this. ¡°My baby is a stumbling block to him and Louise. Now, Brian is doing whatever he can to look for me. The reason why I want you to go back is because I¡¯m afraid that Brian will take his anger out on you when he finds out. I don¡¯t want anyone to be hurt because of me.¡± Justin nodded. He knew that Grace¡¯s baby was Brian¡¯s, but he did not expect them to be married. ¡°Grace, I know you¡¯re worried about me, but as a man, I¡¯m not afraid of Brian. Even if he has incredible abilities, I¡¯ll protect you.¡± Neither of them noticed that a man in a cap quickly opened Grace¡¯s suitcase and stuffed something into it. It was in an office in Capern City. The atmosphere was so depressing that no one dared to enter the office. Ava rushed to thepany, walked to the office door, and knocked. There was no sound inside. Ava paused for a moment before pushing the door of sitting on the sofa and smoking. The ashtray on the coffee table was already filled entire office was filled with the strong smell of cigarette smoke. 4 entering. Brian was Ligarette butts, and the The air was quite depressing. Ava quietly walked to the sofa opposite Brian and sat down. ¡°Brian, are you still looking for Grace?¡± Hearing this name, Brian finally reacted. He looked up and nced at her. Ava¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She found that it was quite terrifying of Brian to keep silent. ¡°Brian, actually, Grace¡¯s baby is Justin¡¯s.¡± G Dreame Las mejores nuevas novs para adultoss mejores aplicaciones de lectura de historia 4.4 FREE N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. Installed Open Brian¡¯s temples throbbed as he stared at her with gloomy eyes. Ava mustered her courage and said, ¡°I saw it a few times when we were in the vi. Justin came to the vi for her. The two of them have been hanging out since then. Stop looking for her any longer, Brian.¡± Upon hearing what she said, Brian tightened his grip and the veins on his arms bulged.loomy gaze was focused on her face as he said word by word, ¡°Get out!¡± all because Ava pouted andined, ¡°Why should you for her? Have you forgotten about my sister, Brian? It of that bitch Grace that Louise went overseas. Now, you¡¯re doing whatever you can to look for Grace. If Louise knew, how sad would she be?¡± Even when she mentioned Louise, Brian was unmoved. Chapter 193 He narrowed his angry eyes at her and repeated, ¡°I told you to get out!¡± Ava was a liule seared, but she still mustered her courage and said, ¡°If you look for her on, I¡¯ll tell my sister about this!¡± Brian stood up and slowly walked toward her. With every step he took, the angry vibe he was giving off seemed to be more terrifying. ¡°Ava, I¡¯m warning you. I haven¡¯t gotten even with you yet. Stop threatening me!¡± Ava was so frightened that she took a step back. ¡°What¡­ what do you mean?¡± ¡°Do you really think I don¡¯t know that you framed Nancy?¡± Ava said in a panic, I¡­ Don¡¯t, don¡¯t listen to Grace¡¯s nonsense! She just can¡¯t stand me being your personal secretary, so she¡¯s spouting nonsense!¡± The corners of Brian¡¯s mouth twitched, and a gloomy smile appeared on his face. ¡°I know what the truth is. If you dare to tell me what to do again, there will be severe consequences. Now get out of the company!¡± He almost shouted thest half of his sentence. Ava was so frightened that she trembled violently. ¡°Get out!¡± Ava was so terrified that she did not dare to speak anymore. Aggrieved, she wiped her tears and ran out. Ava ran out of thepany in one breath. The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. ¡®How dare Grace sow discord between me and Brian? Damn her! I¡¯ll make her pay for what she has done!¡® Ava unlocked her phone, scrolled to thest page, and clicked on a small icon. The software entered a map page. The red mark on the page showed that the other party was at a ce called the Ethnic Hotel. Ava sneered. ¡°Grace, no matter whose baby you¡¯re pregnant with, you won¡¯t get to deliver it!¡± N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. The people sent out by Brian had finally got some news. However, they only figured out the direction Grace had gone to. She had switch not locate her location. Brian could only send his men to search town by town in the direction Grace went. Justin had booked two rooms, which were next to each other. her phone, and they could It had to be said that with Justin by her side, Grace felt much more at ease and slept more soundly. After washing up in the morning. Justin took her to a bakery outside the hotel for breakfast. She was still wearing a veil when she went out. The two of them sat on the sofa inside. Justin said to her, ¡°We can¡¯t stay here for too long. I don¡¯t have much cash D Dreame Las mejores nuevas novs para adultoss 4.4 * FREE mejores aplicaciones de lectura de historia Installed Open on me. I¡¯ll easily be discovered if I use my phone to pay. As long as Brian realizes to investigate me, he will quickly find this ce.¡± Grace nodded. Then, let¡¯s leave after breakfast. But where should we go? ¡°Let¡¯s go south. The tourism industry there is developed, so it¡¯s suitable to hide.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Grace touched her lower abdomen as she wondered, ¡®Baby, just hold on for another four months! The waiter brought the coffee over. Grace took a sip and frowned slightly. She stopped the waiter and said, ¡°I ordered in coffee. Did you serve the wrong one?¡± The waiter turned around when she called out to him. He was a tanned¨Cskinned man who looked to be in his thirties. At first nce, Grace felt that he did not fit in with the other waiters there. The waiter walked forward and exined with a smile, ¡°You must be a tourist, right? This is what in coffee tastes like here. It¡¯s added with our local specialty.¡± Grace nodded, ¡°Okay, I see. Thank you.¡± Justin pushed his mocha coffee to her. ¡°Are you not used to it? Why don¡¯t we make a switch?¡± Grace shook her head. She could not stand the smell of cocoa. Chapter 194 After breakfast, the two of them returned to the hotel. Justin bought a used car. It was more convenient to travel and not easy to be discover Grace packed her things and then took the elevator with her luggage. As soon as she entered the elevator, she felt a pain in her lower abdomen. She bent down slightly to ease the pain. When the elevator reached basement one, the pain in her abdomen seemed to have intensified. She lowered her head to take a look. This feeling seemed to being from the womb. Justin got out of the car and saw her squatting at the elevator with a pale face. He rushed over and asked anxiously, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Does your stomach hurt?¡± Grace nodded. Justin, I have a bad feeling¡­ She tightened her grip on his shirt in fear. Justin stroked her hairfortingly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll take you to the hospital right away.¡± Justin carried her horizontally and rushed to the nearest hospital. After a few examinations, the doctor walked into the ward with the examination report. ¡°Did you eat anything that has the effect of invigorating the cirction of blood?¡± Grace thought for a moment and said, ¡°Yesterday, I had some pasta, beef, and vegetables. This morning, I had some in coffee added with a kind of local specialty. There shouldn¡¯t be any problems with the food I ate, right?¡± The doctor frowned and asked, ¡°The local specialty? Are you sure you¡¯ve taken it?¡± Grace nodded. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is there a problem with that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s usually unknown to the tourists that the local specialty that is usually added into coffee contains alcohol, which has an irritating effect on the uterus and can promote uterine contractions leading to miscarriage.¡± Grace¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She thought of the waiter in the restaurant in thei silently. ng and clenched her fists ¡°The baby is fine. Under normal circumstances, you would only miscarry after a certain extent of alcohol intake. However, pregnant women should try to avoid alcohol as much as possible.¡± ¡°I see. Thank you, doctor. Grace still had lingering fears. ¡°You¡¯re wee. Since you¡¯re out of danger now, remember to rest well and pay attention to what you eat.¡± The doctor left the ward after giving his instructions. After Grace finished the IV drip. Justin brought her back to the car. Justin drove back to the bakery where they had Dreame 4.4 FREE Las mejores puevas n a adultos Installed Open breakfast in the morning. This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Justin gently stroked her hair. ¡°Wait for me in the car. I¡¯ll lock the door. You¡¯ll be very safe here, so you don¡¯t need to be afraid, okay?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Justin smiled at her, got out of the car, and walked into the bakery. Justin exined the were working todon. A waiter called their manager over, and the manager gathered all the employees who Justin looked at them one by one, but none of them were the waiter from this morning. Justin had a deep impression of that person. He then checked the registered information of all the staff in the bakery. There wasn¡¯t any information about that man. Also, in coffee added with the local specialty, which had been offered by that man, was not on the menu of the bakery. Justin¡¯s heart sank. He returned to the car when Grace asked anxiously, ¡°How did it go? Have you found that person?¡± Justin looked at her. I suppose our whereabouts have been discovered. We have to leave immediately.¡± Grace thought for a moment and said to Justin. Wait for me for a while. I¡¯ll go get some money.¡± After Grace withdrew the money, Justin drove around the town to make sure that no one was following them. Then, he drove out of the town and headed south. In the Francis Group, Camren suddenly looked up from theputer screen. ¡°Mr. Francis, there¡¯s news about Miss Sherman! She just withdrew a sum of money from Minsor County in Silrow City¡± Chapter 195 After staying in Seefer City for a few days and making sure that no one was following them, Justin nned to rent a ce in the city first. The climate in Seefer City was better than in Silrow City. The weather there was warm all year round, and it was not as humid as in Silrow City. Grace liked the weather in Seefer City very much. She found it a good ce to stay during her pregnancy. In the morning, Grace and Justin went to see a few houses together. In the end, they chose an apartment in the suburbs. It was not as bustling as the main city area, for was it as remote as the remote suburbs. The living room of the apartment had floor¨Cto¨Cceiling windows and a wide view, Justin stood in front of the floor- to¨Cceiling windows and looked at the coconut trees in the distance, He seemed to have thought of something when a faint smile appeared on his face. He looked at Grace and asked. ¡°Do you like it here?¡± Grace nodded, but she was still worried. ¡°I hope they won¡¯t try to look for me in this ce.¡± I¡¯ll take you to find to the ck marketter to buy an SIM card. As long as you don¡¯t use your ID, it won¡¯t be easy for him Justin looked up at the decorations in the house and said, ¡°I¡¯ll get the guys to change the furniture, and we¡¯ll stay here for the time being. I¡¯ll find a job nearby so that I can take care of you.¡± Grace looked at him in shock. Did Justin want to stay here for her? Grace looked down. Justin was the best internist in Capern City. How could he give up his bright future for her? Justin saw that she had not spoken for a long time and turned to look at her. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you still worried?¡± Grace bit her lip and looked at him. ¡°Justin, you¡¯ve sacrificed too much for me. You can¡¯t give up your career and your living in Capern City for me.¡± A smile appeared on Justin¡¯s face. ¡°Grace, you know what? I feel very happy duri I¡¯m not in Capern City, I can still provide for you.¡± is period. Don¡¯t worry. Even if Guilt lingered between Grace¡¯s eyebrows. She owed him too much. She definitely could not hold him back any longer. Justin raised his hand and gently smoothed the creases between her eyebrows. He said in a low voice. ¡°Don¡¯t worry anymore. I¡¯m here. I¡¯ll protect you.¡± Grace looked down, her long eyshes hiding the expression in her eyes. She suddenly looked up at him and smiled. ¡°Okay. Thank you, Justin¡± After signing the rental contract, Justin went to the renovationpany to change the furniture. Then, he brought Grace to buy two unnamed SIM cards. I installed Open After they came U of the ck market, they found that there was a pet market not far away. Grace looked at the cute animals and smiled. Grace casually stroked a furry puppy. Justin looked at her face and asked, ¡°Do you like dogs?¡± Grace looked up at him. I like them. They¡¯re so cute. ¡°Why don¡¯t you get one?¡± N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. Grace hesitated for a moment and said, ¡°But I¡¯m pregnant. It¡¯s not appropriate to get a pet while I¡¯m pregnant, is it?¡± Justin smiled and exined, ¡°Those rumors are just nonsense. As long as you clean your pets and deworm them, there¡¯s no problem at all. It¡¯s easy to be sensitive during pregnancy. Dogs are all intelligent. With a pet apanying you, you¡¯ll be in a better mood.¡± ¡°Can I really get one?¡± Grace asked in surprise. ¡°Of course. Let¡¯s pick one.¡± Grace looked around and finally chose a small German Shepherd. The little German Shepherd tilted its head and looked at her, its eyes rolling. Grace patted its little head, and it rubbed against her hand and bit its tail. Grace looked up at Justin. ¡°How about this one?¡± Justin smiled and said. ¡°I thought girls like you would prefer Bichon Frises and Pomeranians.¡± Chapter 196 "I don''t like small dogs. They''re noisy. German Shepherds are loyal and obedient. They make me feel safe Justin smiled gently, paid, and carried the dog out of the market with Grace. The little German Shepherd had a lively personality and adapted quickly to its new home. It sniffed here and there and quickly adapted to the new environment. Grace teased it and fed it milk. The dog didn''t seem to be very interested in milk, but it was very interested in the strawberries the two had just bought. Its little nose was very sharp, and it kept sniffing the strawberry bag on the coffee table. Grace took one and fed it. The puppy at the strawberry as if it had smelled meat. Grace patted its head. "So you like strawberries?" The little German Shepherd tilted its head and looked at her again as if it was waiting for her to feed it. Grace could not help butugh. "You do know how to enjoy yourself!" The furniture in the house had been reced. Justin looked at Grace and felt a sense of satisfaction. "Justin, why don''t you give her a name?" Grace suddenly looked up at him. Justin thought for a while. In the end, he smiled and said, "It''s better if you choose a name. I don''t know what to name her. Grace thought for a moment. "Since she likes to eat strawberries so much, why don''t we call her Strawberry?" The German Shepherd was very smart. It had already memorized Grace''s words. Now that it heard Grace say the word strawberry, its ears twitched and it looked at Grace with its big eyes. It tilted its furry head, looking incredibly "Looks like you like this name. I''ll call you Strawberry from now on!" At this moment, Justin''s phone rang. He looked at the caller ID and frowned slightly. He walked to the side to answer the call. Grace noticed his expression and turned to look at him. She heard Justin say indifferently. "What''s the matter?" It was unknown what the one on the other end of the line had said, but Justin'' ssion changed drastically. "When did this happen?" Grace had a bad feeling in her heart. She stood up and looked at him. Justin turned his head to look at Grace. His gaze was very heavy as he said into the phone, "Okay, I''ll be right back."N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. After hanging up the phone, he looked at Grace and wanted to say something but hesitated. Grace smiled. "Your family needs you for something urgent, right? You should go back quickly. I''m fine." Justin looked at her and frowned worriedly. "I''m sorry, my grandfather is critically ill." Grace''s eyes arrowed slightly. She recalled Justin''s attitude toward the Vance family at the banquet at that time. His grandfather, who was very important to Justin, was the only Vance family member he respected. Grace hurriedly said. "Then go back quickly. I can do it alone." Justin took out his phone and bought a ticket. He would set off that night, and the train would arrive at his destination the next morning. He looked at her worriedly. "Don''t go out so often while I''m gone. I''ll be back as soon as I can." Grace nodded. "Got it." Before Justin left, he reminded her repeatedly and left reluctantly. That night, Grace fed Strawberry the dog food. She turned on her iPad. Herics hadn''t been updated in days, and there were a lot morements in thements section. She took a cursory look. Most of them were urging her to update. Suddenly, ament jumped into her line of sight. "Til get you back no matter where you go." Thement was made by Brian. Grace looked at the row of words and her heart skipped a beat. She seemed to be able to see Brian''s domineering and ruthless face through the row of words. Grace deleted thement and closed her eyes to calm her emotions. She finished updating the ending of theics before she turned off the iPad. Chapter 197 In the Adkins family¡¯s ce in Capern City, Ava received a call. ¡°Miss Adkins. I drugged her coffee, but they found out quickly. They were very vignt d now they¡¯ve escaped. I can¡¯t find any trace of them anymore.¡± Ava looked at the red mark on her phone¡¯s map and snorted. ¡°What an idiot! I knew they had already escaped. By the time you went to look for them, it would be toote!¡± Ava sent out Grace¡¯s location. This time, I don¡¯t care what method you use. You have to ensure that nothing goes wrong. Your previous lousy method didn¡¯t work was because you were holding back!¡± When the man on the other end of the line heard her words, he hesitated for a moment and said, ¡°Miss Adkins, if I make it too obvious, they¡¯ll call the police, which will get me in great trouble.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because you don¡¯t know how to do things properly! I don¡¯t care. I have to get the news of her miscarriage within two weeks! Do you want the 400 thousand dors or not?¡± The man was silent for a moment. ¡°Okay! I know what to do!¡± strawberry adapted very quickly and was very healthy. It just wanted to go out to y every day. Grace had to y with it twice a day. wo dayster, Grace received a call from Justin. istin¡¯s voice was a little hoarse. He sounded as if he was tired after not resting for a long time. ¡°Grace, my randfather has passed away. I can onlye over after the funeral. Are you doing okay?¡± race did not know how tofort him. She paused and said, ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about me. You have my indolences. Don¡¯t be too sad,¡± kay. I know that such sad things happen. I¡¯m fine. I¡¯lle over as soon as I can.¡± 1. o. Grace actually hoped that he wouldn¡¯te over again, but she knew that Justin wouldn¡¯t listen, so Grace In¡¯t say anything in the end. er hanging up the phone, Grace led Strawberry and returned to the apartment after buying groceries. p its ears and barked twice. en she opened the door and walked to the entrance, Strawberry suddenly pe ace ced the key on the cab and stroked Strawberry¡¯s head. ¡°Strawberry, what¡¯s wrong? Haven¡¯t you had ugh fun?¡± This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. wberry looked up at her and whimpered. Then, it barked a few more times. ce frowned in confusion. Strawberry was acting too strangely today. In the past, it would drink some water as n as it entered the apartment, but today, it had been standing beside Grace and barking. This had never pened to Strawberry before. What was going on today? ce realized that something was wrong and looked up at the living room. The drawer of the coffee table was not I need tightly. heart skipped a beat when she realized that there was someone in the apartment. Dreame Grace swallowed nervously and patted Strawberry¡¯s head. ¡°Alright! I really don¡¯t know what to do with you. Let me take you out for another walk!¡± She grabbed the key on the cab and turned to close the door. With trembling hands, she pressed the elevator button, walked into the elevator, andinmed the closing button, afraid that the one in the apartment would immediately rush out. The elevator descended. Seeing the changing numbers, Grace heaved a huge sigh of relief and copsed weakly to the floor. When the elevator reached the first floor, she quickly ran out and arrived at the children¡¯s y area in themunity atrium. Her heart was beating very fast. She subconsciously took out her phone to call Justin, but when she thought of the situation on his side, she locked her phone. Grace hugged Strawberry and suddenly felt unprecedented fear. Enormous confusion and fear overwhelmed her. Strawberry seemed to sense her helplessness and kept rubbing against her body, making a whimpering sound. Grace patted its head. ¡°Strawberry, I¡¯m fine.¡± Chapter 198 Grace walked around outside for a long time. She did not know what she should do since it was nighttime. She did not dare to go back alone. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Suddenly, she saw a firefightering out of a supermarket. He bought a bottle of Coke and was walking toward the fire brigade not far away. She walked up to him. ¡°Sir, excuse me. Are you a firefighter?¡± The young man looked at her and smiled shyly. ¡°I am. What¡¯s up? Is there anything I can help you with?¡± Grace grabbed his shirt as if she had found her savior. ¡°Can you do me a favor? There seems to be a thief in my house. I don¡¯t dare to go back alone. Can you go with me?¡± The firefighter sized her up and could tell her helplessness. He nodded and said, ¡°Okay.¡± Grace said gratefully. Thank you!¡± She led the firefighter back and opened the door. The firefighter asked her to hide behind him. He checked all the ces in the house where people could hide. After confirming that there was no one, he called Grace in. ¡°Check if anything is missing. If it is, call the police.¡± Grace thought of the money in her suitcase and hurriedly ran into the bedroom to open it. The cash inside was indeed gone.. There used to be about 40 thousand dors there, but now all the money was gone. Grace slumped to the ground. Fortunately, she had brought some cash with her when she went around. The firefighter squatted down. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did you lose something? Let me call the police for you!¡± As he spoke, he took out his phone. Grace came back to her senses and hurriedly stopped him. ¡°No, we can¡¯t call the police!¡± Once she called the police, Brian would quickly find out where she was. It was still uncertain if the one who broke into the house was Brian¡¯s man or a thief. The firefighter asked curiously, ¡°Why?¡± Grace didn¡¯t know how to exin it to him. She thought for a moment and said, didn¡¯t lose anything valuable. I just lost a few bank cards. I¡¯ll just go to the bank and report my card lost.¡± The fireman looked at her for a moment. ¡°Okay then. Do you want to change your lock?¡± Grace nodded. She had to change her lock. The firefighter was kind¨Chearted and knew that she was afraid to do it alone, so he went out with her to find a lock shop. The firefighter apanied her until she was done changing the lock before leaving. Grace wanted to send him downstairs, but he refused. ¡°If you send me down, won¡¯t you be afraid when youe back aler?¡± Grace thought for a moment and suddenly asked, ¡°Can I have your number?¡± ¡°Of course. If you need any help in the future, you can call me.¡± The young man gave her his phone number. ¡°My name is Adam Jenkins. You can call me Adam.¡± Grace saved his number and called him. She looked at him and smiled. ¡°My name is Grace Sherman. Thank you. for your help.¡± Feeling a bit embarrassed, Adam smiled and scratched the back of his head. ¡°You¡¯re certainly wee. It¡¯s what I should do. I should go now.¡± After Grace returned to her apartment, she looked at the empty house and still felt a lingering fear. Closing her eyes, she could always picture someone rummaging through the house. 1200 in Grace was curled up on the sofa. She turned the stereo up to maximum volume with Strawberry in her arms. She would look at the door warily if there was any movement outside: Even the sound of the wind outside the window could make her hair stand on end. She felt that she was already mentally unstable. Grace hugged Strawberry tightly as tears rolled down her face. If she hadn¡¯t met Brian, she might have met an ordinary man who loved her wholeheartedly and lived an ordinary life. Chapter 199 But ever since she met Brian, everything had changed. Grace started biting her arm again. Strawberry seemed to be able to feel her pain while it was in her arms. It cried out anxiously, trying to wake her up.. At that moment, her phone rang. Strawberry nced at the phone and then at Grace. It kept barking at her loudly. Strawberry¡¯s barks finally woke her up. She nced at her phone and sniffed before answering. ¡°Justin.¡± ¡°What took you so long?¡± Grace looked down and said, ¡°I was¡­ cooking just now.¡± ¡°It¡¯s sote. Why haven¡¯t you eaten yet?¡± Grace took a look at the time. It was already eight in the evening. She nodded and said, ¡°Strawberry wanted to go out to y, so I went for a while longer.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t go home sote any longer. It¡¯s not safe. Have your meal first.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Grace hung up the phone. She looked at her bleeding arm and took a deep breath. Was her depression acting up again? She closed her eyes and told herself over and over again that she couldn¡¯t be like this. She had to stay strong even though she was having a tough time. She treated the wound briefly and stroked Strawberry¡¯s head, looking into its eyes. ¡°Strawberry, I¡¯m scared. Can you sleep with me in the bedroom tonight?¡± Strawberry barked twice. She pulled the kennel into her room, set it in front of the bed, and turned on her phone to y music. Strawberry obediently nestled in its kennel. As if it was worried about her, it ne at her. ¡® its head on the edge and looked Grace closed her eyes. The music gradually calmed her down. After a long time, sleepiness gradually overwhelmed. her before she fell asleep. Grace did not sleep well. She kept dreaming the entire night. When she woke up the next day, she still felt feeble as if she had not slept the entire night. She still did not dare to go out. As soon as she reached the door, she was on tenterhooks. She was afraid that if she went out, someone would enter the house again. Strawberry was guarding the door, It looked like it wanted to go out to pee. This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Grace taught to pee in the bathroom. After Strawberry finished peeing, it wandered around the living room to Dreame entertain itself for a while before running to the door and guarding eagerly. Grace sighed and nced at the time. After some thought, she called Adam and asked him to help her walk the dog. Adam came over after work. He led Strawberry and went out for a walk. Grace wanted to pay Adam for his help, but he refused no matter what. In the end, she could only let him stay for a meal. For a week. Grace did not go out. She bought groceries online every day. There was a knock on the door. Grace looked through the peephole and saw that the person outside was wearing a mask, carrying groceries, and wearing a take¨Cout delivery uniform. Only then did she open the door. The delivery man handed her the delivery. ¡°Here¡¯s your delivery.¡± Grace took it and said, ¡°Thank you.¡± Just as she was about to close the door, the delivery man suddenly said, ¡°Can I use your bathroom?¡± Grace looked up at him. ¡°Well, sure.¡± The delivery man walked in. Grace pointed him to the bathroom and walked into the kitchen with the groceries. Just as she was putting the vegetables into the fridge, arge gloved hand that smelled of mold suddenly covered her mouth and nose tightly. Grace widened her eyes and struggled violently. Strawberry barked wildly at the side and bit the delivery man¡¯s leg fiercely. The man was in pain and shook it violently. Strawberry was thrown against the cupboard and let out a wail. Grace took the opportunity to pull off the man¡¯s mask. Chapter 200 She saw the malevolent look in the delivery man¡¯s eyes and suddenly recalled the waiter at the bakery in Silrow City when she realized that the two men were the same person, The delivery man mped his hand over her mouth. With his other hand, he pulled out a handkerchief and covered her nose. Grace smelled a pungent fragrance and soon her entire body went feeble. Just before she fainted, she heard a familiar voice. ¡°Grace!¡± When the delivery man heard Justin¡¯s voice, he was so frightened that he threw Grace away. He quickly dashed out. When Justin saw that Grace had fainted, he did not dare to chase after that man anymore. He carried Grace and rushed to the hospital. After about two hours, Grace woke 1. up. She opened her eyes slowly. Her vision was still blurred when memories suddenly hit her. She sat up from the bed abruptly. Justin held her hand. ¡°It¡¯s me. Don¡¯t be afraid. I¡¯m back.¡± Grace saw Justin¡¯s face clearly and broke down instantly. She threw herself into his arms and cried uncontrobly. Justin was stunned for a moment. He patted her back gently behind her ear and said softly as if he was coaxing a child, ¡°It¡¯s alright. I¡¯m sorry that I waste. If I hade back ten minutes earlier, this wouldn¡¯t have happened.¡± Listening to her cries, Justin felt as if his heart had been stabbed by a knife. Grace cried for half an hour before stopping ¡°Two days after you left, a thief entered the apartment and stole all the money. I¡¯m not sure if it was a simple thief or someone sent by Brian, so I didn¡¯t dare to go out after changing the lock¡± Grace gritted her teeth and continued, ¡°The delivery man today is the man fr Brian must be the one behind this!¡± Justin frowned. ¡°Grace, don¡¯t you think there¡¯s something wrong with this?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± e bakery! He was after my baby. N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. ¡°We drove around for a long time on our way here. I¡¯m one hundred percent sure no one was following us, but don¡¯t you think it¡¯s odd that this man was able to find us in just two days?¡± Grace¡¯s eyes narrowed. After what Justin said, she also realized that something was wrong. Justin analyzed, ¡°If I¡¯m not wrong. you have been stalked after you came out of the hospital. Think about it carefully. Di Brian identally put a tracking device on you?¡± Grace thought for a moment and shook her head. I don¡¯t know. I really don¡¯t know,¡± Justin stroked her hair. ¡°Alright, then just drop it for now. Let¡¯s go back first.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± When they got home, Justin said, ¡°Get your suitense out.¡± Grace took out the suitcase. When she saw that justin opened the suitcase to check if there was a tracker on her clothes, she hurriedly took out her underwear and said with a red face, ¡°I can check this myself.¡± Justin could not help butugh. After checking all the clothes, Justin finally opened thepartment of the suitcase and found the tracker. Grace looked at the tracker and shed tears of heartache. She threw it on the floor and crushed it forcefully. ¡°I can¡¯t believe this. How could Brian be so cruel?¡± Justin gritted his teeth and said fiercely, ¡°I¡¯ll go back and get even with him!¡± Grace grabbed his arm. ¡°No! I don¡¯t want you to go against him for me. Just hold on for another four months. Four months will be enough.¡± Justin felt distressed for her. He wiped away her tears. ¡°Why do you have to deliver the baby for such a man? It won¡¯t cause much harm to your body if you abort it now. Could you just lose the baby?¡± Chapter 201 Grace touched her belly and looked at him warily. ¡°The baby has already lived in me for more than five months and has nothing to do with Brian anymore. From the moment he decided to have me abort the baby, he lost the right to be a father. ¡°In the past, I might have wanted to keep the baby because I loved him too much, but now, I love my baby only because it¡¯s a part of me. It has nothing to do with him.¡± Grace was quite agitated. Justin knew that his words had agitated her, so he tried tofort her. I¡¯m sorry for what I¡¯ve said. Since you want to keep the baby, then keep it. But you won¡¯t be safe if you stay in the country. 111 you overseas, okay?¡± take Grace looked at him for a long time. When Justin thought that she would not agree, she suddenly nodded. ¡°Okay Justin was overjoyed and hugged her tightly. ¡°Then let¡¯s go overseas after we settle the procedures. We won¡¯t evere back again, okay?¡± Grace nodded again. Justin was overjoyed. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. I¡¯ll make you dinner.¡± Grace took his hand. ¡°Let me do it, Justin.¡± Justin smiled and pinched her wrist. ¡°You just woke up¡­ What happened to your arm?¡± Justin fixed his eyes on the bite mark on her arm. Grace pulled her hand back. ¡°It¡¯s nothing serious.¡± ustin forcefully took her hand and his eyes darkened. ¡°Are you having depression again?¡± Grace retracted her wrist and turned around. ¡°It was the night the money was stolen. I couldn¡¯t sleep, but :verything was fine after that. Aren¡¯t I doing fine now?¡± Grace said those words nonchntly and smiled at him. Owned by N?velDrama.Org. ustin frowned. ¡°You have me with you now, and I won¡¯t let you get hurt ever again. Grace, promise to be my irlfriend and let me take care of you for the rest of your life. Could you?¡± Grace looked down and changed the topic. ¡°T¡¯ll go cook.¡± he turned around and walked into the kitchen. Justin did not dare to push her too hard. Since she had already romised to live overseas with him, that was enough. le believed that they would live happily abroad. ustin walked into the kitchen and helped her prepare the ingredients. trawberry squatted on the ground and looked at Grace cutting the meat. Justin leaned against the fridge after leaning the vegetables and looked at her. The setting sun shone through the window and shone on Grace¡¯s face, iving her a warm yellow halo. He was mesmerized by the way she looked. istin had a feam where the two of them lived a peaceful and beautiful life abroad. The dream was so beautiful that he didn¡¯t want to wake up from it. Justin woke up in the morning and walked to the door of Grace¡¯s room. He raised his hand to knock on the door, but he stopped and turned to the kitchen to make breakfast. When he was done making the sandwich, he saw that Grace wasn¡¯t up yet. He looked his watch. It was already eight¨Cthirty. He knocked on her door. There was no sound from inside. He called out, ¡°Grace, get up. It¡¯s time for breakfast.¡± There was still no response from inside. ¡°If you don¡¯t say anything. I¡¯lle in directly Justin turned the doorknob. The door was not locked. He pushed the door open and saw an empty bed and a neatly folded nket. Justin walked into the room and saw a letter on the table. [Justin. It¡¯s an honor to meet you, but I no longer have the power to fall in love again. I¡¯m sorry for lying to you, but I think that without me, you will definitely live a better life. You will meet the girl you love and love you.] Justin held the short farewell letter in his hand and rushed out of the room in a frenzy. He drove aimlessly along Chapter 202 Justin¡¯s mind went nk. There were peopleing and going on the streets. He was in such a big ce, so how was he supposed to find her? Justin parked the car by the side of the road. After calming down, he drove to the airport, passenger station, dock, train station, and so on. In n the end, he found nothing. Brian was in Capern City. Hisplexion was getting worse by the day. For two weeks, the entire Francis Group was in a depressing atmosphere. In the office, Brian was sitting in a chair with the morning news on theputer. ¡°Why is there still no news after so long? Are you all trash?¡± Camren stood in front of him, trembling in fear. He did not dare to say a word after being shouted at. At this moment, Camren received a message. He took out his phone and looked at Brian in surprise. ¡°Mr. Francis, I just found out that Miss Sherman withdrew a sum of cash from an ATM in Seefer City this morning and bought a ne ticket to South City!¡± Brian suddenly widened his eyes. ¡°What¡¯s the flight number?¡± ¡°CU8570. Brian smiled slightly. ¡°Buy the tickets immediately. We¡¯ll go to South City!¡± ¡°Alright!¡± At this moment, a piece of news suddenly appeared on theputer. ¡°Here¡¯s some inter¨Ccut news. This morning, a Seefer City¨Cbound flight, CU8570, crashed in South City. Civil Aviation has confirmed the ne crashed. There were 151 people on board. The passengers.. Brian¡¯s gaze gradually froze. Camren, who was about to leave, stopped in his tracks. At the same time, he received a trending post on his phone that read, ¡°An Airliner Crashed in South City.¡± Camren looked at Brian. Brian slowly raised his head and looked at him. He felt that his ears were ringing. Even when he spoke, he could not hear his own voice clearly. ¡°What was the flight number that you said just now?¡± Camren swallowed a bit and subconsciously tightened his grip on the edge of the phone. ¡°CU8570.¡± Brian¡¯s fingers trembled violently as he muttered, ¡°It can¡¯t be¡­ It can¡¯t be.¡± After mutter g a few times, he suddenly looked up at Camren and roared in a hoarse voice, ¡°What evidence do you have to prove that she was on this flight?¡± Camren lowered his head and hesitated for a moment. He found the email he had just received and ced his phone in front of Brian. Brian looked at the information on his phone and suddenly shoved it.. Camren was silent for a moment before heforted Brian. ¡°Mr. Francis, we haven¡¯t confirmed if she¡¯s dead yet. You¡­ At this point, he could not continue. The ne had already crashed. There was no chance of survival. Brian sat motionless on the chair as if he had lost his soul. Camren picked up the phone on the ground, turned around, and walked out of the office. This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Ava was leaning against the door when Camren opened the door and bumped into her. She looked at Camren and smiled, asking, ¡°Camren, did you just say that Grace was on the ne in the ident?¡± Camren nced at her and left without saying anything. Ava snorted contemptuously at his back and knocked on the door. There was no reply from the office. Ava pushed the door open. ¡°Brian.¡± Brian was sitting on the chair and staring at theputer screen. He acted as if he had not heard her. Ava couldn¡¯t hear the conversation between Brian and Camren very clearly from outside just now. She only knew that they were talking about the ne. She wanted to confirm if Grace was really on the ne. Ava came to his side and asked softly, ¡°Brian, was Grace on the ne?¡± Chapter 203 Brian still ignored her. Ava called out twice again. ¡°Brian? Brian, what¡¯s wrong?¡± She reached out and waved her hand in front of him. Brian blinked and looked up at her. He did not miss the expectant look in her eyes. When he saw her face, he suddenly felt very frustrated. He did not answer her question but said gloomily, ¡°Go to the finance department immediately to settle your paycheck. You don¡¯t need toe to work from now on ¡± N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. Ava was stunned. ¡°Brian¡­ Brian, what¡¯s wrong? What did I do wrong?¡± Brian looked at her gloomily. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you that your position is only temporary?¡± Ava was dumbfounded. She was at a loss as she asked, ¡°Did I break into your office and make you angry? I knocked on the door and only came in because you didn¡¯t answer¡­ Brian, I was wrong. I won¡¯t make any mistakes in the future. Could you please not chase me away?¡± Brian became even more frustrated when he heard her voice. He grabbed the file on the table and threw it at her. ¡°Get lost!¡± ¡°Ah!¡± The edge of the file scratched her check. Ava covered her face and roared at him while crying, ¡°I know why you¡¯re angry! Isn¡¯t it because Grace is dead? That serves her right!¡± Brian suddenly raised his head and looked at her. His gaze was as fierce as a demon that had walked out of hell. He suddenly stood up and walked toward her. ¡°Say that again.¡± Ava had never seen Brian like this before. She retreated in fear. Brian suddenly grabbed her neck and narrowed his sharp eyes furiously. ¡°Who told you that she¡¯s dead? Who told you that she¡¯s dead?¡± Ava felt suffocated. Her face turned red as she pped his hand desperately. Brian suddenly let go of her. ¡°Get lost! Don¡¯t let me see you again!¡± Ava coughed so hard that she choked on her tears. She nced at him, turned around, and stumbled away. Ava walked out of the office with a sinister smile on her face as she wondered, ¡®Looks like even God is helping me. Now that Grace is dead, as long as Louise doesn¡¯t return at this time, I¡¯ll have a chance to make Brian fall in love with me! The various apps on the phone were delivering news about the ne crash every day, but Brian had never clicked open a single one. He didn¡¯t even want to look at his phone. After work, I drove back to the vi dully. The house was extremely quiet He stood in the living room and thought he saw hering out of the kitchen with the dishes. She smiled at him gently. ¡°You¡¯re back.¡± He subconsciously grunted in agreement. Suddenly, the figure shed and disappeared from his sight. Brian¡¯s body trembled. Only then did he realize that he was hallucinating. He raised his hand and pressed the corners of his eyes. He told himself that it was normal for him to feel a little sad for Grace, who had shared a bed with him. She was just an interlude in his life, so she didn¡¯t matter to him. Perhaps after a while, he wouldpletely forget about her. Melvin walked over. ¡°Mr. Brian, it¡¯s time to eat.¡± Brian nced at the food on the table and said calmly, Tm not hungry. You guys eat. Brian turned around and went upstairs. At that moment, he heard two maids discussing. ¡°I have a friend who just got married. The couple took this ne to South City to take wedding photos. I didn¡¯t expect such an ident to happen. I saw some videos posted by the locals on the Inte. The passengers are probably all dead.¡± Chapter 204 Brian suddenly stopped in his tracks and turned to look at the maid who had just spoken. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± The maid was shocked by his gloomy voice. ¡°Huh? L.. I was talking about the ne ah Brian stared at her gloomily. ¡°Who told you that the passengers are all dead? The maid did not understand what she had said wrong to anger Brian. She was so frightened that she did not dare to say a word. ¡°Who told you that the passengers are all dead?¡± you The maid trembled as she brought her phone to him. ¡°I didn¡¯t say it¡­ I, I saw theizens say it. If y don¡¯t believe me, see for yourself¡­ Brian looked at her phone but did not reach out to take it. He did not even dare to look at the small words on the screen carefully. He looked away and turned to leave. The maid was so frightened that she patted her chest and whispered, ¡°What¡¯s going on with Mr. Brian? Why did he have such a big reaction when we talked about the ident?¡± The other maid shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know. We shouldn¡¯t voice our opinions when Mr. Brian is around from now on.¡± It waste at night. Brian could not fall asleep no matter what. Like a soulless puppet, he came down from upstairs and walked to the maid¡¯s room where Grace used to stay. The door was locked. Brian frowned and called Melvin over. N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. Melvin walked over in his pajamas with sleepy eyes. ¡°Mr. Brian, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Why is this room locked?¡± ¡°Mr. Brian, I locked this room as soon as it was empty. If you want to go in, I¡¯ll get the key and unlock the door now.¡± Brian instantly got sober and realized what he was doing. He immediately s key. There¡¯s no need to take it!¡± Melvin, who was about to get the Melvin looked at him and his eyes darkened. ¡°Mr. Brian, are you missing Miss Sherman? Why don¡¯t you bring her back?¡± Brian looked at the living room with listless eyes and muttered, ¡°I can¡¯t get her back.¡± Melvin listened to him and thought that Grace was angry at Brian and did not want to reconcile with him. Hence, he continued, ¡°You will. Miss Sherman loves you very much. If you really want to bring her back, she will definitelye back with you.¡± Brian blinked and his voice suddenly turned gloomy. ¡°Who told you that I miss her? Who told you that I¡¯m bringing her back? From today onward, no one is allowed to mention her name in front of me. Whoever mentions it will be fired immediately!¡± Melvin was stunned for a moment before he immediately replied, ¡°Alright, Mr. Brian. I won¡¯t mention it again. Brian was extremely annoyed. He strode out of the living room and drove away from the vi. Melvin frowned. Mr. Brian was too abnormal today. Melvin had not contacted Grace Sherman for a long time. He did not know how she was doing now. He wanted to call her, but he realized that it was already sote. In the end, he could only let out a long sigh. Brian drove to the bar. He sat alone in the booth, drinking ss after ss. Deafening music and alcohol seemed to numb the nerves. However, the more he drank, the more upset he felt. le felt so upset as if a part of him was missing. fter drinking two bottles of whiskey, he felt that his mind was getting clearer. e had not eaten that night. Now that he had drunk two bottles of liquor, he felt a burning pain in his stomach. got up and went to the washroom before he leaned over the sink and vomited. ter throwing up, he returned to the booth and continued drinking. This repeated until he did not even have the ength to stand up. Chapter 205 Brian fell asleep on the sofa. When the bar was about to close, the waiter came over to wake him up. "Sir, we''re already closed here. Do you need us to call a designated driver for you?" Brian stood up, paid the bill, picked up his coat, and staggered out the door. The cold air outside hit him hard enough to make his head hurt. He sat in the car, massaging his temples. There were almost no cars on the streets in the early morning. Brian was driving on the road. The cold wind blew into the car and cleared his mind. He kept elerating as the car drove all the way to the suburbs. The car stopped outside a self-built house. Brian got out of the car, mmed the door, and staggered out. The sky was already turning bright. Brian walked to the door and knocked hard. After about five minutes, Frederick came out with his coat on. Brian looked at Frederick drunkenly. "Where''s Grace?" Frederick saw that he was unstable and quickly reached out to hold his arm. "Mr. Brian, Grace is not here. She hasn''t been back for a long time. Why are you looking for her?" Brian pushed Frederick away. "Call her out! Let here out to see me!" Brian roared as he staggered into the house. His voice woke up Daisy and Carson. The two of them got up one after another. When Daisy saw that it was Brian, she sneered. "Why are you looking for Grace? You''ve already divorced her and you didn''t give her the promised 600 thousand dors! Why are you still looking for her?" Brian looked at her and said drunkenly, "You hid her, didn''t you?" Daisy looked at him and asked, "So what if | am? What''s wrong? Are you trying to remarry Grace?" Brian suddenly grabbed Daisy''s cor and stared at her. "Where is she?! Where did you hide her?"Owned by N?velDrama.Org. Daisy was shocked by his gloomy gaze. "I.. |... How would | know where she is? She hasn''t been home for a month! She didn''t even call!" Brian suddenly let go. Carson felt that something was wrong. He went forward and grabbed Brian''s cor. "How dare you stille to see my sister? How did my sister let you down? Haven''t you hurt her enough? | still want to ask you! What happened to my sister?¡± Brian looked up at Carson and said word by word, "She''s dead." Carson suddenly widened his eyes. "What did you say?" Brian suddenlyughed. "You''re her family. Didn''t you receive the notice? She boarded the ne and it elget crashed. She''s dead and will never come back." Frederick and Daisy looked at him in shock. Daisy was the first to react and grabbed his arm. "Stop right there! Is what you''re saying true?" Brian did not answer the question. He his teeth and said, Jen figured out who the et child''s father is! How can she die!" ¡°What do you mean? My sister is pregnant?" Carson grabbed Brian''s clothes and interrogated him. Brian pushed Carson away and said ina daze, "She Aone s.shg\has Yoel e who the child belongs to!" Bang! The content is on ! Read thetest chapter there! Carson suddenly punched Brian hard. "My sister is already dead, yet you''re still ndering he LL kiqow best What kindof person fy sister is!" The content is on ! Read thetest chapter there! Brian did not retaliate. Carson raised his fist and punched Bran again. '' Daisy shudenly Stopped Carson. The content is on ! Read thetest chapter there! "Carson ! Stop hitting him. Your sister is already dead. It''s useless to hit him." Carson red at her angrily. "She''s your daughter!" Chapter 206 ? Daisy rolled her eyes at Carson. "Don''t I know?"N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. She pushed Carson away and walked to Brian. She cleared her throat and said, "From what you''re saying, Grace got on the ne while pregnant with your child. That''s two lives. She must have left because of you, so you have to take responsibility for Grace''s death! I won''t say much more. 160 thousand dors has to bepensated!" Carson red at her. "You''re still thinking about money at a time like this!" "Am I wrong? What''s wrong with thinking about money? Should we let Grace die for nothing?" Brian suddenly said, "I''ll transfer the money to you tomorrow." After saying this, he turned around and left. Brian returned to the vi. He had not slept for almost the entire night, but now that he was lying on the bed, he did not feel sleepy at all. His mind was frighteningly clear. This situation frightened him. He went downstairs to get a few bottles of wine and returned to the bedroom. He sat on the ground and downed half a bottle in one go. He drank until he fell asleep on the ground drunk. After he sobered up, he continued drinking. Melvin went upstairs and called him three times, but he scolded Melvin away. It was already dark when a car stopped at the entrance of the vi. Ava got out of the car, walked to the door of the vi, and pressed the doorbell. Melvin opened the door. When he saw Ava, he frowned and asked, "Miss Adkins, why are you looking for Mr. Brian sote at night?" Ava red at him and said impatiently. "What does it have to do with you? Open the door!" Melvin''s eyes turned cold. He had indeed asked because he did not want to open the door for her. Ava walked in and asked, "Where''s Brian?" "Mr. Brian is already asleep. Ava looked upstairs suspiciously. "So early? I''ll go up and take a look." Melvin wanted to stop her, but after hesitating for a while, he shut his mouth. Ava walked to the bedroom door and raised her hand to knock. After thinking for a moment, she put down her arm, opened the door, and walked in. The smell of alcohol hit her in the face. Ava frowned and walked in. "Brian?" Brian curled up on the ground as if he had fallen asleep. Ava walked up to him, squatted down, and called out tentatively, "Brian?" Brian didn''t give any response. Ava reached out and touched his face. Just as she was about to help him up, he suddenly grabbed her wrist. "Don''t go..." Ava''s heart skipped a beat. "Bri... Brian, I''m not leaving. I''m here. Do you want me?" Brian closed his eyes tightly. Even in his sleep, his brows were tightly furrowed as he held her hand tightly. Ava gulped and looked at him. This was a good opportunity! She leaned down and touched his lips with hers. Since he didn''t respond, she came to his ear and kissed his earlobe. "Brian..." Brian suddenly grabbed her wrist and opened his eyes. Ava''s heart skipped a beat when she met his gaze. She subconsciously exined, "Bri... Brian, I''m sorry, I..." "Grace..." Brian looked at the woman in front of him with blurry eyes. Ava was stunned. She gritted her teeth. Grace''s death had actually made him so dispirited! He was even calling Grace''s name in his dreams! Ava gritted her teeth and said, "It''s me. I''m Grace. I''m back. Brian, let''s go to bed, okay?" Brian smiled and nodded obediently. "Okay." Ava helped him up with a smile andy on the bed. "Brian, I''ll help you take off your clothes." Chapter 207 Ava reached out and unbuttoned Brian''s shirt. Her heart was pounding with excitement. After unbuttoning thest button, the man on the bed suddenly grabbed her wrist and pulled her down. He turned around and pressed her onto the bed. Brian looked at her with blurry eyes. "Grace..." He leaned over and moved closer to her neck. Suddenly, the pungent smell of perfume wafted into his nose. Brian suddenly paused. The smell of perfume instantly cleared his mind. He propped himself up and looked at Ava on the bed. Ava reached out and touched his cheek. "Brian... What''s wrong with you?" p! Brian suddenly pped her hand away and pushed her off the bed. "Ah!" The sudden change stunned Ava. Then, she heard Brian''s cold voice. "Get lost!" Ava hurriedly got up from the ground and staggered out of the room. Brian buttoned up his shirt and walked out of the room. He shouted down the corridor, "Who let her in? Don''t let her in without my permission in the future!" Ava had just walked into the courtyard when she heard Brian''s words. Her face paled and tears fell. Brian returned to his room. No matter how strong the smell of alcohol was in the room, he could still smell the unpleasant perfume. Brian felt that the smell made him ufortable. He walked out of the room and said to Melvin, "Get someone to change the bedsheets in the room! Clean the room!" "Alright! Mr. Brian, I''ll get someone to clean it now!" Brian went to the bathroom to take a shower in frustration.N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. It was another sleepless night. The more he forced himself not to think about Grace, the more her face appeared in his mind. He subconsciously wanted to get the wine again, but then he looked at himself in the mirror. His face was covered in stubble and he had dark circles. He stopped himself from drinking. He walked around the vi in difort and finally asked Melvin to open the servant room that Grace once slept in. The bed sheets in the room had already been removed. Brian stood in the room in a daze. Melvin stood behind him and did not dare to say a word. Brian looked at the empty bed and suddenly understood. Yes, even this bed reminded him that Grace was dead and would never come back. Brian walked out of the room in a daze and closed the door. The bedroom had been cleaned. There was no smell of alcohol or Ava''s perfume. Hey on the bed and stared up at the ceiling. He only closed his eyes when his eyes were so dry that he could not open them. He slept uneasily and had many dreams. In his dreams, sometimes he would see Gragaw¨¦lking 6¡± the eqigeoftth¨¦ iff; sometimes he would see Grace being chased by a group of people, and sometimes he would see her walking by the sea. The content is on ! Read thetest chapter there! Atst, he saw her walking toward a ne zing with fire. Brian wanted to tell her not to go, but he could not make any sold Grace walked. theboatding date and stidden y turned around to look at him. She looked at her with a smile. The content is on ! Read thetest chapter there! "Brian. Goodbye." Brian watched helplessly as her figure disappeared into the sea of fire. He desperately wanted to run over and save her, but he felt th t his feet were h vyanache dobidt walk. He cBuld not lift his feet at all. He called her name hoarsely. The content is on ! Read thetest chapter there! He used all his strength to make a sound. "Grace... Grace!" Brian suddenly sat up from the bed. His forehead was covered in cold sweat. He closed his eyes for a moment as memories flooded back, reminding him that Grace was dead and he would never see her again. Chapter 208 This was the longest sleep he had had since he found out about her death. However, when he woke up, he was even more exhausted than when he had not slept all night. He went into the bathroom, took a shower, shaved the stubble from his lips, put on his suit, and went downstairs. He walked into the dining room and had just sat down at the dining table when Melvin rushed in from outside and said in a hurry, "Mr. Brian, Mrs. Sherman is outside. She said that she wants to see you and that you owe her a life. What... what''s going on?" Brian frowned slightly. Only then did he remember that he had drunk too much the morning before yesterday and had gone to the Sherman''s ce to cause trouble. He had not given Daisy the money he had promised her. "Let her in." Melvin nodded and went to open the door. Daisy came in with her bag and ran straight to Brian. "Brian! Where''s the money? Are you going back on your words?" As Daisy spoke, she rolled around on the ground. "My poor daughter! She was pregnant with a child at such a young age. It''s all your fault! You killed my daughter! Pay up!" When Melvin heard Daisy''s words, he was so shocked that he forgot to close his mouth. He asked in shock, "What did you say? Who killed who?" Daisy grabbed Melvin. "Come to be the judge. My daughter is pregnant with his child! He forced her to leave. She was injured by him and boarded the ne. In the end, she was in a ne crash and her corpse was not even left! And this culprit..." "Enough!" Brian suddenly said coldly. "Melvin, go get the check." Daisy instantly shut up when she heard the word "check". Brian sat there stiffly. Daisy''s words constantly reminded him that Grace had boarded the ne to avoid him. Daisy was right. He seemed to be the culprit.N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Melvin took the check, and Brian wrote down the number quickly and handed it to her. Daisy got up as if she was afraid that he would go back on his word. She snatched the check away. When she saw the number on the check, her eyes lit up with excitement. She put the check into her bag and looked at Brian. "I''ll leave first. You should reflect on yourself." Brian''s jaw tightened as he sat there like a statue. After Daisy left, Melvin stood in the dining room. He wanted to say something, but he could not. What? Grace died? What the hell? She was still pregnant with Brian''s child. Melvin finally understood why Brian became like this. "Mr. Brian, the dead can''t be revived. You have to take care of yourself!" Brian sat in the dining room for a long time without moving. After a long time, he stood up stiffly and calmly walked into the garage to drive away. He walked into thepany calmly. Wherever he went, people greeted him. He nodded slightly. There were people discussing the ne crash around him, and he did not have the same intense reaction as that day. The meeting went on as usual, and he went to work as usual. It was as if he had returned to his normal life. In the office. Camren walked into the office with a document. "Mr. Francis, this report needs your signature." Brian nodded slightly and scanned the document. His gaze suddenly stopped on the capitalized amount in the lower right corner. He seemed to see the word "Grace"? His eyes trembled as he stared at the word. He didn''t react for a long time. Camren reminded, "Mr. Francis? Mr. Francis?" Brian came back to his senses. He flipped to thest page and signed his name there without taking a closer look. Camren took the document and nced at it. His mouth fell open in surprise. Chapter 209 ? Where his name should have been, Brian signed "Brein." "What''s the matter?" asked Brian, looking at Camren indifferently. Camren awkwardly ced the document before Brian. Brian frowned when he saw the name on the signature. He mmed the document shut. "Make another copy and bring it here." "Will do." Camren brought back a new one. Brian scanned it and wrote his name carefully.This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Camren nced at Brian''s signature and closed it. However, he did not leave immediately. He looked at Brian as if he had something to say. Brian nced at him and asked casually, "Anything else?" "Mr. Francis, is it possible that Miss Sherman is not dead?" Camren assumed. Brian frowned. Camren reminded Brian, "Tve been following the news for the past few days. The scene of the ident is being searched, and the identity of the deceased is being confirmed. Family members will be notified of the situation. Have Miss Sherman''s parents been notified?" Camren''s words reminded Brian that Grace''s parents were supposed to be the first to be notified, but they didn''t even get any news. Brian''s eyes lit up. "You''re right! I want to see her alive or dead! If she''s deliberately avoiding me, I''ll find her!" Seeing Brian was finally energized, Camren secretly heaved a sigh of relief. Then, there was knocks on the door. Brian looked up and saw Marshall standing at the door with a smile. "Mr. Adkins, you''re here." Brian''s expression softened. Brian walked to the sofa and gestured for Marshall to sit down. Marshall smiled and sat down. "Brian, I heard everything just now. You''re looking for Louise, aren''t you?" Brian frowned slightly and did not answer. Marshall said, "I was right about you. When Louisees back and marries you, I feel very much at ease as her father. Unfortunately, I can''t get in touch with her now. When she calls me next time, I''ll talk to her and ask her toe back as soon as possible." "Thank you, Mr. Adkins." Brian nodded expressionlessly. After talking about Louise for a while, Marshall got down to business. He was here for a coboration. Brian saw Marshall off after they talked business. Then Brian asked Camren toe in. "Contact the insurancepany immediately and verify the list." "Yes, Mr. Francis." Ten minutester, Camren sent Brian an e-mail with a list of the people on the ne. Brian stared at the more than one hundred names and looked at them carefully. His heartbeat was slow and strong, and he was afraid he would see that familiar name on the list. It wasn''t until he saw thest name that he sprang to his feet. His eyes shed with excitement-her name was not on the list. Camren walked in. "Mr. Francis, the list has been sent to you. I''ve checked with the insurancepany. I heard Miss Sherman is the only passenger who hasn''t boarded the ne!" Brian felt his fingers trembling slightly. "She wasn''t dead... She wasn''t dead... Brian suddenlyughed. As heughed, his expression became angry again. She had bought a ne ticket but did not get on the ne. It was just a smokescreen. To mislead him into thinking that she had gone to South City. Grace had been avoiding him so carefully. It was not easy for her to buy a ne ticket. She had put in a lot of effort to avoid him. Chapter 210 Brian calmed down and began to think about where she might go. In the end, he thought her most likely destination was Seefer City. She was pregnant, so it was not appropriate for her to rush around. Nowadays, whether it was buying a bus or train ticket, she needed to buy them with her real name. However, she had never bought them before. She was most likely still in Seefer City! Thinking of it, Brian immediately stood up. "Camren! Buy the ne tickets and go to Seefer City immediately!" Brian turned off theputer, got up, and took the elevator downstairs. He was just out of the front door when he ran into a figure. Before he could see who it was, the person threw a fist at his ear. Brian jerked his head to the side to steady himself. After looking up and seeing the person clearly, he squinted and said, "Justin!" Justin wanted toe over and beat him up again, but he was restrained by the security guards rushing in through the door. Justin struggled for a while and red at Brian. "Brian Francis! You irresponsible man! She wouldn''t have gotten on that ne if you hadn''t forced her into a corner!" Brian wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and walked toward Justin step by step. "Who is Grace to you? What does she have to do with you? What right do you have to criticize me here on her behalf?" "Brian Francis! You can still say such heartless words even now!" Justin''s eyes almost popped out of their sockets. "You sent people to follow her at all costs and tried everything possible to get rid of the child in her belly! | wonder if you won''t be able to sleep when you think of the two lives you killed when you''re with Louise in the future!" Brian frowned. "What did you say? | sent someone to follow her?" "What? Are you afraid to admit what you''ve done? Mr. Francis, it''s a shame you won''t act!" Brian''s expression was gloomy, his thin lips pursing tightly. He couldn''t even find Grace''s figure, and how could he send someone to follow her? He nced at Justin and told the security guards, "Let go of him." It turned out that Justin had been helping Grace escape for the past few days! Brian looked at Justin coldly. "Dr. Vance! | advise you to stay out of Grace''s matters! You have no ce in it, even if you had anything with her before. You even have no right to participate in anything after her death!" "I''m afraid you should say that to yourself, right? She divorced you a long time ago! The child in her belly has nothing to do with you! What right do you have to chase after her again and again!" Brian frowned and grabbed Justin''s cor. "Say that again. What do you mean the child has nothing to do with me? Is the child in her belly yours? When did you start dating her?" Justin suddenly burst intoughter. Heughed so hard that tears streamed down from the corners of his eyes. "Brian Francis! You''re not worthy of being her husband. Grace was right to leave you. You''re not worthy!" . FindNovel won? Justin struggled free from him and stumbled away. He felt sorry for Grace. She was dead, but Brian wag st#hsuspecting t chilgircher Ges belonged to someone else! The content is on ! Read thetest chapter there! If Grace found out in theherworld, she would probably be sad, right? Brian''s face was gloomy. Camren asked, "Mr. Francis, are we still going to Seefer City?" "Yes! |''ll capture her even if | have to go to the ends of pease warit\to neat froxg tenors lly whom the child belongs to!" The content is on ! Read thetest chapter there!Owned by N?velDrama.Org. Jacksonville. A woman in a beret and red coat stood in front of a shop. She looked at the phone quenbae 6o)the ddr and tgok ou ef phone to make a call. "Hello, | want to rent themercial property." The content is on ! Read thetest chapter there! Chapter 211 "Miss, you have good taste. My shop is a corner shop with a big room and a big entrance. Once the sign is hung here, passebys will take a look inside. Business will be booming!" Thendy led Grace. "Come,e. My shop is 16.2 feet high and can be separated by one floor. Slow down on the stairs. Be careful with your belly..." Grace supported her belly and walked up, holding onto the railing. ¡°Look at this. It''spletely isted. From your ent, you should havee from Capern City, right? How long have you been here? Have you bought a house here?" "No." Grace shook her head. "That''s right! You and your husband don''t have to rent a house anymore. You live right up here, so you can save a lot of rent! The last tenant of my shop was a pair of young people. They doputer repairs and live up here." Grace nodded. She was satisfied with this shop. "Boss, how much is it per month?" "It''s 4,000 dors.¡± Grace looked at her for a while. "Can you give me a special discount on this?" "Youngdy, this is a corner shop! Moreover, the shop is over 16 feet high. The market rent for this kind of shop is at this price. | didn''t make you an arbitrary offer!" Grace smiled. "Boss, I''m new in Jacksonville, but I''ve seen a few shops. | know what the market price is. | think there are several shops to rent around here. I''m just opening a flower shop. It doesn''t matter if it''s a corner shop. Frankly, | was worried about what would happen if | lived upstairs alone." Thendy smiled sheepishly. "Well, youngdy. The price is negotiable! Come on, and have a seat. Let''s sit down and talk. It''s so tiring for you to stand.¡± Grace patted the dust off the chair and sat down. Thendy said, "How about this? I''ll give you a discount of 400 dors. How about that?" Grace said in one go, "A discount of 1,000 dors!"N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. "No. How about a discount of 800 dors? Wouldn''t it be enough if your husband smoked fewer packs of cigarettes a month?" Grace lowered her eyes. "I don''t have a husband. I''m alone.¡± "Ah?" Thendy looked at Grace''s lonely look and sighed. "Alright! It''s 3,000 dors per month! Let''s sign the contract!" Thendy took the contract and a pen from her bag and began to write the contract. After writing it, Grace took the contract and read it carefully. Thendy was scrolling the the videos on her phone and suddenly eximed, "Well, how tragio! Dead without an intact corpse..." Grace turned to look at her and asked | ft Dervously, "What do you a murder happen nearbean by dead without an intact corpse? "The security around us is great! How can there be a murder case? I''m talking about the ne crash! Didn''t you watch the news?" Grace shook her head. "When did that happen?" She had not turned on her phone for the past two days. She bought a new phone card after ee ino mM J oksonpyille Ske \i not know what had happened in the past two days. The content is on ! Read thetest chapter there! Thendy showed her the phone. "Here, take a look." Grace read the words on it and suddenly widened her eyes. Flight CU8570 from Seefer City to South City on the 2athcwasntethe ng she bodght the ticket for? The content is on ! Read thetest chapter there! Thendy looked at Grace''s shocked expressio es wavedin¨¦r d before Gree ace. "What''s ong, youngdy?" The content is on ! Read thetest chapter there! Grace came back to her senses. "N... nothing.¡± Grace quickly signed the contract and pressed her thumbprint. Thendlord handed her the key. Chapter 212 Grace found a restaurant to eat. There was a television on the wall of the restaurant. It was broadcasting the news. Grace watched the television, and Brian''s face involuntarily appeared in her mind. Brian had been looking for her. He must have heard about the ne crash and thought she was dead.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. How did he react when he heard the news? Was he sad, regretful, or unmoved? Brian had put in so much effort to want to kill the child in her belly. He probably did not have any extra feelings for her, did he? She supposed he was unmoved. The waiter brought the set meal over. Grace took a deep breath and picked up the spoon to eat. After the meal, Grace went to look for a decorationpany to renovate her shop. She had rented a short-term rental house and nned to stay in the shop after the shop officially opened. She could save a lot of money. At night. Gracey on the bed and browsed her phone''s address book. She called Carson. "Hello?" "Carson, it''s me." "Grace? Is that really you? Where are you?" asked Carson in surprise. "I''m in Jacksonville.¡± "Is it you? We thought you were on that ne! Why didn''t youe back? | was worried sick! | can''t believe the truth these days! Is it you?" Grace smiled helplessly and said, "It''s me. Otherwise, do you think it''s a coincidence?" Carson heaved a sigh of relief. "It''s good that you''re fine. By the way, Brian has been here." Grace raised her voice slightly. "Did hee to look for me?" "Yes. It was the day after the ne crash. Early that morning, he was drunk and came to our house to cause trouble. We only found out from him that you were pregnant." Grace was silent for a moment. "Did he say anything?" "He said... He didn''t say anything.¡± Grace smiled. Although Carson did not say anything, she could guess easily that Brian must be mocking her. Brian even thought her death had solved a big problem, did he? He could be with Louise without any worries from now on. Grace''s heart ached when she thought of it. "Let''s not talk about him anymore. I''m fine in Jacksonville. Don''t worry about me. By the way, don''t tell Mom and Dad about my whereabouts." "Okay." After hanging up, Grace called Justin. The phone rang for a long time before it was picked up. The voice on the other end was scarily hoarse. "Hello?" Grace felt a little guilty and could not make a sound when she heard Justin''s voice. Justin sensed something and raised his voice. "Grace?" "Justin." "Where are you? Grace, am | dreaming?" "I''m sorry. | left without saying goodbye. I''m so Oe that ti ¡é tagaver yt acks. |''m fine now.¡± The content is on ! Read thetest chapter there! Justin''s voice was choked up as he said, "Alright. | won''t bother you as long as s you''re fine QOM''t C om . \J e | 0" deliberdtelPavoid me, okay?" The content is on ! Read thetest chapter there! There was a hint of pleading in his voice, making Grace feel even more guilty. "| went to see Brian today," Justin said suddenly. Grace''s fingers tightened silently. "He thought | was dead, didn''t he? How did he react?" Justin paused before saying, "Brian was calm. He even-qu¨¦stiandd ine if the ebiltNir ur belly was mine." The content is on ! Read thetest chapter there! Grace''s heart suddenly ached. She knew the answer in her heart. However, she did not give up and wanted to ask again. How she wished she could hear someone say that Brian was sad. No. His heart wasn''t with her. How could he be sad? Chapter 213 ?Grace came to Jacksonville by taxi. She did not leave any of her identity information throughout the journey. Therefore, it would be difficult for Brian to find Grace even if he could confirm she was not dead. Brian had made numerous trips to Seefer City. He even searched for the surrounding cities centered around Seefer City but still had no news of Grace. He did not know why he was so obsessed with finding her. Perhaps it was because of the child she was carrying. He wanted to find out who the child belonged to. In the office. After reporting the day''s itinerary to Brian, Camren said, "Mr. Francis, we''re going to Jacksonville next Tuesday to participate in the bidding for the sewage treatment nt project in the Petanic." "Got it." Brian rubbed the corners of his eyes tiredly. ***** The phone rang. Grace, busy outside the shop, walked through the flowers to the cashier to answer the phone. "Hello, I need to customize the bouquets for a venue. The address is on the third floor of the municipal square in Petanic." "Okay. I''lle over and take a look at the venue immediately." Grace hung up the phone and said to the girl spraying water on the flowers and nts outside, "Tina, I''ll go to the municipal square. You watch the shop, please. Tina looked at Grace with the kettle in her hands. "Why did you run so far with such a big belly? I''ll go with you." Then she put down the kettle and moved all the potted nts outside into the shop. Graceughed. "I can do it alone." Tina did not allow anyone to interfere. "No, there''s no room for negotiation. We can earn less money, but your safety is all that matters!" Tina quickly tidied up the shop and locked the door. Tina went to the parking lot and drove the car out. They two got into the car together. Although Grace''s belly was getting big, she was not bulky. She walked with a lightness that didn''t make her look pregnant. That''s why Tina alwaysughed at her for not being like a pregnant woman. It was nearly an hour''s drive from their shop to Petanic, the closest district to Capern City on the border between Capern City and Jacksonville. Grace arrived at the destination. Tina parked the car and went forward to hold her hand as they went up to the third floor. Tables and chairs were being arranged in the hall? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. The staff in charge of nning came to talk to her. After exining the general requirements, Grace inspected the venue. Back in the shop. Grace and Tina began to prepare the flowers for the venue in three days. Grace only hired Tina as an employee. Whenever there was a festival or a wedding, they often were busy until one or two o''clock in the morning. They would wake up early to send flowers the following morning. The flowers for the venue this time were not too much. Grace and Tina worked until almost midnight. Tina washed her hands and told Grace, "Miss Grace, I''m going home. Be careful when you go upstairster." "Okay. Driving careful." Grace closed the shop, took a shower downstairs, and went to the second floor to sleep. Grace and Tina take the flowers over to decorate the venue early the following moming. The flowers in Grace''s hands seemed to add a hint of brightness to her smooth skin. She was indescribably beautiful. Tina jumped before her and said with a cheeky smile, "Miss Grace, you look great with flowers. You would look amazing in a wedding dress with a bouquet!" Grace thought of something, and her expression froze slightly. Tina sensed Grace''s change and knew that she had said something wrong. Tina spat. "Miss Grace, you look great in anything!" Grace smiled. "You''re the one who talks nonsense." Grace and Tina drove back to the shop. Grace received a call just as they were about to rest for a while. Chapter 214 "Hello? I''m sorry. May | ask you toe over and change the flowers immediately? | heard there''s a leader here who''s allergic to lilies. The bidding will start in an hour. Pleasee over and change." "Okay. | got it." After hanging up the phone, Grace immediately instructed Tina to prepare some irises and carnations. Grace got along well with her neighboring shop owners. She told the boss of the fast food restaurant next door, "Conor, please help me watch my shop for a while. I''ll be right back after delivering." Conor smiled and waved at her. "Fine. Go ahead!" "Thank you." Grace and Tina hustled and arrived at the venue forty-five minutester. The nner said apologetically to them, "I''m sorry, | just heard that someone is allergic to lilies." "It doesn''t matter. We only need ten minutes to rece the lilies." Grace was easy to talk to, but Tina had a bad temper. She pursed her lips. "Why didn''t you find out early if someone is allergic to pollen? She''s a pregnant woman with such a big belly. If anything happens..." Grace stopped Tina just in time and whispered, "Peace makes money, okay?" Tina shut her mouth and carried a pile of irises to the stage to arrange flowers. An Aston Martin was parked in the outdoor parking lot downstairs. The car door opened, and a long, slender leg stepped out. Camren followed Brian as they walked toward the building. Brian threw his cigarette butt into the cigarette extinguisher beside him when he reached the steps. He looked up and suddenly saw a familiar side profile sh past. Brian jerked around and saw a woman in a red coat getting into a Volkswagen. The car sped away. Brian chased after the car without thinking. Camren hurriedly followed. "Mr. Francis, what''s wrong?" The Volkswagen had left the parking lot and was driving onto the main road. Brian strode in the direction of his car. "We''re not participating in the bidding anymore. Go back." Camren was in a daze. A momentter, he saw Brian speeding away in his car. Brian drove fast, searching for the Volkswagen in the traffic. When he finally saw the car, it had driven into the city and was jammed. Brian was so anxious that he kept honking from behind. Grace sat in the passenger seat with her elbows on the window, and hef fingers were on her temple as she looked out the window. S When they drove past a mall, Grace looked the into the mall. | want to ve shopping." "Okay." Tina turned the steering wheel and drove the car into the underground parking garage of the mall. Brian looked ahead. The Volkswagen had disappeared in the blink of an eye. He was burning with anxiety. He could no longer see the car when he drove out of the congested road. Brian pulled over by the road. After over thinking for a while, he suddenly recalled that one of the girls was holding a pile of lilies in her hands. It seemed that ther we@wards suigh ag wbis@rinted on the The content is on ! Read thetest chapter there! on Volkswagen. Brian took out his phone and called Camren. In the mall. Grace went straight to the baby shop.N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. The shop assistant asked her gently, "You should be givi pisthsgortl\ en Did youvehee if it''s a boy ora girl?¡¯ The content is on ! Read thetest chapter there! "No." Grace shook her head. "Let''s take a look at this one. The tender yellow seri se@good tor both: pays @hu girls.¡± The content is on ! Read thetest chapter there! Grace bought many baby products, and Tina helped her carry them to the garage. Chapter 215 Tina put the things away and got into the car. She looked at Grace and said, "Grace, are you going to give birth and take care of the baby alone?" Grace couldn''t wait to open the baby clothes. Her eyes were filled with gentleness as she looked at those small clothes. "That''s right." Tina did not say anything else when she saw Grace''s eyes were filled with anticipation for the child. However, she was already afraid of marriage. The car pulled up at the side of the road. Grace got off with her things and headed for the store. From afar, she saw a figure inside the shop. She walked into the shop and said, "Wee. Sir, are you buying flowers for your girlfriend?" The man slowly turned around and stared at her coldly. Grace''s smile froze. Her hands went limp, and the things in her hands fell to the ground. Instinctively, she turned and ran.N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. However, Brian was faster than Grace. He took a step forward and grabbed her wrist at the door. Brian gritted his teeth and looked at her. "You''re trying to escape again!" Grace met his gaze coldly. "What are you doing? There are so many people here. Are you trying to snatch someone on the streets?¡± "So what if | am?" Brian stared at her. He did not even know why he said so was because he had subconsciously ssified Grace as his possession. Grace''s heart turned cold. She hated the man before her when she thought of what she had suffered in the past. Tina had parked the car and came over at that moment. When she saw the scene, she hurriedly rushed up. "Grace! Who are you? You let go of Grace!" Brian did not even look at Tina. He turned a deaf ear to the voices around him and only stared at Grace. "Leave with me!" Suddenly, Tina shouted, "Help! Help!" e The shop owners next door ran out one after another. Seeing Grace was restrained by Brian, Conor was the first to rush over. "What do you want? Let go of her!" S "I''m her husband!" Brian blurted out. Grace suddenly sneered. "Have you lost your memory? Have you forgotten we were divorced long ago? Do you want me to get the divorce certificate to show everyone?" Thedy from the fruit shop next door looked at Brian in disdain. "How dare you harass her after the divorce! Are you shameless?" Brian''s face became gloomy. He grabbed Grace''s hand and refused Velvet to let it go. He subconsciously tightened his grip. "Tell them to mind their own business!" Grace frowned and hissed, "It hurts..." Upon seeing that, the crowd took another step forward. (Youdefhel''go! We''lhealtthe Nolice if you don''t!" The content is on ! Read thetest chapter there! Brian gritted his teeth and red at Grace. He slowly let go of her wrist. When the crowd saw Brian had finally released Grace, they cursed and walked away. Grace rubbed her painful wrist and said coldly, "Leave. | don''t want to see you." "Why should | leave? Can''t |e to buy flowers?" Grace picked up the things on the ground and looked up at him. "Alright. What do you want Sock teayel\ Rake attr u''re done." Brian alked into the shop and looked around. He pointed at all the wrapped bouquets and said, "! want this, this, and that." The content is on ! Read thetest chapter there! Grace said to Tina, "Tina, give him the flowers. It''s a total of 640 dors." Brian walked to the cashier and swiped his card. Tina handed the bouquets to him. Brian took it and looked at Grac "There are so manyyidwers: (Can''t nove thenvalone. Help me deliver them." Grace said expressionlessly, "Tina, call a taxi for the gentleman." The content is on ! Read thetest chapter there! Chapter 216 "| want you to deliver them!" Brian stared at Grace relentlessly. Grace mmed her palm on the cashier counter. "Brian Francis, are you done?" Brian stared at her face hard. "You have to give me an exnation." He raised his hand and nced at his wristwatch. "Let''s have dinner and talk." Grace took a deep breath. She knew Brian would stay here all day if she did not go out with him. "Okay, let''s go." Tina looked at her worriedly. "Miss Grace, are you going out with him?" Graceforted her. "I''m fine. Please take care of the shop." "Alright." Tina pursed her lips and red at Brian. A man that even a nice person like Grace hated couldn''t be a nice man! Grace walked out, and Brian grabbed her hand. Her hand was still warm and dry. Her gaze fell on their intertwined hands, and her heart skipped a few beats. Brian pulled Grace to his car and opened the passenger door for her. Grace stooped into the car and sat down, holding her belly. Brian''s gazended on her belly, and his vision darkened. Brian walked around the front of the car and got in. Grace grabbed the handrail as soon as she got into the car. She knew Brian had a habit of mming on the elerators to start the car when he was in a bad mood. However, he did not this time. Instead, he started the car steadily. Even when he stepped on the brake at the red light on the road, he was so light that she could hardly feel it. Brian drove aimlessly on the street. He stopped the car when he saw a more expensive restaurant. Grace opened the car door and walked in front. Brian hurried after her before he had parked his car well.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Grace sat in a booth by the window. The waiter brought the menu. She swiftly ordered a few dishes and pushed the menu to him sitting opposite her. "Do you have anything to order?" "One serving of shrimp ravioli." Grace drank water and looked out of the window. She never once looked at Brian as if he, opposite her, were air. However, Brian''s gaze was fixed on her. Grace''s skin seemed to be tanner than before. There was a slight growth of flesh on both sides of her cheeks, which was not noticeable. However, Brian, who had not seen her for a long time, could still tell. Her ck hair was casually draped over her shoulders. Under her red coat was a knitted long dress. Her tanned skin and long ck hair were in sharp contrast to her red coat, bright and imposing. The dishes were served soon. Grace did not want to talk to Brian, so she picked up the fork and ate. Pregnant women are always hungry and eat a lot in the idyrigestet. ce aid aonoste bout her image atall and ate heartily. The content is on ! Read thetest chapter there! Upon seeing Grace eating so happily, Brian could not bear to bother her. While he was lost in his thoughts, Grace was already full. She put dawn her fork wiped het hadith With a tigstie, antddrank water. "I''m full." Brian came to his senses and lowered his head to eat the ravioli. The content is on ! Read thetest chapter there! ¡°I''m going to the washroom." Brian nodded slightly. Grace got up and went to the washroom. Grace walked around the corner, grabbed a waiter, and asked, "Where''s the back door?" The waitress gave her a puzzled look. "Ma''am, you mean?" Grace secretly pointed at Brian, who was sitting by the window. he acl whispered He''ed Bye id dealer. He wants ¡®to get me involved ina pyramid scheme. Please help me." The content is on ! Read thetest chapter there! The waitress was skeptical. He pointed toward the kitchen and said, "There''s a back door to the kitchen. Let me take you there." Chapter 217 "Thank you! Thank you!" Grace was grateful. Grace came out from the back door of the kitchen. She hailed a taxi and left quickly. Brian suddenly paused after he ate a few ravioli. When he realized something was wrong, he put down his fork and strode toward the washroom. The waiter had been paying attention to Brian since Grace left. He hurriedly blocked Brian''s way when he saw Brian go to thedies'' room. "Sir, it is thedies'' room. Is this a good idea?" Brian pushed the waiter away. "Get out of the way!" The waiter stubbornly went forward to stop him again. "Sir, you look so well- dressed. It''s not good to work in a pyramid scheme. She''s still pregnant. Don''t ruin her!" Brian frowned. "What pyramid scheme? How did I ruin her? Watch yournguage!" The waiter thought he had hit the nail on the head. "How dare you say that you''re not in a pyramid scheme? If you''re not, why did you have to run into the washroom to catch her? If you''re friends, call her in front of me. If you''re not, we''ll call the police!" Brian was so angry that he was speechless. What kind of people were in Jacksonville? All of them were threatening him to call the police and arrest him! He didn''t even have her number. How could he call her? "I repeat. I''m going to go inside and find someone!" said Brian, staring at the waiter gloomily. The waiter was shocked by his gaze. "You, you... Wait a moment. I''ll get someone to go in and see if there''s anyone else inside." Then, the waiter called a cleaningdy into thedies'' room. He went inside and searched the cubicles when no one else was inside. There was no one in the washroom. The washroom had no windows, so Grace hadn''t used the bathroom to go away. Brian suddenly looked at the waiter coldly. "She told you that I was a pyramid dealer and asked you to help her escape?" The waiter was a little intimidated by his gaze. "Ye... yes." Brian was so angry that his chest heaved up and down. Grace Sherman! You even learned to spread rumors everywhere!'' thought Brian. Brian without eating any more raviolet drove back to Grace''s flowers full speed. e at Although Brian knew she wouldn''t be in the flower shop, he could only go to her shop and wait for her. Grace is the password for your Time, what is the at that mortem. I have to stay at your ce for a while." SWO Tina gave Grace the password and asked with concern, "Miss Grace, are you alright? Has that man left?" "I''m fine. He''lle to the shopter. Just ignore him." Tina could not hold back her curiosity. "Miss Grace, who is he?" Grace was silent for a second before saying, "He''s the one who doesn''t want my child to be born." Tina''s mouth was wide open in shock. Vel s. Move le is evil! If he dares toe to the shop, I''ll give h aN?velDrama.Org holds ? this. of my mind!" Content Belongs Graceughed out loud. "Tina, you leave him alone. He''s not someone to be trifled with." "I''m not afraid of him! Don''t tell me he dares to attack me?" Grace was afraid Tina would act on impulse, so she repeatedly reminded Tina over the phone before hanging En up. Pregnant women sleep a lot. Grace was busy untiltest night, so she oply wanted to sleep now. Brian soon arrived at the shop. As expected, he only saw Tina. Brian stepped into the shop and asked coldly, "Where is Grace?" Chapter 218 Tina nced at Brian. Then, she went about her business and chose to ignore him. Brian frowned, feeling frustrated. He took his wallet out of his bag and gave her a check. "Fill in any numbers you want, and then tell me where Grace is!"N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. Tina nced at the check in his hand, and her anger rose. "Don''t look down on me! Do you think I would betray Miss Grace for money?" Brian was furious and red at Tina fiercely. "What? Why are you ring at me? I''m already being polite by not chasing you out!" said Tina. Brian held his breath and took the check back. He sized up the shop and realized a partition was upstairs, so he walked upstairs. Tina''s eyes widened. "What are you doing? Come down!" Brian turned a deaf ear and went straight up. The upper floor was about 215 sq. ft. There was a bed, aputer table, and a closet. Although the room was small, it was decorated warmly by Grace. There was arge box at the end of the bed. There were many maternity supplies and baby supplies inside. Brian walked over and took out a pair of small furry shoes. Brian could not help but smile. He put the shoes back into the box and sat on the bed. He caught a glimpse of a notebook by the bed. He picked it up and flipped it open. The notebook was Grace''s ount book with her beautiful handwriting. Brian flipped to thest page and suddenly realized it was filled with names. They should be the names she names her child. There were boy''s and girl''s names, but every surname was Sherman. Brian gripped the edge of the notebook tightly. The surname made him even more confused about who the child belonged to. He closed the notebook and opened the drawer of the bedside table. In the drawer were her wallet, bank card, and passport. They were al inside. He smiled. Her valuables were all here. She woulde back for sure. Briany on the bed. The entire room was filled with the long-lost fragrance. He closed his eyes. The familiar feeling seemed to rx his mind. He closed his eyes and fell asleep peacefully. Tina came upstairs to call him at night. "Hey! Get down! The shop is closing!" Brian nced at Tina indifferently. "If you don''t leave, I''ll get someone to get you!" Tina threatened. Taking a deep breath, Brian opened the drawer and put all the valuables into his pocket before Tina. Tina''s face darkened with anger at Brian''s behavior. She said to his back, "You are a shameless man!" Brian stayed in a hotel opposite the flower shop. He chose a room that could see it. Early the following morning, he saw e door at the m someone open the door window and immediately went downstairs. Unfortunately, Tina was still the only one in the shop today. Brian was not in a hurry and waited patiently in the shop. He waited for three whole days. Grace also stayed at Tina''s house for three days. In the end, she couldn''t take it anymore. She didn''t bring Shoich''t bring with her and couldn''t run anything away. She could only ept her fate and go back to the flower shop. This time, she would make things clear to him and draw a line with him. "Brian, let''s talk." Brian looked at her and smiled slightly. He said sarcastically, "You promised me to talkst time, but you ran away without a trace. How can I trust you this time?" Grace said, "Let''s talk upstairs." Chapter 219 Grace led the way upstairs, followed by Brian. She sat on a chair while Brian deftly sat down on her bed as if he were at his own house. Upon seeing his movement, Grace opened her mouth and tried to say something but held back. "I heard you told others I''m a pyramid dealer?" Brian stared at her dangerously. Grace choked. She pursed her lips and said, "You''re not a pyramid dealer, but you''re worse!" Brian raised his eyebrows as he said, "Are you afraid of me?" Grace paused. She suddenly realized she didn''t have to waste her breath on him. She opened her palm and said, "Give me my passport and bank card." Brian raised his eyebrows. "Don''t even think about it!" Grace was furious. She took a deep breath and said calmly, "Brian, we''re divorced. Aren''t you pestering me because you want to know whose child I''m carrying? Fine. I''ll tell you right now. It''s not yours." Grace looked at Brian coldly. Brian''s gaze became colder and colder with her words. His jawline was tense. "It''s all up to your words? I want it in writing!" Grace was a little agitated. "Don''t tell me you want to take me for an amniocentesis again?" Brian stared at her intense ck eyes and pursed his lips. Grace calmed down and looked at him. "Brian, let me ask you. What will you do if the child is yours? Brian was suddenly speechless. He had been obsessed with finding her for so long but had never thought about what he would do if the child in her belly were his. Seeing Brian was speechless, Grace smiled sarcastically. "The question is difficult to answer, right? Because you don''t know what Louise will do if you have a child." Brian''s eyes darkened as he said coldly, "If the child is mine, of course, he has to take my surname. I''ll bring him back to the Francis family." Grace''s eyes trembled. "Aren''t you afraid of hurting Louise? "I believe Louise will understand me. She''s not such a petty person," Brian said. Grace suddenlyughed. "So, what you''re saying is that if the child is yours, you''ll take my child away and marry Louise. You tore us apart! Brian Francis, how could you be so cruel?" Brian narrowed his eyes and suddenly grabbed Grace''s arm. "So you mean the child is mine, don''t you?" Grace looked at him coldly. "You haven''t touched me since myst period. How can the child be yours? "Brian, I''m so d I''m not pregnantN?velDrama.Org ? 2024. with your child. A person like you s not qualified to be a a have a child with Loer Goand En Givemy passport back! Get out of here now!" Brian frowned ''No way!'' He would not let her go. He wanted to wait for her to give birth to the child and do an paternity test. "I can return it to you, but you must return to Capern City with me. Since you''re so determined that the child isn''t mine, why are you afraid of separating from the child?" Grace was so angry that her fingers were trembling. "You''re nobody to me! Who are you to tell me where to gp?" She could not get along with this man at all. Brian pulled her wrist and said firmly, "Come back to Capern City with me." Grace subconsciously struggled. "No! Let go of me!" Chapter 220 Grace''s movements were so intense. Seeing her crazy look, Brian was afraid that he would hurt the child in her belly, so he helplessly let go of her. "You can rest here since you don''t want to go back. I''ll stay here and watch over you until the child is born!" Grace suddenly looked up at him. "Are you out of your mind?" Brian stared at her for a long time and suddenly felt what she said was reasonable. He also felt that he was abnormal. Brian went downstairs and guarded Grace''s shop. He confidently sat in front of the cashier. Tina rolled her eyes at his arrogant and unruly appearance. She snorted. "What''s wrong with you? Get up! This is our cashier!" Brian nced at her. "I''m going to stay here for a long time. I will help out from today, so I can sit wherever I want in this store." Tina had never seen such an unreasonable person. No wonder Grace hated him so much. Several customers came to the shop one after another. When Grace heard the noise downstairs, she carefully went downstairs to help.Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. A customer ordered a bouquet of roses. The store had run out of the packed roses, so Grace had to pack a new bouquet. Grace sat on a small stool. Wearing gloves, she picked up a flower branch and skillfully removed the thorns. Tina was receiving another customer. Brian stood behind Grace and looked at her. Her belly was big. Every time she reached for the flowers, she looked a little tired. "Let me do it," said Brian, frowning slightly. Grace looked at him with disdain. "You? What can you do?" Brian frowned. "It''s such a simple thing. I can do it with just one nce." Grace sneered and ignored him. Brian felt that she was insulting him. He could only watch her work dryly. "Hiss..." Grace''s exposed wrist was identally scratched. She quickly took a piece of tissue to wipe it before getting ready to continue working. FindNovel won? Brian frowned. He squatted and grabbed her wrist. Her wrist was pale. Bright red blood seeped out, making it even more dazzling. Grace pulled her hand away but did not pull it away. Suddenly, she felt wet and warm on her wrist. Grace''s eyes widened in surprise. Brian was actually sucking on the wound on her wrist. Her face heated up instantly, and she jerked her hand out as if startled. "You''re injured," said Brian, frowning. Grace panicked. "Get out of my way! I''m working!" The customer who bought roses returned from the outside and asked, "Why haven''t they been wrapped yet? I''m in a rush. Please hurry up." Grace immediately said, "Alright. I''m sorry. It''ll be done soon." Brian suddenly stood up and stared at the customer. "Can''t "Can''t you see that she''s injured? Why are you rushing her?" The customer was stunned. He sized Brian up and said, "Who are you?" Upon seeing that, Grace hurriedly stood up and exined. "I''m sorry sir. boothe He''s not from our shop. Brian watched in disbelief as Grace pointed at her head when she spoke. Did she say that there was something wrong with his brain? Brian was helping her, but she actually said he''s crazy? The heartless woman! Brian gritted his teeth and took a few deep breaths. He told himself not to argue with a pregnant woman. Chapter 221 Upon seeing the situation there, Tina rushed over to help after she finished what she was doing. "Miss Grace, you''re injured. Let me do it." "Okay." Grace got up from the stool and took a Band-Aid from the drawer to put on her wound. Then the customer began to urge again, "Are you done yet? The traffic police are here! My car is parked outside, and I''ll get a ticket!" "I''m sorry..." Grace was about to apologize when she was interrupted suddenly by a cold voice. "If you''re in a hurry, buy something ready-made," said Brian. "It''s not like there aren''t any wrapped roses here. This bouquet of red roses is so beautiful. Why don''t you buy it?" Brian scoffed. The customer pointed at Brian in disbelief. "Why do you care what flowers I buy?" Brian sneered and sized him up. "That''s true. I''m afraid you won''t be able to give away the bouquet of 999 flowers." "You goddamn..." The customer was furious. Grace was angry. "Brian, shut up!" Just as she was about tofort the customer, the customer suddenly waved his hand and said, "I''m not buying the flowers anymore!" Grace chased after him. "Sir! Sir! Your flowers have been wrapped for you!" The customer left without looking back. Grace was so furious that she turned around and red at Brian. "Get out immediately!" said Grace, pointing at the door. Brian raised his eyebrows. "Don''t you feel you''re earning less money for a bouquet? I''ll give it to you!" Then, he walked to the cashier, took out his wallet, and pulled several bills. Grace was so angry that she would tear Brian''s face if she stayed at the shop longer. "Get your ass upstairs." Brian was afraid that Grace would take the opportunity to escape, so he stood still.N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. Grace gritted her teeth in anger. In the end, Brian could only walk upstairs fiercely. Tina watched the two of them and suddenly felt likeughing. Tina looked at Brian and said, "You''re something. You''re the only one who can piss Miss Grace off like that." Brian did not feel that he had angered Grace. He frowned. "Isn''t doing business just to make money? The man who was going to buy flowers just now has left, but I have also paid for this business. After wrapping this bouquet, you can still sell it. What have you got to lose?" Tina nodded. It seemed to make sense. Grace returned upstairs. She was so angry that she tossed and turned on the bed. She was angry no matter how she thought about it. Suddenly, she rolled her eyes and clicked on the dial keypad. She dialed 911. Downstairs, Tina was busy greeting the customers. Brian was sitting at the cash register and making a call. Just then, two police officers walked in. A male police officer took out his ID and said to Tina, "Who is Brian Francis?" Tina opened her mouth in shock and nced at Brian. "It''s him." "We received a report that you stole someone''s passport and bank card. Is that true?" the police officer asked. Brian stood up gloomyly. He looked upstairs. Grace happened to bear the police downstairs and was slowly ETing downstairs. Brian stared at her face. "Grace! You have some guts!" Grace raised her eyebrows slightly and looked at the police officer. M "Officer was the one who reported the case. Not only did this I.n gentleman break into my shop, but he also stole my bank card and passport." The police officer''s face was cold as he said in a businesslike manner "Are e. you going to hand them over You yourself, or do we search yoker look like a decent man bo thief." Chapter 222 Brian snorted and red at Grace. "I''m indeed not a thief. I''m her ex-husband. The child in her belly might be mine, so I want to take her back. However, she''s stubborn and refuses toe with me. That''s why I took her bank card and passport." The police officer frowned slightly and said coldly, "Since you''re her ex-husband, regardless of whether she''s pregnant with your child or not, it has nothing to do with you. It''s wrong of you to take her bank card. Hand it over quickly!" Brian gritted his teeth and took out Grace''s passport and bank card. "Miss Sherman, take a look and see if they''re yours. Is there anything missing?" Grace took them and had a look. She looked up and smiled at the two police officers. "That''s right. Thank you, officers." "You. Come with us," the police officer said.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Brian frowned. "I''ve returned them to her!" Grace was afraid the police would not take Brian away, so she hurriedly said, "Officer, you must take him away! He has been causing trouble in my shop these past few days, making it impossible for me to do business! You must deal with the matter seriously!" The policeman nodded. "We will." Brian knew he was alone in Jacksonville. No matter how hard he tried, he could not dissuade the police officers there, so he could only follow them to the police station. Grace stood at the door and watched Brian walk toward the police car by the street. Brian suddenly stopped when he reached the car door. He turned around and stared at Grace without blinking. The distance between them was a little far, so Grace could not see the look in his eyes. But for some reason, she could feel the sharpness in Brian''s eyes as if he were silently telling her he would find her no matter where she ran. Grace pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes. "What are you looking at? Get in the car!" The police officer urged Brian. Brian took a while to retract his gaze. He knew Grace would be gone when he left the police station. He got into the police car at the urging of the police officers and O disappeared from her sight. Tina suddenly walked out of the shop and looked at Grace. "Miss Grace, you love him, don''t you?" Grace suddenly felt an itch on her cheek. She raised her hand to touch it and realized she was crying. Grace lowered her eyes and smiled, hiding th panic in her eyes. "It''s the past, the past does not matter. ore." Tina did not know what to say. In her opinion, Brian''s every move seemed to have feelings for Grace. One couldn''t pretend to be nervous when the person who the one liked was injured. However, when a woman escaped to an unfamiliar city alone, she must have suffered an unforgettable injury. "Tina, bring the things in and close the door. We will go to the National Tax Bureau, Grace said. Tina frowned in confusion. "Huh? Go to the National Tax Bureau?" "Yes. I''ll transfer the shop to you. I''m leaving." Grace nodded. Tina widened her eyes in surprise. "Miss Grace! Where are you going alone? You''re pregnant, and you''ll give birth soon. It''s so dangerous for you to run around now!" S Grace smiled and patted her head. "Don''t worry. I won''t go far." Tina looked at her deeply and said, "Alright." Brian called Camren after he entered the detention center. Camren was stunned for a long time when he heard Brian was detained. Chapter 223 Camren drove to Jacksonville. The two cities were not far from each other, so it only took more than two hours to drive. Brian was quickly bailed out. Camren followed Brian out of the police station. Camren could not help but cover his mouth with his fist. Brian was frustrated. He suddenly turned around and saw Camren holding back hisughter. When Camren saw Brian turn around and look at him, he instantly stoppedughing. Brian frowned. "Camren, are you happy?" Camren lowered his head. "No... no. Mr. Francis, I''m just happy you finally found Miss Sherman." The corners of Brian''s mouth twitched. "Put away your lousy acting skills!" Camren pursed his lips tightly to stopughing. "Mr. Francis, where are we going now?" Brian took out his phone, entered an address, and sent it to Camren. Grace was indeed gone when Brian returned to the shop again. Tina was the only person in the shop. Brian went straight upstairs. The bed was still there, but the baby supplies and the clothes in the closet were all gone. Although Brian already knew that would be the result, he suddenly felt someone had taken something out of his heart when he saw the empty room. The feeling was the same as when he learned of Grace''s death four months ago. It was so dull that it was difficult for him to breathe. Brian walked downstairs mechanically. Tina was waiting for him downstairs. She carefully observed his look as if... It was not appropriate to describe him as a lost soul. In short, his expression was unfathomable. "Where is Grace?" asked Brian, looking at Tina. Tina pursed her lips and did not speak for a long time. Brian colder as he asked, "Whet and repeated himself. His was she?" Tina looked at him and did not answer him. Instead, she asked, "Do you like Miss Grace?" Brian seemed to be stunned by her question. His eyes trembled. It was as if that was a strange question. Yeah. No one had ever asked Brian that question, and he certainly hadn''t thought about it himself. To Tina''s surprise, Brian was stunned and suddenly said decisively, "No." Tina frowned and said coldly, "Since you don''t like her, why are you still looking for her? I won''t tell you where she is!" Brian deep breath and Conched his fists. "We used to bel couple. Don''t worry. Altheast like her, I''ve never wanted t her." Tina sneered at him. "How dare you say that! Everything is what you think! you think you didn''t hurt her? You''re hurting her by appearing here and forcefully taking her away! "You want me to tell you Miss Grace''s whereabouts? Sure, Can you remarry her? Brian''s frown deepened. "No way."? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. He still had Louise. It''s just that the origins of the baby she was carrying were still unclear, so he had to keep En. an eye on Grace. He liked Louise. He always had. Louise had saved him when he was young. If it were not re not for herche would e have died in the mountains. Therefore, Brian would not let Louise down. If it weren''t for Louise, he might have been able to make do with Grace. However, Brian and Grace couldn''t be together since he had someone he liked. Chapter 224 Tina was pissed out by Brian. "Why are you so stubborn? You don''t even like such a good woman like Miss Grace. You are blind!" Tina immediately picked up the broom and chased Brian away. "Get out! We do not wee you!" Brian pursed his lips and walked out of the flower shop. Camren asked, "Mr. Francis, are you looking for Miss Sherman?" "What do you think?" Brian said coldly. Brian returned to the hotel and took out his phone to call his contacts in Jacksonville. Jacksonville and Capern City were close, and the two cities had close economic ties, so Brian had worked with many people in Jacksonville. Brian finally found Grace''s whereabouts after two days. Grace was in a residential area next to a maternity hospital. She probably wanted to give birth in Jacksonville. Brian frowned slightly at the thought of that. Grace was only three months pregnant at thest time she was in the hospital. It had only been seven months, and there were still two to three months before the delivery. She could go further to hide from him. Why had she chosen to stay in Jacksonville and live around the hospital? Brian drove to the residentialpound where Grace lived. He went straight upstairs and walked to her door. He knocked on the door. After a while, Grace came to open the door. Grace saw Brian outside as soon as she opened the door. Brian quickly moved to enter the room, but Grace reacted faster than him and mmed the door shut. She even locked the door. Grace leaned against the door and patted her chest in fear. Brian knocked on the door in exasperation. "Grace! Come out!" Grace walked to the desk and put on her headphones to block out the sounds outside. There was no reaction from inside. Brian clenched his fists and slowly lowered his arms. He lit a cigarette and stood outside in the corridor, smoking. Camren, who had parked his car, also came up. When he saw Brian standing alone outside the door, he asked curiously, "Mr. Francis, isn''t Miss Sherman at home?" Brian took a puff of his cigarette and nced at Camren coldly. Camren understood and shut up. "Get lost." Brian stood alone in the corridor. Grace did note out even when it was dark. His feet were already littered with cigarette butts. A delivery man delivered the food around 7:30 p.m.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Brian looked at him and had an idea. He asked, "Is it the takeout ordered by Ms. Sherman? The delivery man looked at Brian and said, "Yes." Brian threw away his cigarette and said, "Give it to me. I''m with her." "Okay." Seeing Brian could say his customer''s surname, the deliver et od to him. not overthink it and handed SW Brian carried the takeout to the door and knocked. "Who is it?" the person inside asked warily this time. Brian deliberately lowered his voice and said, "Delivery!" Grace opened the door but only carefully opened it a little. Ten''s He e reached out to take it. Brian reached in with the takeout and quickly stepped in. Grace''s heart skipped a beat as she hurriedly mmed the door shut. Brian''s leg pinched and hand were both pinched hard. It was so painful that he gritted his teeth a Grace heard his cry of pain and subconsciously opened the door!! "What''s wrong?" Brian''s wrist was red from being mped by the door. There were off, and blood was floret 3es where the skin His leg was mped to the bone of his ankle. It was numb from the pain. Chapter 225 The shocking wound made Grace gasp. Grace frowned and looked at him. Her cold tone was filled with reproach. "Are you out of your mind?" "I guess so." Brian stared at her face gloomily. Grace knew that she could not escape this time. Brian had swaggered into her room. Grace massaged her temples, closed the door, and turned back inside. She walked straight to the cab, took out the first aid kit, and threw it before Brian. "Do it yourself." Initially, Brian did not want to treat his wounds. However, when he saw her coldly throw the first aid kit before him, he rolled his eyes and looked at her solemnly. He raised his hand. "How can I bandage it with one hand? Don''t forget that you were the one who clipped it for me. Don''t you have to be responsible?" Grace did not even look at him. She carried the takeout to the table and said, "Whatever. I want to eat now." It was already past mealtime, and her stomach was rumbling with hunger. Brian sat aside and looked at her. The food Grace ordered was more nutritious because she was pregnant. The entire room was filled with a fragrant smell as soon as the box was opened. Brian stared at her without blinking. Her stomach rumbled, sounding clear in the quiet room. Brian frowned, and his expression darkened slightly. He didn''t want to eat, but his stomach gave him away. Grace turned her head to look at him. Brian retracted her gaze and lowered her head ufortably.N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. Grace quickly finished her food and walked to Brian''s side. She opened the first aid kit. Seeing Grace seemed to be preparing to treat his wounds, Brian cooperated and raised his leg, cing it on the coffee table. Grace''s expression was cold. Without a word, she took out iodophor and disinfected his wounds. Her movements were not gentle, even rough. She picked up his wrist and wiped it hard twice over his wound in a vindictive sort of way. Brian hissed in pain and asked through his gritted teeth, "Grace Sherman, do you want to murder your husband?" Grace mmed the iodophor bottle on the table. "Brian Francis! Have you lost your memory? We divorced a long time ago. How many times do you want me to remind you?" Brian pursed his lips and realized he had yet to engrave the fact they were already divorced into his bones. Brian lowered his eyes and did not say anything else. Grace bandaged Brian''s wrist. Then she threw the things aside and got up to go to her bedroom. Brian did not expect her to do so. He was stunned. Bang! The door closed, and Brian heard the sound of the door being locked. Brian looked at the closed door in disbelief. He suddenly stood up from the sofa and strode to her bedroom door. He knocked on the door. "Grace Sherman! You haven''t bandaged my ankle!" Grace''s frustrated voice came from inside. "I wrapped your hand because it''s difficult for you to handle it with one hand. Wrap your ankle yourself! It''s not like you don''t have hands!" Brian was at a loss for words by her retort. He raised his hand and wanted to punch the door hard. He raised his hand but was afraid of scaring her, so he slowly retracted it. Brian walked back to the sofa and sat down. He felt extremely ufortable. He nced at his watch. It was after eight in the evening. Bored, he turned on the TV with the remote control and watched fo while. However, he wasn''t interested En in anything on the TV. Chapter 226 Brian was starving. He had not eaten for an entire day. He stood up and walked to the kitchen. He opened the refrigerator and took a look. There was nothing inside except a handful of spaghetti and a few eggs. Brian took a pot to boil water. He was going to cook the spaghetti with eggs. He had never cooked before and imagined how to cook the spaghetti with eggs. Brian put the water in the pot and turned on the gas. Then, he took out two eggs and knocked them into the pot clumsily. Next, he threw half the spaghetti into the water and stirred it with a fork. Brian crushed up the eggs. Brian looked at the egg soup and frowned slightly. It looked a little different. There was no reaction from the pot, so he closed the lid again. After watching the pot for about five to six minutes, Brian saw the water in the pot suddenly boil. The white foam quickly expanded. The broth overflowed from the lid of the pot. Brian was startled and hurriedly took the pot lid off. His fingers touched something that made his fingertips tingle with heat. "ng!" The pot lid hit the ground hard and spun a few times before stopping. Grace, who was in her bedroom, heard themotion and hurriedly got out of bed. She opened the door and walked out. Brian stood in the kitchen and met her eyes. Grace nced at him, and then her gazended on the stove. She walked into the kitchen, frowning. Grace nced at the things in the pot and was mad. She turned off the gas quickly. "Are you trying to tear down my kitchen?" Brian lowered his eyes like a little child who had made a mistake. "I''m trying to cook spaghetti." Grace stared at him coldly and turned around to look at the potret overcooked spaghetti. She picked the pot up and poured the spaghetti into the sink. "You..." Brian wanted to stop Grace, but Grace red at him. Grace quickly washed the pot, took out two eggs, and knocked them into the bowl, quickly scattering them. Then, she put some butter into the pot. After heating it, sheid the eggs. Soon, the fragrance of the eggs wafted out. Brian stood at the side and watched silently. Grace quickly cooked a te of delicious spaghetti with eggs. A slight smile appeared on Brian''s face as he carried the spaghetti to the dining table and sat down. Grace looked at him, and her gazended on his ankle. He still hadn''t bandaged it, and his ankle had swelled up. Grace was suddenly mad. She walked over angrily and opened her suitcase. She took out adophor se f cotton swabs and gauze, walked to the dining table, and ced the things on the table with a bang. Brian was eating noodles when he was startled by her action. Grace red at him and then nced at his foot. Brian understood and immediately lifted his leg and ced it on the stool. Grace picked up a cotton swab and wiped it hard on his wound. Briam was in so much pain that he shrunk his foot slightly. However, he did not make a sound. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Just then, he suddenly felt a drop of warmth on his calf. He frowned fiercely. He saw tears falling from Grace''s eyes. Brian stopped moving and allowed her to bandage his wound roughly. Brian put down his fork and suddenly reached out to her. He lifted her chin slightly and slid his thumb across her cheek. "Why are you crying?" Grace''s eyes were filled with tears, but there was hatred in her eyes. She hated herself. What she hated was she could not bear to see Brian get hurt even though Brian had tried his best to abort the child in her belly. . Chapter 227 Grace turned her head and avoided his touch. "Finish your spaghetti, then leave," said Grace. Grace was tired of saying such things. She knew Brian would not let her off. Brian lowered his head and quickly finished the spaghetti on his te. However, he had no intention of leaving. Grace suddenly broke down. She cried at the table with her heart out. Brian''s heart twitched. He did not know what to do for a moment. He raised his big hand above her shoulder, but it didn¡¯t fall on her shoulder for a long while. When Grace was done crying, she looked up at him with her swollen, red eyes and punched him on the arm several times. ¡°Brian Francis, haven''t you hurt me enough? What do | owe you?" Brian frowned. "When did | hurt you?" Grace stared at him in disbelief. "What? You don''t want to admit it because | didn''t have anything on you? Ever since | escaped from Silrow City, you''ve been sending people to follow me, nting a tracker in my suitcase, drugging me, sneaking into my house to steal all my cash, and pretending to be a delivery man to knock me out! If Justin hadn''t rushed back in time, I''m afraid | would have died in Seefer City!" Brian''s frown deepened. "What are you talking about? | sent someone to follow you?"? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Grace looked at him and sneered. "Brian, stop pretending!" Brian was dumbfounded. Her mind was filled with questions. He looked at her solemnly. "Grace, | know I''m a cold and heartless man in your eyes, but I''m not that evil!" Grace could not listen to him at all. She stood up agitatedly. "You still want to quibble! My child is a stumbling block to you and Louise. Only you have a reason to harm my child!" Brian frowned at her. "Grace, listen to me. | never wanted to harm your child!" Grace covered her ears. "Stop talking! It''s you! You devil!" Brian grabbed her arm and said, "Grace Sherman! Listen to me! This is a serious matter. Tell me what the person who has been following you looks like?" Grace sneered. "Brian, aren''t you tired? What''s there to pretend in front of me? You can crush me like an ant." Brian stared at her with a deep gaze. "Yes! You''re right. If | wanted to kill you, it would be like crushing an ant. Why wouldn''t | bring you back if | knew where you were?" S ¡°Because you don''t want to get rid of the child in my belly secretly!" Grace yelled frantically. Brian pressed between his eyebrows. "Grace Sherman! Can you c \F) ae down? yourayes)a the kind of mart who would harm an unborn child?" The content is on ! Read thetest chapter there! His voice was louder than hers, and Grace gradually calmed down. Upon seeing Grace gradually calm down, Brian began to exin to her seriously "Ive beeph£¤oGRing for you sinca hs y you escaped from the hospital, but I''ve never been able to find you. The content is on ! Read thetest chapter there! "And again. All the time, | have been looking for you, nolio ast aor Your Cc ILiNyOe belly bat to find out ose the child is!" The content is on ! Read thetest chapter there! Grace said without thinking, "The child is not yours! How many times do you want me to say it?" Brian was silent for a while before saying, "Everything has to wait until the child is born and has a paternity test." Chapter 228 Grace felt like she had been sshed with ice water. "I wouldn''t give the child to you even if the child was yours! You separate my child from me! What''s the difference between that and killing the child?" Brian frowned fiercely. There was a hint of coldness in his voice as he said, "If the child is mine, the child should belong to me no matter how you look at it. You don''t stand a chance if you want to fight with me for the child''s custody!" Grace took a few steps back and stared at him as if she were looking at a terrifying beast. "You''re going to marry Louise. Why do you want to take the child? She will be my child''s stepmother! I definitely won''t let my child suffer any grievances!" Brian''s gaze was cold as he said, "With me around, what can the child suffer?" "Brian, if the child is yours, and you want the child, you''ll have to remarry me," Grace said. Brian''s eyes trembled as he stiffly said, "Impossible." Grace''s heart sank. She looked at him sympathetically. "Do you think you know your fianc¨¦e very well?" "What do you mean?" Brian frowned. Grace clenched her fists tightly. "She tried to harm me time and time again. She''s the one who sent the men who robbed me in Jacksonville!" Brian denied it almost immediately. "Impossible! Louise can''t be that kind of person!" Grace knew Brian would say such a thing. Since he trusted Louise so much, Grace felt she had nothing else to say. No matter what she said, in his opinion, Grace was framing the pure goddess in his heart. Grace smiled. "Some people in this world are so pitiful. They''re so young, but they''re blind." Brian stopped talking about Louise. He thought over and said to Grace, "Listen to me. The best choice is for the child to be with me. I can give him the best education and living environment. Your worries are unnecessary. I''ll take care of him myself. As for you, you carisit him anytime you want to see the child." Grace lowered her eyes and looked up at Brian weakly. "Brian, don''t n it so perfectly. The child is Justin''s." Brian''s eyes darkened. Grace saw his expression change and felt a sh of pleasure in her heart. She propped her forehead on her hand. "I''m tired. I want to rest." Then she turned around. Brian suddenly stopped Grace. "Wait, there''s still something I haven''t figured out. Did you see what the person who followed you looked like?" "I remember, but that person has no particr facial features." She suddenly turned around and looked at him coldly. "But I remember the person sent by Louise to harm me has a scar on his forehead. Brian pursed his lips, and his expression turned cold. Grace turned around and entered her room. Brian stood rooted to the ground, his eyes darkening. Even though he knew Grace would not lie, he did not believe Louise would harm anyone. There must be some misunderstanding here. Brian put away the te and fork and then went to the kitchen to do the om wash. Then, he returned to the living room andy on the sofa, preparing to sleep. Gracey on the bed, her mind reying Brian''s words. Judging from Brian''s expression, the person following me didn''t seem to be sent by Brian. So, who''s been following me?'' thought Grace. Grace recalled that Nancy had helped her carry her luggage over when she left that day, However, Nancy could not have ced a tracker in her luggage. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Oh yes! It was Ava Adkins! She had seen me at the hospital that day!'' Grace thought again. Chapter 229 Grace did not suspect Ava because she felt Ava had no motive, but on second thought, Ava liked Brian and had always wanted to rece Louise as Brian''s fianc¨¦e. If she were pregnant with Brian''s child, she would stand in Ava''s way. Therefore, Ava wouldn''t allow Grace''s child to be born. Although Ava didn''t know if the child was really Brian''s, she wanted to nip it in the bud to prevent unforeseen circumstances. Grace suddenly sat up from the bed. She lifted the nket and subconsciously wanted to tell Brian about this possibility. But after thinking about it, she held back. Brian had covered up for Louise. Ava was a member of the Adkins family after all. Grace could not expect Brian to settle scores with the Adkins family for her sake. That was impossible. She wasn''t that important. At the thought of that, Grace''s heart turned cold. She returned to the bed andy down again. She looked at the ceiling and thought about what to do next. Brian was here. She could not fight him head-on. Just as he had said, she would never be able to snatch the child away from him. No matter what, she could not let him take the child for a paternity test. Grace rubbed her stomach. It was almost eleven o''clock, but the child in her stomach was restless and kept moving. Grace did not know if it was because she was agitated today or because she had frightened the child when she spoke loudly to Brian just now. Since she was outside, the child had been moving non-stop in her stomach. Grace did not fall asleep untilte at night. When she woke up the next day, she washed up and walked out of the room. Suddenly, she caught the aroma of eggs. Someone was cooking in the kitchen, and Brian was nowhere to be seen in the living room. Grace could not believe the man who had put pasta in cold water in the pan yesterday would know how to fry eggs this morning. She walked into the kitchen and saw Brian frying eggs. He picked up a cup, filled it with water, and poured it into the pan. He looked at it for a while. As if he had thought about it and decided there wasn''t enough water, he added a little more water, then closed the lid. He turned around and saw Grace. "You''re up?" Grace nced at him, wrapped her clothes around herself, and returned to the living room. About fifteen minutester, Brian came out with two tes of fragrant spaghetti with eggs. "Come and have breakfast." Grace was not pretentious. She sat over and picked up a fork to eat. The spaghetti''s texture and the eggs'' temperature were well controlled. Brian looked at Grace expectantly. "How is it?" Grace nodded. "Yes, you''ve improved a lot." Brian smiled. "Of course. I learn everything very quickly." Grace nced at him and sneered before continuing to eat her spaghetti. After eating the spaghetti, Brian took it upon himself to wash the tes. Grace had already changed into a down jacket. Brian asked, "Where are you going?" "I''m going to buy groceries." "I''ll go with you." Grace had already known that Brian would say that. She was not surprised at all. She walked out of the house first. Brian hurriedly took off his apron and followed her out. Grace treated him as invisible. She pressed the button to close the door e the moment she entered the Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. elevator. Brian chased after her and blocked the door with his hand. He red ather fiercely. Brian''s 62 dr was parked at the side of the road. He walked to the door and opened the passenger seat. Get in." t belongs to swe However, Grace ignored him and walked straight ahead. The market was actually quite far from here, about 0.6 miles awayet However, the doctor said that if she wanted to have a smooth delivery, e she had to exercise and walk more. Chapter 230 Brian saw that Grace refused to get into the car. Since she was pregnant, Brian could not force her. He could only chase after her and walk with her. They finally arrived at the market after walking for more than ten minutes. Brian looked at her. "Aren''t you tired?" Grace continued to ignore him. She went to the market and bought a lot of ingredients. Brian took the initiative to pay and rushed to carry the bags. Grace walked home, but this time, she walked slowly as if taking a stroll. When Brian returned to the residential area with her, he saw Camren. This was the first time Camren had seen such a down-to-earth side of Brian. His jaw almost dropped. Because Brian had not shaved for two days, there was stubble around his mouth and his hair was a little messy. He looked a little disheveled. Camren hurriedly walked up to greet Brian. "Mr. Francis, Miss Sherman, it''s been a while." Grace nced at Camren. Although Camren did not offend her, she felt that he was unforgivable when she thought about how he helped Brian find out about her whereabouts. Therefore, Grace simply ignored him. Camren was a little embarrassed. "Mr. Francis, well..." Brian said to Camren in a heavy voice, "Go buy me some daily necessities." "Alright, Mr. Francis." When Brian and Grace returned home, Camren followed them upstairs. Brian carried the groceries into the kitchen and put them in the fridge. He walked out and asked, "What do you want to eat for lunch today?" Grace nced at him. "Are you going to make it?" Brian raised his eyebrows. "On ount that you''re pregnant, I can do it." Grace sneered. "Mr. Brian is really magnanimous, helping another man take care of a pregnant woman." Brian frowned. "Don''t force me to drag you to do an amniocentesis now." Later on, he identally saw online that amniocentesis was risky. Since the child would be born soon, he would wait. His words managed to threaten Grace but also made Grace''s expression even colder.? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. She went into the kitchen, took out the ingredients needed for lunch, and began to wash the vegetables. Brian watched her work for a while before snatching the work from her. "Let me do it." Brian was indeed very good at food preparation. He knew how to do it at a nce. Soon, he snatched all the work away. At this moment, there was a knock on the door. Grace took a look and saw that it was Camren She did not want to open the door, but she thought about how Brian could not be chased away. She could not let Brian go without brushing his teeth washing his face, or changing his clothes every day. After hesitating for a while, she opened the door. Camren smiled at Grace. "Miss Sherman, these are Mr. Francis''s things." Grace nced at them. At the thought that they were Brian''s things, she didn''t even want to touch them. She pointed at the cab with her chin and gestured for Camren to put them inside Camren stepped into the room and put the things down. Suddenly, he heard a sound from thekitchen. He took two steps and leaned out to take a look. What he saw shocked himpletely. He thought, ''Is Mr. Francis crazy? He''s actually wearing an apron and cooking.'' at Grace pursed her lips and looked at Camren. She smiled slightly and asked, Camren, Mr. Francis is ne cooking personally. Do you want to sit down and eat with us?" Camren smiled brightly. "Since Miss Sherman has invited me, I''ll dly oblige." Brian had prepared all the ingredients in the kitchen. For a moment, he did Le ona not know how to start. After some thought, he took out his phone and searched for recipes. . Chapter 231 Brian followed the recipe and was about to add the oil when he suddenly saw Camren walk in. Camren rubbed his hands. "Mr. Francis, I didn''t expect you to know how to cook. I admire you so much." Brian suddenly put the oil on the table and asked unhappily, "What are you doing here?" "What?" Camrenughed dryly and said, "Miss Sherman asked me to stay for lunch. I feel bad about it, so I came to see if there''s anything I can help with." Brian''s expression darkened. He thought, ''This is the first time in my life that I cook, yet I have to cook for Camren too?'' At the thought of that, Brian was unwilling. He threw the spat into the pan and said, "You want a free lunch? Dream on. You shall cook." With that, he walked out of the kitchen. Grace sat in the living room and watched television. Brian walked over and naturally sat down beside her. He picked up an orange he had just bought today, peeled it, and fed it to her. Grace frowned slightly. Brian moved the orange closer to her mouth. Grace had no choice but to take a bite. Brian continued to peel a second orange for her. The orange did not taste sour, but for some reason, her heart felt sour and ufortable. Such a life was once a dream that she could not have hoped for. Brian personally peeled fruits and cooked pasta for her. Although she refused to admit it, she was happy yet miserable at the same time. The two extreme emotions tormented her. She knew soberly that it was impossible between them. Camren quickly finished cooking and ced the dishes on the table. "Mr. Francis, Miss Sherman, it''s time to eat." Grace was the first to stand up and walk to the dining table. She took a look and praised, "Camren, it seems that you have hidden skills. Any girl who marries you in the future will definitely be happy." When Brian heard Grace praise Camren and saw her smiling at Camren, he suddenly felt unhappy. He scoffed. "A girl will be happy just because she''s married to someone who can cook? How ridiculous." Camren was silent. Grace rolled her eyes. "No one asked for your opinion." Brian took a deep breath and found it unfair. If he were the one wh made this meal today, would. e him as well? Obviou We not. She was applying a double standard. Grace sat down and called out to Camren, "Camren, sit down and eat." Brian''s face turned as ck as thunder. "Why did you only call him and not me?" Grace rolled her eyes at him. "Did you cook?" Brian was lost for words for a moment before saying, "I bought the ingredients." Camren tried to smooth things over awkwardly. "Mr. Francis, I''m an 3. Of course, Miss Sherman o y host to me." Content Those words made a little sense. Finally, Brian didn''t feel so upset anymore. He sat down to eat and put a piece of fried fish on Grace''s te. Grace nced at the piece of fish. Then, there were fried ribs and vegetables on her te. In a short while, her te was piled up with food. Grace''s nose suddenly tingled, and tears welled up in her eyes S her eyes Shem lowered henhead and blinked back the tears in her eyes. After the meal, Camren took the initiative to wash the tes. Then, he took out aputer and gave it to Brian. "Mr. Francis, ve emailed you a few documents that need your attention." "Okay." Grace returned to her room to take a nap, Brian worked in the living room, and Camren left. By the time Brian was done with work, it was already five in the afternoon.This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org . . Chapter 232 Brian raised his hand and looked at his watch. He walked to Grace''s room and knocked on the door. After a while, Grace walked over impatiently to open the door. "What''s the matter?" Brian looked inside and heaved a sigh of relief when he saw she was fine. "You went in to take an afternoon nap at one o''clock and hadn''te out. I thought something had happened to you," Brian exined calmly. Grace opened her mouth but hesitated. She was about to close the door when Brian pressed against the door and asked, "What do you want to have for dinner?" Grace looked at his face and felt a surge of sadness. She thought, ''What does he mean by that? Is he going to stay here and cook for me every day until I give birth?'' Grace snorted. Brian had taken great pains to do so many things that he was unwilling to do to snatch the child away. Grace said coldly, "Whatever." The door was mmed shut. Brian stood at the door for a while before turning to the kitchen to look at the ingredients in the fridge. The recipes were still obtained by googling online. Because he had to follow the recipes, his cooking speed was slow. After being busy for an hour, he still hadn''t finished making the soup. Grace was already hungry. She walked outside and took a look. When she saw that the food was ready, she picked up the te and started to tuck in. When Brian served the soup, Grace had almost finished eating. She finished her soup and went back to her room to change. Although Brian was used to Grace''s indifference, he suddenly lost his appetite when he looked at the table full of dishes. At this moment, Grace changed her clothes and looked like she was about to go out. Brian hurriedly asked, "Where are you going?" "I''m taking a walk," she replied as she changed her shoes. Brian immediately put down his fork. "I''ll go with you." Grace sneered. "Are you afraid that I''ll run away?" Brian moved his lower lip. He wanted to say that he was just worried that it would not be safe for her to go out alone with a big belly, but Grace stopped what he wanted to say in the next second. "Do you think I can run away?" Grace put on her shoes and opened the door.Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Brian frowned and quickly followed. He just cooked the meal but did not even have a mouthful of soup. Grace''s daily life was very regr. She would sleep until she woke up naturally in the morning and slowly walk to buy groceries. After lunch, she would take a nap. In the afternoon, she would draw and listen to prenatal music. At night, after dinner, she would go out for a walk. When she returned, she would take a shower. Then, it was almost time to sleep. These peaceful dayssted for a week. It was almost Christmas Eve and the weather was getting colder. When §ã§à Grace received a text message from Carson asking if she was going back for the holidays, she remembered that tomorrow was Christmas Eve. She walked out of the room and saw Brian making a call in front of the floor-to-ceiling window. From the contents of the call, it seemed like Jasmine was urging him to go back for Christmas. Brian said in a low voice, "I said I''m out of town on a business trip and won''t be back. You guys can spend Christmas Eve on your own. I''m hanging up. Goodbye." The line went dead. Brian turned around and saw Grace. Grace said sarcastically, "You''ve taken great pains to guard me and m not let me have the chanceto escape whichpany doesn''t have a holiday during Christmas? Would your mother believe such a lousy lie?" Brian frowned. "You don''t have to bother about that. What do you want to eat on Christmas Eve?" Grace looked at him. She thought, ''Is he going to spend Christmas Eve with me?'' Brian said calmly, "Since we''re together, let''s spend Christmas Eve together. Even if we''re alone, we should at least have a sense of ritual." Grace looked at him for a while before returning to her room to change into a thick down jacket. Chapter 233 It had been so cold for the past two days. Grace could not stand the cold when she walked out. She could not help but get into Brian''s car. After buying poultry, fish, seafood, cured meat, and sausages, the two of them returned home together. Looking at the pile of ingredients, Brian did not know where to start. He squatted in the kitchen and did not move for a long time. Grace walked to the kitchen door and looked at him for a while. "Let me do it." Grace quickly took out the cured meat. She washed the cured meat and sausages before throwing them into the pan. Then, she began to wash the fish. The fishy smell made Grace a little ufortable. She could not help but retch twice.? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Brian snatched the fish from her hands. "I''ll do it." He put her hands under the tap and rinsed them. "If you''re worried I''ll mess up the Christmas Eve dinner, stay here and watch over me. Just tell me what to do." With that, Brian went out and brought a chair over for her to sit on. Then, he handed her a garlic. Grace took the garlic and cleared her throat. She said awkwardly, "Turn the heat down after it boils. Use scallions and ginger to marinate the fish for ten minutes." Gradually, Brian and Grace became more in sync in the kitchen. Soon, Brian finished preparing all the dishes. Grace sat at the dining table. Brian brought thest dish of grilled fish over and ced it in the middle. "Let''s eat." Grace stared at the table full of dishes and suddenly remembered that in the three years she had been with Brian, this was the first time they had Christmas Eve dinner together. In the past, he would return to the old residence every Christmas Eve, but he would never take her along. She remembered that on Christmas Eve that first year, he said he would return to the old residence for dinner that night. She had been so excited because she had thought he would take her home with him. However, the next second, she heard him say, "I''ve arranged a driver for you. If you want to stay for a couple of days after you go home for the reunion, you can do so. Give me a call before youe back. I get the driver to pick you up." S Her heart instantly sank to the bottom. It was only called a reunion when a family gathered together. He did not take her home. It turned out that he did not treat her as family at all. She lowered her head to hide the panic in her heart. She wondered what she should do. Carson called to ask if she was going back for Christmas, but she said she was not going back. Hence, that year, she had nowhere to go and wandered the streets for the entire night. In the second year, she learned her lesson from the first year and stayed in her room all day on Christmas Eve. Brian returned to the old residence as usual. She came out and made the Christmas Eve dinner alone. She spent Christmas Eve with Melvin and the servants in the vi. Looking at the dishes on the table, Grace''s vision was a little blurry. Brian handed the fork to her. When she did not take it after a long while, he asked curiously, "What''s wrong?" Grace suddenly smiled. "Brian, thank you for staying to have Christmas Eve dinner with me to prevent me from escaping. From what I novel remember, this is the first time we''ve spent Christmas Eve right?" Brian''s heart suddenly ached. He thought about it carefully, ''Is this really the first time they have m Christmas Eve dinner together? It seems... to be the case.'' In the three years he had been married to Grace, he had only taken e Grace back to the old residence once. It was on the day they got their marriage license. He took her home and announced to Jasmine that he was married and asked her not to force him to get married again. It seemed she had not returned to the old residence with him since then. At the thought of that, Brian''s heart felt constricted. Chapter 234 Brian didn''t know what to say. Grace wiped the tears from her eyes and sat down. "Let''s eat." Grace tasted every dish and looked at him. "You''ve improved very fast. Unfortunately..." "What?" Brian stared into her eyes. Grace''s gaze met his and she did not speak for a long time. She thought, ''Unfortunately, the man I''ve trained will only cook for another woman in the future.'' Grace chewed on the fried rib in her mouth and asked Brian with a smile, "Why is this fried rib so sour? Did you put a lot of vinegar in it?" Brian tasted a piece and frowned slightly. "It''s not sour. It''s richly sweet. Is there something wrong with your taste buds?" Grace smiled again and lowered her eyes. "Really? Maybe." Brian looked at her smiling face. She was clearly smiling, but her smile made his heart ache. For a moment, he had the urge to hug her. His hand reached out and stopped in midair. At that moment, Grace suddenly frowned. "What''s wrong?" Grace covered her stomach. "It hurts." Brian stood up reflexively. "I''ll take you to the hospital." Grace raised her hand to stop him and stood up. "I''m going to the washroom." In the washroom, she looked at the pink liquid on the tissue and her heart skipped a beat. It seemed like her water had broken! Brian paced back and forth outside the washroom and knocked on the door. "Grace, how are you?" Grace looked at the blurry figure outside the door. She pursed her lips, stood up, pulled up her pants, and walked out of the washroom. Brian nced at her stomach. "How is it?" Grace felt another sharp pain in her stomach. She bent over slightly, her face a little pale. "I''m probably going to give birth." Brian''s heart skipped a beat. For a vel moment, he was at a loss. He reached out and was about to carry her horizontally. Grace quickly stepped back. "What are you doing?" "I''ll carry you downstairs," Brian said heavily. Grace felt wayes of sharp pain in her stomach. She frowned and returned to her room: She took out the hospital bag she had prepared in advance from the cab, as well as the child''s clothes, diapers, milk powder, and other things. Brian took the bag in Grace''s hand and carefully held her arm. Grace raised her hand and dodged. "Don''t overreact." Brian frowned slightly and followed her out. They got into the car and quickly arrived at the hospital. Grace had been having her prenatal checkups in Prenatal this hospital. All the doctors in the hospital knew her. Today was Christmas Eve, and many doctors in the hospital were on vacation. Only two doctors from OB/GYN were on duty. The contractions came quickly, but after just an hour, the pain escted again. Grace was lying on the hospital bed. It was Christmas and she was the only pregnant woman in the ward. Grace wanted to give birth as soon as possible, so she took the initiative to get the doctor to give her an oxytocin injection. As soon as the oxytocin injection was administered, the frequency of the contractions increased. It was so painful that every cell in her body was numb. She grabbed the bedsheet tightly, her face turning pale. Brian''s eyes widened when he saw her in pain. He gasped for breath, and his heart felt like it was being squeezed. He couldn''t imagine the pain she was in. Another two hours went by. Every time Grace experienced the contractions, it was as if someone had broken all the bones in her body. Grace bit her lower lip hard. Brian saw that and raised his hand to pinch her chin, forcing her to open her mouth. He put his arm to her mouth. "Bite me if you want."? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Chapter 235 Grace bit down hard. Brian clenched his fist tightly and did not move. The contractions ended and Grace regained a trace of energy. She looked at his arm which was bleeding from her bite and frowned hard. At this moment, the doctor came in to check the cervix. "The cervix has opened to four fingers wide. If you haven''t eaten, I suggest you eat some food so that you will have the strength to give birthter." As soon as the nurse finished speaking, Brian asked, "What do you want to eat? I''ll go buy it." Grace shook her head. The contractions started again. She said with difficulty, "I don''t want to eat." The nurse said, "If you don''t want to eat, you can have some chocte to supplement your sugar level." Brian waited for Grace to recover from the pain and immediately went to the supermarket downstairs to buy chocte for her. His hair was disheveled from running, and he was panting slightly. Brian unwrapped the chocte and fed it to Grace. She looked at him in a daze. Was it her imagination? Why did she see nervousness on his face? Grace finished the chocte mechanically, and the doctor came in to let her enter the delivery room. Brian followed behind and wanted to enter the delivery room but was stopped by the doctor. "I''m sorry, sir. You can''t enter the delivery room. Please wait outside." Grace entered the delivery room and the door closed. Grace suddenly grabbed the attending doctor''s hand and knelt on the ground. The doctor was shocked. "Hey! What are you doing? Get up." Grace raised her head and looked at the doctor. Her eyes were filled with tears. "Doctor, I beg you to help me. He''s not my family. He wants to take my child away after my child is born and separate us." The doctors and nurses looked at her in shock. When the doctor did not speak, Grace bent down and kowtowed desperately. "Doctor, I beg you... Don''t give my child to him." She held her stomach, endured the pain, and kowtowed with difficulty. The doctor quickly pulled her up. "Get up first and talk." Grace was pulled up by the doctor, the The pain made her unable to straighten her back. She held doctor''s hand tightly. "Doctor. please help me." "Alright. Tell us, what do you need us to do?" "After giving birth, I''m leaving with the child. I want you to cover me as I leave the hospital." The doctor frowned. "That''s not a problem, but you need to be hospitalized after giving birth.. you''re not hospitalized, there''s a high chance of infection." "No. If I don''t leave with the child immediately, he will snatch my child." The doctor looked at her pleading face and didn''t have the heart to refuse. The doctor finally agreed. Outside the door, Brian stood anxiously in the corridor outside the delivery room. There was a frosted ss partition in the middle of the delivery room. He stood there and clearly could not see anything, but he still stared intently at the frosted ss. This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org . There was no movement inside for a long time. Brian paced back and forth in the corridor, and his heart En subconsciously raced. His mind could not help but wonder if the child would be a boy or a girl. If the child were girl, he was sure she would look like Grace. Henskin would be soft and tender. If the child En were a boy... A chubby little face had already appeared in his mind. The child was a smaller version of himself. Brian realized what he was thinking and shook his head fiercely. Any oue would have to wait until after the paternity test. ***** In the delivery room, Grace bit on the gauze. Her face was covered in cold sweat. Chapter 236 "Push harder. We can see the baby''s head now." With the sound of a baby crying, Grace copsed on the bed. When she heard the child''s cries, two streams of hot tears suddenly fell from the corners of her eyes. The doctor finished stitching Grace''s torn wound and gently patted Grace''s cheek. "The child is well. It''s a girl. She weighs 5.73 pounds." The other doctor had already cleaned up the child and wrapped her in a nket. The doctor carried the child to Grace. "Take a look." The newborn baby''s skin was wrinkled, but one could still vaguely see that her eyes looked simr to Brian''s. The doctor helped Grace put on her pants and asked worriedly, "Can you walk?" Grace slowly put down her legs. Enduring the pain between her legs, she nodded. "Yes, I can." She wore a thick cap and left the hospital with the baby in her arms. Tina''s car was parked outside. Grace carried the child into the car and drove away quickly. Brian maintained his posture outside for an unknown period of time until his entire body was stiff. Then, the delivery room door finally opened. Brian''s heart skipped a beat as he strode over. He did not see Gracee out. He craned his neck and looked inside. "Where''s the child?" Brian stopped the doctor who was about to leave.? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. The doctor looked at him. "The pregnant woman has already been discharged." Brian was stunned for a full five seconds. "What did you say? Where did she go?" "I''m sorry, sir. You''re not a family member of the pregnant woman. We can''t divulge information about her." Brian''s gaze gradually turned fierce. He suddenly went crazy and kicked over the chair beside him, smashing everything he saw. The doctors and nurses were shocked. Someone took out his phone and called the police. Brian grabbed the cor of a doctor and said fiercely, "Take me to check the surveince footage immediately. Now! Immediately!" "I''m sorry, sir. You''re not a family member of the pregnant woman. You can''t check the surveince footage." Brian dragged her forward in a frenzy. Just then, the police arrived. The police officer happened to be the same police officer from before. When he saw Brian, he handcuffed him without hesitation. Brian calmed down and took out his phone to make a call. He briefly exined the situation over the phone. A few minutester, the police officer answered a call. He nced at Brian and removed the handcuffs from his hands. The police officer spoke to Brian politely, "Mr. Brian, please follow thew in the future. We''re old friends, SO e won''t make things difficult for you." UMS As the police officer spoke, he took off the handcuffs for Brian. Brian''s expression was gloomy. He turned around and left the hospital. He quickly started to get people to track down Grace''s whereabouts. ***** The car drove all the way to the countryside, which was Tina''s hometown. There were no surveince cameras here. It would be difficult for Brian to think of this ce. Tina drove the car into the courtyard and helped carry the child out. Grace was very weak at the moment. She got out of the car slowly. "Miss Grace, put on your cap. I''ll open the door." Tina opened the door and said to Grace, "This is our family''s old house. My parents have gone to Capern City to work so the has been vacant. "Thank you, Tina." Tina led Grace through the door. "It might be a little damp downstairs. You can stay upstairs. I''ll carry the child upstairs first, then carry you upstairster." "There''s no need. I can go upstairs myself by walking slowly." Chapter 237 Tina carried the child upstairs. Grace held onto the railing and went up the steps bit by bit. Her wound was just stitched, and every step she took was excruciatingly painful. Tina put the child down and quickly came downstairs to help Grace, but she did not know how to do it. Grace smiled at her. "I''m fine." Actually, Grace was already very tired. After going upstairs, she waspletely exhausted. Shey on the bed and fell asleep before she could even take off her clothes. When she left, the doctor gave her a lot of medicine. She had to clean her wound every day and take anti-inmmatory medicine. For the past few days, Tina had been taking care of her and cleaning her wound every day. Newborn babies did nothing but eat and sleep. Tina looked at the baby on the bed. At this moment, the baby opened her big eyes and looked around.This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org . Tina teased her and gently pinched her face. "Miss Grace, the baby is really amazing. She looks different every day. She was wrinkly when she was just born. The next day, her eyes became bigger and her skin became smooth. Now, her small eyes have be round and cute. "Miss Grace, have you thought of a name?" Gracey on the bed and thought for a moment before saying, "I shall name her Austin." "Austin, Austin Sherman. It sounds so nice. Little cutie, you have a name now. Austin, do you like your name?" Tina smiled. Austin opened her mouth as if she was about to say something. Her eyes crinkled slightly as if she was smiling. It seemed like she liked the name. After Brian left the hospital, he went to Grace''s house to find some clues from her house. She had just rented the house, so there was not much in it. There was only a tablet used for drawing. It did not even have WhatsApp installed on it. It was only now that Brian realized that he had forgotten to save her phone number during the time he had lived with her. Because he had been by her side around the clock, there was no need for him to call her. He thought that it would be safe to stay by her side until she gave birth, but he did not expect her to dare to run away after giving birth. That woman was indeed ruthless to herself. Brian received a call. "Mr. Francis, we are really sorry. We''ve already checked the surveince footage. We can no longer trace Misso Sherman''s whereabouts." Brian gripped the edge of the phone tightly. He said Grace''s name through gritted teeth. "Grace, do you think you can hide from me forever?" That night, Brian drove back to Capern City. He wanted to use all his connections to bring Grace and the child back. Not long after Brian arrived home, his phone rang. It was Jasmine. "Brian, I heard you''re back in Capern City?" Brian said calmly, "Yes." "Since you''re back, hurry home," Jasmine said. Brian frowned. "If there''s anything, just say it over the phone." His tone made it clear that he didn''t a want to go home. Jasmine sounded a little annoyed it''s Christmas today. Are you forcing me to be angry on Christmas?" S Brian felt a little frustrated. "Alright, I theo understand. I''ll be back in the m afternoon. With that, he disconnected the call. Brian took a shower and drove back to the Francis estate in the afternoon. There seemed to be guests at the old residence. A ck Porsche was parked outside. When Brian walked into the courtyard, a servant came to I came too m wee him, "Mr. Brian, you''re back. Mrs. Francis is waiting for you in the living room." Brian walked closer and saw a familiar figure sitting beside Jasmine. Chapter 238 Brian narrowed his eyes slightly. That figure looked very familiar, but he could not remember who it was. Jasmine held Louise''s hand affectionately and was talking to her with a smile. As Brian approached, he saw that it was Louise. Marshall was also sitting in the living room. "Mrs. Francis, Mr. Brian is back." Louise slowly turned her head and looked at Brian at the door. Her smile gradually froze as she looked at Brian without blinking. Brian asked in surprise, "Louise, when did youe back?" Louise did not speak. She only looked at him with tears in her eyes. She looked pitiful like she was about to cry. Marshall chuckled and said, "Louise came back yesterday. Jasmine invited us toe over today, so I brought Louise here." After saying that, he looked at Louise. "Louise, you don''t know this, but after you left, Brian has been looking for you. I''m sure he''s been having a hard time all this while. Now that you''re back, the two of you should have a good talk." Jasmine stood up and walked to Brian''s side. She scolded softly, "Hurry up and apologize to Louise." Brian''s mind was nk. He had even forgotten that Louise existed. They hadn''t contacted each other for a long time. After she left and he found out where she was, someone would send him her recent updates and tell him whether she was safe. For the first two weeks, he would check his emails every day. Gradually, he stopped reading them. Brian walked to Louise''s side and sat down. He looked at her with a gentle gaze. "How have you been recently? You seem to have lost weight." Louise lowered her eyes and sounded a little aggrieved. "I was in a foreign country. It wasn''t good, nor was it bad." Brian looked at her and subconsciously felt a little sad for her. "Then don''t leave after youe back this time. I''m sorry. I was wrong." Jasmine smiled in satisfaction when she saw Brian apologizing. Louise bit her lip. She still seemed to mind the fact that Brian was once married. She looked up at him. "We''ll talk about thister." Brian was stunned. "Okay." Soon, it was time to eat. Brian sat next to Louise, and Jasmine sat on the other side. ket Brian lowered his head and ate silently, His mind was in a mess. He was still looking for Grace. If he found Grace, what would he do about the child? Louise had just returned. If he told Louise immediately that Grace had given birth to a child for him and that Louise was going to be a stepmother, would Louise leave again in a fit of anger? Content Also, Grace had depression before. What if her depression acted up after he took the child away? For a were he felt that things the uplicated. He even there wouldn''t be so much t thought that if the child was However, as soon as he thought of Brian''s heart was in a mess. At this moment, someone pped his thigh. Brian came back to his senses and nced at Jasmine. Jasmine signaled him with her eyes to get some food for Louise. Brian understood and immediately reached out his fork to pick up a lot farkta Ve of food for Louise. "You''re not used to the food overseas. Now that you''re back, eat more and gain the weight back." Louise looked up at Brian with moist eyes and nodded heavily. Jasmine cleared her throat as if she had something to say.This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org . Chapter 239 "Louise. I was young once like you. We''re both women. I understand how you feel. But Brian was actually using Grace as an excuse. "Don''t be angry when you hear this. Before I knew your existence. I''d been arranging blind dates for him, but he didn''t like any of them and didn''t tell me he had feelings for you. I pressured him too much, so he came back with a random girl one day and told me he was married." Brian was slightly displeased, but considering that his mother was speaking up for him, and her intention was to reconcile him with Louise, he didn''t stop her. Jasmine continued, "I''ve met Grace before. She''s just a country bumpkin, not even half as attractive as you are. She looks like she''s never ventured beyond her hometown. Brian won''t fancy such an uncivilized and tawdry people." Brian tightened his grip on the fork. His eyes were dark, and his long eyshes hid the emotions in his eyes. After Jasmine finished speaking, she looked at Brian and asked, "Right?" Brian clenched his teeth. The disparaging remark about Grace lingered in his mind, making him very unhappy. Jasmine patted his leg. He blinked and said calmly, "Yes." After receiving a satisfactory answer, Jasmine continued, "I know Grace is a blemish in his life, and his feelings for you are genuine. Louise, I also like you very much. I''m a good judge of character. Even though I''m meeting you for the first time, I know you''re kind and sensible, and you''ll definitely help Brian and bring glory to the Francis Group and Adkins Group in the future." Louise looked at Jasmine gratefully. "Mrs. Francis, your recognition means a lot to me. Thank you.." Jasmine said with a smile. "So, have you forgiven Brian?" Louise turned her head to look at Brian and remarked, "I''m willing to let bygones be bygones as long as Brian stops contacting Grace." Louise knew that Grace still held some significance in Brian''s heart. She was smart and knew when to stop pushing and how to protect her own interests. Grace must note between her and Brian anymore. As soon as she finished speaking, the three of them looked at Brian at the same time, waiting for him to say something. Brian looked up and simply said, "Okay."? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Jasmine looked at her. "Can you put your mind at ease now?" Louise nodded. "Yes. Thank you, Mrs. Francis." Louise''s mood instantly brightened. To her, Jasmine was the most crucial hurdle, and now that she had won the olddy''s favor, it was only a matter of time before she married Brian. "Mr. Adkins, shall we discuss their wedding after dinner," asked Jasmine. Brian felt heavy-hearted. ''Our wedding? So soon?'' Jasmine added, "The wedding was originally scheduled for October, but it''s been dyed for four months. N Now that the kids have reconciled, let''s pick a date and proceed with the wedding." When Brian heard his mother''s words, he suddenly realized that four months had passed. He and Louise had originally nned to get married immediately after he divorced Grace. Since it had been postponed for so long, it was indeed time to put the wedding on the agenda. "Alright! Let''s pick a dateter." carto Marshall was grinning from ear to ear. In his eyes, Louise was his pride, and there was nothing that she could not handle. Brian mechanically finished his meal. Jasmine said, "Brian, take Louise home first. I''ll discuss your wedding with Mr. Adkins." Chapter 240 Brian was downhearted, but he masked it perfectly on his face, He looked at the woman and smiled lovingly. "Louise, let''s go." Louise nodded shyly and walked out of the house with him. After getting into the car, Louise turned her head to look at Brian, noticing that he seemed somewhat weary, with dark circles under his eyes. She touched his face. "Have you been having a difficult timetely? Your dark circles are so deep." Brian turned to look at her with gloomy eyes. Louise furrowed her brows as tears welled up in the corners of her eyes. "I know my departure made things difficult for you, but it was hard for me too. It may seem like I''m punishing you, but only I know that I''m tormenting myself..." As Louise spoke, she clutched her chest in pain. Brian frowned slightly and turned around to pull her into his embrace. Louise wrapped her arms around his waist and expressed her longing for him. "Do you know? I missed you every day when I was overseas. There were so many times I wanted to call you, but I refrained from doing so. Brian, can you understand my suffering?" Listening to her choked-up voice full of grievances, Brian''s heart ached. He felt that he had let her down. What have I done in the past four months? Louise was thinking about me day and night while I was caught up with Grace all day, and nearly forgot about Louise. Louise is so kind. How could I do such a thing to her? It''s still unknown whether the child in Grace''s belly is mine or not. How could I have focused all my attention on Grace and ignored Louise?'' The more Brian thought about it, the more he felt that he deserved to die. Thus, he hugged Louise tightly in remorse. Louise sensed the change in Brian''s attitude and heaved a sigh of relief. During the meal, she had felt that he was somewhat distracted as if he wasn''t particrly surprised or happy about her return. But now it seemed that he still cared about her after all. Then, Brian sent Louise back to the Adkins'' residence. Louise got out of the car reluctantly. Leaning against the car door, she held Brian''s waist and was unwilling to let go. Brian also hugged her and stayed there with her in silence. After a while, Brian said, "Alright, it''s gettingte. You haven''t had a good rest since you came back, right? Hurry up and get some sleep. Otherwise, you''ll end up with dark circles like me." Brian pinched the woman''s nose affectionately. Louise smiled at him and kissed him lightly on the lips while hooking her arms around his neck. She did not deepen the kiss, hoping that Brian would take the lead to express his longing for her with a passionate French kiss. But he didn''t. Louise felt a little disappointed, but she hid her emotions well. She lowered her eyes and said, "I''m going back. Drive safely." "Okay." Brian watched her walk into the house before getting into the caret After driving a distance, he took out his phone and called Camren. "Stop contacting Grace for now," said Brian. ***** At the Adkins'' residence. Ava and Shannon were sitting on the sofa and watching television. When ve Louise returned, Ava nced her. A hint of annoyance shed across her eyes. Louise was all smiles. "Have you eaten? Ava, Mom." Hearing Louise''s hypocritical voice, Ava was greatly disgusted. "She''s my mom, not yours. Who are m you trying to fool with that phony kindness? Shannon nudged Ava. "Don''t be rude." Shannon smiled and said to Louise,Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. "Since you''re back, why don''t you go upstairs and rest?" Chapter 241 Louise smiled brightly. She had tolerated Ava for a long time. It had been four months since theyst met, but Ava was still arrogant. If she did not put her foot down, Ava would continue to be proud. Louise walked to an armchair not far away and sat down. "Thanks for your concern, Mom. Why didn''t you ask why Dad isn''t back yet?" Ava looked at Louise. "Where did Dad go?" Louise smiled and covered her mouth. "Dad is discussing my marriage with Jasmine." Ava was so angry her face instantly turned as pale as paper. She widened her eyes and looked at Louise, wishing she could tear her apart.Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Shannon held Ava''s hand to prevent her from acting rashly. Louise looked at Ava''s twisted face and felt happy. "Ava, you have to be our bridesmaid when the timees." Ava gritted her teeth. "Louise, stop lying to yourself. Brian doesn''t like you at all." Louise smiled. "Really? I don''t know if he likes me or not, but the marriage is real." Ava was so angry that her chest heaved violently. "Louise, you still don''t know, right? In the four months you''ve been gone, everything has changed." Louise did not take Ava''s words to heart. She smiled and stood up. "Ava, I know you like Brian. It''s okay. Brian is too charming. I won''t be angry." Ava stood up in exasperation and shouted, "Louise, you still don''t know, right? After you left, Brian got together with Grace again. They even slept together." Ava''s words sessfully attracted Louise''s attention. She slowly turned and looked at her. "What did you say?" When Ava saw Louise''s expression finally change, she felt she had won. She crossed her arms and looked at Louise. "What? You don''t believe it? You can check the surveince camera at Imperial Capital Club." Shannon wanted to shut Ava up. She whispered, "Shut up. What if she investigates and finds out that you were the one who drugged Brian?" Ava snorted and said quietly, "If Brian can''t find out, Louise can''t find out either." Louise secretly clenched her fists, but her face did not reveal her emotions. Her smile was still elegant and dignified. "Ava, I''ll remember what you said, but I believe Brian. There must be a misunderstanding. Avaughed out loud. "You''re so great at deceiving yourself. Have you watched the television? Do you know that a movie produced by the Francis Group is about to be el? released? The movie is based on a IIic. Guess who the author of theic is?" Louise narrowed her eyes and looked at Ava coldly. "Yes, you''re right. It''s by Grace. Brian bought the copyright for her and adapted a movie for the work can you think of what Brian did for you?" asked Ava. Louise clenched her fists tightly and did not move for a long time. Ava looked at Louise''s ashen face and felt relieved. "So what if your are going to get married? Brian doesn''t love you at all." Louise stood there stiffly with a cold look in her eyes. "Ava, let me remind you again. You can''t simply talkm nonsense. Her voice was calm, but it made one''s hair stand. Shannon realized that Louise was not someone to be trifled with. She quickly pulled Ava back. Chapter 242 "Louise, Ava didn''t mean any harm. After all, marriage is a big deal. She didn''t have any thoughts about Brian. She is just telling you what she knew over this time. As for whether it is real, she might be biased. Don''t take it to heart," Shannon said. Louise''s lips curled up into a cold smile. "Thanks for your reminder, Ava. It''s best if you don''t worry about me in the future." She looked at Shannon. "If she feels bored, you should marry her off as soon as possible." Ava wanted to say something, but Shannon pinched her hard. Louise turned and went upstairs. Every step she took was filled with a cold aura.? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. When the door closed upstairs, Shannon red at Ava. She poked Ava with her finger. "What''s in your head? Can''t you think before you speak? Brian didn''t find out that you were the one who drugged him. What if Louise finds out? What would you do?" Ava pursed her lips. "Find out? What evidence does she have? It''s been so long. Besides, what else can she do to me?" Shannon persuaded Ava earnestly, "Ava, you''re still young. Many things are not as simple as you think. Louise looks gentle, but she''s best at winning people''s hearts. "From the looks of it, she must have been liked by the Francis family today. That''s why she''s so happy when shees back. Your father is on her side now and is proud of her. If she says something bad about you in front of Jasmine, you won''t be able to bear the consequences." Ava pursed her lips. "I don''t believe she can feel good now. I haven''t even told her about Grace''s pregnancy. Grace is missing now. If she gives birth and returns with the child to look for Brian, it will be exciting." Shannon punched Ava in frustration. "Don''t make trouble for me. You have to discuss with me what you want to do in the future." Ava pouted. "Alright, I got it." When Louise returned to her room, she took out her phone and called Grace. The number was unavable. e She went online to search for the Francis Group''s recent movies, As expected, she found the movie adapted from theic. Shel looked at the author''s name, Shel Dreamer. It was obviously Grace. Louise gripped her phone tightly. If what Ava said was true, she wanted to know what Brian and Grace did behind her back. ***** The next day, Louise found someone to investigate what Brian did at Imperial Capital Club. A video was sent to her email. In the video, Justin and Grace. entered the room together. Not long after, Justin came out. After a while, Brian entered the room and did note out until the next morning. The video made Louise''s face turn pale instantly. She took out her om phone and called Brian Her expression was cold, but her voice was gentle as she said into the phone, "Brian, where are you?" Brian replied, "At home. Why?" Louise''s heart turned cold as she listened to his calm voice. "Let''s have dinner together tonight." "Okay. You set the ce," said Brian. At six o''clock in the evening, Louise drove to the restaurant Brian was already waiting for her in the booth. Louise walked into the dining room and sat down opposite him. Brian''s handsome face was gentle. "What do you want to eat?" . Chapter 243 Louise looked at Brian and felt that his gentle face was so unfamiliar. Brian frowned slightly. "What''s wrong? Why are you staring at me? Is there something on my face?" "There is," Louise said. Brian smiled. "What is it?" Louise looked at Brian expressionlessly. "Lies." Brian''s expression froze. "Louise, what''s wrong?" Louise''s tears fell. "Brian, do you really love me?" Brian panicked. "Louise, what happened?" Louise took out her phone and showed him the video. Brian frowned. His voice was cold. "How did you know about this?" Louise''s heart sank. "So you n to hide it from me for the rest of our lives?" Brian replied, "Louise, listen. That was an ident." Louise''s face was filled with pain. "ident? Are you saying that you were forced into the room?" Brian responded, "I was drugged that night." Louise was stunned for a moment before feeling that Brian''s words could not be trusted. She questioned, "Why did you go to her room? Why did it have to be her?" Brian massaged his head. "Louise, I don''t know how to exin it to you, but I didn''t intend to do anything with her." Louise sobbed aggrievedly. "But if you didn''t go to her room, you wouldn''t have done this with her." Brian frowned in difort. "Louise, I''m sorry. That is my fault, but I only like you. Since you saved me, I''ve already decided on you." Louise''s eyes shed. "I can believe you were drugged and forced to have sex with her. But how do you exin theic?" Brian''s frown deepened. "Louise, who told you these things?" Louise continued, "Is it important who told me? What''s important is that Grace has an irreceable position in your heart." "No," Brian denied firmly. Louise looked at Brian with teary eyes, as if she wanted to get close to his heart. Brian''s gaze was very sincere, making Louise unable to understand his thoughts. "Then why did you buy her copyright? Don''t tell me you didn''t know she was the author." Brian nodded slightly. "I do know it was her. bought the copyright because I felt guilty about what happened at the hotel that night. I wanted topensate her with this." s?novel "Compensate her? Since you feel guilty, you still have feelings for her, right?" Louiseughed coldly. Brian protested, "Louise, why don''t you understand? This has nothing to do with feelingsel don''t want to owe her anything. I want to clear our rtionship." Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Louise''s mind was in a mess. Her face was covered in tears as she stared out the window in a daze. Brian moved to sit beside Louise and held her hand. "Louise, we''re getting married soon. You''l be my wife. Don''t let your imagination run wild, okay?" Louise did not speak. She lowered her gaze, hiding the emotions in her eyes. She knew Grace was important to Brian. After all, they et were married for three years. She had already left once. If she left again, she did not dare to believe that Brian would still wait for her. No matter what, this time, Louise had to get married first. Grace had already made her feel threatened. Chapter 244 Louise raised her eyes and looked at Brian. "Okay, I believe you. Brian, don''t disappoint me again, okay?" Louise''s gaze was pitiful and heartbreaking. Brian pulled her into his arms and said, "Okay. I promise you." He patted her back gently and coaxed her for a while before letting go of her. "Alright, you must be hungry after talking for so long. Let''s order." Louise nodded. After dinner, Brian sent Louise back to the Adkins family. Louise walked into the house and saw Avaing down the stairs. Ava looked at Louise''s slightly red and swollen eyes. "What''s wrong with you? You don''t seem to be in a good mood." Louise lowered her head and passed by Ava, obviously in a bad mood. Ava wanted to call out to Louise but was stunned by her mood. When Louise went upstairs and closed the door, Ava snorted softly. "Who are you throwing that temper at? Looks like you know you have no ce in Brian''s heart." Upstairs, Louise took out her phone and made a call. She continued to get people to check all the surveince cameras at the party that day. The next day, Louise found the strangest person at the party. It was Ava. She had been looking for Brian the entire time and had been following him. Brian did not know what Ava was up to, but Louise knew very well. Although she did not catch Ava drugging Brian, Ava was the most suspicious person in the entire party. In the next two days, Ava felt extremely happy seeing Louise''s gloomy face. During dinner that night, Ava could not help but ridicule Louise when she saw her looking distracted. "Well, aren''t you happy when you said you were going to marry Brian two days ago? Why do you look unhappytely? Why didn''t Brian bring you over to stay? Did something happen?" Marshall tapped the te with his fork. "Ava, what nonsense are you talking about? What happened?"? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Ava sneered. "Can''t I care about Louise? Brian is so outstanding and has so many women around him. I''m just afraid my sister will suffer if she marries him." "But you can''t talk like that," scolded Marshall. Ava chuckled. "Am I wrong? My words might be crude but the logic still stands." Louise poked the mashed potato in 0000 e her te and looked up at Ava. "Thanks for your concern, Ava. I''m doing very well with Brian." After saying that, she turned to look Marshall. "Dad, Ava isn''t young anymore. She has to marry too. After my wedding, find Ava a blind date." Ava''s eyes widened. "What are you talking about? I''m not getting married." Louise looked at Ava and smiled. "Ava, this is for your good." Marshall said, "What Louise said makes sense. You''re not young anymore. You''re so rude. You need someone to watch over you." Ava looked at Marshall. "Dad, I don''t want to go on a blind date. I am in love with someone." Marshall asked, "Who?" Ava pouted but did not say the name. "Anyway, don''t worry about me."" Marshall red at Ava. "I''ll deal with you after your sister''s wedding." Ava pursed her lips and poked at the mashed potato. She looked at Louise, who was smiling at her. That look was a warning. ***** In Jacksonville, Austin would wake up and y for a while every day Tina Gouldn''t bear to set her down on the bed. Sometimes, Austin would even look at her and smile. Chapter 245 Tina carried Austin until she fell asleep before reluctantly putting the baby down. Grace looked at the baby''s face. It had been seven days. She was looking more like Brian. She looked at the baby''s face in a daze. Tina said, "Miss Grace, the fish soup should be ready. I''ll get it for you." Grace came back to her senses. "Okay." Grace felt that she had been very strange recently. She would always think of Brian. When she thought of him, her heart would ache as if it was pierced by needles. Tina quickly served the fish soup. "Miss Grace, get up and drink the soup." She put down the fish soup and carefully helped Grace up. After feeding Grace the fish soup, Tina got some iodophor to disinfect her wound. Tina also realized Grace was in a bad state these few days. She asked worriedly, "Miss Grace, is there something on your mind? Why don''t you call your family? Is there someone who can apany you?" Grace shook her head. Other than Carson, no one cared about her. Tina took out her phone. "You''re recovering from pregnancy now. You can''t be depressed. I''ll find a game for you to y." "No," Grace said, "Tina, help me get my phone." "Okay," Tina replied. Grace had not looked at her phone for a few days. Justin called her on Christmas Eve, but she did not pick up. He then sent her a message, but she did not reply. She thought about it and was about to call him when Justin called. "Hello?" Justin said, "Grace, why aren''t you in the shop? I called you but you didn''t answer. Do you know how worried I was? Where are you now?" Grace was silent for a while before sending him a location. "Come over and we''ll talk." Justin drove to Grace''s residence. Tina went downstairs to lead Justin up. He was stunned when he saw the baby on her bed. "You gave birth?" Grace smiled. "It was born on Christmas Eve, so I didn''t have time to answer your call." Justin walked to the bed and scrutinized Grace. "Are you alright? Did you give birth naturally? Why did youe to the countryside? recover?" "It has to be a natural birth. If it''s a C-section..." Grace couldn''t escape at all. Justin asked, "What''s wrong?" "Brian dropped by," Grace told him. Justin frowned. "So, you came here to avoid him?" Grace nodded. "He was also in the hospital when the baby was born asked the doctor for help and sessfully escaped from his clutches." Justin''s eyes darkened. After a moment of silence, he looked at the sleeping Austin. He carefully picked up the baby. "Boy or girl?" "Girl," Grace said. Justin looked at Austin. She looked very much like Brian. "What''s her name?" "Austin Sherman," Grace replied. "I''ve always liked that name." Justin said, "It''s a good name. Austin, your mother has suffered a lot so you suffered could be born/safely. You have to be good to your mother." Justin carried Austin for a while O!!Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. before gently putting her down. He looked at Grace and asked, "Grade, when are you going to return to Capern City?" Grace''s gaze became distant. "We''ll see." Justin looked at her and hesitated. "Grace, are you afraid you''l bump aid into Brian when you return?" Grace''s heart trembled when she heard the name. Justin added, "There''s something I don''t know if I should tell you." Justin''s words piqued Grace''s curiosity. "What is it?" Chapter 246 "Louise is back," Justin said. Grace was stunned. Her expression froze and she did not recover her senses for a long time. Justin continued, "I heard Brian is going to marry her this time." Grace blinked. Suddenly, a tear rolled down her cheek without warning. Justin hurriedly took out a tissue to wipe Grace''s tears. "Don''t cry. You''re recovering now. You can''t cry. You''ll suffer if you don''t heal properly." Grace knew Justin was right. She did not want to cry, but for some reason, her tears were like a flood that broke through the dam. She could not control them. Justin was flustered. He leaned over and hugged Grace. "Don''t cry. I''m sorry. It''s my fault. I shouldn''t have told you this." Grace sobbed. "Justin, I hate myself. I''m so useless. My heart still hurts when I hear this news..." Justin patted Grace''s back gently and said in a low voice, "It''s okay. Take it slow. He has his life and you have your family in the future. Sooner orter, you''ll forget him." Grace mumbled, "I don''t want to cry... but I can''t help myself." Justin kept wiping Grace''s tears. "It''s not your fault. It''s normal to cry easily after giving birth because of the changes in hormone levels. You''ll recover after resting." Grace sobbed and slowly stopped crying. Justin patiently coaxed Grace and wiped away the tears on her face. He looked around the room and asked, "Grace, let me bring you back to Capern City. Tina is young and doesn''t have much experience in taking care of a pregnant woman. If you can''t recover properly, you might be ill for the rest of your life." Grace was silent for a while before saying, "Alright, I''ll listen to you." Since Louise had just returned, Brian would not have the energy to look for her. It would be good to go back to Capern City now. When Tina heard Justin was going to bring Grace back to Capern City, she was also relieved. Justin had visited Grace a few times, so Tina had a good impression of him. In her eyes Justin was more reliable than Brian.. FindNovel UMS ***** That afternoon, Grace returned to Capern City with the baby in Justin''s car. Justin still put Grace and Austin in the apartment. During this time, Justin had applied for leave to care for Grace at home. He was afraid Grace would be bored, so he installed a television in her room. Grace sat on the bed and switched channels in boredom. When she switched to the financial channel, the host''s words sounded on the television. "Finally, can I ask you a few private questions, Mr. Brian?" On the television, a familiar face shed past. Grace''s fingers trembled as she returned to the financial channel. face Brian''s cold face appeared on the television screen. He looked at the camera with a gentle smile as he announced, "Yes, I''m about to marry Miss Louise from Adkins Group. The wedding will probably be held after Christmas." The host continued to ask with a smile, "Mr. Brian, can you tell me when you met Miss Adkins?" Brian lowered his gaze and said O gently, "I''ve known her since we were young. When we were young, she saved my life on Myrtle Peak. From then on, I''ve decided that I must marry her." "Wow! I didn''t expect you to be so decisive in business, but so om persistent and loyal in rtionships, Mr. Brian," the host said. Whatever the host said after that, Grace could no longer hear clearly. Justin came in with chicken soup. When he saw what was on the m television, his eyes darkened and he casually turned off the television. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Chapter 247 Justin turned to look at her. Grace was already in tears. Justin sighed and walked over. He gently wiped away the tears on her cheek. Grace rubbed her eyes vigorously, as if to stop the tears from flowing, but less than a secondter, tears started flowing down her cheeks uncontrobly. Day by day, time passed. Austin could now look around with his big and curious eyes and was awake for more hours of the day. Grace was not in the mood to think about anything. Austin had probably slept for too long and was now making a fuss. When Grace got out of bed and picked her up vertically, she immediately stopped crying. She opened her two big eyes and looked around curiously. Grace pinched Austin''s little face lovingly. "You''re barely a month old. Uncle Justin said you cannot be upright in the first month. You need to lie down." ording to Justin, the spine of a one-month-old child was still soft, and they should not be held upright. Thus, Grace could only let Austin have fun for a while before putting her back to lie down. Austin immediately opened her mouth and started to make a fuss. Her eyes had no tears, but her face was still red from crying. Grace said helplessly, "Alright, alright, alright. I''ll hug you for a while more since Uncle Justin is not around." As soon as Austin was picked up, she immediately stopped making a fuss. When Grace teased Austin, Austin would giggle at her in return. Grace''s heart almost melted at her interactions with Austin. Grace''s emotions gradually stabilized. Hearing about Brian''s news again no longer drew such a big reaction from her. In two days, Grace would havepleted her first-month post-pregnancy. In the past month, she would always see Justin answering calls, calls that seemed to be urging him to go back to work. Grace had tried to convince him to go back a few times, but Justin had always seemed unwilling to do so. Grace thought long and hard about it and eventually decided that she would move out at the one-month mark post-pregnancy. On this day, when Justin came back from grocery shopping, Grace was nowhere to be seen, leaving behind a mere text message on his phone. Grace had gone to find Carson. Justin had helped Carson resolve the issue of giarism surrounding his game. They then set up a studio together after. Carson rented an apartment alone. When he saw Grace appear outside his door with a child in her arms, he was stunned for a long time. "Why are you standing at the door? Am | not allowed to enter?" Grace teased. Carson immediately stepped aside to let her in. Grace sat down on the chair with the child in her arms. "The milk powder is in my bag. Could you help me take it out? Each marking corresponds to 7 ounces of warm water. Add the water before you add the milk powder." Carson was in a daze. He blinked a few times beforeing back to his senses and went to prepare the milk for her. After preparing the milk, he repeatedly tested the temperature of the milk by touching the milk bottle with his hand. When he felt that it was no longer hot, he handed the bottle to Grace. Austin had already woken up. It was obvious that she was hungry, as she kept calling out with her mouth open. Grace ced the tip of the milk bottle into her mouth. Austin Loo) Dig gulps and opggegdhereicdshite in sati$taction. Carson stared at her without blinking. The content is on ! Read thetest chapter there! After Austin finished drinking the milk, she smacked her lips as if to savor the aftertaste. Carson could not help but touch her smooth cheek. "How cute! Grace, can | carry her?" ¡°Of course you can." Grace handed the child to him. Carson was at a loss for w at{edo. He loo atthesmall Baby but did nbt khow how to take her from Grace. The content is on ! Read thetest chapter there! Grace could not help butugh. "Quick, carry her. My hands are getting tired." Carson took the baby. With Austin. lying in his arms, Carson was unsure? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. of what to do. Since he wa afraiq that he oulddreob th¨¦ Baby, all he cBuld do was stand there and look at Austin without moving. S The content is on ! Read thetest chapter there! Grace chuckled. "This is your niece. Her name is Austin. She was born on Christmas Eve." Chapter 248 "Hello there," Carson teased Austin lovingly. Austin had never seen Carson before and was curiously looking at him with her big eyes.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. "Tsk, tsk." Carson clicked his tongue at Austin. Grace could not help butugh. "Carson, are you treating my daughter like a puppy?" "Grace, she''s smiling at me! She''s smiling! Austin, I''m your uncle. Call me uncle." Carson said each word slowly and deliberately, "Uncle, Uncle." "What are you thinking? She''s only a month old. She can''t talk." "Then she must have understood what I was saying..." At this moment, there was a knock on the door. Carson looked at the child in his hand and was at a loss. "Grace, you need to open the door." Grace smiled and shook her head. She got up and went to open the door. The door opened to reveal a familiar face. Grace''s heart sank. Outside the door, Daisy saw Grace and gasped as if she had seen a ghost. "You...you, why are you here? Are you a human or a ghost!" Carson walked over with the child in his arms. "Mom?" Daisy looked at Carson in shock, then at Grace. "You, you''re not dead?" Grace pursed her lips. Initially, she did not intend to let Daisy know about the child so quickly. However, she did not expect to bump into Grace right when she moved in. "Yes, I''m not dead. Did you really want me to die?" "I...Brian was looking for you everywhere. If I knew that you weren''t dead, I would have told him this news long ago. I could have taken the opportunity to ckmail him," Daisy replied. "What did you say?" Grace looked at her coldly. She knew that Daisy would do this, so she had repeatedly instructed Carson not to tell Daisy her whereabouts. Carson looked at Grace and said to Daisy, "Come in." Daisy narrowed her eyes when she saw Carson''s reaction. "Carson, you already knew that she wasn''t dead, right?" Carson''s eyes darkened as he remained silent. Daisy threw her bag on the sofa and looked at the child in his arms. "Does Brian know that this child has been born?" "Yes." Daisy frowned. "He knew about the child and just let the both of you wander around outside?" "Yes, he''s about to marry Louise. To him, my child would only be a stumbling block. There was no way Brian would acknowledge her." Daisy''s tone was a little intense as she said, "That won''t do! This is his child! Even if he doesn''t acknowledge her, he has to pay child support! A person like him has to pay at least twenty thousand dors a month!" Grace did not expect that even though she had already presented the information as such, Daisy still would not give up on the idea of using Grace''s child to extort money. Just as she was about to say something, she heard Carson say, "Mom! That''s enough! When you heard that something had happened to Grace, you ran to Brian and asked for 160 thousand dors! Now, you still want to use the child to ask for money! Can''t you tell that Grace doesn''t want to have anything to do with that man at all?" Daisy red at him. "Shut up! She''s a good-for-nothing! Even you are good for nothing!" When Grace heard their conversation, she looked at Daisy in disbelief. "Is what Carson said true? You went to Brian to ask for 160 thousand dors?" "What''s wrong? Do you think I shouldn''t have done that? 160 thousand dors is still way less than what we deserve. Tell you what, I''ll go find him tomorrow to ask for child support!" Grace roared, "Daisy! Are you trying to singlehandedly destroy our family?" Daisy was stunned by Grace''s outburst. Austin was also frightened by the sudden outburst and started crying. "Don''t you remember what happened thest time you went to the Francis Vi?" Chapter 249 Daisy bristled, "It''s been a long time, and you''re still bringing it up? Could you just let it go? Aren''t you and your brother fine now?" Carson hugged the crying Austin and didn''t know what to do. "Mom, you should hurry back!" "You!" Daisy rolled her eyes at Carson and shot Grace another displeased nce. "Alright!"? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. "Wait!" Grace called out to her, halting her with a giant stride. "If you go to Brian and tell him where the baby and I are, I''ll cut off your hand so you can''t y poker for the rest of your life!" Grace''s gaze shed with a fierceness Daisy had never seen before, making her heart skip a beat. "Don''t you dare!" "If I even lose my child, you''ll see what I will do!" This time, Daisy was truly frightened by the fierceness in Grace''s eyes. A woman might be weak, but a mother was strong. Daisy believed Grace was capable of such actions. Daisy left. Carson, at his wit''s end, held the baby. "Hurry up and take the baby. Her face is red from crying." Grace took the baby and cradled Austin gently in her arms, pressing her cold cheek against Austin''s delicate forehead. Austin suddenly stopped crying and stayed quietly in her arms. Grace''s tears streamed down her face. Carson didn''t know how tofort her, scratching the back of his head. He murmured softly, "Kids cry, adults cry." He then said, "Okay, don''t cry. I know you''re worried about the 160 thousand dors. Don''t worry, I''ll earn money to pay it back. As for our mom, you don''t have to worry too much. I''ll keep an eye on her and make sure she doesn''t tell Brian about the baby." It took Grace a long time to stop crying. Grace stayed at Carson''s ce. Carson grew fond of Austin very quickly, and in just a few days, they became acquainted. During this time, the inte was flooded withmercials for "She Came From the Dust". Heric had also experienced another surge in traffic thanks to the movie''s publicity and had been generating significant revenuetely. The movie premiered at the end of the month, and Grace, entranced by the promotional video, impulsively purchased a ticket. The movie was scheduled for nine o''clock. Grace finished her meal, tucked Austin into bed, and instructed Carson, "I''m stepping out. If Austin cries, it means she''s hungry. Just prepare the form and feed her." "Okay," Carson replied. Grace donned her mask and hat, slipped into somefort loose clothing, and wrapped herself snugly. Having recently givenbirth,fort was her priority. The area in front of the movie theater was bustling with people. Grace followed the crowd into the screening room and settled in the back row. As the seats filled up, a towering figure suddenly loomed before her, giving her a oppressing sensation in the dimly lit theater. Grace tensed up, staring in disbelief at the man standing before her. His gaze locked onto hers at the same time. Panicked, Grace instinctively lowered her head, pulled down the brim of her hat, and entertained fleeting thoughts of escape. Then Brian''sposed voice broke the tension. "Excuse me I believe t e dropped my keys on your seat." Grace paused, momentarily bewildered. Did he not recognize her? Realization dawned. She was so inconspicuously dressed, wrapped even she could hardly she recognize herself. How could he up tightly, that even she recognize her? Without a word, she fumbled for the keys, retrieved them, and handed them over to Brian. "Thank you," Brian said, epting the keys. Grace''s hand trembled suddenly as their skin briefly touched. Chapter 250 Brian furrowed his brow slightly, his gaze fixed on the top of her head as he made his way inside. Three seats separated them. Grace kept her head tilted toward Brian the entire time, propping it up with her hand, so he couldn''t even see her profile. Brian nced at his hand, and his mind shed back to what happened just now. As the movie officially started, he gathered his thoughts and focused on the screen. The movie had been meticulously crafted under Grace''s supervision, with stringent requirements for the actors'' performances and the plot, resulting in an overall impressive viewing experience. Theic was based on many real-life events from Grace''s life, and certain scenes brought tears to her eyes. By the end, tears streamed down her face, and she intermittently sniffed as the tears flowed. Brian nced sideways and then surveyed the other moviegoers, who were all engrossed in the film. Yet, the only person visibly moved to tears was the woman in the hat. As the movie concluded and the credits rolled, the audience dispersed. Grace and Brian remained, the only two upants left in the theater. In the final moments of the credits, Grace''s pen name and Brian''s name slowly ascended from the bottom of the screen side by side. Grace''s tears instantly ran down her cheeks. Brian stood up and exited the theater. Grace noticed him approaching, lowered her head, moved her legs aside, and let him pass. However, Brian paused before leaving, pulled out a tissue, and handed it to her. "Thank you," Grace whispered as she epted it. Brian then left. She sat alone in the theater for a long time before getting up to leave. As she descended to the ground floor of the mall, she noticed Brian standing by the entrance. Grace hesitated and nced out of the door, realizing it was pouring rain outside. She hadn''t brought an umbre. The sudden downpour had caught many unprepared, with a crowd huddled by the doorway, some with umbres hesitant to venture out. They all discreetly looked at Brian, snapping photos with their phones from time to time. Grace walked up and positioned herself farthest away from him. The rain was so heavy that even if she took a taxi, she would have to pass through the za in front of the mall. By the time she made it to the road, she would likely be soaked to the skin. Grace pondered her options and decided to wait there until the rain stopped. Brian stood quietly. Just then, a bold girl approached and shyly asked, "Hey handsome, can I add you on WhatsApp?" Brian didn''t even look at her and replied in a low voice, "I''m engaged." The girl persisted, "You''re engaged, not married! So I still have a chance, right?" Brian frowned, displeasure evident on his face. Grace could hear Brian''s voice. Seeing that Brian''s face turned cold, the girl and her friends quickly left with embarrassment. Suddenly, someone inside the mall yelled, "Catch the thief! Catch the thief!" Grace looked back and saw a masked man rushing out of the mall toward the exit. The doorway was crowded, and with some pushing and shoving, Grace stumbled a few steps and fell heavily into the rain-soaked ground. The thief swiftly escaped into the street. Grace frowned and attempted to rise when an umbre appeared over her head, followed by Brian crouching down beside her. He took hold of her arm, asking, "Are you okay?" Grace froze, their eyes meeting briefly, before she quickly got up and hurried away, disappearing into the rain. Brian watched her as she stood on the side of the road, trying to hail a taxi, her hair now drenched. Camren, standing next to him, asked, "Mr. Francis, shall I go give the umbre to thatdy?" Brian nodded slightly. Just as Camren approached Grace with the umbre, a taxi pulled up, and she hurriedly got in. Camren turned back to Brian, saying with a smile, "Mr. Francis, the youngdy has left, so I''ll head back first. Take care on your way." Brian watched the taxi drive away, his brow furrowing slightly. He put his hand on his chest. This woman gave him a strange feeling. He briskly made his way to his car and unconsciously wanted to catch up with her just as his cell phone began to ring. Brian''s eyes darkened upon seeing the name shing on the screen. Answering the call, he heard Louise''s delicate voice from the other end. "Brian, are you going to bed?" Brian''s voice came out hoarse. "No, I''m now outside." "Brian, it''s raining heavily today, and I''m feeling a bit scared. Could youe over and keep mepany?" Brian hesitated briefly before replying, "Okay." By the time he arrived, the rain had ceased. Louise awaited him at the door. He parked his car nearby. She hurried over and linked her arm with his. Brian gently stroked her head, asking, "What''s made you so happy?" Louise nestled into his embrace endearingly. "I''ll tell youter." When they walked inside and went upstairs, Louise guided him to a chair, seating herself on hisp and wrapping her arms around his neck. "Brian, your mom has set a wedding date for us. It''s at the end of next month," Louise said happily. Brian''s lips pressed together, his dark eyes betraying a swirling mix of emotions. Unable to decipher his mood, Louise locked her gaze with his, asking, "Brian, what''s wrong? Don''t you Want to get married? If you don''t want to..." Brian hastily cut her off, saying, "No, I was just pondering which wedding dress brand to go for." ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Louise nestled closer in his arms and said, "Don''t worry, just leave that to me." Brian put his arm around her shoulder and enveloped her in a hug, yet deep down, he sensed an emptiness as if something was missing. Perhaps it was because he had always Louis own that he would marry Louise, so when they were really about to get married, he no longer that excited. fel Louise proposed he spend the night at the Adkins family, but Brian declined, citing theck of a change of clothes. After ensuring Louise had drifted off to sleep, he departed quietly. ***** Carson was engrossed in a game in the living room when Grace arrived home. Upon hearing themotion at the door, he nced back and froze in astonishment. Setting aside his mouse, Carson approached her. "What''s happened?" he asked. Grace stood cold and rigid, her teeth chattering. Carson quickly handed her a towel. Silent and pale-faced, Grace retreated to her room. The following day. Grace was changing Austin''s diaper when Carson abruptly emerged from his room, his expression grave. "Mom just called. Dad was struck in the leg by a piece of rebar at the construction site. He''s at Central Hospital. I''m heading there now." With his jacket in hand, he turned towards the door. Grace''s gaze hardened, and she caught his arm. "Wait, I''ll go with you!" After swiftly changing Austin''s diaper and carrying Austin on her back, Grace left the house with Carson. In the hallway, Daisy was sobbing uncontrobly. Chapter 251 Grace walked over to help Daisy up, saying, "Dad will be fine. Don''t cry." Daisy grabbed her arm urgently. "Go pay for your dad''s surgery! Hurry!" Grace nodded and swiftly ascended to the second-floor to settle the fee. On her way back, she noticed a doctor conversing with Daisy. Grace hastened her steps and approached them. "The injury is severe. The rebar is perilously close to the nerves in his leg. You must prepare yourself. There''s a significant chance we won''t be able to save his leg," the doctor exined. Daisy felt a rush of dizziness and leaned back, supported by Carson. Grace seized the doctor''s sleeve. "Doctor, you mentioned it''s possible. You didn''t definitively say his leg can''t be saved. So, there''s still hope, right? Please, do everything you can to save my dad''s leg! I implore you..." "Please remain calm. We will certainly do our utmost. However, if the situation necessitates, we may have to amputate. I hope you understand. If you agree, please proceed to the nurse''s station and sign the surgery consent form." At the mention of amputation, Daisy''s legs weakened. "No... No... He can''t lose his leg!" She instinctively pulled Grace closer. "Grace, think a way quickly! If anything happens to your father, then what should we do?" Grace furrowed her brow in distress. She wasn''t a doctor. What could she do? Doctor... Then she suddenly thought of someone. A familiar, tender face shed through Grace''s mind, and with trembling hands, she dialed Justin''s number. "Grace?" His voice was as gentle as ever, and there was even a hint of surprise mixed in, making Grace''s heart inexplicably calm down. Her voice quivered as she said, "Justin, please save my dad..." Justin''s concern heightened. "What''s happened to your dad? Stay calm and speak slowly." "I''m at Central Hospital now. A rebar hit my dad''s leg, and the doctor said there''s a high chance he mightdose his leg and it''ll need amputation. What should I do?" "Don''t worry. I''ll be there right away." Justin delegated the task to another coworker before grabbing his car keys and departing the hospital. Less than twenty minutester, he arrived, panting and breathless as he approached Grace. Gasping for air, he inquired, "Where''s your father''s attending doctor?" 000 Grace guided him to the attending doctor''s office. Justin conversed with the doctor about her father''s condition The doctor nced at Justin''s name on his work tag and then looked at Justin in shock. "You''re Dr. Vance from Southside Hospital!" Justin affirmed with a nod. "Show me the patient. I''ll perform the surgery." "Okay, follow me," the doctor replied. Austin cried. Graceforted her while stealing nces inside. Upon seeing Justin emerge, she rushed forward. "How''s it going?"Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Justin stroked her head reassuringly. "It''s fine. Don''t worry. I''ll perform your father''s surgery." Grace''s tears welled up. "Justin, thank you." With a faint smile, Justin turned and headed into the operating room. Outside, Grace, Daisy, and Carson waited anxiously, each passing m minute feeling like an eternity. Eventually a nurse emerged and urgently asked, "Does anyone have hemorrhaging, and the bloeis B-type blood? The patient is running low!" Simultaneously, Daisy and Carson rushed forward. "I have B-typ@blood!" e they eximed in unison. Chapter 252 Daisy nodded her head. "Yes, I am!" Carson said, "Draw my blood. I have B-type blood too." The nurse looked at him and told him, "Are you the patient''s son? Blood transfusions are not possible between direct rtives." After saying that, she took Daisy into the operating room. Grace frowned slightly. Why did her parents and brother both have B-type blood while she had A-type blood? She had a basic knowledge of blood types. Two people with B-type blood could not give birth to a child with A-type blood, and they could only give birth to a child with O-type or B-type blood. Grace''s mind raced with countless questions. Could she not be her dad''s biological daughter? Or was she born to her dad and another woman? Grace felt that thetter was more likely because the way Daisy had treated her over the years was indeed so bad that it even made her wonder if she was truly her own daughter. Grace''s heart sank. After another three hours, the door to the operating room finally opened. Grace immediately rushed over. "Justin, how is it?" Justin tiredly pinched his brow and looked at her with a faint smile. "Don''t worry, the surgery was sessful. Your dad''s leg was saved. When he wakes up tomorrow, he will be fine." Grace was so grateful that tears streamed down her face. "Thank you so much, Justin!" "Don''t be silly. You don''t have to say that to me. Your family, in my eyes, is my family too." Grace cried and then smiled. Some words of thanks seemed too inadequate for Justin. Frederick was wheeled into the ward, and Daisy and Carson followed him in. Grace thought of something and looked over at Justin. "By the way, there''s something I wanted to ask you." "Okay, go ahead." Grace took him to a ce where no one was around before she asked, "I wanted to ask, is it possible for twe people with B-type blood to have a child with A-type blood? I mean, is I there such a possibility as intergenerational inheritance?" Justin immediately thought that Frederick had B-type blood when he was just in the hospital for the surgery. He looked at Grace and said, "No, a child of two people with B-type blood can only have B-type or O-type blood, unless it''s possible for a couple with B-type blood and A-type blood to have a child with A-type blood." Grace''s heart sankpletely.Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. "What''s going on? What happened?" Justin asked. Grace shook her head. "Nothing. Justin. You left your job at the hospital toe all the way here, right? Let me send you back now." "My car is downstairs. Have you eaten yet? Let''s have a meal first," Justin said. "Alright." They headed to a restaurant near the hospital. Austin was also hungry, crying for milk. Grace retrieved milk powder and a velet bottle from her bag, and asked the waiter to bring a kettle. She dissolved milk powder in water and then fed it to Austin. With big ck eyes, Austin drank the milk. Justin leaned ovento catch a glimpse and couldn''t help but smile. "Where are you living now?" Justin asked. "I''m staying with my brother now. Justin, I hope you don''t me me for leaving without saying goodbye. I owe you a lot." A flicker of disappointment crossed Justin''s eyes as he nodded slightly. "I understand, You know I would never me you." Grace lowered her head. After dinner, Justin drove back to Southside Hospital, and Grace returned to the ward. Frederick still hadn''t woken up, and Daisy and Carson were sitting beside him. Seeing Daisy, Grace felt preupied. She sat down next to Daisy and tentatively asked, "Mom, do you know what blood type I have?" Daisy gave her a suspicious look. Grace stared into her eyes and could see clearly that Daisy didn''t know. Chapter 253 Grace''s gaze fixed on Daisy''s face, capturing every nuance of her expressions.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. "What''s wrong? Don''t you realize? Am I not your daughter? How could you have given birth to me without knowing my blood type?" Grace asked. Daisy''s face betrayed a flicker of nervousness as she swallowed hard. "What are you talking about? What''s the point of being aggressive? At that time, I didn''t even give birth in the hospital, and I didn''t undergo anybor tests. How would I know your blood type?" Grace pursed her lips, and she was sure that Daisy was lying. Since Daisy deliberately hid it, even though she exposed Daisy''s lie, she knew Daisy wouldn''t reveal the truth willingly. Observing Grace''s unusual demeanor, Carson interjected suspiciously, "Grace, what''s wrong?" Grace shook her head. "Nothing. Carson, why don''t you take Austin back to bed first?" "Okay. You shoulde back soon too. I won''t be able to handle her if she gets fussy at night." "Sure." Carson then carried Austin out, leaving Daisy and Grace alone in the hospital room. Frederick was still in aa now. An unexinable sense of difort lingered between Daisy and Grace. Awkwardly, Daisy stood up. "I''ll leave first. You stay here and watch over your dad." After saying that, Daisy made her way to the door. Grace''s eyes darkened. "Wait!" She abruptly stood and seized a handful of Daisy''s hair, yanking out two strands forcefully. "Ouch!" Daisy yelped, clutching her head and turning to face Grace. "What was that for, you little brat?" Grace swiftly hid her hands behind her back and said calmly, "I was just trying to get your attention. Sorry if I pulled too hard." Daisy shot her a re of irritation. "What else do you want?" "Nothing more. Just make sure toe back at midnight to relieve me. And no sneaking off to y cards, or I''ll go and fetch you myself." Grace''s tone was firm, leaving Daisy bristling with indignation at her authoritative manner. She rolled her eyes at Grace. "Which of your eyes saw me ying cards again? I do enjoy ying cards, but would I not know what''s the most important now? Your dad is still in aa, and how could I be in the mood to y cards?" Grace nodded calmly. "Good. I hope you follow through on what you''ve said." Daisy grunted and then left the hospital. Grace then extended her hand and examined the two hairs within it. She approached the nurse and requested a Ziploc bag, carefully cing the hairs inside and tucking it into her pocket. Returning to the ward, she nced at Frederick. As she reached out to pull out his hair, her movement halted abruptly once more. Frederick hadn''t been much of a caregiver, butpared to Daisy, he had shown kindness to her. She pondered that Frederick might tell her the truth. It was one in the morning at the hospital, and Daisy had yet to arrive. Grace called her, only to find Daisy was already asleep. If it wasn''t for Austin, Grace would have stayed the night in the hospital, but with Austin being so young, she felt uneasy, so she roused Daisy forcefully. It was two o''clock by the time Daisy sluggishly made it to the hospital. Grace returned home. Austin was already asleep. Grace checked her diaper and found that it had been changed. She smiled faintly. It seemed Carson had even learned to change diapers as Austin''s good unele. The following morning, Carson went to the hospital, and Grace bathed Austin before taking her there. Upon her arrival, Frederick had just awakened, and the attending doctor was inspecting the ward. Chapter 254 Grace''s heart soared with joy. "Dad, you''re awake!" Frederick turned his head to look at her with a pale face and nodded gently. The doctor instructed, "The patient is no longer in serious condition. We will change the medication for the wound this afternoon. He should pay attention to diet for this period. You can prepare some light, liquid food for him." Grace nodded repeatedly. "Okay, I understand. Thank you, doctor." The doctor smiled and said, "You should thank Dr. Vance. It''s all thanks to him. If it had been any other doctor performing the surgery, I''m afraid your father''s leg wouldn''t have been saved." Grace smiled awkwardly. "I see." Daisy rolled her eyes and turned to Grace. "The doctor is right! Why don''t you give Dr. Vance a call and invite him out to dinner? We need to thank him in person!" Grace frowned. The attending doctor had already left the hospital room with the nurses. Frederick overheard the conversation between them and asked, "Which Dr. Vance?" Grace didn''t give Daisy a chance to speak and seized the opportunity to say, "It''s nothing, Dad. You''ve just woken up; you need to rest. Don''t pay attention to her nonsense." Frederick didn''t ask anything else. He really didn''t have much energy at this moment. Once Frederick had fallen asleep again, Daisy pulled Grace aside. "Hurry up and call Dr. Vance! We must treat him to a good meal to thank him for helping your dad with the surgery!" Grace rubbed her temples. "He''s very busy. He doesn''t have time to have dinner with us!" "Who said that? I''m not busy. I have time today." Suddenly, a warm voice echoed from the entrance of the ward.This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org . Grace looked up in surprise and saw Justin wearing an overcoat, standing in the doorway, smiling at her. Daisy nced at his expression, then at Grace, delighted. "Dr. Vance, what do you want for dinner? It''s up to you. Why don''t we go tonight!" she said. Grace intervened hastily and said, "What''s the rush? My dad''s injuries haven''t even healed yet. Let''s go together when he''s better." Justin smiled. "When your dad hast recovered, we should indeed celebrate. But for now, let''s vel.ne celebrate the sess of his surgery first." "No... There''s no need..." Daisy interjected, "Dr. Vance is absolutely right! This asion calls for a celebration of Frederick''s sessful surgery, and a gesture of gratitude towards Dr. Vance for his eagerness to assist. What would you like for dinner tonight? We''ll make a reservation now." Grace attempted to intervene, but unfortunately, her efforts were in vain. Justin grinned and remarked casually, "I''m not particr about food. Anything will suffice." "Great! Grace, why don''t you go ahead and make a reservation now!" Grace scowled and reluctantly took out her cell phone to search for nearby restaurants. With enthusiasm, Daisy pulled a chair closer, saying, "Dr. Vance, please sit here." Justin nodded slightly, walked over to the chair, and took a seat. Daisy seated herself right beside him, wearing a smile, and said, "Dr. Vance, you''ve known Grace for quite some time, haven''t you?" A slight smile yed on Justin''s lips as he looked up at Daisy. "Yeah, it''s true." "I recall you mentioning earlier that you didn''t have a girlfriend, right?" Daisy continued to ask. Grace interjected, annoyed, "That''s enough! That''s his personal matter. Do you think it''s appropriate?" Justin smiled and said, "It''s fine. I don''t mind. You''re right. I truly don''t have a girlfriend." "Considering your family background, have your parents arranged any blind dates for you? Or perhaps there''s someone you fancy?" Daisy asked. Grace was about to lose her temper, fearing Justin might mention her name, so she stepped forward, pulled Justin up, and walked out. Chapter 255 "Justin, I need to talk to you," Grace said, pulling him to the end of the hallway with determination. Justin nced at her, knowing that she was just afraid that he would say something she did not want to hear, so she deliberately brought him here. Amused, Justin asked, "What''s the matter? What do you have to say to me?" Grace actually had nothing to say to him. She smiled awkwardly under Justin''s gaze, feeling a pang of embarrassment. She gathered her thoughts before speaking. "Remember when I asked you about blood types yesterday? It''s actually about me." Justin''s expression turned serious. Grace continued, "I found out I have A-type blood. I might not be my parents'' biological daughter. Or perhaps, my father isn''t who I thought he was, and neither is my mother." Justin frowned. "What do you n to do about it?" Grace reached into her bag and produced two hairs. "I''m going to talk to my dad. That would be great if he''s willing to tell me the truth, but if not, I''ll have to find out on my own." Justin nodded in support. "That sounds like a n." Just then, Daisy came over. Grace quickly gathered the hairs in her hand. "What were you two talking about? Finished already? Let Dr. Vancee in and sit down when you''re finished," Daisy said. "Dr. Vance mentioned he had a meeting this afternoon," Grace replied calmly. Daisy didn''t believe it. She looked at Justin with a smile. "Oh, really? Dr. Vance?" Justin nced at Grace, opting not to make things difficult for her, so he nodded and cooperated. "Yes, I should get going then." "Alright, I''ll let Grace make a call to you tonight," Daisy said as Justin left. "Okay, goodbye." Justin took a deep look at Grace. "I''m leaving now." Back in the ward, Grace deliberately said to go osy, "Mom, why don''t youProperty ? of N?velDrama.Org. hemmey, and make lunch? I''ll stay and keep Dadpany." Daisy yawned, tiredly. "Okay, tell your brother to pick up the foodter. I''ll go back and have a rest." Once Daisy and Carson had left, Frederick started to wake up. His spirits seemed lifted, and he attempted to sit up. Grace adjusted the head of the hospital bed to help him getfortable. Looking at the baby in the stroller, Frederick inquired about the child. Grace provided a brief exnation before changing the subject. "Dad, am I your biological daughter?" Frederick''s brow furrowed and his gaze flickered slightly. "Why do you ask? You''re my daughter, of course." Grace looked at him with a grave expression. Was he nning to deceive her as well? Grace then continued to ask, "Then why do I have A-type blood when you all have B-type blood?" Frederick froze. Grace could tell from his expression that he was hiding something too. "I wasn''t born to Daisy, was I? Did you have me before you married her. was your child from another woman, and that''s why she didn''t treat me well growing up, right?" Frederick furrowed his brow as if struggling to find the words. "I was right, wasn''t I? So who is my mother, and where is she now?" Grace pressed on. Frederick murmured, "She''s dead." Grace didn''t believe that. Given Daisy''s nature, if she were Frederick''s child from another woman, Daisy would have likely confronted Frederick about it more often, rather than consistently avoiding the issue whenever it was brought up. In fact, Grace already had a suspicion that neither Frederick nor Daisy were her real parents. She was simply clinging to a glimmer of hope, wanting to hear the truth from Frederick. Chapter 256 It seemed she was wrong. Seeing that she wasn''t going to press the issue, Frederick hastily changed the subject. "By the way, you gave birth to the child alone. What are you going to do afterward?" Grace nced at the baby. "You don''t have to worry about that. I can raise her alone." Frederick sighed. "You''d better find a man to marry, so you and your daughter have someone to rely on." Grace met his gaze. "Don''t worry about me. Look at your hair. It''s all starting to turn gray." With that, she smoothly walked over and searched for gray hairs on his head. "Dad, you really have a lot more gray hairs. Let me pull them out for you." After saying this, she plucked a few strands from his head and hid them in her palm. Frederick didn''t think much of it and just let her pull out a few hairs. Not long after, the nurse came in to change his medication. Grace left the ward and put the hairs in a ziplock bag. In the afternoon, Grace finally called Justin at Daisy''s repeated urging. They were eating at a restaurant near the hospital. Daisy enthusiastically put food into his te. Grace, fearing Daisy might say something inappropriate, kept asking Justin questions about the hospital, preventing Daisy from interrupting. After dinner, Grace said, "I''m going to send Dr. Vance back. You guys can take Austin back first." Daisy was so angry her face turned gloomy, but she couldn''t make a scene now. She begrudgingly returned to the hospital with the others. Inside the car, Grace handed Justin both her hairs and the Frederick couple''s hairs. "Could you help me do a paternity test with that?" Justin lowered his head and took what she was holding. "Sure." "When can I get the result?"? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. "Come to my hospital the day after tomorrow, and I''ll have it for you." Normally, it would take at least half a month or more to get the result but through Justin''s connections, it would only take two days to get the result. "Didn''t your dad tell you anything?" vel Grace''s eyes were filled with confusion as she nodded. "They''re all concealing my origin, but the more they do, the more I find it strange. Was I trafficked? Or abandoned? After bing a mother, I realized that a child means more to a mother than her own life!" Grace couldn''t hold back her tears. "If I was trafficked, how desperate must my parents have been? If was abandoned, I want to find them and ask why they left me!" S Justin reached for a tissue and gently wiped away her tears. "Okay, I will help you find them." During the two days of waiting for the results, Grace felt utterly lost. Grace went to Justin''s hospital and sat in his office, staring at the two sets of paternity test reports. Her heart sank. She had guessed correctly. She wasn''t Daisy''s daughter, and she wasn''t Frederick''s daughter either. She wasn''t rted to anyone in the Sherman family. Grace snatched the reports and rushed back to the hospital. Frederick was the only one in the ward. She mmed the door behind her and threw the reports onto the bed. "Tell me! Who am I?" Frederick nced at the two reports, his brow furrowed deeply. "Say something!" Grace demanded. Frederick dropped his arms helplessly. "Stop asking! I don''t know who you are either. You were actually found abandoned on the side of the road." So she truly was abandoned? She pressed on and asked, "Then did I have any belongings with me that could prove my identity?" Frederick shook his head. He thought back and said, "But from the bedding wrapped around you, you seemed to be from a wealthy family." Chapter 257 "At that time, you should have been born not long ago, very small, with your umbilical cord still attached. By the way, the clothes you were wearing, which seemed quite expensive, were all kept in the old house," Frederick said. Grace''s gaze brightened slightly. "If you want to go look for them, go ahead," Frederick added. Grace didn''t know what to feel. Was she abandoned? Why would they abandon her if they were from a rich family and raising a child wasn''t difficult for them? Was it because she was a girl? What were their feelings when they abandoned her? Did they feel sorry when they heard her cries? As Grace pondered these questions, tears fell uncontrobly. "I know you''ve suffered a lot in the Sherman family over the years, and your mom always feels that you''re a burden and hasn''t provided you with a good life since you were a child. But I also hope you can understand, our family really doesn''t have much money..." Frederick then said. "Don''t say it. You guys raised me, and I am naturally grateful to you from the bottom of my heart. In the past, I felt that my mom didn''t deserve to be a mother, but now I realize I was wrong. If it weren''t for you guys, maybe I wouldn''t have survived more than a week at all," Grace replied. Grace returned home, dejected. Carson was teasing Austin in the living room. When he saw Grace return, he put down the rattle in his hand. "You''re finally back. I''m exhausted. I''ve tried my best to make this little oneugh, but she''s like her father, cold and out of the ordinary, looking at me as if I were a big fool." Grace couldn''t help but smile at his words. "It''s not as exaggerated as you make it sound." She walked over and picked up Austin, who waved her little hands in excitement at the familiar scent of her mother. "See, that''s the difference between a real mom and an uncle. She doesn''t give the slightest reaction even when I, her dear uncle, barked like a dog or snorted like a pig, but you, her own mother, she''s instantly happy as soon as you hug her." Grace''s expression darkened slightly at the mention of "uncle". She looked at Carson and said, "Carson, thank you for taking care of Austin."Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Carson was taken aback by Grace''s sudden gratitude. "Huh? What''s this all about? It''s a real shocker." Grace cast her gaze downwards, and Carson sensed that something troubled her. "Grace, what''s wrong? Did Brian know about Austin? Are you considering giving the baby up? You can''t do that! She''s my niece and I won''t allow it to happen." S Grace met his eyes with a smile, "What are you thinking?" Even as she chuckled, tears streamed down her cheeks. "Carson, you know what? She''s not really your niece." "Huh? What are you saying?" "Remember when you had leukemia and needed a bone marrow transnt? It was clear I was your sister, but why wasn''t my bone marrow a match?" Bewildered, Carson asked, "What do you mean?" "Because I''m not even your biological sister. I''m not rted to anyone in the Sherman family at all. I was adopted, and no one knows who my birth parents are." S Carson furrowed his brow, finding it preposterous, "Who told you this nonsense? And who said that bone marrow always matches between biological siblings?" Grace produced the paternity test reports. Carson''s eyes widened in disbelief. He was momentarily speechless. Pushing the reports aside, he looked at Grace and said, "It doesn''t matter if there''s no blood rtion between, us. What matters is that I''ve considered you my sister since I can talk. You''ll always be my sister, and Austin will always be my niece." Chapter 258 Grace was deeply moved to tears. Carson was her only light in this family.Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. "By the way, Dad mentioned that he stored all the swaddling clothes I had when he picked me up and put them in the old house. I''d like to go there tomorrow and take a look." Carson frowned. "No, the countryside is too far away. It may not be safe for you to go there alone with Austin. How about this? I''ll apany you to go there together when Dad is discharged from the hospital or when his condition stabilizes." Grace hesitated for a moment. Carson continued, "I understand your feelings, but it''s not urgent. It''s really too dangerous for you to go alone with Austin. The old house hasn''t been inhabited for such a long time, and those paths are probably overgrown with weeds. How can you go there alone?" Grace felt that what he said was reasonable, so she temporarily dismissed the idea. The next day. After Grace finished feeding Austin, she went to the hospital. Daisy was in the ward. When she saw Grace returning, she took her outside and kept asking, "How did it go with Justin? He''s obviously interested in you. Why are you acting like you''re afraid he will take advantage of you?" Grace looked at Daisy''s face and felt that, in that moment, this face she had been looking at for more than twenty years was unfamiliar. After learning that she was not their biological daughter, she suddenly didn''t know how to face Daisy. Daisy saw that Grace didn''t say anything and continued to say, "I''m asking you. What part of Dr. Vance is not good enough for you?" Grace pinched her brows helplessly. "Stop thinking about that. Even if Dr. Vance likes me, his family would never agree with him to marry me." Daisy''s eyes stared. "Don''t you know why his family doesn''t agree? It''s all because you''re having a daughter, aplete burden. Brian has no feelings for you, so why are you keeping his child? Now with a child, you can''t even find a decent man!" Grace frowned. "Mom, what are you talking about?" She couldn''t believe Daisy could say something like that. In Daisy''s eyes, money was always the most important thing. "Am I not right?" Daisy poked her hard in the temple. "Better get Austin to Brian before it''s toote! His family''s loaded, and they won''t mistreat Austin! And make sure they throw in a breakup fee! You can''t just give birth to a child for him for nothing. It wasn''t part of the deal!" Daisy said. Grace then snapped, "If you ever say something like that again, I''ll kill myself! Austin is my whole world!" Grace trembled with anger. Meanwhile, Daisy shot a fierce nce at her. "You''re just an idiot! No wonder Brian dumped you! You stubborn fool! You just wait to spend the rest of your days farming! You worthless thing!" Daisy yelled. Grace wanted to refute her, but she could not bring herself to say it. Eventually, Grace managed to steady her tone and said calmly, "There''s no way I''m giving Austin Brian. And I hope you won''t ever I suggest such a thing again. I can take care of her just fine on my own." Why was she suddenly soposed this time? Daisy sensed an unusualposure in Grace''s response. Normally, Grace would have called her full name and told her to shut up. Fury flickered in Daisy''s eyes as she §Ö narrowed her gaze at Grace. "Your father''s hospital bill is overdue again, so get moving and pay it off! can''t even stand to look at you! Go away!" Grace didn''t say anything and stood up silently. Daisy nced at Grace''s back, surprised by herck of response. Chapter 259 Grace is strange today for some reason,'' Daisy thought. Grace paid the bill and returned to the ward. Daisy was peeling an orange for Frederick. Grace sat down for a while. Listening to Daisy''s conversation with Frederick, she felt more and more like an outsider. No, she was indeed an outsider. In the past, she could me Daisy for not caring about her, but now, she had no right to criticize Daisy. Grace felt terrible and could not stand staying there any longer. At that moment, she heard Daisy''s impatient voice. "Grace! Didn''t you hear me? I asked you to give me the water cup! Are you deaf?" Grace came back to her senses and immediately handed Grace a cup of water. She looked into Daisy''s eyes, only to see that Daisy''s face was filled with disdain. Grace had often seen that expression since she was young. However, today, she suddenly wondered, ''Daisy must hate me very much, right? She probably doesn''t want to see me for even a second.'' She hung her head and clenched her fists. "I''m going back. I''ll pay for Dad''s hospitalization fees. I won''te again." Daisy red at Grace and said furiously, "What did you say? You won''te again? How heartless you are!" Grace said calmly, "I''ll hire a nurse to take care of Dad. Don''t worry." Daisy was stunned. "I just said a few words to you. Are you throwing a tantrum now?" "No. I don''t think you want to see me, so I won''te and be your eyesore in the future. I''m not aggrieved. I have nothing to do at home for the time being, and I''ll cook for Dad every day." With that, Grace left the ward under Daisy''s surprised gaze. Daisy did note back to her senses for a long time. She looked at Frederick and pursed her lips. "Did she take the wrong medicine? Forget it, it''s fine as long as she pays the medical fees." Frederick''s hand that was holding the orange paused for a moment. "Don''t be so aggressive when you talk to Grace. It''s not easy for her to take care of a child alone now. Don''t ask her to pay the hospital fees again." Daisy red at him. "I raised her for athin more than twenty years. Can''t I ask her to pay some medical fees? Isn''t that her duty? So what if she has a child? She insisted on bringing that burden with her! How can you me?" me Frederick frowned. He wanted to say something but hesitated.? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. "She''s just an ingrate. We have to force her! When she has no other way out, she''ll give her child to Brian. I though she would earn some money for us before. However i ne What a waste of her good looks and more than twenty years of efforts from us!" Grace did not bring any benefits to the Sherman family! The more Daisy thought about that, the angrier she became. She said viciously, "If I had known that earlier, I would have sold her back then!" Frederick looked at her in shock. "What nonsense are you talking about? Shut up!" Frederick was still ill. Daisy did not want to argue with him and shut her mouth awkwardly. As soon as Grace returned home, Carson noticed that something was wrong. "Grace, what''s wrong?" Grace shook her head in a daze. "I''m fine. I''ll go buy groceries. Send them to Dadter." Seeing her upset face, Carson was worried about letting her out, so he said, "I''ll go buy some. Stay at home and take care of Austin." Grace looked at him and nodded. "Okay." Chapter 260 After buying groceries, Carson passed by a mall on the way back. When he thought of Austin''s chubby little face, the corners of his lips curled up slightly. He turned the steering wheel and drove into the mall. He went to the third floor, which was filled with maternal and child supplies and children''s toys. He walked into a shop and bought a few sets of pink clothes and dresses, as well as two Barbie dolls. Only then did he walk out with those things in satisfaction. He had just reached the corridor when he saw a couple on the esctor. They were holding hands intimately. Carson narrowed his eyes. It was Brian! The woman beside him should be Brian''s new love. Carson stood and watched them go to the second floor and enter a jewelry shop. Louise tried the ring with a smile on her face, and Brian looked at her gently. Carson subconsciously tightened his grip on the shopping bag. Actually, he did not approve of hiding Austin''s birth from Brian. Brian was Austin''s father and should take responsibility. However, when Carson saw the scene of Brian and Louise being intimate, he felt that Brian was not worthy. In Carson''s heart, Brian no longer had the qualifications to be a father. Carson looked at the watch. It was almost noon. He hurried downstairs and drove back. At noon, there was a traffic jam, and it was raining outside. Through the rearview mirror, he saw a pink Mercedes-Benz behind him. Its driver seemed to be impetuous and was honking the horns desperately.This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org . The driver even stuck her head out of the window and cursed something. Carson only took a nce before looking away and looking ahead calmly. The green light finally lit up, but when Carson started, it turned yellow. At that moment, pedestrians were hurried to cross the road in thest two seconds. Carson had no choice but to step on the brakes again. Unexpectedly, the owner of the pink Mercedes-Benz stepped on the elerator and bumped into Carson''s car. Bang! Carson slumped forward. He frowned and got out of the car. He walked around to the back of the car and saw the huge dent in it. Meanwhile, the culprit was sitting in the car and slowly putting on lipstick. Carson walked forward and knocked on her car window. He said coldly, "Get down!" The woman inside opened the car window. It was Ava! However, Carson had never seen her before and did not recognize her. Ava looked at him contemptuously and sneered. "Why should I? You could have left, but you didn''t. You deserve to be hit! Hurry up and drive aside. I have something to drive do!" Originally, she had secretly followed Louise and Brian out but missed them halfway. She was anxious, yet the road was so congested. There was no umbre in Carson''s car. At that moment, he was in the rain and his hair was wet. He did not want to talk to such an unreasonable person. He took out his phone and took photos of the two cars. Seeing that he was about to call the police, Ava had no choice but to get out of the car with an umbre. "What are you doing? Don''t call the police!" Carson did not want to waste time calling the police. Seeing Ava, he nned to resolve the matter quickly. "It''s fine if you don''t call the police. Justpensate me for the repair fee." Ava seemed to have heard a joke. "Are you kidding me? You were the one who stopped in front and refused to leave. I haven''t even asked you for the repair fee, and you''re already extorting me!" She looked at Carson up and down and sneered. You poor loser! You saw that was driving a luxury car and took the opportunity to ckmail me! You even dare to shout in front of me in a lousy car worth less than ten thousand dors! Do you know who I am?" Chapter 261 Carson''s expression turned cold. "I don''t think you got your driver''s license through a proper way. I''ll tell you onest time. I don''t want to waste time, so I''m trying to solve the problem with you in private. If you''re unwilling, I''ll call the police now. It''s your full responsibility." Ava''s face darkened with anger. "You poor loser! I won''tpensate you! What you can do to me?" Carson took a deep breath and took out his phone to make a call. Ava tried to grab his phone. However, she was too short to reach it. She could only make a scene like a shrew and punch Carson.This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org . Carson''s patience had run out. After hanging up the phone, he grabbed Ava''s wrist with one hand. "You''d better behave yourself! Otherwise, if I sue you for intentional harm, you''ll have to pay more!" Ava was furious and red at him. "Let go, or I''ll sue you for sexual harassment!" Carson let go of her wrist. "I''m afraid no one would want to harass a woman like you even if you were naked!" No one had ever humiliated her like that. Ava was so angry, and her face changed. She pointed at Carson with her trembling hand and said, "You poor bastard! Idiot!" Carson had never seen such an uneducated woman. He could not be bothered to argue with her. Anyway, it was toote to go back now. He waited patiently for the traffic police toe. About ten minutester, the traffic police arrived. Carson''s clothes were almost drenched. Carson was avoiding pedestrians properly, and there was no doubt that Ava had to ept full responsibility for what happened. Ava was indignant and shouted at the traffic police, "Do you know who I am? Have you heard of Brian Francis? I''m his girlfriend!" Hearing her words, Carson narrowed his eyes slightly. "Brian Francis?" "How? Are you afraid? Get lost quickly! Otherwise, I''ll make you suffer!" Carson chuckled. "I saw him buying a ring for a woman just now. Don''t you know? Are you really his girlfriend?" Ava''s face turned ashen out of anger. "Nonsense!" The traffic police said sternly, "Stop arguing here and affecting the traffic! Hurry up andpensate him!" Ava had no choice but to pay Carson 1,000 dors reluctantly. The traffic officer got them to sign. Ava nced at the name "Carson Sherman." She snorted coldly. "As expected, none of those surnamed Sherman are good! One is a slut who seduces men, and the other is a poor loser who specializes in extorting people!" Carson''s gaze turned cold. "What are you mumbling about? Say it out loud if you dare!" Ava rolled her eyes at him in disdain. Without another word, she turned around and got into the car. When Carson returned home, it was past one pm. Grace saw him and asked in surprise, "What happened? Why are you drenched?" "I met a brainless idiot on the way, and car was rear-ended. S was extremely arrogant.", S imed to be Brian''s 9t Grace frowned. "What''s her name?" "Ava." Grace was stunned for a moment and suddenlyughed. "And then? Aren''t you afraid of her?" "How would I? I saw Brian buying a ring for a woman when I was at the mall... Uh, I mean..." Carson realized that he had let it slip, but it was toote. Grace was in a daze. Carson secretly pped his mouth. "Well, I went to the mall to buy Austin a few sets of clothes and some toys." Grace back to her senses and smilehat toys did you buy? She''s still so little. How can Barbie dolls?" Content behel y Chapter 262 Carson heaved a sigh of relief when he saw that there was nothing unusual about Grace''s expression. He said, "Hurry up and cook. Dad hasn''t had lunch yet." Grace nced at him. "It''s already one pm. Isn''t it dinner time to make it and send it to the hospital? Don''t worry. You haven''t been back for a long time, so I ordered some food for him. Keep these for dinner." In the vi of the Adkins family, Louise walked into the living room with Brian on his arm. Ava was talking non-stop about what had happened today in the living room. "It''s so irritating! That damn man ckmailed me! He drove a lousy Santana and asked me for 1,000 dors to repair it!" Marshall took a sip of coffee and nced at Ava. "You were in the wrong. You didn''t maintain a safe distance, so you can''t me him. You should be d that he drives a Santana. If he drives a luxury car, you won''t be able to bear the consequences." Ava was furious. "Am I your daughter? An outsider provoked me! How can you scold me instead?" Louise walked into the living room and heard Avaining. She smiled and asked, "Ava, what''s wrong? Who provoked you? Tell me, I''ll stand up for you." Ava turned her head to look at Louise. The anger in Ava''s eyes increased as she thought, ''Did I need your help?'' She wanted to scold Louise for being hypocritical, but considering that Brian was also there, she suppressed her urge in the end. She said impatiently, "I identally rear-ended a car, and the driver took the opportunity to extort money from me." Louise asked seriously, "Who is it? How dare he ckmail you in broad daylight? We can sue him. I have a friend who is awyer." Ava pouted. "Forget it. It''s only 1,000 dors." "It isn''t a matter of money. If you don''t resist after being extorted, he''ll be more presumptuous. Am I right, Brian?" Brian nodded. He looked at Ava and said calmly, "Do you know his name? If it''s him extorting you, I can get someone to help you with thewsuit." Ava was in a dilemma. She braced herself and said, "His name is Carson Sherman." Brian''s heart skipped a beat. "What? Carson Sherman? How to spell it?" "C-A-R-S-O-N, Carson, and S-H-E-R-M-A-N, Sherman. Brian''s eyes widened a little. Carson was Grace''s younger brother! Marshall thought Brian indeed nned to help Ava with thewsuit by asking so much. He hurriedly said, "Brian, don''t believe her nonsense. She just told me that she was fully responsible for the ident. The traffic police have dealt with it." Brian came back to his senses, looking at Marshall and nodding. "Okay." "Have you bought the ring for today''s trip?" Louise raised her hand happily. "Yes."Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. damond ring shone The huge diamond ring shone brightly under the light, making Ava almost unable to open her eyes. to t belongs to set Marshall was grinning from ear to ear. "Alright! Let''s eat!" Louise held Brian''s hand and walked to the dining table with him. She sat opposite Ava, and during the meal, she picked up food for Brian. They looked so intimate, which caused Ava to be jealous. Ava put down her fork gloomily. "I''m full!" She turned around and went upstairs, her footsteps deliberately loud. Louise took a look. "Is Ava feeling unwell? Should we get a doctor to see her?" Marshall nced at Ava. "Don''t worry about her. It''s all because she''s spoiled." Shannon could not say anything. She ate quickly and went upstairs to see Ava. Chapter 263 Louise wanted to keep Brian staying for a night. She thought of a way and looked at Marshall. "Dad, do you want to drink some wine?" Marshall said with a smile, "Sure. Brian, since you''re also here, let''s drink together." Brian''s hand paused, and he said politely and distantly, "Mr. Adkins, I have to driveter. I can''t drink." "It''s fine. Louise can send you backter," Marshall said. Brian lowered his eyes and turned to Louise. "She''s a girl. How can I trouble her to send me back? Since you want to, I''ll drink with you." "Okay. Louise, go get the wine." Marshall smiled. Louise took a bottle of red wine and filled two sses for them. After dinner, Brian yed chess with Marshall for a while. His phone rang. As he yed chess, he picked it up and said, "Okay, wait for me outside." Louise sat beside Brian and knew his driver had called. It seemed that he was unwilling to stay there for a night. Putting down thest chess, Brian said to Marshall, "Mr. Adkins, my driver has arrived. I''ll send Louise upstairs. See you another day." Marshall smiled. "Okay." Brian sent Louise back to her room. Louise hugged him and said coquettishly, "Brian, it''s already sote. Do you still want to go back tonight?" Brian grabbed her arms and separated her slightly from him. "It''s not appropriate for me to sleep here." Louise bit her lip and said, "My father won''t say anything. After all, the wedding date has been set." Brianughed and asked dotingly, "I don''t have any clothes to change into here. How am I supposed to go to work tomorrow morning?" Louise had guessed that he would refuse her with such an excuse, so she had prepared clothes for him. She looked up into his eyes, saying, ? "I bought clothes for you when returned to the country. I wanted to give them to you as a gift, but I forgot. You can wear them tomorrow." Brian''s hand paused for a moment. He averted his gaze and said indifferently, "There''s a meeting tomorrow morning. The documents I need are all at my home." Louise''s heart sank a little. Brian always had so many reasons why he could not stay. Brian sensed the change in her face and pulled her into his arms. "Alright. Your imagination is running wild again, right?" He held her hand, looking at the rings on his and her fingers. "Look, the ring''s got us together. Are you still afraid I''ll leave you?" Louise lowered her eyes and smiled. "No. I just can''t bear to be separated from you. In the past five months, every day has seemed to be as long as a year for me. It''s not easy for us to meet again, so I always feel it''s unreal." Brian did not say anything but hugged her quietly for a while. "Alright, don''t think too much. Go to bed early." He was so straightforward. What else could Louise say? Sometimes, she thought Brian did not want to touch her. However, the deep affection in his eyes was so real. She looked down at the ring on her finger. In a month and a half, she would be his real wife. By then, he would have to be intimate with her. ***** The next morning, Carson had a fever. When he had breakfast, he felt dizzy. Without eating much, he put down his fork. Grace stopped him and touched his forehead. "You have a fever."Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Carson said nonchntly, "I''ll be fine after a nap. Don''t worry about me." Chapter 264 Grace went to get a thermometer to take Carson''s temperature. It was 101.3 degrees Fahrenheit. She said with a serious expression, "It''s 101.3 degrees Fahrenheit. Do you want to turn into a fool?" Carson covered himself with the nket. "It''s not that exaggerated." "Stay at home and look after Austin. I''ll go buy some medicine for you." Grace could not help but mutter, "Young people nowadays always pursue fashion instead of warmth in terms of clothing. Yesterday, you were drenched in the rain. It would be strange if you didn''t have a fever." Carson rubbed his nose. "You''re more naggy than Mom. How can Austin stand you in the future?" "You''re still in the mood to talk. Looks like you haven''t lost your mind from the fever." Carson felt his eyelids heavy, yet he still forced himself to hold on. "Push Austin to my room." Grace brought Austin to Carson''s room, put on her mask and hat, and went out. It was also raining today. Grace walked across the road with an umbre and turned two corners. She found a pharmacy and bought medicine. When she came out, she bumped into someone. The medicine in her hand fell to the ground. Grace bent down and was about to pick it up when a hand with a diamond ring on it reached out. Grace''s expression changed. She looked up and froze on the spot. It was him! It was Brian! Was that his wedding ring with Louise? Did he buy it yesterday? "Sorry, your medicine." Brian''s cold voice brought Grace back to her senses. Grace suddenly turned around and ran as if she had encountered a ferocious beast. Brian frowned. "Your medicine!" Grace''s figure quickly disappeared around the corner. Brian looked at the medicine in his hand, and a figure shed through his mind.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. He thought, ''The woman at the cinema that day looks like her.'' For some reason, he had a strange feeling in his heart. He felt somewhat familiar with Grace. Grace ran to another pharmacy, bought the medicine, and quickly returned to the apartment. Carson had fallen asleep. Fortunately, Austin was lying quietly in the cart. Grace quickly gave the fever medicine to Carson and asked him to take it and some cold medicine. Carson''s fever subsided less than an hourter. However, he had a fever again and didn''t get better at night. Grace did not dare to go out. It was sote, and she was worried about leaving Austin at home. After el. thinking for a while, she called Justin toe. Justin rushed over with the first aid kit hearing Grace''s description of the symptoms. "The inmmation is a little serious, so the cold medicine won''t work. He has to be given an IV drip." Justin brought the IV with him. He worked until 11 pm before Carson''s temperature returned to normal. Justin had also stayed there. Austin had fallen asleep. Grace cooked some noodles for Justin. Justin seemed to have thought of something as he ate. The corners of his lips curled up slightly. Grace asked, "What''s wrong?" "I suddenly thought of the time when we Seefer City, although short. I could eat day, and it''s blissful." WC Justin stared at Grace. "Grace, do we still have such a chance?" Grace did not know how to answer him. Justin saw her troubled expression and smiled bitterly in his heart. "I''m satisfied to be able to eat the food you cook for me asionally. "If it weren''t for Brian, would you be with me?" Will I?'' Grace had also thought about that. I will,'' she said to herself. However, she said firmly to Justin, "There are no ifs." Justin felt an indescribable pain in his heart. Was Grace not even willing to tell him a lie? "Grace, you are so cruel." Grace took a deep breath and looked out the window. It was still drizzling outside. Chapter 265 After eating the noodles, Justin took the te to the kitchen. Grace walked over and snatched it from his hand. "I''ll wash it." Justin dodged and said, "I''ll stay here tonight and leave after confirming that Carson is fine tomorrow." "But there''s only the sofa in the living room."? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. "It''s okay." Grace stood in the kitchen and watched Justin washing the te and pot. She suddenly felt sorry for him. Justin smiled. "With that guilty look in your eyes, do you think you owe me too much?" He raised his eyebrows and continued, "I have to make it clear first. I will only ept you as appreciation." Grace smiled. "Sleep early. I''ll treat you to lunch tomorrow." "Okay." The next day, Carson''s fever finally subsided. He woke up early in the morning and was full of vigor. Seeing Justin sleeping in the living room, Carson knew Justin hade to treat himst night. He consciously went to the kitchen to prepare breakfast. Grace stewed the soup for Frederick and said to Carson, "The soup is in the pot. Send it to Dadter." Carson saw that she was about to go out. "Where are you going?" "Have lunch with Dr. Vance." Carson stared at her for a while. Suddenly, he stood up and took Austin away from her arms. "I''ll take care of Austin." Grace was about to say something when she heard Carson mutter softly, "Why are you bringing a child on a date?" She was lost for words. Fortunately, Justin was already at the elevator. Grace red at Carson and instructed, "Then take good care of her. I''ll be back soon." "Don''te back." Carson raised his eyebrows. Grace sighed helplessly and closed the door. The elevator door opened, and Justin walked in. He pressed the button for basement one and said softly "It seems that your brother can take care of Austin with@ase now." Grace smiled. "That''s right. When I came back on the first day, he didn''t even dare to move while carrying Austin. "What do you want to eat?" Justin answered with a gentle gaze, "I won''t be picky since you treat me." Grace chose a restaurant that they had been to before. She still wore a hat and mask and disguised herself. They chose a rtively private booth. The dishes were served, and Grace was about to eat when she saw two familiar people walk in. Her expression changed slightly. When did Capern City be so small? Why did they meet everywhere? Fortunately, the position she was sitting in was not easily discovered. The two people chose a table by the window. Grace looked at their movements from a little absent-ming afar Justin noticed her change and followed her gaze. His eyes darkened, and he closed the curtains with a whoosh. "Looking at them will affect your appetite." Grace came back to her senses and nodded. "It does affect my appetite." Even if she couldn''t see them now, she had no appetite. Grace ate absent-mindedly. She hid her emotions well and did not show them in front of Justin. After a short while, she couldn''t eat more. She put down the fork and said, "I''m going to the washroom." She put on her hat and mask and lowered her head on the way. Grace went out of the washroom and stood by the sink in a daze, the cold water running through her hands. A pungent smell of perfume wafted over. Grace sobered up and nced at the mirror, only to see a woman standing behind hear Chapter 266 Grace shivered in fear. Louise narrowed her eyes and cast a suspicious nce at Grace. Grace immediately lowered her head and calmly washed her hands. She took a tissue to wipe them and quickly walked past Louise. Louise suddenly reached out and grabbed Grace''s arm. Grace gasped and stared at Louise with her eyes wide open. Louise narrowed her eyes. Only celebrities would wear a hat and mask in a restaurant. From the clothes Grace was wearing, it was obvious that she was poor. Louise thought there was something wrong, and she reached out to take off Grace''s mask. Grace covered her face subconsciously, but Louise had seen it clearly. Louise grabbed the mask tightly. "It''s you! You followed me and Brian here?" Grace frowned and stretched out her palm. "Give me the mask!" Louise sneered and threw the mask into the trash can. "You!" Louise curled her lips and looked at Grace with her arms crossed. "Are you still not giving up?" As she spoke, she raised her hand. The huge diamond ring shone dazzlingly under the light. "Brian and I are about to get married. You''d better get lost as far as possible!" Louise no longer disguised herself in front of Grace. She thought, ''It isn''t easy for me to be with Brian. I won''t allow her to appear and cause trouble again!'' Grace said coldly, "Miss Adkins, you''re wrong. I''m not interested in the rtionship between him and you. If I had known you woulde to this restaurant, I wouldn''t havee." "Stop talking nonsense! You like Brian, and you followed him and me here. Don''t pretend to be nonchnt." Grace raised her head. "Since you insist on me following you here, het admit, That''s right. I''m here to see Brian, and I''ll go to talk with him now. Are you satisfied?" S Louise would never allow Grace to appear in front of Brian and immediately said, "Stop right there!" Grace looked at her in amusement. "What''s wrong? Miss Adkins, are you afraid that your fianc¨¦ won''t forget about me after seeing me?" Louise was furious. She cursed in her mind, ''When did Grace be so eloquent? Bitch! If I didn''t teach her a lesson, she would not realize that she was an annoying troublemaker!'' Louise raised her hand and was about to p Grace. However, a hand caught her wrist firmly in the air. Louise narrowed her eyes and saw the person. "It''s you?" Justin let go of Louise''s wrist forcefully and pulled Grace behind him to protect her. Louise took two steps back. Justin lowered his head and asked gently, "Are you okay?"This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org . Grace shook her head. "I''m fine." Louise saw the scene and sneered. "Dr. Vance, you''re so magnanimous. You''re even willing to ept a cheap married woman." "Watch your mouth! You''re the dignified daughter of the Adkins family, yet you keep ndering others. Where''s your upbringing?" Justin frowned and continued, "Oh, I forgot. Your mother died young. Perhaps no one taught you to respect others. Don''t worry, Grace would not be angry with a pitiful person like you." Louise took a deep breath, so angry. that her face turned red. "How shameless you are! Do you believe that if I want, Brian will make you suffer in minutes?" Justin smiled. "Anytime. Do you think it''s glorious to rely on men? That''s true. Some women can indeed attract shallow men with their gorgeous appearance." Chapter 267 Louise did not expect Justin to be so sharp-tongued, and her face turned ashen out of rage. She pointed at Justin, her fingers trembling. "You... Very good. I''ll remember you!" At that moment, a deep voice sounded from outside. "Louise? Who are you talking to?" It was Brian! Grace instantly tensed up. She subconsciously touched her face, thinking, ''Louise threw the mask into the trash can. Damn it!'' Just a second before Brian walked in, Justin suddenly pulled Grace closer by the waist and pressed her head against his chest. He whispered, "Don''t be afraid." Brian walked in. Seeing Justin, he frowned. "Why are you here?" Justin smiled. "You should ask your fianc¨¦e about it. Your fianc¨¦e seems to be interested in me and insisted on reminiscing with me." Louise''s eyes widened. "What nonsense are you talking about? Brian, don''t believe his nonsense." Brian''s gaze settled on the woman in Justin''s arms. "This is?" Justin smiled and said, "My wife." Brian narrowed his eyes in disbelief. "Is that so? Dr. Vance, you got married without telling anyone? Since she''s your wife, just introduce her to us. I''ll send a gift to you then." Justin smiled. "I''m sorry, my wife has been allergic to her face recently. When she came to the washroom just now, your fianc¨¦e threw her mask away. She doesn''t want to see anyone now." Louise gritted her teeth and red at Justin. Brian looked sideways at Louise. "Is that so?" Louise nced at the mask in the trash can and whispered, "I didn''t throw it on purpose. The mask was ced by the sink. When I washed my hands, I identally knocked it off." Brian looked at the woman in Justin''s arms and said, "Then I''ll visit you another day, Dr. Vance."? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Justin smiled. "No need. My wife and I are busy. I''m afraid we don''t have time to entertain you, Mr. Brian." Brian was not angry. "It''s fine. I''ll give you a wedding gift." Justin nodded slightly. "I''ll be leaving." Justin carried Grace and walked out of the restaurant without looking back. Brian''s eyes darkened. He turned to Louise and asked, "Who is that woman?" Louise said calmly, "I don''t know her." Brian stared into her eyes for a while. Louise suddenlyughed. "What''s wrong? Don''t you believe what I said? Do you think she is Grace?" Brian shook his head. "No." "Then why do you ask that? Is it important to you who Justin''s wife is? Can''t you forget Grace?" Brian exined patiently, "No, I just asked casually. Don''t mistake me." He chose to believe Louise. In the She said to Justin, "Let''s get afraid. back quickly. . I''m afraid that heet chase after us." "He won''t. Louise is still inside." Grace looked worried. "I think he must De suspecting me all eady Don''te to me for the next few , or Brian may find me." Justin said helplessly, "Alright. I''ll send you back." For the next few days, Grace did not dare O out, afraid that sheet identally bump into Brian would t belongs to After staying at home for several days, she suddenly received an email. It was from Louise. Grace clicked the email suspiciously. Chapter 268 There was only one picture in the email. Justin and a woman were in it. Justin had his arm around the woman''s waist, his gaze gentle. Grace was stunned. Immediately after, Louise sent another email. "After leaving Brian, you want to seduce Justin? Unfortunately, even if he''s just an illegitimate son of the Vance family, his family will never ept a woman like you." Grace read the text and smiled. She was d that Justin was finally willing to pursue another girl. At that moment, Justin called. Grace picked up the phone. Her voice could not help but be a little excited. "Justin." When Justin heard her voice, the corners of his lips curled up slightly. "You seem to be in a good mood. Go out and eat with me." "Okay." Carson was ying aputer game. Seeing Grace pushing the baby carriage and going to take Austin out, he took a sip of Coke and asked, "Grace, where are you going?" Grace answered, "Have a meal with Justin." Hearing that, Carson put down the coke in his hand and stood up. He walked to Grace, and without a word, he snatched Austin from her arms. "Leave Austin at home. I''ll take care of her." Grace knew what he was thinking and smiled helplessly. "Don''t think too much. Justin has a girlfriend." "Huh?" Carson was stunned. Grace showed him the photo. "Don''t make wild guesses in the future. Justin can only be friends with me." Carson blinked. "They''re not married. Everything is possible." He pushed Grace out of the door. "Hurry up and go out." Before closing the door, he even cheered her on. Grace went downstairs and saw Justin''s car parked by the roadside. She walked to the passenger''s seat and saw a woman sitting in the backseat. Her hand paused. A secondter, she turned to the backseat, opened the door, and got into the car. The woman smiled at Grace and nodded slightly. "Hello."Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Her long hair was draped behind her head, with a gentle smile on her face and an elegant aura on her. Justin introduced, "This is my friend, Vivian Greene. She is Grace Sherman I have mentioned before." Grace turned to Vivian, thinking, ''The woman in the photo that Louise sent me should be her.'' She smiled at Vivian. "Hello, my name is Grace Sherman." Vivian said with a smile, "Justin often mentions you to me. He and I were ssmates from elementary school to high school. Since you''re his friend, you''re also my friend. You can call me Vivian." Grace nodded and asked, "Are you ... a teacher?" Vivian looked at her in surprise. "How did you know?" Grace did not expect herself to be right. "Really? I guessed. You seem to be from a literary family." Vivian said, "I''ve been teaching at Mantos, but I have transferred back recently. I want to be closer to home." She was an easygoing person. Unlike Angie''s coldness, she had a peaceful temperament, and it wasfortable to chat with her. Soon, Grace and Vivian befriended each other on WhatsApp. When Vivian was chatting with Grace, she would mention Justin from time to time. Every time she mentioned him, her face seemed to be glowing. Justin also echoed with her gently. Grace did not know how close their rtionship had been. She asked tentatively, "Vivian, you didn''te back just because you wanted to be closer to home, right?" S As she spoke, she winked at Vivian and Justin meaningfully. Chapter 269 Justin paused for a moment, then quickly realized she had misunderstood something. He seemed flustered and hurriedly exined, "Grace, don''t misunderstand. Vivian and I are just friends." Grace was taken aback for a moment, ncing at Vivian. She lowered her gaze slightly, a hint of destion fleeting across her eyes. She could tell that Vivian had feelings for Justin. A momentter, Vivian lifted her head and smiled at Grace. She joked, "Yeah, if we were going to get involved, we would have been together since high school. I still don''t have a boyfriend now, Grace. Do you have any quality single guys around you that you could introduce to me?" Vivian deftly defused the awkwardness. After dinner, Justin escorted Grace home first. Grace waved goodbye to both of them. Vivian asked, "I haven''t been out much since I returned. How about we go singing together next time?" Grace looked a bit hesitant. "Vivian, I''m sorry, but I still have to care for my child." Grace''s words leave Vivian open-mouthed. "Child? What child?" "Didn''t Justin tell you?" Grace exined, "I have a child who is just over a month old. So going to ces like KTV might not be convenient for me." Vivian fell silent for a moment, then nodded slowly. "Okay, then... how about we go shopping together when you''re free next time?" "Okay." "Let''s exchange WhatsApp contacts then. Goodbye," Vivian waved her phone at her. Justin then drove Vivian home. Vivian nced at Justin, her words on the tip of her tongue. In her mind, she reyed the scene from the dinner, where Justin had attentively served her food and Grace''s words Despite Justin''s gentle demeanor towards everyone, Vivian couldn''t shake the feeling that his attitude towards Grace differed. Justin noticed her gaze and turned to her, smiling. "What''s wrong? Is there something on my face?" Vivian leaned her head on her hand, resting her elbow on the window ledge as she looked at him. "Do you... like Grace?" Justin nced at her, a smile in his eyes. He nodded. "Yes." Vivian was slightly taken aback. "But... she has a child." Justin said calmly, "I don''t mind those things, you know it." Vivian felt her breath catch inexplicably. It seemed that loving someone meant epting everything about them.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Justin suddenly sighed. "It''s just a pity that she doesn''t feel the same way about me. She only sees me as a friend." Vivian couldn''t articte the mix of emotions in her heart. She empathized with his feelings because, in a way, she was experiencing something simr herself. ***** After sending the photo to Grace, Louise drove to Brian''s house. While Grace wasn''t currently clinging to Brian, she still worried that one day, Grace might suddenly appear and disrupt her rtionship with him. So, Louise wanted to strengthen the bond between herself and Brian. She nned toe to Brian''s house every day to cook for him. With time, he would naturally invite her to stay with the Francis family. It was the weekend, and Brian was at home. When he received a call from Louise, he went down and waited for her in the living room. Louise entered the kitchen, carrying bags of groceries, ready to cook Seeing n said, "Let me help youve her sweating from th "No need." Louise chuckled, gently pushing him out. "I want you to enjoy the meal I cook myself." Brian chuckled indulgently. "Alright, I''ll wait for you outside then." Chapter 270 Louise brought the final dish to the table, smiling brightly at Brian. She served him soup and helped him with the food. After siping the fish soup, Louise eagerly awaited his response and asked, "How is it?" Brian nodded. "Yes, it''s delicious." Brian suddenly remembered that he hadn''t eaten at home in a long time. Ever since Grace left, he rarely ate alone. Now, sitting here, Brian felt like something was missing. He lowered his head and took another sip of soup, feeling like itcked something. Finally, he understood. It was missing Grace''s unique and delicious touch. Brian''s gaze faltered for a moment. Louise noticed him spacing out and waved her hand in front of him. "Brian, what''s wrong?" Brian shook his head. "Nothing." Louise pursed her lip and suddenly scratched her sleeve. A blister appeared on her fair skin.? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Brian''s eyes shed with concern as he nervously asked, "What happened?" Louise pouted at him. "I identally got burned by oil while frying the fish just now." Brian frowned. "Why didn''t you say so earlier? Are you trying to act tough? His reproachful tone carried a hint of tenderness. Tears welled up in Louise''s eyes. "I wanted to finish cooking... Being able to cook for someone you care about is the greatest happiness." Brian affectionately patted her head. "You silly. Forget it, you shouldn''t cook anymore in the future. Let the servants handle it." Louise shook her head. "No, it''s okay. It''s just a little burn from the oil. I can handle it. I''ll be more careful next time." Brian sighed. "Alright, let''s eat first. After that, I''ll take you to the hospital." "Okay!" Louise nodded vigorously. Brian noticed her trembling hand as she held the fork and sighed. He set down his fork and said, "Let me feed you." Louise felt immense joy in her heart. The small injury she had just received in the kitchen was worth it. Grace returned home to find Carson and Austin missing. Worried, she called Carson, who answered, "I''m at the hospital, processing Dad''s discharge procedures." Grace frowned. "It''s only been a few days. How can he be discharged so soon?" Carson exined helplessly, "Dad doesn''t want to spend money on medical bills. He insists on being discharged against medical advice!" "You guys wait for me; I''ll be there immediately," Grace said hurriedly. Grace quickly arrived at the hospital. Frederick was sitting in a wheelchair while Daisy sat on a bench with a displeased expression. Carson stood to the side, holding Austin. Grace rushed over. "Dad, your injury hasn''t healed yet. How can you be discharged?" Upon seeing her, Daisy stood up abruptly, pointing her finger at Grace and scolding, "You ungrateful wretch! How do you expect your father to stay in the hospital if you don''t pay?" Frederick shouted irritably, "Can you stop making a scene? Staying in the hospital is just a waste of money! Grace has already paid the hospital fees! How much more money do you want to squeeze out of her?" Frederick turned to Grace. "Grace, don''t listen to her nonsense. I can recover from this minor injury at home. It''s not easy for you to take care of the children. Save money wherever you can." "No! You''ve barely saved your leg. How can you be so careless? What if something goes wrong while you''re recovering at home? Do you still want to work and earn money?" Grace eximed. Daisy seized the opportunity. "Are all those pretty words going to help? Quickly give me twenty thousand dors!" Chapter 271 Grace looked troubled. She didn''t have that much money left and hadn''t had any ie for a long time. Daisy could tell from her expression that she couldn''te up with the money. Daisy''s eyes narrowed coldly. "I can see you''re not willing to help at all! Shedding crocodile tears!"This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org . "" "Sis! Brian is here!" At that moment, Carson suddenly interrupted Grace. Grace looked outside and indeed saw Brian walking towards them with Louise. She hastily took Austin from Carson and quickly ducked into an examination room. Meanwhile, Carson warned Daisy, "Mom, you''re not allowed to tell him about Sis and the child!" Daisy red and gave him a disdainful look. "You''re all so useless!" Brian and Louise had entered, and they immediately spotted the members of the Sherman family. Louise looked slightly surprised and turned to Brian. "Brian, aren''t those Grace''s parents?" Brian nodded slightly. "Don''t you want to say hello?" Louise asked. Brian pursed his lips, his brow furrowing slightly. At the same time, Daisy was eyeing him expectantly, wanting to approach and speak with him. Brian decided to ignore her and head upstairs, but Daisy called out. "Mr. Francis." Brian stopped in his tracks. He nced at Louise and said, "You go ahead upstairs. I''ll be there in a moment." Louise nodded understandingly. Grace''s heart raced inside the examination room as she listened to the familiar voices outside. Carson, was getting anxious, fearing she might say something she shouldn''t. He quickly stood before Daisy and said, "My mom just wanted to say hello to you; there''s nothing important. Mr. Francis, you should go upstairs to see your fianc¨¦e." Brian''s gaze darkened. He looked at Frederick''s injured leg and then at Daisy. "What''s going on?" Daisy hurriedly exined, "It''s all because of Grace''s ipetence. Her dad got injured, and now they can''t even afford the hospital expenses. She can''t even pay for his hospitalization." Brian understood who Daisy was. She just wanted money. But she wasn''t going to get the answer she wanted. "Is that so? Then what is she doing? Don''t you know?" Brian said. This time, Carson was the first to respond. "That''s what I want to ask you, too. Where is my sister?" Brian looked into his eyes. "Do you not know where your sister is?" Carson took a deep breath. "Don''t say I don''t know. Even if I do know, I wouldn''t tell you. Would my sister be too scared toe home if it weren''t for you?" Brian didn''t say anything, but the aura around him grew even colder. Fearing Carson might provoke him, Daisy stepped in to smooth things over. "Mr. Francis, don''t listen to Carson''s nonsense. He doesn''t understand anything. It''s not anyone''s fault, either. It''s all becouse Grace is ipetent and can''t afford the hospital fees. Just let Frederick be discharged of his leg worsens, Carson and I will care for things at home." Daisy sighed. Carson rubbed his forehead, wishing he could cover her mouth. Brian Francis suddenly spoke up. "How much?" Daisy immediately responded, "Twenty thousand dors." "Take it to cover the hospital fees. Consider it my debt to Grace," Brian said as he wrote a check and handed it to her. Daisy''s eyes lit up as she eagerly snatched the check from him. Brian turned around and strode upstairs, and Grace watched his retreating figure, feeling a mix of emotions. Chapter 272 Louise was getting her wound treated, with Brian standing by her side, watching as the nurse disinfected her wound. Louise gripped his hand tightly, appearing to be in pain, and let out a sharp intake of breath. Brian stepped forward and looked at the nurse sternly. "Be gentle; she''s in pain!" The nurse trembled slightly. "Sorry, I''ll be more gentle." Louise enjoyed the feeling of being cared for by Brian. However, thinking back to the people she encountered downstairs earlier, she narrowed her eyes slightly. After the nurse left, Louise looked at Brian and asked, "Brian, you were downstairs for quite some time. What did Grace''s parents say to you?" Brian''s gaze darkened slightly, and he casually avoided the topic. "Nothing much just exchanged greetings." Louise nodded thoughtfully. "It seems like something happened with her family. Hasn''t Gracee back yet?" Brian''s gaze paused briefly, and then, after a moment, his tone turned cold and indifferent. "I don''t know." He didn''t want to dwell on the matter and quickly changed the subject. "Once your wound is dressed, let''s get the medication." Downstairs, Grace emerged from the room, carrying her child. Daisy, holding the check, was smiling happily. As Grace approached, reaching out to take the check, Daisy was already on guard, swiftly moving her hand behind her back. Daisy red at her. "This money is for me! Why do you think you can snatch it?" Grace looked at her, feeling overwhelmed. Daisy rolled her eyes and was about to leave when Grace suddenly grabbed her arm. A dull thud echoed as Grace knelt on the ground. "Please! Stop taking his money!" Daisy hesitated momentarily, then gave her a fierce re, gritting her teeth. "You useless fool! If you want to kneel, then stay there!" In Daisy''s eyes, money was everything and she cared little about dignity. "I''ll repay this twenty thousand dors for you. There won''t be a next time," Grace said coldly. Feeling lost, she rose from the ground and rushed out of the hospital. Carson felt helpless about Daisy''sThis content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org . actions but could do nothing now. He looked at Daisy solemnly before finally taking Frederick back to the ward. On the other hand, Daisy went happily to the bank to cash the check. Just as the family dispersed, Louise and Brian came down together. Upon reaching the ground floor, Louise gazed at him tenderly. "Brian, I''ll just use the restroom quickly. Wait for me here, okay?" "Okay." Louise walked into the restroom and overheard two nurses discussing something in the adjacent stall. "The guy just now was handsome! Handsome is an understatement, and he''s so wealthy, too, just whipping out a check like that! I haven''t even seen what a check looks like!" "He''s indeed handsome, but I think that family is embarrassing. Did you see that woman holding the child? She was kneeling, begging her mother not to take his money." "I wonder what rtionship that handsome guy has with their family." The discussion continued behind her, and Louise squinted her eyes. She had a feeling that they must be discussing Brian. She followed suit as she heard the door being pushed open. The two nurses paused momentarily, then lowered their heads and walked past Louise. "Wait a minute," Louise smiled at them. "Earlier, you mentioned a woman holding a child. Who is she?" Chapter 273 The two nurses exchanged a nce, pursed their lips, and remained silent, cautious. Louise''s expression darkened slightly, a hint of sadness flickering as she said, "The man you were discussing just now is my fianc¨¦." The two nurses looked at each other, momentarily speechless. Louise continued, "The patient you were talking about, is theirst name, Sherman?" Seeing that she even knew the patient''sst name, the two nurses no longer remained guarded and looked at her with a hint of sympathy. "They have no direct rtionship with my fianc¨¦. It''s just that their daughter used to work at my fianc¨¦''spany, and they got acquainted that way. My fianc¨¦ is kind-hearted and can''t bear to see others in trouble, so he generously gave them money. Their daughter quit her job almost a year ago, and I knew her before, but then she disappeared without a trace. I''m unsure if the person you were talking about is the same as the one I mentioned." Louise''s sinceritypletely melted the nurses'' guards. One of them said gossipily, "It should be the same person. They''ve been here for some time now. They have a daughter and a son. The one who quit almost a year ago should be her." Louise asked eagerly, "You mentioned she was holding a child. Where did the childe from?" Her gaze was unsettling. Louise realized she was too agitated and exined, "I used to have a good rtionship with her. But suddenly, she lost contact. I want to confirm if she''s back. Are you sure it was his daughter holding the child?" The nurse nodded repeatedly, "Yes, that''s her daughter! She used toe to visit her father often." For Louise, the child was the focus. She pressed on, asking, "And the child?" "The child belongs to her!" Louise was thunderstruck. She had only been abroad for less than half a year, and Grace had already had a child! Louise pondered, ''In other words, Grace was already pregnant when she was with Brian! It was sure the child belonged to Brian! But did he know about the child?'' Louise had been in turmoil. Over the past few days, Brian hadn''t mentioned anything about Grace, seemingly unaware of the child''s existence. Louise finds it strange that Grace hasn''t used the child as an excuse to interact with Brian. Instead, she seemed to have been avoiding him. It had been puzzling indeed. Just then, Brian called. Louise snapped out of her thoughts and absentmindedly walked out of the restroom. Brian held some medicine in his hand, noticing she looked pale. Concerned, he asked, "What''s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?" Louise stared into his eyes for a moment before shaking her head. "I''m fine," she said with a smile, not showing any sign of unease. Louise was unsure if Brian knew about Grace''s situation, so she refrained from acting hastily. Men''s words couldn''t always be trusted, and she couldn''t rule out the possibility that Brian had known about the child and had been supporting them financially. She resolved to investigate the matter herself. Grace returned to the apartment feeling distraught. The child had been crying on the way home, probably hungry, so she hurried to prepare form. However, when she tried to feed the bottle to Austin, she spat it out and continued to wail. Frowning, Grace suddenly realized that something might be wrong with the child.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Chapter 274 Since Austin was born, she had never been sick. Buttely, she didn''t want to drink milk or water. She also never cried except when she was hungry or pooped. So, Austin''s cry scared Grace out of her wits. Sheforted Austin anxiously and subconsciously thought of Justin. Grace took out her phone and looked for Justin''s number. But just as she was about to make the call, she suddenly thought of Vivian. Grace hesitated, then finally called Carson. When Carson heard that Austin was sick, he immediately drove back. Meanwhile, Austin started vomiting after two mouthfuls of milk. She kept vomiting until she had vomited seemingly everything in her stomach. "Honey, please don''t scare Mommy. Mommy will take you to the hospital immediately." Grace looked at the time and felt Carson was almost there. She carried Austin downstairs and waited for him. As Carson''s car arrived, Grace got in. She immediately said, "Don''t go to Justin''s hospital. Go to any other hospital but there!" Carson nced at her from the rearview mirror and silently started the car. He said nothing. Grace was so focused on Austin that she didn''t notice Carson had driven her to the Southside Hospital. When the car stopped, she looked up and frowned. "Why are you taking me here?"? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. "It''s always good to have an acquaintance in the hospital. Why are you deliberately avoiding him anyway?" Carson pursed his lips and took Austin from her. He carried Austin into the hospital quickly. As for Grace, she wasn''t in the mood to talk to him anymore and followed him. After going through the registration and meeting with the doctor, Grace''s heart finally felt quite at ease. "I''ll administer some IV fluids to keep her hydrated and she''ll need to stay here for two days for observation. Don''t worry, intestinal infection happens to a lot of babies. They tend to eat from their hands and pay little attention to hygiene. But their physical function, including their immune system, is still developing. It''s easy for them to get sick." Grace nodded. "Alright, thank you, doctor." After the doctor left, Carson said guiltily, "Grace, I''m sorry. I didn''t notice when Austin ate with her hand today. It''s all my fault." "It''s normal for toddlers to eat with their hands. It has nothing to do with you," Grace looked at him in surprise and said gently. But Carson still med himself. He stayed in the ward and refused to go back. It was already midnight. Seeing Carson hadn''t left, Grace said softly, "Carson, go home. I can look after Austin myself." Carson looked at the sleeping Austin, then Grace before finally nodding. "I''lle back in the morning." "Okay, be careful on your way." After the infusion, Austin stopped vomiting. She drank two mouthfuls of milk and fell asleep again. Grace sighed in relief andy on the bed to sleep for a while. The next morning, Carson bought breakfast and brought Austin a change of clothes and some daily necessities. Grace ate her breakfast and continued to stay by Austin''s bed. The doctor came over and asked about the situation. After observing Austin briefly, he nodded lightly and left to visit another room. The doctor''s gesture sent a good signal, but Grace remained restless. Carson asked her to calm down, but she couldn''t. As expected, Austin''s condition got worse. In the afternoon, she started vomiting milk again. Grace was burning with anxiety and ran to find a doctor. The doctor quickly examined the child and called a nurse. Seeing this, Carson walked out of the ward and called Justin. Meanwhile, Justin was sending Vivian home. Chapter 275 Vivian turned to look at Justin and saw he had picked up the phone. Seeing this, she looked annoyed. After a while, she heard him say, "Okay, I''ll be right there. Just as Vivian was about to ask, Justin said anxiously, "Vivian, 1 live to return to the hospital. Austin is sick." Vivian frowned. She didn''t know who Austin was.Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. "Grace''s daughter. Her name is Austin Sherman," Justin exined when he saw her confusion. Vivian''s frown deepened. "You said you have to return to the hospital. That means Grace had brought Austin to the pediatrics department, right? What can you do there?" Vivian asked in confusion. Justin had already parked the car by the roadside. It seemed he wanted to drop Vivian there and let her go home alone. "I''m worried. Although I''m not a pediatrician and can''t help much, I can at least see what''s wrong with her. Your house is quite far from the hospital, so I''m afraid I''ll have to drop you here. We''ll have dinner another day, okay?" Justin spoke for a long time and didn''t even look at Vivian as he spoke. It was as if he was still there, but his consciousness had already flown to the hospital. Seeing this, Vivian''s heart sank little by little. Justin didn''t ask for her opinion. Instead, he arranged everything and left her alone. Seeing Vivian didn''t respond, Justin turned to look at her. "What''s wrong?" Vivian forced a smile and ced her cold fingers on the door handle. "It''s fine. Be careful when you go back. Don''t drive too "I won''t," Justin replied calmly. Vivian got out of the car. As the car door closed, it drove away at a high speed. It was obvious how impatient Justin was.. Vivian''s eyes looked anxious as she looked at her surroundings. She was dropped in the middle of nowhere, and it was hard to find a taxi. She took out her phone and opened the taxi app. But as expected, there was no taxi nearby. Desperate, she still ced an order and waited on the spot. After waiting quite long. Vivian suddenly saw a middle-aged man walking over. His hooligan appearance made Vivian''s heart skip a beat. No one was around, and she was a little afraid to walk away. Vivian gathered her courage to move while asionally looking back. As expected, the man seemed to follow her. The anxiety in her heart intensified, and she subconsciously quickened her pace. The man could see her fear from her panicked steps and smirked. He was plotting something repulsive as he quickened his pace. Vivian was rmed by the footsteps behind her and ran. She quickly dialed Justin. "Hey, Gorgeous, why are you running away? Chill, I don''t bite!" The man quickly caught up to her and grabbed her cor. Vivian was mortified that her hands were trembling. She shrieked as her phone fell to the ground-Her lips trembled as she asked, "What do you want? Let go of me!" The man smiled creepily and observed the helpless Vivian for a while. Her pitiful look made his heart pound with excitement while arousing his sexual drive. "Since we''re fated to meet, why don''t we y together? Tell me, what would you like to y?" he leaned closer and took a perverted sniff of Vivian''s neck. Vivian smelled the sweat on the man''s body and felt nauseous. "Let go of me, or you''ll regret it!" "You''ll regret even more if you refuse, Beautiful!" he dragged Vivian further from the roadside. Chapter 276 Vivian''s face was pale as she struggled violently. She grabbed the man''s arm and bit it fiercely. The man was in pain, let out a scream, and pped her face. Vivian fell almost unconscious from the p. Meanwhile, the man looked at the teeth marks on his arm and was furious. He raised his hand to tear her clothes, nning to do her immediately.. At that moment, a white car braked to a stop by the roadside. The door opened and Justin was seen rushing out. The man was shocked to see him. Immediately, he threw Vivian aside and ran. Justin quickly looked in the direction where the man ran and then at the dazed Vivian on the ground. He gave up on chasing after him. "Vivian, are you alright?" Vivian came back to her senses. When she saw that the man in front of her was Justin, tears rolled down her face and she threw herself into his arms. "Justin. I''m so scared! I almost almost... Justin, please don''t leave me behind, okay? "I''m sorry, I shouldn''t have dropped you in such a quiet area. Please, stop crying. It''s okay. I won''t leave you again." Vivian burst into tears like a child. But at that moment, she also felt Justin''s warmth. She felt Justin still cared about her. Perhaps he still leaves a little space for me in his heart, she thought. Vivian looked up at him and said with teary eyes, Justin, I like you, I like you so much! When I was almost molested just now, my mind was filled with you. If that man had molested me. I don''t know if I dare to face you. Do you know how much I like you? Let me be your girlfriend, okay?" Justin was stunned on the spot. This sudden confession made him at a loss. But his reaction made Vivian''s tears fall "Are you going to reject me, Justin? Do you know I came back to Capern City for you?" again Justin frowned. Vivian''s sudden confession was burdensome for him. Normally, he would reject her tactfully. But after what had just happened to her, Justin couldn''t bear to give her another emotional baggage. Facing Vivian''s pitiful eyes, he couldn''t bear to break her heart further.This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org . Justin pursed his lips. After a while, he said, "Vivian, can we talk about thister? You''lle with me to the hospital" Vivian bit her lip as a trace of heartache shed across her eyes, and Justin felt even more guilty. If Justin hadn''t left Vivian alone, she wouldn''t have met a creep and almost gotten molested, and he wouldn''t have felt guilty for rejecting her. After all, he couldn''t promise Vivian to be his girlfriend. After getting into the car, Vivian seemed to have lost her soul, but Justin was more concerned about Austin, so he drove fast. Soon, they arrived at the hospital. After entering the hospital, Vivian followed Justin closely. She grabbed his arm with all her might. There was an evident p mark on Vivian''s face, and her clothes looked messy. Coupled with her constant trembling, she looked like a rescued victim of domestic abuse. It was a pitiful sight that made one''s heart ache. Justin had no choice but to let Vivian grab him. As Justin arrived at the pediatric department, he saw Carson in the corridor, looking restless. Noticing Justin''s arrival, he approached and said anxiously, "You''re finally here!" "How is she? Is Austin alright?" Justin broke free from Vivian''s hand as he asked. Vivian was slightly taken aback. Her heart twitched but still followed behind him. In the ward, Grace was sitting next to Austin''s bed. She held her small hand and put it close to her mouth. Grace''s eyes were wet and slightly swollen from crying. Chapter 277 277 "Sorry. I''mte" Justin''s heart ached when he saw Grace''s expression. Hearing his self-reproachful tone. Vivian''s heart sank to the bottom Grace had already been looking after her sick child. Meanwhile. Justin came half an hourte, yet he med himself and felt guilty. Just how important is Grace to him? Vivian subconsciously tightened her fingers. At that moment, Carson asked in confusion, "Pardon, but, may know who you are?" Vivian returned to her senses and tried to cover up her disappointment. She answered gently, "I''m Justin''s friend. I''ve seen Grace before. You are? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. "I see, my name is Carson, and Grace is my sister." Carson smiled shyly and reached out to shake her hand. Vivian nodded slowly. She looked at Carson, but her disappointment kept her from shaking hands with Carson for a while. Carson scratched his head awkwardly while withdrawing his hand. "Please, don''t get the wrong idea, I''m just trying to be polite. "No, I''m sorry! I didn''t mean to ignore you." Vivian realized she was ignoring him and lowered her head in embarrassment Would you like to sit for a while?" Carson''s smile remained. Vivian ignored Carson''s offer and slowly walked into the ward. Coincidentally, Justin wasforting Grace as if he was coaxing a child. His gentle tone and words were like a sharp knife slicing Vivian''s heart. Grace looked up and saw Vivian standing near Carson. "Vivian, why are you here?" as she spoke, she looked at Justin and thought she was there because of him. So, she smiled and said, "You must be here for Justin, right?" Justin exined while ignoring the fact about Vivian''s incident. "No, I was just sending her home, but Carson called and told me about Austin''s condition. So, I brought her here." Vivian''s heart ached when she heard Justin''s words. Is he afraid that Grace will misunderstand our rtionship?'' after all, he exined it in a rush. They chatted in the ward for a while. Meanwhile, Justin went to ask the attending doctor about Austin''s condition. After returning to the ward, Justinforted Grace. "Don''t worry. Austin''s immune system is still developing. Once she leaves the hospital, you must pay attention to her milk bottle and prevent her from eating with her hands. That way, Austin won''t have another intestinal infection." Grace listened attentively to his instructions. Seeing her taking his advice, Justin smiled. "I''ll send Vivian home first. I''lle backter." Grace looked at the lonely Vivian and hurriedly said to Justin, "You don''t have to, Carson and I are enough to look after Austin. Besides, it''s alreadyte. Just bring Vivian home and rest early." "I can send her home!" Grace looked at Carson in surprise. He wasn''t someone who would say such polite words. She looked at him suspiciously but couldn''t find something odd about him. When Carson returned from taking Vivian home, Grace asked, "Did you call Justin over?" Carson nodded immediately. Seeing this, Grace scolded him half-whispering, "Carson, you know it''s impossible between me and Justin. Can you stop trying to set us up? Your call this afternoon has disturbed their date, damn it!" Chapter 278 Carson was stunned. "A date?" "That''s right." That Vivian?" Carson was in disbelief. Seeing his stunned expression, Grace narrowed her eyes and asked, "What? Do you Can you like h her?" Carson quickly averted his gaze. "How is that possible?" "Good. She only likes Justin." Grace raised her eyebrows. Carson lowered his head to look at his phone. He seemed to ignore Grace''s warning and kept asking. "Really? How old is she this year? What does she do?" Hearing his words, Grace chuckled. "And you say you don''t like her? Gosh, Carson, I didn''t know you''re into sophisticated girls. Carson blushed and looked embarrassed. He stood up immediately and said, Tm going out to eat!"This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org . Meanwhile, inside Justin''s car, Vivian looked out of the car window in a daze. Justin asionally nced at her as he drove but didn''t try to make a conversation. To be exact, he didn''t know what to say. On the other hand, Vivian''s heart was in a mess. She regretted confessing that afternoon. Justin didn''t explicitly reject her confession and said he would talk about itter. But Vivian no longer had any interest in the matter. She was afraid. Afraid to hear the rejection directly. In addition, Vivian was also desperate to ask if Justin would ept Austin if he liked Grace so much. The way she saw it, his family would never agree to it. But she was curious to see if Justin would go against his family for Grace. Vivian knew Justin''s personality. Although he had a gentle personality, Justin would be an unstoppable force once he set his mind on something Justin''s car stopped. Vivian unbuckled her seatbelt in silence before preparing to leave. "Vivian," Justin suddenly called her. Vivian''s body trembled as she hurriedly opened the car door. However, Justin grabbed her wrist. "What time does s your ss end tomorrow?" "My schedule''s pretty packed tomorrow. Maybe around ten in the evening?" Vivian said. "I''m sorry, I didn''t consider everything today and got you into trouble. Let me know if you have a free time in the future. I''ll pick you up, Justin offered. Vivian suddenly turned to look at him. Her eyes flickered with light Seeing this, Justin pursed his lips and said, "Today... "Today is gettingte, Justin!" Vivian realized what he was about to say and hurriedly interrupted. Tll go home and rest. If there''s anything else you want to talk about, I''ll try to make some time, okay?" with that, Vivian left the car. She didn''t want to hear him reject her. Justin watched as she disappeared. He took out his phone and opened the chatbox between him and Vivian. He wanted to send something but gave up and drove away. Justin drove back to the hospital. As he arrived, Austin was already asleep. Meanwhile, Grace was sleeping beside her bed. 48 The night was quite cold. Seeing Vivian''s shoulders were slightly lunched, Justin frowned. He removed his coat, walked in quietly, and covered her body with it Grace struggled to sleep welltely, and Justin''s slight movement woke her up. She rub Immediately. Grace asked in surprise. "Why are you back?" her eyes and saw his figure. Justin stroked her hair and said gently. "Tm worried about you being alone, so I came back to take a look" "Justin, thank you for your effort, but you can go back. I can take good care of Austin alone. Also, I''ll try not to trouble you with my problems in the future. Grace pursed her lips. "What''s wrong with you today?" Justin frowned. Grace took off Justin''s coat and handed it back to him. "Justin, I''ll affect your life, and in a bad way," 0 48%D Chapter 279 "I think you''ve misunderstood. Do you think something is going on between me and Vivian?" "It''s not... "Nothing is going on between me and Vivian. She''s my ssmate. It''s that simple, Justin exined anxiously. He seemed to have thought of something and muttered, "Perhaps I didn''t handle it well. I''ll exin to Vivian tomorrow that we can''t be together." "Justin Vance!" Grace''s voice carried a cold undertone as she rubbed her temples helplessly. Then, she added, "We can''t be together!" To Justin, Grace''s words didn''t make him worried. He understood it would take a long time for Grace to fall for him, and he could wait. "People have different thoughts at every stage of their lives. Perhaps you''re determined to tell me that it''s impossible between us. But in the future, as long as you''re willing to let go of Brian, 1 believe you''ll slowly ept me. After all. I don''t think I''ve done anything to deserve your cold treatment." "Justin, you''re an outstanding person, and an outstanding person like you shouldn''t waste your time on a divorced woman with a child: You deserve someone better. Grace sighed helplessly. "Grace, don''t say such things in the future. Being a single mom isn''t something to be ashamed about. In my eyes, you''re already the best version of yourself." Grace knew it was useless no matter what she said. So, she nodded. "Thank you, Justin. Anyway, it''s gettingte. You should go home." Austin was in high spirits the next day. It was all thanks to Justin''s special call to the hospital''s pediatric department. They quickly administered some top medicines to her. With her condition improved, the doctor said Austin was good to go home. So, before bringing her home, Grace went through the administrative procedures. As Grace gol out of the hospital, she got a call from Daisy. Immediately, Daisy scolded, "Where have you been these past few days? You said you wanted to deliver food to your father, but in the end, you never showed up at our front door. If you don''t want to care for your father, say it! Or if you''re toozy to send food, transfer us some money." Grace pursed her lips and exined calmly, "Austin has been sicktely, so I don''t have time to deliver food. Besides, I don''t have any intention of taking care of Dad. Look, I''m very grateful to you for raising me, so don''t worry, I''ll return the favor." Daisy was stunned "You so you know?" "Yes, I know, Dad already told me, and I''m grateful to you for looking after me." "Forget it, I don''t need your gratitude. Those words are nothing but bullshit! If you''re truly grateful, you better send me 10 thousand dors monthly. That''s how you properly return the favor." Daisy snorted. Hearing Daisy''s demand, Grace frowned. She knew Daisy''s purpose wasn''t just to scold her. As expected, she began demanding an absurd amount of money. "Now send me four thousand dors!" "I don''t have that kind of money."Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. "If you don''t have that kind of money, figure it out yourself! You''re a grown woman." Grace took a deep breath and asked, "Didn''t you just take money from Brian? I remember you took twenty thousand dors. Don''t tell me you''ve used it all up" 000 Daisy was shocked and speechless. It turned ou Chapter 280 280 "Grace! Since you''ve learned about your background, I don''t need to holl back. Let me tell you, if you refuse to send me money. I''ll tell Brian where you and your child currently are!" Grace was so angry that her fingers started trembling. "How dare you threaten me!" "Why wouldn''t I raised you so that you can look after me! If you''re unwilling to send me money, don''t me me for disregarding our mother-daughter rtionship." Grace couldn''t help but sneer in her heart. ''Rtionship? There has never been a mother-daughter rtionship between us, B*tch! Grace admitted she was grateful to Daisy and Frederick for raising her, but Daisy shouldn''t spend money sovishly. Each day, her gambling problem was getting worse. If her addiction continued, no matter how much money Grace gave, it would never be enough. It would also implicate Frederick''s treatment. However, if Grace disobeyed Daisy, she would have to face Brian Helpless, Grace had no choice but to agree to her request. Daisy hung up after Grace promised her to transfer the money within a week. Sending Daisy money was an ineffective move. In addition, Grace doubted that Daisy could keep her promise. So, the only way to stop this was to change her address. Grace wasn''t ready to face Brian. During dinner that night, Grace told Carson that she wanted to move. Carson raised his head and looked at her. "Why do you want to move? Do you think I haven''t taken good care of Austin?" What are you thinking about? Of course not!" Grace smiled helplessly. "Mom called today. She probably has wasted all the money she tookst time and threatened to tell Brian my location if I don''t send her money. She didn''t seem to be bluffing" "Leave her alone and don''t give her any more money. You''ve given her enough for the past three years!" Grace shook her head and changed the subject. "Can you help me find a ce for rent? I think I''ll move out for a while."? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Carson was silent for a moment, then rolled his eyes before nodding. "Fine." After dinner, Grace asked him about his work. Carson was typing on his phone while answering calmly, "Recently, a partner suddenly withdrew his investment. But this afternoon, he went back to reinvest, so we rejected him. His reason to withdraw doesn''t make any sense, at the same time, he was texting Justin [Carson: My sister is moving. Do you have any good rent rmendations?] On the other end, when Justin saw the message, he immediately put down his hands from theputer keyboard and asked. Justin: When? Why did she move?] [Carson: Should be soon..] Carson briefly exined the situation. Upon learning the reason, Justin smiled. He searched online for a ce for rent near his area but didn''t find much. He saw his next-door neighbor put his ce on sale. But he was selling his ce, not renting it. Justin thought briefly and took the initiative to knock on his neighbor''s door. At the same time, Grace suddenly received a message from Vivian. She exchanged a few pleasantries with her and exined why she texted her. [Vivian: I want to move. I want to find a ce closer to the school or at least closer to the subway, but I''m not too familiar with Capem City. You''ve been here for a long time, haven''t you? Do you know if there''s any rent near those areas?] SUL UGT ZU Grace looked at Vivian''s message and hesitated before asking. [Crace: Justin is familiar with Capern City too. Have asking him?] Chapter 281 281 Ever since theirst meeting. Vivian didn''t interact much with Justin. After he sent her home from the hospital, the two of them did not talk much. [Vivian: Doctors are all quite busy, How would they have the time to help me find a house? It''s better not to disturb him.] Vivian''s words made sense, and Grace replied to her message. Grace: You know? I''ve also been looking for a rent, so how about 1 help you look for one? We might even be neighbors!] Vivian felt that Grace was quite kindhearted. She also felt Grace was purposefully avoiding Justin, supporting Vivian''s pursuit of his love. In a daze, Vivian thought she and Grace would probably be best friends without the whole Justin ordeal. Carson found a t for Grace the next day. "It''s in Building 6, Unit 901. Here''s the key. When are you moving? Do you want me to help you move?" Carson seemed satisfied with the ce he had found and said with a smile. But i it Grace frowned and gave him a side-eye. "Do you want me to leave as soon as possible?" "Of course not! I have nothing to do today, so I want to take you to your new ce. But if you don''t want me to take you, you can ask Justin." "No thanks, I still have to bring Austin to the hospital for a checkup today. We''ll go there tomorrow."? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. "Alright! Carson smiled. Grace looked at him in confusion. Why is he happy to see his sister move?'' she could only shake her head helplessly. When Grace brought Austin to the hospital in the afternoon, she met Justin. He seemed to be in a good mood. After he finished his shift, he came over to ask if Grace wanted to have dinner together. But Grace refused. Rejected, Justin didn''t seem to mind. He smiled and nodded. "Alright, why don''t you wait for a while? I''ll take my things and take you home." "No thanks, I still want to go somewhere to buy some things." "That''s okay!" Grace felt there was something odd with Justin''s behavior. It was as if he had picked up a treasure. She took Austin out of the hospital and took a taxi to the ce Carson mentioned. She nned to see if the environment suited Vivian as well The ce Carson found was very close to the subway entrance. It was only 200 yards away and was quite convenient to shop around. Grace was quite satisfied with the ce. Most importantly, it wasn''t far from the hospital. She wouldn''t have to worry if Austin got sick again. Grace went to look for the property owner and asked what kinds of units were currently avable for rent in the building. Thendy politely offered, "There''s a five-bedroom apartment avable. Would you like to consider it!" Grace immediately shook her head. Vivian lived alone. At most, three bedrooms were enough. But thendy said apologetically, Tm sorry, but there''s no other room avable right now." That''s okay, have a nice day!" as Grace smiled and was about to leave, her gaze suddenlynded on a registration book on the table. The words ''Justin Vance'' were written elegantly in it. She thought it might be someone else with the same name, but when she picked up the book and looked at it carefully, it became apparent that it must be The Justin Varice. The room number was written on it, and Grace recalled the room number Carson mentioned earlier. Grace instantly understood something. The ce Carson imed to find was Justin''s work. Moreover, Justin''s behavior at the hospital supported her guess. Grace frowned and walked out of the building with mixed feelings. G BB * 5 48%2 When she got home, she called Vivian. "Vivian, I''ve found a ce. Come and see me when you''re free. I''ll giv Chapter 282 "Hey, when are you moving Carson asked when he saw Grace return Grace looked at him and finally understood why he was so excited for her to move. I she continued to be with Carsin, he would sooner orter sell herself to Justin Although Grace was angry, she held back from telling her most recent discovery She untied her straps and put Austin down Then, she said, "If you''re so eager for me to leave, I won''t bring Austin here anymore Im just afraid you''ll get exhausted if you move your stuff alone Carson smiled awkwardly. Grace thought for a moment and said. "Tomorrow. I''ll call the movingpany "Alright, let me help you pack."Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Grace didn''t reply and went to her room. Meanwhile, Carson called someone. He told the person that Grace would move away the next morning. The next day. Justin walked to the parking lot and waited for Grace toe out. A small truck slowly drove over and stopped not far from the lobby. A smile appeared on his face, but when he saw the truck door open, his smile froze Vivian was wearing sportswear. She jumped out of the truck and spotted Justin. Immediately, she smiled and asked, Justin. are you here to help me move my things?" Justin blinked. He smiled and waved at Vivian, but his smile was a little forced. "Why Vivian, I''m surprised to see you!" Vivian replied. Tve been looking for a rental recently, and Grace kindly helped me find this ce." Justin frowned. Is Grace didn''t intend to move? That can''t be. When Grace first asked Carson to look for a t, she must have wanted to move. I guess she finds out she''ll live near me and offered Vivian instead: It was evident that Grace was unwilling to get close to Justin. Justin realized this and was so suffocated that he couldn''t say a word. Meanwhile, the moving crews were already unloading Vivian''s things and asked which floor she was moving to Vivian noticed Justin''s reaction. She looked down for a second before looking at him with a smile. She said half-jokingly, "What''s wrong! You don''t wee me? Should I move somece else?" Jusun frowned and hurriedly answered. "No, there''s no need." "Then could you please help me move in?" "Uh, sure!" Vivian carried her luggage upstairs and opened the door with her key. The room had been cleaned, and there was no trash in sight. She looked around and was satisfied with the apartment''syout. But she was most excited about the fact that she lived next door to Justin. Justin looked at the room. Three hours ago, he was still cleaning the room and looking forward to Grace moving in. However, it turned out to be someone else. Vivian began to unpack her things, and Justin helped her unpack absent-mindedly. After packing up, Justin told Vivian, TII leave first. Call me if you need anything, okay? Vivian nodded. "Alright, tonight I... forget it! I just moved here and I''m not familiar with the neighborhood yet. Anyway, I don''t have ss tomorrow, so would you like toe here for dinner tonight?" Justin looked at her for a while, but in the end, he didn''t refuse. He returned to his room and took out his phone to look at Grace''s name. After hesitating for a long time, he finally chose to text Carson. Carson was shocked when he learned of the situation. He imme saw the moving trucking and personally took her to the tr "Call her immediately and ask where she''s heading. Perhaps she anxious. Vivian was deliberately avoiding him. Chapter 283 When Carson called, he was met with Grace''s anger. He felt guilty. "I admit that I want to matchmake you and Justin, but I''m doing this for your lifelong happiness. You want Austin to have a father figure, right?" Grace was speechless for a while. Til give Austin a father figure, but it can''t be Justin." "I don''t get it. What''s wrong with Justin? What part of him make you so unhappy?" Carson expressed his confusion. Grace immediately hung up, and Carson closed his eyes in frustration. In Carson''s eyes, Justin was an outstanding person who could satisfy Grace in every way. It was precisely because of this that Carson wanted them to be together. In addition, Justin would never hurt Grace. But on the contrary, Grace had been in The Francis family for three years. She knew public image was a primary need for upper-ss people. So, if she decided to date Justin, she would make him aughingstock of the entire upper-ss circle. After a while, Carson tried to call Grace again. This time, he tactfully didn''t mention Justin. "Alright, I was wrong. Could you send me your address? I need to talk to you face to face." Only then did Grace send her new address to him. Carson went over to help her tidy up her new ce and sighed. "I''m worried about you living so far away alone. Why can''t I stay with you!" "No. As you can see. I live in a t. Where are you going to sleep?? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. T''ll sleep in the living room. There, problem solved!" Grace didn''t try to talk him out of it. Besides, Carson had been living with her for quite some time. He might not be used to being alone all of a sudden. Just as Carson and Grace finished unpacking, a call from Daisy came in. Seeing the caller''s name, Carson said calmly, "Don''t, worry, let me answer her." Grace nodded and returned to her room. Meanwhile, as Carson answered the phone, he heard Daisy''s sharp voice. "Why did you take so long to answer the phone? Where''s my money? It''s been a few days. Can''t youe up with the money right away?" "Mom, it''s me." Daisy was stunned. "Carson?" Upon hearing his voice, Daisy felt inexplicably guilty. However, she realized it might be her only chance to ask Grace for the money. So, the guilt in her heart disappeared almost instantly. She shamelessly asked, "Where''s Grace? I need her on the phone!" Carson tried to be as patient as possible. "Mom, you''ve plundered enough money from her over the years, right? Didn''t she give you enough money while living with The Francis family?" "What do you know? She''s not your biological sister at all, and you''re still siding with her? Whose son are you? If it weren''t for me, she would''ve died from starvation long ago!" "I''ve known about that for a long time, but ask yourself, did you treat her as your daughter after adopting her? In junior high, Grace had to do multiple jobs to support herself, and she seldom used your or dad''s money. Even if she did use your money, she should''ve sent more than enough to return the favor. She owes you nothing!" Daisy was furious. "What spell did she cast on you? How dare you speak up for her. Forget it, I won''t talk to you about this anymore. Tell her that if she can''t give me the money as agreed, I''ll tell Brian her address immediately!" After a brief silence, Daisy added smugly. "You need to know, I didn''t tell Brian immediately because of my mother- daughter rtionship with Grace. Besides, if I revealed her whereabouts to Brian, what''s in it for me? "You''re being unreasonable! If you do this, don''t me me for culting ties with you and Dad Carson was furious, and Daisy was shocked. Just as she was about to curse, Carson had already hung up. Chapter 284 Grace did not go to the hospital for the past two days. She no longer had any hope for Daisy. If Daisy wanted to tell Brian, so be it. Grace was already mentally prepared. The Francis family. Melvin went upstairs and called Brian to eat as Brian was smoking upstairs. After responding, Brian stubbed out the cigarette and suddenly felt that he had lost his appetite. After waiting downstairs for a while and seeing that he did note down, Melvin went upstairs to call him. However, he just said that he had eaten. Melvin looked at the table full of dishes and let out a long sight. Ever since Grace had left, this family had not been in high spirits for a long time. Louise would oftene over some time before, but most of the time, she would just order them around. In the past two days, he had heard that Louise had gone to work at the Francis Group. After that, she had not visited the Francis family again. Looking at the dishes on the table, he had no choice but to finish the food with the servants. At night. Brian woke up from the pain.This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org . He was suffering from insomnia to begin with and only managed to fall asleep at two in the morning. However, after sleeping for less than an hour, he was woken up by a sharp pain. His forehead was dotted in cold sweat as he held his abdomen and frowned deeply. His stomach probably hurt because he had not had dinner. He found the first aid kit and rummaged through it for some medicine which he remembered that he had prepared a long time ago. He always made sure he had medicine as he used to skip meals when he was too busy. However, after searching for a long time, he only saw painkillers and some anti-inmmatory and cold medicine. Only then did he remember that he had not taken any medicine for his stomach for three years. He had been eating regrly ever since Grace came. Coupled with her good culinary skills, he was used to No matter how busy he was, he would try his best to go home for dinner every day. He seemed to have forgotten the pain as he stood there in a daze However, he felt a sharp pain and frowned. He decided to have some painkillers instead. eating her food. The food he ate during the day was tasteless, so he only ate a few mouthfuls to fill his stomach. Now, his stomach was rumbling in hunger. He went into the kitchen to find something to eat. When he opened the fridge, he realized that there were almost no leftovers. He suddenly remembered that he had a habit of not eating leftovers. In the past, the reason why there were even leftovers at GBB. Now that she was gone, the servants naturally followed his habits, He stood in front of the refrigerator and was in a daze again. 407 The image of Grace standing at the kitchen door and eating cold dishes that night suddenly shed through his mind. At the thought of this, the corners of his mouth subconsciously curled up slightly. He suddenly came back to his senses, frowned, and mmed the refrigerator door. Melvin was woken up by themotion in the living room, so he put on his coat and walked out. When he saw Brian, he immediately asked, "Mr. Brian, do you want to eat something? We didn''t keep any of the leftover food after Miss Sherman left. What do you want to eat? I''ll make it for you now." As if hearing her name from Melvin annoyed him, Brian frowned and answered in a deep voice, "There''s no need for that." The painkillers had taken effect. His stomach no longer hurt, and he had no appetite now. He turned around and went upstairs to sleep. When he woke up the next day, his stomach was no longer hurting. Coincidentally, Louise sent a message saying that she had already packed up and was waiting for him to pick her up. He drove to the Adkins family''s residence and picked up Louise to go to thepany together. She stated, "Brian, I haven''t had breakfast." Chapter 285 Brian turned his head to look at the roadside and saw a restaurant. He asked. "How about this ce?" Louise took a look and shook her head. She said. Tm afraid it''s toote to eat at a restaurant now. We''ll bete. Let''s just find a roadside stall and buy some food there." Brian responded. "Okay" When he passed by a street selling breakfast foods, he stepped on the brakes and turned to her. He suggested. Tll go down and buy it for you. What do you want to eat?" "I''m fine with anything you buy. I''m not picky," Louise answered as she smiled sweetly. Brian nodded and got out of the car to buy breakfast. There was a wide variety of breakfast foods being sold there. There were all sorts of breakfast pastries, bagels, sandwiches and more. He did not know what Louise liked to eat, so he bought everything that was sold there. When he finally arrived at the bagel shop, he suddenly caught a glimpse of a slightly familiar figure.? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. He saw a familiar woman in a sweater carrying two bagels and a bowl of dumplings. After paying, she turned around and walked into the crowd. Brian''s gaze trembled. It was Grace! He chased after her without a second thought- The owner of the shop shouted from behind, "Sir! Sir, you haven''t paid yet! He was afraid that Brian would run away, so he grabbed Brian At this moment, Grace turned around and immediately saw Brian She hurriedly turned around and ducked into an alley. Brian looked coldly at the owner of the bagel shop. He threw 20 dors to the owner and chased after Grace as if he was in a hurry. However, with so many people walking on the streets, Grace was nowhere to be seen. Brian pursed his lips tightly and clenched his fists tightly. That person just now resembled Grace a lot He thought, Could it be her? Had she returned to Capern City? However, he immediately dismissed that thought. Since she was so afraid of him, she probably wouldn''t return to Capern City. At this moment, Louise called. She spoke, "Brian? Why aren''t you back yet? The traffic police are rushing us." Brian''s deep gaze was still fixed on the crowd, He responded indifferently into the phone, Tll be right there." Back in the car, he handed a pile of breakfast foods to Louise. 7:09 SUL UGT ZU She asked in surprise. "Why did you buy so much?" "I don''t know what you like to eat, so I just bought everything Ju choose what you like to eat," Brian replied distractedly. She smiled and held the breakfast foods in her hand. Suddenly, the realized that the drinks he had bought had already spilled out. Her eyes darkened slightly as she asked, "Brian, were you running with your breakfast just now? Why have the drinks spilt out?* He looked at her and exined calmly. "I was afraid that you would be hungry, so I ran over." Upon hearing his exnation, Louise smiled and did not say anything else. Louise came to the office with a lot of food. When she walked into the office, she distributed the extra breakfast foods to her colleagues. Her colleagues all knew that she was Brian''s fianc¨¦e. They all said enviously, "Wow! Louise, did Mr. Francis buy all these breakfast foods for you!" She smiled shyly before replying, "Yes, but they''re just street foods. I hope you guys don''t mind it One of her colleagues eximed, "Oh my god, Mr. Francis actually went to the roadside to queue up to buy breakfast for you. I can''t imagine him doing that!" Another colleague added, "Louise, you''re so lucky! Mr. Francis treats you so well!" Louise smiled and said, "It''s nothing. We''re just doing things that normal couples do." "It''s precisely because his identity is different that it''s rare! I really envy you. You must have saved humanity in your previous life!" Chapter 286 Louise listened to her colleagues''pliments and smiled without saying anything. She sat in the chair and thought of the figure she had seen while waiting for Brian this morning. It was Grace, She wasn''t sure if Brian had seen Grace when he bought her breakfast, but the spilled drinks reminded her that he must be hiding something from her. Ever since she found out at the hospital that Grace might have given birth, she had been secretly investigating She found out that Grace had indeed given birth and that child was most likely Brian''s However, she did not know what Brian was thinking. She wanted to get some information from the people around him, but Camren and Melvin were very tight-lipped and would not tell her anything at all. She sensed danger.. from her r screen Not long after he left, she switched off herputer and took a taxi to a restaurant. In the booth, Ava was looking at herself in apact mirror and tidying her hair. When she saw Louiseing over, she put down the mirror and nced at her. She asked, "What''s the matter?" Louise threw the remaining two eggs from breakfast on the table and asked with a smile, "Brian bought these. Do you want to eat them?" Ava nced at the food and denied in disdain. That''s impossible! There''s no way Brian would buy such lowly street food?" "Why not? I wanted to eat it, so he queued up to buy it for me, Louise replied nonchntly as she raised her eyebrows. "Louise Adkins, did you ask me out just to show off these things to me?" Ava''s face darkened. Louise replied, "Of course not. Did you know that Grace Sherman is back at Capern City?" Ava was stunned and looked at Louise. Louise continued, "I''ve been looking into Grace Sherman for a while now. You know that she gave birth to a baby, right?" Ava did not say anything. "Ava, you''re so useless. If I were you, I would make sure that Grace Sherman couldn''t give birth to her baby at all, Louise said with a cold smile, Ava retorted, "At that time, I almost made her lose her baby! If it weren''t for that bastard Justin Vance protecting her, she would not have been able to give birth sessfully!" Ava was very resentful Louise then asked, "Unfortunately, the child is already born. It''s useless to talk about this now. Do you hate her?" Ava replied firmly. "Of course 1 hate her!" GB B "I''m the same as you, so think we should work together. After all, if Grace Sherman snatches Brian away, it won''t be good for either of us" Louise said lightly, her eyes carefully sizing up the movements of the person in front of her. Ava sneered, her eyes filled with arrogance as she questioned, "Why should I work together with you?" "Ava, it''s not that I want to discourage you, but even if Brian doesn''t marry me, he won''t marry you. If I can''t marry him sessfully, the Adkins family won''t have a good life after that. Our family''s business is already going downhill. Humans live for money, right?" Louise exined slowly.Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. She added, Think about the benefits that my marriage to Brian will bring to our family. My dear sister, even you will also benefit from it. Capern City has so many rich and powerful young men. When the timees, you can choose whomever you want. Isn''t that good?" Ava knew that what Louise said made sense, but she was unwilling to ept it. To her, no man couldpare to Brian. Ava then said, "Your words are not enough to convince me!" Louise smiled and suddenly tapped on her phone. Ava''s words rang from the phone.... Chapter 287 287 "At that time, I almost made her love her child! If it weren''t for that bastard Justin Vance protecting her, she would not have given birth sessfully!" Ava''s face turned pale and she mmed the table. She shouted angrily, "How dare you record what I said! Louise Adkins, you''re so despicable!* "I''m despicable? I didn''t do anything outrageous. You, on the other hand, almost caused someone to lose her baby. Tell me, what if this matter gets exposed?" Louise said nonchntly with terrifying smile on her face. Ava red at Louise fiercely, but in the face of Louise''s threat, slie was helpless and could only listen to Louise obediently. She secrete that if she ever got the chance, she would definitely torture that bitch to death. "What do you want me to do?" Ava asked.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Louise''s lips curled into a bright smile as she instructed, "That''s easy. I already know where Grace Sherman lives now. Just ask her out and I''ll make arrangements for everything else." Ava narrowed her eyes and quickly started recording under the table. She asked nonchntly. "Are you nning to kill Grace Sherman?" However, Louise did not fall for it. She lowered his eyes and smiled as she said, "Ava, what are you talking about? Killing someone is illegal. Why would I kill her?" Ava was indignant and continued to ask, "Then, are you nning to kill her child?* Louise''s smile did not diminish as she looked at Ava brightly. "Ava, am I such a vicious person? Why else''s child for no reason?" Would I harm someone Ava gritted her teeth. Just as she was wondering why she could not get anything out of Louise, Louise suddenly stood up. The smile faded from Louise''s face and she looked at Ava coldly. She asked, "Can you take out your phone how?" Ava''s fingers trembled as she stuttered, "Wh... What are you talking about? What phone?" "Are you still ying dumb with me? Ava, if you want to do what I did, you''re not qualified yet. Don''t y such a trick in the future. Louise sneered at her. Ava took out her phone angrily. Louise stated, "Don''t worry. You won''t suffer if you work with me. Don''t you hate her? I''m just giving you a chance to vent your hatred." With that, she left arrogantly. Ava was angry and bitter. Louise was too scary. Forget it. Now that it hase to this, it was better to deal with Grace first. She would deal with Louise in the future. She did not believe that a bad person like Louise would not leave any evidence of her crimes behind. When Grace returned home, she drank arge ss of water to calm herself down. Carson looked at her and asked, "What''s Wrong?" She answered, "I saw Brian. I don''t know if he recognized me, but he almost caught up with me just now." Carson frowned beforeforting he Chapter 288 ? Although Ava was not very smart, she had a vicious mind. Back then, Ava almost caused her to lose her child. She had yet to settle this matter with Ava. Although there was no evidence, she thought that the culprit was most likely Ava! On the other hand, Ava was furious when she heard Grace''s words. She threatened, "What? You don''t even care about your child? You''re in Capern City now. As long as I want to, I can make you kneel and beg for mercy..." Grace felt very annoyed. She hung up on Ava and cklisted her number. Ava looked at the phone in disbelief and cursed. Grace looked at her phone. She did not understand how her number got leaked. This number was not certified, and she had almost never bought anything online, so how did Ava know about it? Had Ava been secretly following her? She had already left and Louise was the one that got together with Brian now. Why couldn''t Ava just let her off? When she thought of this, she started to panic. At that moment, the phone rang again. Grace subconsciously trembled. She looked down and realized that it was just Justin. She patted her chest and answered the phone. She greeted weakly, "Justin." Justin thought that she was sleeping and asked, "Were you sleeping? Am I disturbing you?" She replied, "No. What can I do for you?" He then said, "It''s nothing. I just wanted to ask if you''ve been well recently. How''s Austin doing?" Grace thought of Ava''s call just now. She hesitated for a while before saying absent-mindedly, "We''re fine." Justin immediately sensed that something was wrong and asked, "What''s wrong? Did something happen?" For a moment, Grace wanted to tell him what had just happened, but then she remembered that she had already troubled Justin too much. In the end, she replied firmly into the phone, "No, I''m safe with Carson here. Nothing will happen." Justin was silent for a while. Grace then said, "Justin, I have something I need to do so I''ll hang up first." She hung up before Justin could say anything else. Justin nced at his phone. His intuition told him that Grace was hiding something from him. Hence, he went straight to Grace after work. Grace''s heart skipped a beat when she heard the knock on the door. Her brother had gone to the hospital to take care of Frederick. Now, she was at home alone with Austin. She didn''t order takeout either so who was knocking on the door outside? She picked up a broom and walked behind the door. Her fingers subconsciously tightened around the handle. When she opened the door, she closed her eyes and hit the person hard. As soon as Justin stepped in, he saw a broom smashing down on him. He quickly leaned back and barely dodged it. He called out, "Grace?" Grace heard a familiar voice and opened her eyes. The broom in her hand loosened and fell to the ground.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. She muttered, "Justin... Why are you here..." Justin frowned and said, "You''re still lying to me. Did something happen? Why are you so nervous?" Grace turned around to hide her panic. She exined, "I''m really fine. It''s just that I just moved in and Carson isn''t at home at the moment, so I''m a little more vignt." Justin entered the room and closed the door behind him. He took a few steps forward and grabbed her hand. "Your palms are covered in cold sweat," hemented as he looked down at her palms. She pulled her hand back and was silent for a while. In the end, she told Justin about Ava''s call today where Ava threatened her. Chapter 289 Justin frowned. "It''s Ava again. Don''t worry. I''ll keep an eye on her for the next few days. I won''t let her have de chance hurt you. Don''t go out and see her, understand?" Grace nodded and said, "Yes. I''ve already blocked her phone number In the meantime, Louise just returned home from work and saw Ava sitting on the sofa and eating with her legs crossed Ava didn''t lookdylike at all. Louise rolled her eyes in disgust and walked into the living room. She sat next to Ava and asked casually, "How''s it going?" Ava paused in her eating. She thought about how Grace had hung up on her earlier and was unsure if Grace would be there tomorrow. Ava replied vaguely. "I don''t need you to teach me how to do things. I''ll ask her out."Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Louise nced at her and felt Ava might fail. She knew Ava very well. If Ava had made an appointment with Grace, Ava face would have already shown off with a big smile on her smug Although Louise thought this was the case, she did not say it out loud. She only reminded Ava, "If you can''t ask her out, you can start with her brother, Carson Ava turned to look at her. "Carson?" Seeing her reaction, Louise shook her head in amusement. "Looks like you still don''t know, right? The person you rear-ended that day is Grace''s younger brother. Ava, you''d better put in more effort. Don''t just eat all day long. Ava gritted her teeth. "Watch your mouth. Grace is the biggest threat to you. Of course, you''re the one who cares about investigating her the most. I have no reason to do that." Her words didn''t anger Louise. She shrugged and gave Ava an address. This is her brother''s address, Grace now lives at his ce Ava took the note and casually ced it on the coffee table. She pursed his lips unhappily and said, "Got it." Louise stared at her coldly for a while before turning around and going upstairs. With a bang. Ava threw the thing in her hand to the ground. At this moment, she felt like Louisepletely controlled her. This made her very unhappy. One day, I will make Louise cry and beg me for mercy, Ava thought. She p put the note in her bag and thought for a moment. Then, Ava took out her phone and sent another message to Grace. Grace''s phone rang Justin and Grace looked at it at the same time. Grace picked it up and took a look. It was a message, reading: [Someone wants to harm your child. If you want to know who it is,e to Greenvine Building at four o''clock tomorrow afternoon.] Justin snatched the phone away and quickly deleted the message "Ignore her. There''s something wrong with her. I''ll look for her tomorrow. Grace nodded. She had never thought of paying attention to Av She was just afraid that Ava would find out her address ande looking for her. Then Grace said, "It''s gettingte, you...." 00:48% Actually, at this time, she shaquld ask him to stay for dinner. However, when Grace remembered that she should keep a distance from Justin, she could only ask him to leave now. Justin did not mind and replied, "I''ll leave when Carsones back." Hearing this, Grace felt even more embarrassed. She said awkwardly, "Stay for dinner then. I''ll go cook. Look after the child for me." Grace turned around and walked into the kitchen. Just as she finished cooking, Carson returned. The three of them ate together. After dinner, Justin found an excuse to call Carson out. Justin told Carson everything that had happened earlier. He also reminded Carson to keep an eye on Grace and not let her go out alone. Chapter 290 Carson''s expression froze for a moment before he nodded. "Alright, I understand." The next day.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. The next day, Ava arrived at the restaurant early. She waited in the restaurant for half an hour, but Grace still did show up. Ava looked at the time on her phone. Another ten minutes had passed. She called Grace angrily, only to be told by the mechanical female voice that Grace had blocked her. Ava was so angry that she threw her phone away, "Ouch!" Her phone happened to hit a customer in the leg. "Are you crazy? Don''t you have eyes?" the customer snapped. Ava raised Her head and looked at her irritably. "Watch your words! Do you know who I am? You... Ava''s voice gradually went down because she knew the couple in front of her. The woman should be an inte celebrity, and the man with her was the son of the boss of a famous real estatepany in Capern City. Ava would be a fool to offend the couple. Indeed, in the next moment, the man red at Ava and approached her step by step. "What did you say? So who are you? Some big shot? Tell me, he said. Ava cleared her throat and smiled. "I''m sorry, I didn''t do it on purpose. My phone just slipped. There''s no need to be so hostile, right? Maybe we''ll work together in the future. I''m Ava from Adkins Group." The man snorted. I''ve never heard of this bullshit Adkins Group you said." Ava looked a little embarrassed. Her voice turned cold. "Have you heard of the marital alliance between the Adkins Group and the Francis Group?" The man paused and sized her up. Ava raised her chin. "Brian''s fianc¨¦e, Louise, is your sister?" the man asked. "That''s right, Ava answered. Although the man was displeased, he didn''t want to make things worse, thinking of the Francis family. He didn''t say anything and left with his girlfriend. Ava felt so embarrassed. She felt disgusted to use Louise''s identity to solve the problem. Ava picked up her phone and quickly left the restaurant. Recalling the address Louise had given her yesterday, she took it out and took a look. Then, Ava drove to find Carson. Louise only gave her the name of the residential area and no specific apartment number. Ava could only wait downstairs. Fortunately, Ava''s efforts paid off. After a while, she saw Carsoning over. Ava grabbed a hat and hurriedly got out of the car to follow him. GB Chapter 291 Ava refused to leave, and Carson could not do anything to her. He could only take out his key and open the door. She saw Carson open the door and took the opportunity to rushover. Ava made up her mind and stuck her arm into the gap. Carson paused when he saw her arm between the door and the frame. "Are you crazy?" he asked. Ava took the opportunity to squeeze into his apartment. Then she quickly searched for Grace. Unfortunately, there was no sign of Grace. Ava didn''t even see any women''s shoes or toys for children. Ava frowned and turned to look at Carson. "Where''s your sister? Doesn''t she live with you?" Carson rubbed his temples in frustration. He took two steps forward, grabbed her cor, and threw her out. With a bang, the door mmed shut. Ava shouted at the top of her lungs outside like a shrew. The two neighbors next door were woken up by her. They opened the door and said angrily, "What are you shouting about, you uncouth woman?" Ava was so angry that she ced her hands on her hips. "How dare you call me that? Do you know who I am? You poor bastard!" The middle-aged woman looked at Ava with disdain. "I don''t care who you are. Go away now! Otherwise, I''ll call the security guards to throw you out, "Don''t you dare," Ava cried. Another neighbor also came out and scolded Ava The people living here were all ordinary workers. They did not care about the Adkins Group or the Francis Group. Even though Ava repeatedly emphasized her identity, Carson''s neighbors did not take her seriously. Behind the door, Carson was already calling for security. After a while, two tall middle-aged men came up and chased Ava out. Ava was thrown out of the building by the two security guards. She was stomping her feet and shouting, "A bunch of poor idiots!" There were many elderly people with children downstairs. They all looked at Ava and pointed at her. Ava felt she couldn''t take any more humiliation after what had happened. She could not stay here any longer. Carson came back today to get his clothes. ''Looks like Ava probably doesn''t know Grace already moved out,'' he thought. He was worried that Grace would be in danger, so he packed a few clothes and quickly went out. When Ava returned home, she happened to see Brian''s car parked by the road. She looked over and could see him and Louise making out in the car. Ava had a rough day today while Louise was still happily dating. At the thought of this, Ava clenched her fists in anger. S If not for the fact that Louise had something on her, Ava would not have felt so aggrieved. After Louise got out of the car, she stuck her head into the car. It seemed like she kissed Brian before waving goodbye reluctantly. Ava''s eyes turned red when she saw this.This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org . At this moment, Louise also saw her. She smiled brightly at Ava from afar and walked elegantly into the door of the Adkins''s house. Ava followed her in after parking the car. Louise was already sitting in the living room and having coffee. Louise looked like she was waiting for Ava. Ava stopped in her tracks. For some reason, she felt a sense of dread. She secretly took a deep breath and nned to go upstairs. Unfortunately, Louise stopped her. "Ava,e and sit with me for a while." Louise held a cup of coffee and blew on it leisurely. Ava stopped and walked to her. She knew that Louise was asking why she failed today. C Chapter 292 "She did not reply to my message. However, I saw her brother today, I also went into his ce to take a look. Grace is not living with him." Ava took the initiative to exin. Louise raised her eyebrows. Grace isn''t living with Carson?" "No. The address you gave me was inurate," Ava said. Louise nced at her from the corner of her eyes. "T''m afraid you alerted her, so she moved out in advance, right? Why didn''t you follow Carson? Louise asked. Ava bit her lip. When she thought about being chased out of the building by the security guards today, she felt extremely aggrieved. Ava changed the topic and said, "I think Grace must know that we''re looking for her now so she won''t live with her brother anymore. She will find a reliable backer to protect her. She must be with Justin now." She was very satisfied with her spection. ''Since Justin is so protective of Grace, he would protect her at this time, Ava thought. Louise heaved a sigh of relief. Feeling a little frustrated, she cursed inwardly, ''Idiot!" It had been a day. Ava failed her job and did not even know the whereabouts of Grace. In Louise''s eyes, Ava was simply ipetent. Louise opened her hand and said. "Give me the stuff, I''ll figure it out tomorrow, Ava took out a small ck bag from her handbag and handed it to Louise. Ava asked, "Then what should I do?" She did not believe that Louise would do everything herself. "Wait for my instructions. We''ll wait and see, Louise said calmly Ava nodded. "Okay." At night, Louise tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep. She picked up her phone and called Brian. After chatting for a while, Louise intentionally changed the topic and started talking about Grace. "Brian, I saw someone''s back that day. She looked a little like Grace. Do you think she''s back in Capern City?" Brian paused and asked, "Where?" Louise narrowed her eyes slightly. Brian was absent-minded when he was talking to her just now. Once Grace''s name was mentioned, Brian perked up. In the same calm tone, Louise casually made up an address. Brian was silent for a while before saying calmly, Tm not sure." Louise thought about it and said tentatively, "I don''t think she''s back either, because that woman was wheeling a child at that. time." There was a sudden gasp on the phone. His reaction made Louise almost immediately confirm that Brian knew about the existence of Grace''s child Louise became alert now. Brian? Why are you so quiet?" "Nothing. ''t mention her again. After all, it''s all in the past. Let''s just live our own lives," he answered. Louise nodded and said, "Yeah." "It''s gettingte. Good night," Brian said. "Okay." Then Louise hung up the phone and squeezed it. She knew that Brian would never forget Grace. Louise thought. ''Grace and her child are the greatest threat to me. She had to think of a way to get them out of Brian''s life forever. The next day, Grace received a very strange message from an unknown number.This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. It read. [Do you want to know who you really are?] Grace looked at the message with wide eyes and almost immediately dialed the number. However, she couldn''t get through. Grace hurriedly texted back. [Who are you?] The sender quickly replied, [It doesn''t Chapter 293 Frederick said that he had found Grace by the roadside. That was why Grace thought her parents had abandoned her However, it seemed that the story was not that simple.? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. No matter who this sender was, Grace had to meet him. She hurriedly replied, [Tell me the location] The sender gave her an address. Grace opened the map and searched on her phone. It was a restaurant in the west of the city. It''s a restaurant. There shouldn''t be any danger as people keeping and going Grace thought. The sender had specially instructed her toe alone and not tell anyone. Grace was a little hesitant. However, aware that the sender was in the dark watching her, she decided not to act rashly and agreed. The time was 10:30 a.m. the next day, Saturday. Vivian had no sses to attend on Saturday. Previously, she had wanted to treat Grace to a meal because Grace had helped find her a new ce. However, it was not convenient for Grace to go out with her child, so Vivian came to her home today with a lot of food and clothes for the child. For the entire morning, Grace was distracted. When Vivian talked to her, she couldn''t stay focused. When Grace''s mind wandered for the fifth time, Vivian could not help but ask, "Grace, are you alright?" Grace only came back to her senses after Vivian shouted twice. Her face paled as Grace answered, "I''m... I''m fine." She nced at the time on her phone. It was almost ten o''clock. "Vivian, I''m going out to buy something for Austin. Please help me take care of him with my brother. Grace left in a hurry after saying that. When Carson had juste out of the bathroom, he saw Vivian alone in the living room. He asked, "Vivian, where''s my sister?" "She said she was going out to buy something for Austin," Vivian replied. Carson frowned slightly. He thought for a moment and asked, "Did she say where she would go and what she would buy?" "No." Vivian shook her head. Carson remembered that Ava hade to look for Grace the day before yesterday. He could not help but worry. After thinking for a while, he took out his phone and sent Grace a message. [Where are you going?] Grace quickly replied, [Buy Austin some diapers and baby form from the nearby mall.] Upon reading the message, Carson was relieved. He told her to be careful and focused on taking care of Austin. When Grace took a taxi to the restaurant, it was already 10:25 pm The light in the restaurant was a little dim as if there was a power outage. As soon as she entered, she saw a familiar figure. It was Louise. She was drinking coffee in a booth by the window with a few friends, chatting andughing. Grace pretended not to see her and walked further inside. She sat down on the sofa at the far end. Louise seemed to have seen her and said something to her friends. Then she walked towards Grace. Grace frowned. In an instant, a thought shed across Grace''s mind. "Could that unknown number be Louise''s?'' At the thought of this, Grace looked at her warily. -46% 2 Louise noticed her expression and suddenlyughed. "Why? Don''t you recognize me? Are you waiting for someone here?" The waiter brought over two cups of coffee. Grace nodded slightly and looked at Louise. "Miss Adkins, we''re not familiar with each other, Grace said. Louise smiled nonchntly. "We''re not, but there are some things that I think it''s better to make clear to you. It doesn''t matter if Brian has feelings for you. After all, you''re his ex-wife, and you''ve been staying in Capern City. As Brian''s fianc¨¦e, I''m indeed a little ufortable. Therefore, I hope you can leave Capern City." "As Brian''s fianc¨¦e, I''m indeed a little ufortable about you being in Capern City. It doesn''t matter if Brian has feelings for you. After all, you''re his ex-wife. Therefore, I hope you can leave." 0 Chapter 294 TM Grace smirked sarcastically. "Miss Adkins, are you so worried because you don''t have confidence in yourself Louise tightened her grip on the cup in her hand. "Brian loves me. I just don''t like you. After all, no woman would like to see her boyfriend''s ex moving around her boyfriend" "Your worries are unnecessary. I''m no longer interested in Brian I don''t even want to see him again. If I still had feelings for him, I wouldn''t have hidden away when I saw him in the restaurant that day." Grace picked up the ss of water on the table and took a sip. "I have an appointment. Miss Adkins, if there''s nothing else, please leave. Louise''s gazended on the ss in Grace''s hand. Louise had a vile glint in her eyes and she smiled. "Alright, I''ll believe you for now. If you have any delusions about Brian, you know the consequences. After all, you have nothing. How can youpete with me?" Louise said. Louise left arrogantly and returned to her friends, continuing to chat andugh. Grace felt very unhappy, but when she thought that the mystery of her identity might be revealed soon, she forgot what Louise had said. She checked her wristwatch. It was almost 10:45. Grace waited patiently for a while, but no one came even when she drained the ss. Grace took out her phone and sent a message to the mysterious sender, but she did not receive a reply. Louise and her friends had already left. She p Grace could not sit still anymore. got up and went to the washroom. When she walked to the sink, she suddenly felt a little dizzy. Grace turned on the tap and washed her face with cold water. Her mind was a little clearer. However, just as Grace looked up, she saw two men standing behind her. One of the men was the waiter who had served her coffee.This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. Grace immediately realized that she had been drugged. There was something wrong with the ss of water. She leaned against the sink, trying to stay awake. "What do you want? Who sent you?" The two men smiled. One of them raised his hand and knocked her hard on the shoulder. Grace passed out. The man quickly ced her on his back and carried her out of the restaurant. There was a ck car outside the restaurant In the car, Louise was fiddling with her nails. "Now that she''s unconscious, go and take care of her." Ava looked at Louise and asked, "How... How do you want me to take care of her?" "What do you think?" Louise asked, ncing at Ava Ava gulped. "You want to kill her? I. I can''t. Murder is illegal" "You can do whatever you want, as long as her reputation is ruined," Louise said. 0 5 Her voice was bone-chilling making Ava scared. When Ava opened her mouth to speak, her lips could not help but tremble. "I don''t want to. You''re afraid that she''ll steal Brian from you. Why don''t you take care of her? I''m not going to do it." Louise nced at her slowly and said, "Ava, we''re in the same boat now. Do you think I can get away if something happens to you? Don''t worry. You''re my sister. I won''t harm you. Instead, you''ll benefit a lot. If you help me this time. I''ll make you a shareholder of the Francis Group. Don''t worry, I won''t fight with you for the Adkins family''s assets. In the future, you can have anything you want." Chapter 295 To be one of the shareholders of the Francis Group was quite a tempting condition The shareholders would earn at least hundreds of millions a year. With the shares in the Adkins Group. Ava would be the woman at the top of Caper City. Louise could not help but smile when she saw that Ava was wavering. "Stop hesitating. We can''t dy any longer. Time is limited." With that, she stuffed a piece of paper into her hand. The address was written on it. It was an abandoned factory where no one came around. Ava was still a little afraid. She asked, "Why should I believe that you will fulfill your promise?"This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. Louise chuckled. "Have I ever lied to you? Besides, once 1 marry Brian, 111 be Mrs. Francis. In my eyes, Mrs. Francis''s position is better than the Adkins family''s assets and the Francis Group''s shareholder." She could see that Ava''s heart hadpletely wavered. Hence, she patted her shoulder and got out of the car to leave. Ava started the car and headed to that abandoned factory. At the same time, Carson had not seen Grace for a long time. He felt concerned and made a call to her, but no one picked up. He felt even more uneasy. Grace would not answer the phone only when she was too busy with the child. He saw arge packet of diapers on the shelf in her room and suddenly realized that something had happened. There were still so many diapers left, and almost all the milk powder was stored in boxes, so she was lying when she said that she was going out to buy milk powder and diapers. He immediately called Justin and asked if Grace had looked for him. No, what happened?" Justin was on tenterhooks when Carson told him what had happened. "Go to check the surveince footage immediately. See which direction she took. Call me immediately if there''s any news." "Okay!" Carson hung up the phone and said to Vivian, "Vivian, please take care of Austin. I''ll go out and look for my sister!" Vivian nodded vigorously. "Don''t worry, I''ll take good care of her Ever since she was almost molestedst time, Vivian realized that this world was so dangerous and scary, especially when a girl was alone outside. Carson picked up his coat and car keys and quickly went out. After checking the surveince, he found that Grace had left in a taxi. He memorized the license te number and then sent it to Justin. Justin immediately asked someone to check on the taxi driver. Ten minutester, he contacted the driver''s information and learned the destination of Grace. The two of them arrived at the restaurant almost at the same time. Justin walked into it and exined his intentions. However, to Justin''s surprise, this shop happened to have a power outage after Grace came here. Therefore, they could not find out who she had met. Justin was already burning with anxiety. When the two of them walked out of the restaurant, Carson said, "I think it was Ava! She even came to my apartment to look for my sister before. It must be her!" Justin nced at him. Suddenly, his gaze caught a glimpse of the surveince camera by the roadside. He immediately went to the police station to check the surveince. Sure enough, about ten minutes after Grace arrived at the restaurant, Ava''s figure appeared nearby! However, the camera could not see where she had gone, but it could be seen that she had a car key in her hand. After the policemen heard about the situation, they analyzed the two paths that she might take to drive. 1 Chapter 296 Justin walked out of the police station and took out the map. "If they kidnapped someone, they would go to a less popted jce, Morad Road leads to the airport, but there''s a county ahead of Starlight Lane." Carson suddenly said, "I know where they will go! There''s a factory that has been abandoned for years west of Starlight Lane!" Justin nodded at him. "Let''s go!" Justin and Carson got into the car together. Justin drove at the highest speed and almost ran through red lights. In the factory, with her hands tied behind her back, Grace fell to the ground unconscious. Suddenly, a basin of foul-smelling ice water was thrown at her head. Grace was shocked and woke up. Her vision was blurry and she heard the voices of a few unfamiliar men. "She woke up. WhatThis is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. it should we do?" The man touched his chin and sized her up. Suddenly, he let out an evilugh. "This woman is pretty!" As he spoke, he clicked his tongue and pped the man''s head. "Who the hell let you throw stinky water on her!" Grace breathed weakly and her vision gradually cleared. She looked at the men in front of her and asked, "Who are you? Who asked you toe? The men did not answer her, but the man in the lead walked to her and squatted down. He pushed the wet hair away from her face with his ck-gloved fingers and pinched her face to take a closer look. He seemed to be very satisfied with her appearance, and a wretched smile appeared on his face. Grace tilted her head and dodged. The man stood up and asked the man behind him, "When will they arrive?" " About ten minutes." The man said loudly, "Alright, so let''s do it before theye!" As he spoke, he began to unbuckle his belt. Grace''s face suddenly turned pale and she instinctively retreated "No, I can give you whatever you want! As long as you let me go, I can give you money! A lot of money!" The men ignored her words and asked the other men to strip her clothes. her un She got tied and it was inconvenient to take off her clothes, so the leader said, "Untie her! What''s the point of tying her up? 1 like to see her struggling." Grace resisted violently, but she was no match for the burly men. They pped her hard, and her sight got dazy and blurry, with blood flowing from the corner of her mouth. 1/2 Her hands were held tightly by someone. Another man pulled at her clothes forcefully. She was wearing a pullover sweater, so it was difficult for her to take it off at that moment. The man cursed and said, "Damn it Take off her pants!" Grace felt a chill in her heart. When the hands were ced on the top of her pants, she lowered her head and bumped into them forcefully. The man was knocked back a few steps by her. He covered his head and cried out. At this moment. Grace bore the pain and had just recovered a lile. She used all her strength to break free, In such an urgent situation, one''s potential was always beyond imagination. The men could not hold her down. Grace picked up the bottle on the ground and smashed it against the wall. She aimed the jagged ss tip at her neck and shouted, "Take back!" These burly men did not dare to go forward. "If you dare toe closer, I''ll die here right now. None of you can escape the me! Nobody can!" "Sir, what should we do?" Chapter 297 The man in the lead spat. "I have to take you down!" As he spoke he stepped forward. Seeing the other partying over, Grace made up her mind. She raised the ss high in the air and suddenly stabbed it into her stomach. The man''s eyes widened. He had thought that she was just scaring them. He did not expect her to really dare to kill herself! All the men were stunned, "What? What should we do now? At this moment, someone came in from outside and whispered something into the man''s ear The man buckled his belt. "Cover her eyes!" Grace had already fallen to the ground. Her abdomen was throbbing in pain. A man came over and covered her eyes with a ck cloth. Who ising? They covered my eyes because they were afraid that person would see me. It must be someone I know! Is it Ava? Footsteps approached. The sound was light, but one could tell that it was a woman. When Ava saw the red mess on the ground, she frowned and asked softly, "What''s going on?" "She didn''t cooperate. I was going to teach her a lesson, but this woman stabbed herself!" Grace sneered. "Ava Adkins, I know it''s you! Shouldn''t I see you? You''re so pathetic! You can only live in such a dark ce for the rest of your life!" Ava clenched her fists and walked over silently as if she was very mad that Grace was still stubborn at this point. She went up and gave her two tight ps. Grace''s face was already numb. She spat out a mouthful of blood. "Has anyone ever told you that you''re really stupid? You picked up a knife and stabbed someone wrong. You let your greatest enemy reap the benefits. If I die and you go to jail, it will be Louise''s best day. Do you think you still have a chance to get Brian? Stop dreaming."Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Ava was so angry that she stomped on her fingers. "Ah!" Grace cried out in pain. "I got you, right? Let me tell you, Louise is much more vicious than you think. She won''t let go of anyone who wants Brian. You''re not smart enough to cope with her. She will kill you." Ava was finally angered by her words. She tore off the cloth from her eyes and grabbed her hair tightly. "Fuck! What right do you have to criticize me here? Let me tell you! Even if I kill you here today, nothing will happen to me. As for Louise, that''s between me and her. You should mind your own business." Looking at Grace helplessly lying on the ground at her mercy, Aya felt extremely happy! Grace looked at her coldly, "I told you long ago! I won''t get involved with Brian anymore! Why are you still unwilling to let me go!" "But you''ve already given birth to his child. You''ll be involved with him for the rest of your life. So, you have to die!" o let me go, I''l Grace took a deep breath and said to her in the calmest tone. "Ah, listen to me. As long as you''re 12 definitely leave Caperit City forever with the child. I will forget today''s matter," Ava stared at her for a while as if she was considering her words On second tho Chapter 298 Ava hadpletely lost her thinking. There was only one thought in her mind, and that was, Grace had to die! She stood up and looked at the group of men behind her. "Did you want to do with her just now? Here is your chance now," Grace''s heart sank into the abyss. Justin said to Carson as he drove. "There should be a lot of men. Call the police first and wait outside. I''ll go in and save Grace! Carson was a little worried. "It''s not safe for you to be alone. Let go in together." The car quickly arrived outside the abandoned factory. In order not to alert the enemy, Justin could only park the car far away. After getting out of the car and taking a few steps, he saw two men standing outside the factory. Justin said to Carson, I''ll go over first. Later, take a look around and see if there''s any other ce to go in. Be quiet. Don''t alert the enemy. "Got it!" Justin walked over alone. When the two men at the door saw Justining, they vigntly went forward to stop him. "Who are you?" Justin looked coldly into the factory and said, I want to see Ava Bring me in The two men gave each other a look. In the next second, they quickly attacked, Justin was skilled and a medical student. He was extremely familiar with the bone structure and urately dislocated their arms. The two of themy on the ground and cried out in pain. He rushed in and kicked open the old metal door. Ava was shocked. When she turned around and saw Justin, she subconsciously looked his back. She heaved a sigh of relief when she did not see the police. "You''re so quick. To save your sweetheart?" When Justin saw Grace lying in blood on the ground, his heart skipped a beat. He rushed over and gently picked her up. When he saw the wound on her abdomen, he asked with red eyes. "Who hurt you?" "It''s me. They want to force me." Justin''s eyes almost popped out of their sockets. His gaze was terrifyingly dark afraid. I''m here, I''ll bring you out." but he said in the gentlest tone, "Don''t be. "What a loving scene! You are so affectionate. Unfortunately, you really can''t take her away today! She must stay here. Ava red at the two of them fiercely. "Get him!" Justin gently put down Grace and soon started fighting with these scoundrels. Ava stood at the side and stared at the fierce fight. She clenched her lists tightly. Although Justin was skilled, he was fighting alone. Soon, he was covered in wounds. To end it as soon as possible, Ava took out the dagger and walked towards Grace. 46% +63 When Grace saw hering over, she could not help but shrink back. "Ava, calm down! It is illegal! If you go to jail, your life is over. Ava couldn''t listen to anything anymore. She raised the dagger and stabberl it at Grace''s heart. Grace closed her eyes. The pain did note as expected. Instead, there was a loud bang. A chair mmed into Ava''s wrist and the dagger fell to the ground. Grace and Ava looked up at the same time and saw Carson walking over. Ava quickly picked up the dagger. At that moment, Justin was hit hard by a stick. He knelt on the ground and his abdomen was stabbed into the dagger in Ava''s hand. Justin grunted.? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. SEND Chapter 299 299 Grace gasped and shouted, "Justin!" Ava was scared and unconscious. She finally felt a trace of fear and threw away the dagger in his trembling hands. She shook and said, "It''s not my fault. He bumped into me." Grace got up from the ground and stumbled to Justin. She hugged him and said, "Justin, don''t scare me, please" She looked at the bright red blood flowing out of his abdomen and tears fell uncontrobly. At this moment, Carson saw that Ava wanted to escape and quickly rushed to stop her. A few men immediately went forward to attack Carson, At that moment, a gunshot sounded from the door. Then, a serious voice said, "Don''t move!" Everyone stopped, and Ava was already pale with fear.This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. The policemen quelled the violence soon. Justin was lying in Grace''s arms with the dagger still stuck in his abdomen. He said with difficulty, "Grace, I''m so tired. I really want to sleep. -Grace''s eyes were blurry from crying. She said in an intermittent voice. "No, don''t sleep. Open your eyes and listen to me, okay? I''ll... I''ll take you to the hospital." Justin looked at her and smiled. "It''s so nice. It''s so nice to see you cry for me "You fool.." The policemen quickly carried Justin to the car and sent him to the nearest hospital for treatment. As soon as he got into the car, hepletely lost consciousness and fainted. Grace''s stomach was still bleeding, but her wound was not that deep. When they arrived at the hospital, the doctor also operated on her and removed the remaining ss shards in her abdomen. Carson had been waiting outside the ward. Vivian had been worried. After making a few calls, she finally got through. She hurriedly asked about Justin''s condition. When she heard Carson say that Justin was unconscious and undergoing surgery, she was so frightened that her phone fell to the ground, Vivan had thought of visiting Justin. Carson thought it wasn''t appropriate for her to stay at home and take care of Austin. He could only go home first and let Viviane to the hospital. When Vivian arrived at the hospital, Grace had already woken up. She looked very weak. Her abdomen was still bandaged, but she was still waiting before Justin''s bed. Vivian walked into the room. Grace raised her head with difficulty, Vivian hurriedly went forward to calm her down. "You''re injured. Don''t move." Grace nodded apologetically at her. "Vivian. I''m sorry." ""Sorry for what?" Grace pursed her lips, Justin was injured to save me. I''ve let you worried." Vivian shook her head. "I believe that he will save anyone, not to mention... She paused for a moment, lowered her eyes, and asked again, "Do you want to rest for a while? You''re injured too. Tm fine." Grace looked at Justin on the bed. "I''ll wait here for him to wake up before leaving Vivian didn''t say anything else. She sat down at the side to apany Justin together with her. About two hourster, Justin slowly opened his eyes. His vision was a little blurry. He moved his fingers, Grace sensed that he had woken up and immediately looked up. "You''re awake!" Justin was slightly stunned as if his brain had yet to react. After a moment, he looked nervous and wanted to struggle out of bed. "Are you alright?" He had forgotten that he was injured. This movement made his wound hurt almost being torn apart. Chapter 300 Grace hurriedly pressed his shoulder down. "Don''t move! Your fojuries are worse than mine, and yet you''re still thinking As she spoke, tears began to well up in her eyes. Justin wiped away her tears, heart-wrenching. "Why are you crying? I''m fine. I''m a doctor. It''s a minor injury, and I can treat it myself. He held her chin and gazed at her affectionately. Vivian stood still there, with her eyes slightly reil. He had suffered such a severe injury. But when he woke up, he only cared about Grace. Seeing her in tears, he couldn''t shake off the feeling of heartache in his eyes. Vivian hesitated for a moment before moving forward and saying, "Grace, he''s awake now, and you don''t have to worry. I''ll help you back to the ward. Before Grace could speak. Justin said, "Yes, you''re injured too. Quickly go back and lie down." After sending Grace back, Vivian returned to Justin''s ward. Sitting by the bed and looking at the smile on the corner of his lips, her tears couldn''t help but fall.. Vivian, what''s the matter with you?" Justin was stunned. Vivian looked up at him and cried even harder, For a moment, he was at a loss. "If it were me, would you risk your life to save me?" Justin smiled helplessly. "What nonsense are you talking about? You won''t be kidnapped. But if something were to happen to you. I would risk everything to save you." It''s... it''s different, Vivian murmured. If Grace cried for him, he would feel happy and blissful. But if she cried for him, he would only feel lost. "What did you say?" Justin did not hear her clearly. Vivian wiped her tears and asked, "Do you like Grace so much?" Justin was silent for a long time, but there was a faint smile on the corners of his lips. He looked at Vivian and said, "Yes, I confessed to her long ago. After this incident, I''m even more determined now." Vivian looked at him with heartache. "But you clearly know that she''s a dangerous person. Don''t tell me you really don''t care about your life?" "I like her. Even if this journey is strewn with thorns, I will traverse it." His words were like a sharp knife, tormenting Vivian''s heart. He looked at Vivian''s pale face, covered in tear stains, and said apologetically, I''m sorry. I can''t respond to your feelings." Vivian forced a faint, pale smile. "It''s okay. Who made me like you? When you fall for someone, you''ve already lost, Aren''t you the same!" Nowork avable now. Please check yourwork. She could tell Grace did not have any romantic feelings for him However, she knew that women were emotional creatures. When a man continuously gave a woman warmth, she would slowly melt even if she did not love him initially. Besides, this man was so outstanding, Grace would fall in love wel him someday. Vivian smiled, her eyes flickering with a heart-wrenching glint of brokenness. "It''s actually not bad to be friends with you forever."This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org . Pursing his lips, Justin did not say anything further. "You''re severely injured. I should call your family," Vivian said as she wiped away her tears. "No!" Justin stopped her almost immediately. She froze. "Hmm? Why?" Justin frowned and said softly, "Let''s not blow this matter up first Grace''s end..." If Zachary knew about this, he would definitely investigate this matter. By then, Brian would definitely know about it. He was not afraid of Brian but just didn''t want to cause more trouble. 0 Chapter 301 Seeing him hesitating, Vivian knew he was concerned about Grace again and sighed helplessly. "Justin, you''re really silly." ***** At night, Grace received a call from Carson. Grace heard the crying sound from the other end the moment the call connected. Austin was crying and sounded like she had been crying for a while.. "Grace, Austin seemed to need you to carry her before she fell asleep. When I came back, she was still ying happily. However, she cried non-stop when she was sleepy. I''d better bring her over to see you." Grace felt extremely distressed hearing her cry. However, there were so many bacteria in the hospital. Austin had just recovered from illness recently, and bringing her to the hospital could easily lead to infection. As she could not be discharged from the hospital now, she could only say ruthlessly, "Don''t bring her over. The hospital is not clean. I''m afraid she''ll fall sick again. Let her cry for a while and she''ll sleep when she''s exhausted." Carson hesitated for a while before saying, "Alright." Austin''s face became red from crying. Carson felt very troubled and did his best to coax her. It was not until half an hourter that he sessfully coaxed her to sleep. Grace did not rest much after waking up from the surgery. After hanging up the phone, she was exhausted and fell into a deep sleep. +6 In the interrogation room, Ava, sitting on the chair, shrieked fiercely and wildly. "I didn''t hurt anyone! Why are you arresting me? What evidence do you have to prove that I''m the murderer? You''re just randomly arresting people. Trust me. I can get you fired with one phone call!" She was somewhat scared and could only raise her voice to hide her panic. The superintendent said solemnly, "We''re only doing things ording to thew. When the two victims wake up after the operation, we''ll interrogate them as usual. Please cooperate." Ava clenched her fists. "If you want to interrogate me, I only have one thing to say, and that is, I''m not the one who hurt them!" She spoke eloquently because she was wearing gloves at that time and they had no evidence. They could not convict her solely based on the verbal testimony of Justin and Grace. The superintendent ignored her and continued as usual, asking, You were seen near the Golden Grain Restaurant in the west of the city at 10:36 this morning. What were you doing there?" Ava said irritably, "Why should I tell you!" The superintendent sternly said, "Ava Adkins! I advise you to cooperate with me!" Ava was taken aback and shouted, "I went there for a meal! Why are you shouting? Where''s my phone? Give my phone to ti Bw. - me! I want to make a call!" The superintendent ignored what she said and continued interrogating her ording to procedure. # Ava was on the verge of a breakdown. She covered her head and screamed, "I don''t know! I don''t know anything! Don''t ask me anymore!" Seeing her condition, the superintendent knew he couldn''t get anything out of her for a while. He got up and left, leaving her alone in the interrogation room. When Louise saw the sky getting dark and there was still no news from Ava, she knew she must have failed. She secretly drove over to take a look. As expected, a police cordon had been set up at the scene. At this time, Ava had probably been arrested. Louise was worried that the idiot might betray her, so she made a phone call.This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org . The phone rang. The superintendent picked it up and returned to the interrogation room. "Answer the call. Put it on speaker." Ava immediately picked up the call. As she was afraid that Louise would say something she shouldn''t, she hurriedly said into the phone, "Louise, quickly get Dad to save me. These superintendents locked me up without any valid reason!" Chapter 302 When Louise heard her words, she was silent for a while. With a heavy heart, she said, "Alright, I understand. Which police. station?" "West City Police Station." After hanging up, Ava heaved a sigh of relief. With her father''s help, she would be able to get out of this godforsaken ce very soon. Her face revealed a smile. The superintendent came over and took her phone away. He looked at her through half-closed eyes. "Was that your sister just now?" Ava raised her eyelids, looking at him impatiently. "Yes." "You''re locked up in the police station, but your sister didn''t even ask you why. She just acknowledged you indifferently. Is that normal?" Ava pursed her lips and said calmly, "I don''t have a good rtionship with her. She''s an illegitimate daughter and was only brought backst year. Naturally, we don''t feel much for each other, and she''s not kind enough to care about me." The superintendent didn''t believe what she said. "Would she call you if your rtionship with her isn''t good? Just now, when you picked up the phone, you didn''t give her a chance to speak. You hurriedly told her that you were at the police station. You were clearly afraid she would have said something that she shouldn''t have said." Ava swallowed her saliva hard and curled her fingers nervously. "You guys are so annoying! You need evidence to arrest someone. You don''t even have evidence and you''re making wild guesses about me. A family member finally called me and of course, I have to seize the opportunity to find someone to save me!" "Let me tell you! Even if your familyes to bail you out, you can''t go Out!" Ava snorted. "Don''t be overconfident. Do you know who I am? Forget it. You''re just a nobody. You probably won''t know even if I tell you." After saying that, Ava leaned back in her chair leisurely waiting for Marshall toe and save her. On the other end, Louise put on an anxious expression when she returned home. She said to Marshall, "Dad, something happened to Ava. She seems to have injured someone and has been locked up." Marshall''s eyes widened. "What did you say?! When did this happen?" "Today, but don''t worry. Without evidence, they definitely won''t do anything to her. But she''s a girl. She''ll definitely be afraid to stay in that kind of ce. Hurry up and think of a way." Marshall was angry and yet anxious. He said fiercely, "This wretched girl! She causes trouble for me all day long! If this matter gets out, the reputation of our Adkins family will be tarnished. If only she could be half as obedient as you!" "Don''t say that. Ava, after all, is still so young." Marshall frowned and immediately thought of Brian. "Louise, call Brian about this matter. His social connections are the most extensive. It''s just a matter of a word for Ava toe out." Louise pursed her lips. It would be best if she could hide this matter from Brian. After all, if Brian knew about it, he would definitely know the victim was Grace. Seeing Louise being silent, Marshall asked in doubt, "What''s wrong, Louise?"This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org . She said awkwardly, "Dad,st time, Ava angered Brian repeatedly at the Francis family. It''s not that I don''t want to help, but < 10 77% even if I begged him, he might not help." Marshall frowned. "Dad, I''m sorry. I really didn''t do it on purpose. If you really want to look for Brian, I can call him and beg him, but... this isn''t a good thing. Even if he''s willing to help, he''ll probably have a bad impression on the Adkins family in the future." When she said that, Marshall instantly felt that it made sense. Chapter 303 "Louise, it''s not your fault. Your analysis makes sense. If it''s a good thing, it doesn''t matter if you ask Brian for help. It''s better not to rm him about such family scandals." After saying that, Marshall turned around to make a call asking someone to pull strings. After several calls back and forth, Marshall finally contacted the chief of the West City Police Station. Marshall said, "Chief Lawson, I heard that my youngest daughter, Ava, was arrested by your people for interrogation today. I think there must be a misunderstanding. Can we discuss it and see if you can resolve this matter?" Although Marshall was very tactful, Chief Lawson was a sensible person. There was nothing that could not be resolved with money. After all, Marshall had used his connections to find him and he could not disrespect others. But he did not say it explicitly over the phone and only hinted at him vaguely. "Mr. Adkins, don''t worry. If there''s a misunderstanding, I''ll definitely release her. Let''s go over togetherter to clear up the misunderstanding." Marshall understood what he meant and quickly said, "Okay, I''ll pick you up immediately. As long as my daughter is released, just mention a figure." Chief Lawson smiled and did not say anything. After waiting for an hour or two, Marshall finally arrived. Chief Lawson''s face was full of smiles as he personally led Marshall into the police station. Chief Lawson said to the two superintendents who had just interrogated Ava, "Where''s Ava Adkins? Quickly invite her out." The superintendent was stunned and subconsciously said, "Chief Lawson, we can''t release this person. There are still many things not yet interrogated clearly and she''s not cooperating. We think..." "What do you think?" Chief Lawson interrupted him sternly. "You guys arrested her. Do you all have any evidence?" The two superintendents looked at each other and instantly understood something. It seemed that Ava wasn''t boasting. To be able to make the chief release her, she indeed had some background. "There''s a misunderstanding. I''ve understood it clearly just now. She was just passing by the scene of the incident and didn''t participate in the entire matter. Don''t spout nonsense in the future," Chief Lawson said. The superintendent had no choice but to say, "Alright, I''ll release her immediately."All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. After Ava was released, she stood up proudly and red fiercely at the two people who had interrogated her. When she walked out of the interrogation room, Chief Lawson personally went forward to say, "Miss Adkins, I''m sorry for the inconvenience caused." Ava nced at him and snorted. "The two of them arrested people without any evidence. In my opinion, they''re not fit to be superintendents at all. They should get lost as soon as possible!" The two superintendents'' faces darkened. Chief Lawson nced at the two. Of course, he couldn''t simply dismiss people solely based on her words. Therefore, he smiled awkwardly and changed the topic. "We''ll make a decision when the timees. You''re not injured, are you?" 3 "What do you mean by when the time pushed further. "Who knows what you guys will do when the time "Ava!" Marshall shouted angrily to stop her. "How could you say that? You can''t even manage your own matters, yet you still have the cheek to criticize others. Be polite when you speak to Chief Lawson!" Ava pursed her lips as if she was very aggrieved. She picked up his things angrily and left on her own. Marshall shook hands with Chief Lawson and personally drove him back. Ava remained well-behaved throughout the journey and did not utter a single word. Chapter 304 After sending Chief Lawson home, only the father and daughter were in the car. Only then did Marshall start to reprimand her. "You''re out there all day, what exactly are you doing? How dare you get into fights and hurt people! Do you know how much money I spent to bail you out? A whole of 400 thousand dors! 400 thousand dors! You wasteful brat!" Ava was frustrated. If it weren''t for Louise trying to solve her problems and forcing her to harm Grace, would she have been arrested? Although she strongly disliked Grace, she never once thought of harming her. When she was in the factory, she wasn''t thinking clearly. Now that she had calmed down and thought about it, she felt slightly scared. If either Justin or Grace had died today, even with the Adkins family''s power, they might not have been able to bail her out. Marshall continued resentfully, "How did I end up with a scourge like you who causes trouble all day? Look at your sister. Can''t you be like her?" She couldn''t bear it when he said that. It was fine if he taught her a lesson, but not praising one while belittling the other. He had no idea how malicious his beloved illegitimate daughter could be! "Yes! I''m a scourge! Louise is the apple of your eye! She can make you proud! You''re only good at belittling me all day long! Have you ever considered my feelings? She''s only been back for less than a year. Do you know what kind of person she is? Watch out for she might kill you someday!" If Marshall weren''t driving, he would have pped her twice. He gripped the steering wheel tightly in anger. "You ungrateful child! Ungrateful! Feeling irritated, Ava covered her ears. Marshall looked at her from the rearview mirror. When he saw her stubborn look, he could only sigh helplessly. By the time the car reached the Adkins family residence, Marshall''s anger had subsided significantly. Ava ran into the house as soon as she got out of the car. Shannon was anxiously sitting on the sofa waiting. When she saw Ava return, she rushed over and pulled her, checking her over repeatedly. "Ava, are you injured? Let me take a look." Ava suddenly hugged her. "Mom, I''m so sad. Dad only knows how to scold me all day long... Compared to Shannon, Marshall''s attitude made Ava feel even more indignant. Shannonforted her. Although there were also some words of reprimand, it was the concern and worry more than anything. Marshall came in after parking the car. He looked at the mother and daughter with an intense gaze.This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. "You''re the one who spoils her! I spent 400 thousand dors today. She harmed someone. I heard that the person was sent to the hospital for surgery. I wonder who she offended and how much I''ll have topensate!""" Ava lowered her head and fell silent. "Now, exin clearly to me the cause and consequences of the matter. Why did you kidnap someone? Why did you stab someone with a knife? And what''s the name of the person you stabbed? Which family the person is from?" 3 7% Ava remained silent." At this moment, Louise came down from upstairs and tried to smooth things over. "Dad, Ava just came back. Don''t reprimand her anymore. She must have been scared out of her wits today. "As for thepensation, leave it to me." Ava was disgusted by her words. She was best at acting like a well-behaved girl in front of the elders. She was indeed inferior to Louise in this aspect. Upon hearing her words, Marshall''s anger subsided significantly. "Alright, I''ll leave it to you to handle. I trust you. I''m tired too. Let''s rest early!" Chapter 305 Shannon chatted with Ava for a while before returning to her room. Ava went upstairs. Louise in her room opened the door when she heard the footsteps and smiled at Ava sarcastically. Ava stood still, looking at her coldly. "What are youughing at?" Louise walked up to her side, crossing her arms with disdain in her eyes. "It''s fine that the n didn''t work out but you were actually arrested. You''re unable to aplish anything, but are liable to spoil everything!" Ava''s face darkened out of anger. "You think you''re very capable, do you? Do it yourself! I''m not doing this anymore!" Louise narrowed her eyes and asked in a threatening tone, "Are you sure?" Ava pursed her lips. "Anyway, Grace now knows that I was the one who harmed her. It''s not a big deal to let her know that I was the one who tampered with her pregnancy!" Louise suddenly covered her mouth and chuckled. "What are youughing at?" "Ava, are you really not afraid that Brian will pursue this matter? Also, what do you think Brian will do if he finds out that it was you who drugged him at the hotel back then?" Ava''s eyes widened. "What... What are you talking about?" Louise sneered. "I think you know very well what I''m talking about. Ava, what do you think Brian will do to you if he finds out that you dared to drug him?" Ava felt like a bucket of cold water had been poured over her, her entire body chilling from head to toe. Yes,pared to being interrogated at the police station today, Brian would scare her even more. If Louise were to add fuel to the fire and tell Brian that she had framed Grace back then, she would be dead! Seeing Ava''s face instantly turn pale, Louise smirked satisfactorily. She lowered her head and whispered in Ava''s ear, "Ava, there''s no turning back for you. So, listen to me obediently, understand?" With that, she returned to her room. Ava''s face turned ashen. Back in the room, she clenched her fists tightly, her nails digging into her palms but she was as if not feeling anything. After a while, there was a knock on the door. She heard Louise''s voice. "Ava, open the door. I need to talk to you." Her voice sounded like a poisonous scorpion to Ava, giving her goosebumps. She did not move, but Louise kept knocking on the door and calling out Ava affectionately. She covered her ears, feeling as ufortable as if a venomous snake had crawled onto her neck. She had no choice but to open the door. Louise smiled at her. "Why did you take so long to open the door? Did I disturb your sleep?" "Is there anything else?" Ava pursed her lips tightly, nails digging into the door. Louise pushed her in and closed the door. "Those few men are still useful. Think of a way to get them out." ti BAll rights ? N?velDrama.Org. Ava said sarcastically, "Aren''t you quite capable? Why don''t you get them out?" "Of course, I can''t show up directly. You''re at the scene, not me. But don''t worry, I''ll handle things from behind. You just need to present yourself as a witness, saying they were just involved in an ordinary fight. They''ll probably be detained for about ten days." Ava clenched her fists and gritted her teeth. "Got it. Is there anything else?" "No." Louise yawned. "I''m sleepy. I''m going back to sleep." Ava mmed the door shut. *** Carson received a phone call from Frederick the following morning. Chapter 306 "Carson, what happened to your sister? I heard that she was kidnapped and hospitalized?" Carson was confused and asked, "Dad, where did you get the news fro "Just now, someone came over to negotiate, saying their family had identally hurt your sister and wanted to settle it privately with us. They told us not to make a big deal out of it, and your mother took the opportunity to ask for 160 thousand dors." Carson widened his eyes in surprise and said in a serious tone, "Tell Mom not to touch that money, and quickly return it. We won''t settle this matter privately." "My leg is injured and I can''t even get off to the ground. Your mother has already run out of the hospital after getting the money." Carson took a deep breath. "I understand. I''ll call her." However, the call was not picked up. In the end, Daisy even hung up on him straight away. Carson was furious. After thinking for a while, he took the child to the hospital and told Vivian to take care of her. He then went to the police station. When he went over, he happened to bump into Ava. What surprised him was that Ava was standing inside, looking stunning and radiant, instead of being locked up in the interrogation room.This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. "What happened yesterday was all a misunderstanding. I can testify that there was only victim. It was just a normal fight, with no malicious intent to harm." friction between them and the Carson rushed up angrily. "You''re talking nonsense! It was you who kidnapped my sister. The Adkins family has money and power, and they can get you out. But now you dare tomit perjury and release those few inside. Is there still no rule ofw?" Carson was soon controlled by a few superintendents. "Mr. Sherman, calm down. We''ve investigated the matter thoroughlyst night. Miss Adkins indeed has nothing to do with this matter. "As for those people, currently there''s no evidence proving that they intended to harm anyone. It can only be considered a fight. However, rest assured, this offense is still quite serious, and we will detain them for fifteen days." Carson gritted his teeth and stared coldly at the person who spoke. He really wanted to hit him, but when he thought of Grace who was still in the hospital, and Austin who needed someone to take care of, he could only suppress his Ava looked at him arrogantly, gave him a sarcastic smile, and turned to leave. As soon as she drove away, she realized that Carson had been following her. She was so angry and stopped the car, and Carson also came to a halt. anger. She got out of the car and pointed at Carson cursing. Carson sat in the car and closed the window without saying a word. Ava kept cursing until her throat went dry and she ran out of saliva. She had no choice but to get into the car again and drive home. Carson was determined to seek an exnation from the Adkins family. When he saw Ava''s car enter the Adkins family residence, he stepped on the elerator and drove in. He got out of the car and walked straight into the living room. 3A377% It was weekend. Marshall was not at work and was at home with Shannon. Louise had already gone out dating Brian. "You are Ava''s father." Carson looked at him coldly. Marshall looked up at him and frowned. "Who are you?" I''m Grace''s younger brother, Carson." Marshall did not know it was Grace that his daughter had kidnapped. He had a deep impression of Grace''s look. He frowned and asked, "Why are you looking for me?" "Why? You''re acting as if nothing happened, it''s unbelievable! Your daughter kidnapped my sister and instigated someone to attempt to rape her. Now, you think you can buy your way out of it. Let me tell you, it''s not going to work! We won''t ept a settlement privately! I''ll return the money to you!" Chapter 307 After listening to his words, Marshall fell silent for a while, then suddenlyughed. "Young man, I think you didn''t understand the situation clearly. Firstly, this matter itself is a misunderstanding. Without evidence, it''s only right to release people. Secondly, regarding thepensation for you, your sister''s injury has nothing to do with our family, but we''re still willing topensate you generously. What else do you want?" "You''re clearly distorting the truth!" Marshall snorted coldly. "Young man, I advise you to stop pushing further. Otherwise, don''t even think about getting a penny ofpensation. In Capern City, you''re nothing. I only need to say a word and you can''t stay in Capern City anymore!" He looked at him disdainfully and shouted, "Melvin, get him out of here!" Carson clenched his fists and gritted his teeth. He then turned around and strode away. When Grace woke up, she saw Carson sitting in front of her bed with a strange expression. She was a little surprised. "What''s wrong? Why are you looking at me like this?" He looked as if something bad had happened. As if thinking of something, Grace suddenly sat up in bed and asked nervously, "Did something happen to Justin?" She was about to get off the bed when Carson quickly held her down. "No, he''s fine. Don''t simply move." "Then what happened?" Carson hesitated for a while before he finally told her what had happened. Grace''s eyes widened in disbelief. "Ava has done so many evil things! What made them let her go just like that?"This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org . She was furious and her entire body was trembling. Thinking of the panic when she was almost raped, and Ava was sitting at home safe and sound, she hated this world to the core. "Why can they get away with it while I have to live a life of constant hiding and even being hunted down with my child? Why?" She cried hard and her cries tore at the wound, but she was as if not feeling the pain. She felt utterly disappointed. Money truly had the power to influence oues. In this world, some people were more terrifying than ghosts. Carson patted her shoulder gentlyforting her. After she calmed down a little, he said, "I''ve consulted some media outlets. All of them are unwilling to report this matter. The Adkins family must have guessed that we would do this, so they had acted in advance. "However, we can''t give up. During this period, we''ll try our best to collect evidence. When the Adkins family lets down its guard, we''ll expose this matter." Grace wiped away her tears after listening to his words. "Okay. I''ll remember this debt in my heart. I''ll definitely make them pay double!" Carson asked again, "By the way, what do we do with the 160 thousand dors that Mom has taken?" t Bu "They harmed people, sopensation is only fair. Not putting Ava in jail has been lenient toward them. However, 160 thousand dors is not a small amount. Don''t give it to Mom. Find a way to get her to give the money to Dad." ""Yes, I understand." Carson went back not long after. After the doctor came to change her dressing, she went to see Justin. He had recovered considerably. After chatting for a while, Justin asked, "How''s Ava now? Has the superintendente to interrogate recently?" Grace was stunned and dared not tell him the truth. Chapter 308 70 Although she knew that Justin would definitely seek justice for her if he found out, she did not want to trouble him and make him worry. "Not for the time being. The police are still investigating. You don''t have to worry about that. I''ll take care of it myself," Grace replied. Justin looked at her and nodded. After thinking for a while, he said, "If Brian finds out, are you going to do?" Grace was stunned, and just shook her head. She had not thought about this. However, if Brian found out her whereabouts and to fight him. 4 snatch the child from her, she would do everything she could Justin held her hand and said, "Don''t worry. If he finds out, I will protect you and the child." Tears welled up in Grace''s eyes. She looked up at him and hurriedly looked away. ** At the Francis family residence, holding his phone, Brian recalled the figure he saw outside the breakfast restaurant that day. It was hard not to suspect Grace had returned to Capern City. He had hesitated for a couple of days whether he should send someone to look for her. The thought kept bouncing back and forth in his mind. He was very confused. He didn''t know if he should send someone to look for her. If she had returned to Capern City, it would be easy to find her. But what about Louise? He held his phone in one hand and a cigarette in the other. It wasn''t until the cigarette burned down and scorched his fingers that he snapped back to reality. Brian, what are you thinking?'' he asked himself. Louise was heartbroken and went abroad alone, enduring grievances. How could he hurt her again? Moreover, she had saved his life. He could not do anything to let her down again. Grace was in the past, so let her leave this world forever. As for the child, he really could not confirm if it was his. Perhaps it was Justin''s. Brian seemed to have made up his mind and threw the phone aside. ''No, I won''t look for her anymore.This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. In the afternoon, Brian yed golf with a friend from the political circle. During the game, he inadvertently mentioned Ava''s matter to Brian. However, the other party did not know Ava''s name. He only asked him if he knew that the Adkins family''s daughter had beaten someone up and entered the police station. Brian frowned and asked, "The Adkins family? Which Adkins family?" The other party smiled and said, "Which Adkins family? Of course, it''s your future father-inw." The Adkins family''s daughter had hit someone. Of course, it would not be Louise. Brian asked without much interest, "Are you talking about Ava? What did she do?" "I heard that she kidnapped a woman and the was almost raped. I''m not sure what happened after that but I heard woman that it was a misunderstanding." The other party smiled meaningfully when he said this. Chapter 309 Louise was stunned. She slowly turned to look at him and sized up his expression, realizing he was looking ahead and did not seem to be particrly concerned but just asking casually. Therefore, she said calmly, "I''m not too sure. As you''re aware, this sister of mine has never liked me. I''m not very sure about her matters, but I heard that it''s a misunderstanding." Brian tilted his head and looked at her. "Are you sure it''s a misunderstanding? After all, you''re also from the Adkins family. You should know something about it. It was your father who spent money to bail her out, right? Who did she hit?" Louise paused. "I don''t know who she hit. I don''t know that woman." He looked sideways and nced at her again, but didn''t say anything further. When the traffic light turned green, he restarted the car. Louise secretly took a deep breath. After dinner, Brian sent Louise back to the Adkins family residence. Upon reaching home, Louise hastily looked for Ava. "Don''t do anything for the time being. Brian has heard the news that you hit someone. If he finds out the person you hit is Grace, you''ll be doomed" Ava clenched her fists and gritted her teeth. "Got it." Louise thought for a moment and said, "I''ve already told him that your matter was a misunderstanding, but he obviously didn''t believe it. He probably heard something from someone." Ava bit her lip. Only now did she realize that she seemed to have fallen into a quagmire. No matter which way she went, she would be covered in dirt! This Louise was too terrifying! Grace had only been in the hospital for two days, but she was already feeling flustered missing her child. She insisted on discharge. When Justin heard that she wanted to be discharged, he came to stop her with his injuries. In the end, Grace still insisted and Carson drove over to pick her up. Her injuries were not especially serious. When she stood up, she could straighten her back, but she could not walk quickly. Justin could not bear for her to leave. The two of them had been hospitalized together for the past two days. Their wards were also close to each other. He could see her every day, and he even hoped that he would continue to be sick. In the end, when Grace left, Justin made here over every day to change her dressing. Only then did he feel better. At least this way, he could call her once a day. Austin had not seen her mother for several days. Now that she suddenly heard her mother''s voice, she suddenly burst into tears. Leaning into Grace''s arms, she grabbed her clothes tightly and cried loudly, feeling iparably aggrieved. Carson smiled helplessly, "Look at how aggrieved she is! When you weren''t around, other than crying for a while on the first night, she was fine when she went to bed the following day. Now that she sees you, she''s crying!" When Grace heard his words, she felt a mix of heartache and amusement. She held Austin''s face and kissed her repeatedly. tears rolling down her cheeks. Feeling her mother''s affection, Austin stopped crying and soon fell asleep in Grace''s arms. After Grace left, Vivian apanied him in the ward every day. She could hardly take leave due to sses, so she exchanged sses with her colleagues to visit him. When she arrived at the hospital, she saw Justin sitting there in a daze,pletely running out of the energy he had a few days ago. When Vivian spoke to him, he also seemed distracted. She knew that he was missing the person who had been discharged.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 310 After Grace was discharged from the hospital, she was busy for the entire day and did not have time to change her dressing. On the third day, she went to buy some ingredients and prepared to make a pot of chicken soup so that she could bring it to Justin when she went to the hospitalter. Carson frowned when he saw her buy so many ingredients. "Why are you carrying such heavy things? What if your wound opens again?" "It''s for making soup for Justin." Carson opened his mouth and smiled at her. "You''re finally enlightened. He saved you, and you must thank him. Make soup for him every day." Grace ignored him and went straight into the kitchen. There was a knock on the door. Carson walked over and looked through the peephole. It was Vivian. As soon as Vivian arrived, she looked for Grace and asked, "Grace, can you apany me to visit Justin?" Grace saw the slight nervousness in Vivian''s eyes and asked, "What happened to him?" "He..." Vivian thought for a moment and the rest of her words were stuck in her throat. Vivian could not bring herself to say that Justin was missing her. Grace did not ask further and continued to be busy. "I''ll go with youter. You take a seat for a while." After making the soup, she put it into a thermos and left with Vivian. Vivian''s gaze dimmed as she looked at the thermos. When she was in the living room just now, she could smell the fragranceing from the kitchen. Grace was a capable woman with a good temper, good looks, and a good figure. She thought, if one day Justin were with her, they would surely be happy together. Vivian was feeling bitter terribly, and her mind was in a mess all the way. As soon as they arrived at the hospital, Grace went straight to Justin''s ward. "How are you? Have you eaten?" Justin''s eyes lit up when he saw her. He nodded. "Yes!" Grace was taking out a thermos from her bag. When she heard this, she paused for a moment. "You''ve eaten?" When Justin saw her actions, he immediately understood. The corners of his eyes curled into a smile. "No, although I''ve eaten, I''m not full. You brought something for me, did you? Give it to me." Vivian looked at him by the side. Listening to his child-like tone, her heart felt like submerging in seawater, hard to breathe. You couldn''t hide your feelings for someone. Look, his eyes were saying he liked Grace... Grace opened the thermos and ced it on the cab. She quietly nced at Vivian and said, "Vivian, you feed him. I''ll go change the dressing." Justin was speechless. After saying that, she left the ward without waiting for their reaction. Vivian looked at him, and he looked at Vivian, Just as she was about to speak, she heard Justin say, "My wound is on my abdomen, and it didn''t hurt my hand. I''ll eat it myself." Vivian pursed her lips, feeling her heart being stabbed again. She stood in the ward, looking a little redundant. After a while, she felt her eyes sting. She turned around and said in a choked voice, "I want to get some air." With that, she quickly left the ward, her steps a little flustered. Justin looked at her back and pursed his lips. When Grace returned, she saw Justin taking soup alone in the ward.This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. "Justin, where''s Vivian?" Justin looked up at her and frowned slightly. "She''s gone out... She seems to be in a bad mood. Go out and look for her." "Okay!" Grace called her, but she did not answer. She went around and finally saw her on the balcony. A 0 Chapter 311 Vivian was sitting on the edge of the balcony. When Grace saw this, she was shocked and hurriedly shouted, "Vivian, what are you doing?" Thinking that she wanted tomit suicide, she rushed over qickly. Vivian was pulled down by her. "What are you doing? Did you encounter something troubling? If anything is bothering you, just speak out. Don''t keep it bottled up inside." Vivian frowned. "What are you talking about? Did you think I would jump off the building?" Grace was speechless. She pursed her lips awkwardly. "I''m sorry, Justin said that you seem to be in a bad mood today. You haven''t been back for a long time since you left the ward. He''s very worried about you and asked me toe and take a look." Vivian listened to her words, but her gaze was hollow. "Is that so?" she said in a daze. "Will he really be worried about me?" "Vivian, what''s wrong with you?" Grace was a little worried seeing her expression. Vivian looked straight at her. After a while, she said, "Grace, did you know that Justin likes you?" Grace''s eyes flickered slightly as she nodded. "Yes, I know. "But I only treated him as a very good friend. I never thought of developing a romantic rtionship with him." Vivian bit her lower lip. "Grace, since you don''t like him and you can''t have a rtionship with him, why don''t you keep a distance from him? If you appear in front of him every day, it will only deepen his feelings for you." "Vivian, I understand, but Justin has done too much for me. He was the one who paid for my brother''s surgery. He was the one who apanied me when I was hiding during my pregnancy. Without him, Austin wouldn''t have been born smoothly. Without him, I wouldn''t be standing here talking to you today. "I know, I can never repay him in his lifetime what I owe him. I tried to distance myself from him before but he always managed to rescue me from the brink of disaster." "Don''t worry, when he''s recovered from his injuries, I''ll make sure to keep my distance from him. He''s very outstanding, and if I were to be with him, I would only ruin him." Grace''s gaze was very determined, making Vivian suddenly feel her words to her just now were a little too harsh. She bit her lip awkwardly. "Grace, I didn''t mean that. I didn''t mean for you to cut ties with him." Vivian didn''t know how to exin and sighed. "Sigh! Actually, I know that you can''t be med. Everyone has the right to like someone and also the right to reject someone, but..." However, she liked Justin, and she deeply felt that Justin''s actions were not worthwhile. Grace smiled. "Vivian, you''re right. If you like him, then go after him bravely." Vivian smiled awkwardly, and her phone rang at that moment. Vivian took a look. It was Justin. Her eyes lit up almost immediately as she answered the call. "Vivian, where are you?" He sounded a little anxious. 65 "I was on the balcony. I just felt a little suffocated and wanted to get some air.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. "Are you feeling unwell?" Vivianughed self-deprecatingly. "Yes, there''s a part that not feeling well." Her heart was not well. Could she tell him that? When Justin heard her words, he hesitated for a moment and asked, "Are you... in a bad mood?" Vivian pursed her lips, feeling sad and yet happy. "Yes, can''t you tell why I''m in a bad mood? Is there a need to ask?" She was happy that he finally asked her how she felt. Did it mean that he did care about her? 0 Chapter 312 Justin subconsciously wanted to say sorry, but Vivian stopped him before he could say anything. "Alright, I''m fine. You don''t have to worry. Well, by the way, Grace was just out looking for you. Did she manage to find you?" Vivian nced at Grace. "Yes, she''s beside me." "Could you please hand over the phone to her? I need to ask her something. Justin said. Grace took over the phone and walked to the side. "Justin, is then anything?" "How are those men now? I haven''t heard anything about them since I was hospitalized, Justin inquired. Grace was silent for a moment before she said calmly, "They''re still under retention. I''ve been too busy recently and don''t know much about it. Can I check the specific situation tomorrow?" "Yeah, sure," Justin replied. After hanging up, Vivian''s phone received another call from an unknown number.This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Grace handed the phone to Vivian. Vivian had just picked up the phone when she heard a rough male voice on the other end talking in an unfriendly tone. "Is this Ms. Vivian? This is Bradley Martyn''s parent." Vivian frowned. Her intuition told her that this was not a good thing, but she still replied politely and gently, "Yes, speaking. What can I do for you?" "My son was bullied in school! As a teacher, what should you do about it? Today, you must give me an exnation!" Vivian frowned even more. "Mr. Martyn, can you calm down first? I''m outside now. When I return to school, I''ll understand the situation and give you an answer. Is that okay?" "I want to settle things today. How about we have an amicable meal together? What do you think?" the person on the other end said. Vivian immediately rejected him. "Mr. Martyn, I can understand your feelings. As a teacher, I will definitely actively deal with things such as students'' fights. When you have time, please drop by the school one day. There''s no need to go for a meal." "Ms. Vivian, I don''t mean anything else. I hope you can give me some due respect. I''m waiting for you at the ze Pizza Restaurant in Pioneer Square now. Let''s solve the problem amicably, okay?" His tone was rather domineering. After saying that, he arrogantly hung up. Vivian nced at her phone, her expression somewhat mncholy. "Vivian, what''s wrong?" Grace asked. Vivian looked at Grace. "There might have been some shes between the students in the school. The parent wanted to talk to me at Pioneer Square." Grace asked, "A male parent?" ""Yeah." Vivian nodded. is not far from my ce." When she was in school, she had seen some unreasonable parents. They were indeed difficult to deal with, and they always looked like they did not take the Grace said, "I''ll with go you. Pioneer Square Cry teachers seriously. - Vivian was such a gentle girl If she encountered an unreasonable parent, his attitude would be even worse. "It''s okay Why don''t you stay here and take care of Justin? I''ll go back by myself" "Justin cane down to walk now. It''s alright, I''ll go with you. Grace pulled her downstairs without saying a word. The two of them took a taxi over. In the car, Grace said to her, "Vivian, you can make soup for Justin moving on. I haven''t recovered yet." Vivian tilted her head and looked at her. She knew Grace had good intentions, but she didn''t have the skills to do so. Even if she brought the soup over, Justin probably wouldn''t be willing to drink it. "What''s wrong?" Grace asked when she saw that Vivian was silent. Vivian smiled at her. "Then... how about you teach me?" "Of course!" Grace happily agreed. Chapter 313 After getting off, Vivian said, "I''ll go alone. That parent is probably more sensitive. I''m afraid he''ll overthink and cause unnecessary misunderstandings if I bring a friend over." Grace nodded. "Alright, you go in first. I''lle inter and find a ce to sit down." "Yeah." Walking into the restaurant, Vivian made a call to the parent. She then saw a burly man not far ahead pick up the phone with a toothpick in his mouth. When he saw Vivian at the door, he was stunned for a moment and his eyes widened slightly. Vivian hung up the phone and walked over. She asked, "Are you Bradley''s father?" That parent had never seen her before. Today was the first time he met Vivian in person. Upon seeing her beauty, his face immediately lit up with a smile, totally devoid of his anger on the phone. "Are you Ms. Vivian?" Vivian felt uneasy under his smile and nodded. "Yes, I am. Please have a seat." However, the parent did not sit down. Instead, he warmly reached out both hands and grasped hers. "Hi, Ms. Vivian. This should be the first time we met. Previously, Bradley''s mother was the one who brought him for registration. I''m busy with work and don''t have time to care about his matters." Vivian looked at her hand and instinctively flinched. Her movement was slight to maintain politeness, but the parent tightened his grip slightly. When Grace walked in, she saw the scene. It was obvious that the man was taking advantage of Vivian. Enduring the disgust, Vivian smiled and said, "Please have a seat. Let''s talk it out if there are any issues." She forcefully pulled out her hand. TheAll rights ? N?velDrama.Org. parent sat down in front of her and stared at her with his face full of smiles. Vivian took a sip of water and initiated to ask, "How was Bradley bulliedtely?" The parent smiled awkwardly. "Lately, he''s been getting beaten up by a ssmate. He had a big bruise on his shoulder when he came home yesterday, and he also doesn''t seem as lively as before. "His mother and I asked him and found out he had been bullied all this time in school." Vivian pursed her lips and asked, "Did Bradley tell you which ssmate?" ""His name is Lucas Walton." Vivian was silent for a while. Lucas was the sportsmittee member of the ss. He was physically fit and tall. If any student in the ss got into a fight with him, the oue for the other student would not be favorable. 1 What kind of person was Bradley? Although his father was burly, he was a picky eater with yellowish hair and rtively small and thin build. However, although he had a small and thin build, he liked to cause trouble. He particrly liked to bully those who were smaller than him. He was not really bad but just wanted to cause trouble, and B BB typical of those who bully the weak and fear the strong. Vivian thought for a moment and said, "Mr. Martyn, during this period, children are going through a rebellious phase, so the likelihood of fighting is indeed higher. Of course, as a teacher, I will definitely emphasize this issue more in future guidance and supervision. "In fact, I know Bradley quite well. He''s quite mischievous and indeed often gets into conflicts with his ssmates. However, these are actually harmless. I''ll guide Lucas this time, and I hope you can also talk to Bradley when you get home." Chapter 314 0 The parent frowned. For all that Vivian had said, he had only heard two sentences. One was "Bradley is a mischievous child" and the other was "Go home and discipline Bradley." His expression turned ugly. "Ms. Vivian, what do you mean by this? How is my son mischievous? My son almost suffers depression from being bullied by Lucas and you still say that my son is mischievous? "Some students nowadays are inherently bad! I think Lucas is such a person. He bullied his ssmates in school. When he grows up and enters society, whichpany will dare to hire such a person?" Vivian frowned. His words were unpleasant and disrespectful to others. She wondered if he would dare to say such things to Lucas''s parents if he were to face them. "Mr. Martyn, can you please calm down? I didn''t say that it was Bradley''s fault. It takes two hands to p. If there''s a fight, both sides will definitely be reprimanded and disciplined, including me. I will also reflect on this matter." The parent was still upset. "You seem just avoiding the issue and not willing to resolve it properly! Don''t think I don''t know. Once we leave this restaurant and you go back to school, you''ll turn a blind eye to my son''s well-being!" Vivian, feeling a bit of a headache, rubbed her temples. "I didn''t mean that. Can you please calm down?" The parent firmly believed that his child was not in the wrong. Those who were in the wrong were the ones who hit others. He said angrily, "You''re favoring other children, and you''re telling me to calm down? If this continues, my son will be afraid to go to school. How can I stay calm?" The corners of Vivian''s eyes twitched. Afraid to go to school? Yesterday, she saw Bradley throwing chalk at another student in another teacher''s ss, hitting him and then smirking. Did he look like someone afraid to go to school? The parent''s voice was getting noticeably loud, and the surrounding customers began to cast curious nces over. Vivian was thin-skinned to begin with, so she was extremely embarrassed when so many people were looking at them. Sheforted him, "Alright, alright. I''ll definitely teach Lucas a lesson when I get back, okay?" But the parent was no longer listening to her, thinking that she was just brushing him off. "What nonsense! Do you think I don''t know what teachers do? Saying one thing to our faces and another behind our backs! You never truly care about us parents! "Let''s go! Go back to school with me now and teach Lucas a lesson in front of me!" He stood up and walked over. He then grabbed Vivian''s hand and walked out. Grace was sitting by the window. When she saw theming over, she immediately stood up from her chair and blocked his way. "Sir, please show respect to teachers." The parent looked at her and narrowed his eyes slightly. "Who are you?" "I''m Ms. Vivian''s friend. Please let go of her." "It''s none of your business!" The man pushed her hand away. The wound on Grace''s abdomen had yet to heal. After being pushed by him, the wound hurt a little and she could not catch up with them. < 1 Tue,This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. 5 Just as Vivian was about to be dragged to the entrance of the restaurant, Carson suddenly appeared and punched hard on the man''s arm. The parent was in pain and let go of her hand. He asked, "You! Who are you?" Carson looked at him coldly. "Who are you? How dare you kidnap in broad daylight?" Chapter 315 The parent angrily retorted, "You''re the one kidnapping! I''m a parent, and this teacher is favoring other students. Shouldn''t I seck for my child? Who are you to interfere with me?"All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. Carson did not know the exact situation. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Of course I have to interfere since you''re holding my girlfriend''s hand!" Vivian was taken aback and her eyes widened in surprise. The parent was speechless. Looking at the child in his arms, he guessed that it was probably his child with Vivian. Her boyfriend was here, so it was not advisable to blow things up He thought for a moment and said, "Let''s forget about it. I hope you can keep your word, and do my son justice." After that parent left, Grace walked over and asked, arson, why are you here?" Carson looked at her. "I came out to buy groceries. After parking the car, I saw you sitting by the window, so I came over to see if it was you." "Fortunately, you came over. Otherwise, I would not be able to stop him from taking Vivian away." Vivian said to Carson, "Thank you for your help just now." Carson smiled shyly. "Just now, I decided to say that you''re my girlfriend. Hope you don''t mind." Vivian said awkwardly, "If you said you''re just my friend, he probably wouldn''t give up." Seeing him drive here, Grace asked Carson to send Vivian home. That parent probably hadn''t gone far. If he saw Vivian being aler, he might cause trouble for her again. Vivian declined. "Thank you, but there''s no need. I still have self-study ss tonight and have to go back to school." "You have to ensure your safety even if you go back to school. Carson, I''ll take Austin with me. You send Vivian back to school." Grace insisted on Carson sending Vivian, so she had no choice but to ept. In the car, Carson asked her about today''s incident. Vivian roughly told him what had happened. Carson said, "How can such a parent guide a child well? I don''t think he''s someone who will give up easily. You have to be careful of him during this period." Vivian smiled and looked at him. "Yes, he probably won''t do anything overboard. I''ll be careful." When she arrived at school, Carson got out of the car and sent her in. When she walked to the field, she saw two students sneaking around in the corner and deliberately avoiding her. Vivian walked over and asked, "It''s you guys. What are you doing here?" The two students bit their lips. Under Vivian''s stern warning, they said, "It''s. Bradley is fighting outside and he told us not to tell anyone. Ms. Vivian, you mustn''t mention that we told you "It''s Bradley again..." Vivian had a headache. "I know. I won''t say anything about you guys. Bring me there now. Where are they fighting?" The two students led Vivian and Carson to a small alley near the school. Vivian immediately saw Bradlsy be pinned to the ground by Lucas. She hurried over and pulled them apart. "Why are you two fighting?" Lucas said, "Ms. Vivian, he was the one who asked me out, but he didn''t have any good intentions! As soon as I arrived, he punched me. I just did things that many people wanted to do bu dared not. "He couldn''t beat me in a fight, so of course he ended up getting beaten!" Carson suddenly burst outughing. Vivian held back herughter and said seriously, "The two of you have been fighting for a long time. If you dare to fight again, I''ll proceed with punishment." Chapter 316 Bradley got up and wiped the dust off his face. "You were the one who bullied me! The teacher saw it. It was you who pressed me onto the ground!" Vivian said helplessly, "Stop arguing! You two wait for me in my officeter!" Neither of the two students would ept defeat. With a cold snort, they both walked into the school, one in front and one behind. Vivian looked at Carson with a smile, "Why? Did you see your old self back then?" Carson smiled in embarrassment. "I''m not that mischievous." "Alright, you go back first. Drive safe." "Okay, bye." When she returned to the office, she saw Lucas and Bradley sitting on separate sides, one on this side, and the other on the other side. They were far apart as if they had been enemies for ten lifetimes. Vivian lectured the two and made Bradley stay to have a serious talk with him. In the end, Bradley left the office in tears. On the second day, Bradley toned down quite a bit. When Carson returned home, Grace was still awake. Hearing Vivian had returned to school safely, she was relieved and went to sleep. The following day, Vivian came to Grace''s house early in the morning and let Grace teach her how to make soup.This is from N?velDrama.Org. Vivian was very diligent in learning, but since it was her first day learning, she basically followed Grace''s instructions obediently. Whatever Grace told her to add to the soup, she did, and she cooked it ording to the duration Grace instructed. Therefore, the soup she made was almost identical to the one made by Grace. When the soup was ready, Vivian brought the thermos to the hospital. When she arrived, she saw Justin had just finished eating his meal. He ate a nutritious meal at the hospital. When he saw Vivianing, he stuck his head out and looked around as if he was expecting someone toe. Vivian was a little sad. Seeing that he had finished eating, she guessed that he might not want to drink the soup she made, but she still asked tentatively, "Have you finished eating? Do you want some soup?" As expected, Justin said indifferently, "Leave it there first." Vivian pursed her lips and said, "The soup won''t taste good when it cools down. It''s better to drink it while it''s hot." She then added, "Grace made this soup for you." Justin was stunned for a moment before he said without hesitation, "Give it to me." Feeling a bit depressed, Vivian walked over and opened the container for him. She didn''t know if she should feel happy or sad seeing him finish the soup. After drinking the soup, the two chatted for a while. When Vivian saw Justin being distracted, she knew his doubt and said, "Grace doesn''t have time toe over. The doctor asked her to change her dressing every two days. She mighte over tomorrow. 8 x 70%a Justin felt a little embarrassed. Thank you, Vivian." Vivian smiled bitterly. "Alright, I won''t disturb your rest. I still have a ss in the afternoon. I''ll go back first." The following day, Vivian went to Grace''s ce to learn how to make soup again. Since Grace had to go to the hospital to change her dressing today, she made Vivian stay for lunch at home before going to the hospital together. When they arrived at the hospital, they bumped into Justin who was packing his things. Vivian asked in surprise, "Justin, what are you doing?" "Discharge." When Justin looked up and saw Grace, his eyes lit up. "You''re here." Grace frowned and asked, "Your wound hasn''t healed yet. How can you be discharged?" Justin insisted on going back to work. No matter how Grace and Vivian persuaded him, they could not stop him. Chapter 317 Grace was a little upset. "You don''t even care for yourself, how can you treat others?" ¨¦oo, 70% 70% "Who said I don''t care for myself? Don''t worry, when I go back to work, I''ll just be doing consultations, no surgeries. There won''t be any issues. After all, I''m a doctor myself. Do you think I wouldn''t be aware of my health condition?" Vivian looked sadly at the thermos in her hand. She knew that Justin knew his limits, but she hadn''t even learned how to make soup yet, and he was about to be discharged from the hospital. After this, she wouldn''t have the chance to make soup for him anymore. At this moment, Justin saw the thermos in Vivian''s hand. He took it and said to Grace, "Although I''m about to be discharged, I won''t reject your kind gesture. If you''re so worried about my health, you can make soup for me every day in the future." Grace blinked in surprise. Just as she was about to say something, Vivian secretly poked her from behind. She turned to look at Vivian and pursed her lips. Justin did not notice their strange expressions and finished the soup. Afterpleting the discharge procedures, Justin''s colleague drove over to pick him up. At the entrance of the hospital, he said to Vivian and Grace, "Get in the car first. I''ll send you back before I return to the hospital." Vivian shook her head. "No need. I''ll take a taxi backter." Grace also said, "I''ll go with Vivian." "Alright, take good care." After Justin left, Vivian exined to her, "Actually, he always thought that you made that soup. That''s why he drank every drop of it." She looked sad. "You don''t know this. When I brought him the soup on the first day, he didn''t even bother to look at it. Later, when I said you made it, he drank it immediately." "This is the difference between liking and not liking. I will still insist on making soup for him in the future, but I''m afraid he might suspect something if I''m the only one bringing it to the hospital every day. Could I trouble you to asionally help me deliver it if you have time?" Upon hearing her words, Grace felt distressed. Vivian was really a girl that made one''s heart ache. "Okay." Vivian smiled. "Then help me keep this a secret." "Yeah." "Thank you." Grace sent Vivian to school before she went home by herself. When she got home, she asked Carson, who was about to leave, Are you free tonight?" Carson shook his head. "Why? Are you going to treat me to a meal?" Grace rolled her eyes at him. "Aren''t you eating the food I cook every day living with me? Isn''t my cooking better than the food outside?" I 2N, 70% @ 0 "When we were at the pizza restaurant yesterday, I felt something was wrong with the parent who pestered Vivian. He''s not a good person. I''m afraid he''ll cause trouble for Vivian again. If you''re free tonight, can you pick her up?" Carson agreed without hesitation. "Okay."This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. As soon as Vivian arrived at school, she heard another teacher in the office say, "Mr. Lennon was looking for you just now. He wants you to see him in his office when you''re back." Vivian''s intuition told her that this wasn''t a good thing. As expected, her intuition was right. "Ms. Vivian, I received aint from a parent this morning, stating that you are favoring other students and deliberately making things difficult for his child." Vivian eyes widened in surprise. What was going on? "Mr. Lennon, could you please rify which parent you are referring to?" 1 Chapter 318 Mr. Lennon cleared his throat and said, "Don Marytn." When he said this, Vivian noticed that his expression was slightly unnatural. Vivian asked, "Is he Bradley''s father?" Mr. Lennon nodded. "Yes, that''s right." "Mr. Lennon, that''s not what happened. I''m innocent and didn''t make things difficult for any students. I even saw Bradley fight when I returned to school yesterday. "He usually likes to bully younger ssmates. In the past few days, he got into a bit of a conflict with a ssmate. Since he couldn''t fight him, he suffered a little. Now, the parent has stepped in to demand justice. But when he was the one hitting others in the past, the parents never showed up even once. This is typical..." "Okay! That''s enough! No matter what, it''s your fault that students are fighting! It''s also your fault that the parents do not show up. Why don''t you reflect on yourself? How did you bring up such a student? As a role model, you only know how to shirk responsibility when you encounter trouble!" Vivian looked at him in shock. Not only did he not listen to her exnation, but he also used her of being irresponsible. All sses would have students like Bradley. She alone couldn''t control all the students. She felt that something was amiss. When Mr. Lennon received aint from a parent, he did not verify the facts and situation immediately. Instead, he criticized her. This was abnormal. Moreover, Bradley had been warned and punished before. Almost all the other teachers had a deep impression of him. In their spare time, they would sometimesin to her about how mischievous Bradley was in ss.This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. Therefore, even if Mr.Lennon received aint from his parents, based on his basic understanding of Bradley, he would definitely investigate the cause and effect of the matter before making a judgment. However, Mr. Lennon received aint this morning and immediately looked for her. He did not listen to her exnation and insisted that she was evading responsibility and making excuses to shirk responsibility. This was indeed very abnormal. Mr. Lennon looked up at her and waved his hand. "You may leave for now. If I receive any moreints from the parents in the future, I''ll report it to the higher-ups." Vivian''s heart sank and she lowered her head. "I understand." She was feeling sick as she walked out of the office. When she returned to the office, she braced herself to prepare the materials she would need for her sster. At this moment, a call from Carson came in. "Hello? Vivian, do you have a self-study ss tonight?" Vivian was feeling down, and so was her voice. "There are two periods." "Then I''ll pick you up tonight." Vivian was silent for a while. She was thinking about whether she should decline or agree. But when she recalled what happened today and Don might cause her trouble again, it was safer for someone to send her home at night. "Alright, thank you." 0.70%. Carson could tell that something was wrong with her tone. He asked, "What''s wrong with you? Did you encounter something unhappy?" Vivian did not tell Carson what had happened. She only exined calmly, "It''s nothing. There are too many students in the ss and causes me a headache." Carson did not overthink about it. "Alright, I won''t disturb you anymore. See you." At eight o''clock in the evening, Carson parked his car outside the school waiting for Vivian. After sending Vivian home, Carson parked the car by the roadside and personally escorted her into the residential area. Chapter 319 This residential area was quite big, so they walked around as if taking a stroll, engaging in idle talk from time to time. When they approached the entrance of the apartment building, Vivian suddenly caught sight of a familiar figure. It was Justin! He seemed to havee down to dispose of the trash, and he also noticed Vivian at the same time. "Vivian?" Vivian couldn''t help but smile. "Justin, when did youe back?" Justin said casually, "I''ve just arrived not long ago." Then, he looked at Carson, and his gaze lingered on the two of them. He raised his eyebrows slightly and asked with a smile, "Why are you two together?" Vivian could tell from his tone that he had misunderstood. She immediately exined, "Justin, don''t misunderstand. Carson was just sending me back on his way. There''s nothing between us." Her exnation made Carson feel a little awkward. Justin smiled and asked Carson if he wanted to go up and chat for a while. Carson waved his hand. "No, I''m worried about my sister being alone at home. I''ll go back first." "Okay." They watched Carson leave before entering the apartment building together. In the elevator, Vivian exined, "Justin, there''s really nothing between Carson and me. You must not misunderstand." Justin smiled. "Vivian, how many years younger is Carsonpared to you?" "I don''t know." "Carson is a good guy," he said ambiguously. Vivian was tremendously anxious. "Justin, what are you talking about? I don''t like him, and he''s not interested in me." Justin smiled and did not say anything. Vivian bit her lip and did not know how to exin. After walking out of the elevator, Justin said to her, "Rest early." "Okay." Vivian was heavy-hearted.This is from N?velDrama.Org. When she got home, she held her phone and wanted to send a message to Carson but did not know how to tell him. After hesitating for a long time, she suddenly saw at the top of the screen showing the other party was typing. After a while, he sent a message. [Are you still awake?] Vivian seemed a little guilty and immediately replied, [No.] After a while, the other party did not reply. Just as Vivian was wandering if she should tell him about the incident tonight, Carson sent another message. [I''m sorry about today. Justin might have misunderstood us by me sending you into the residential area. I''ll send you to the entrance next time to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings.] His words made Vivian feel a little guilty. The other party had kindly sent her back without any other intentions, but she had hurriedly cut ties with him. Anyone in the same position would feel ufortable, but Carson still apologized to her. It made her feel a little ashamed. She thought for a moment and replied, [No, I should be the one apologizing. I overreacted.] The other party did not reply for a long time. After a long while, he responded, [Rest early.] ***** In the Francis family residence, because Louise was worried that Brian would ask around about Ava''s lockup in the police station, she was extra careful and even found ways to stay at Brian''s house. For two consecutive days, she spent the night at Brian''s house. However, he did not express any opinions. He seemed to have tacitly agreed to let her stay at home, and this greatly lifted Louise''s spirits over the past few days. She even went to buy groceries personally every day. When he got home from work at night, she would specially cook for him.'' However, what Louise could not figure out was that Brian still avoided physical intimacy with her. Since the first night she came back here, he had arranged for her to stay in the room she had stayed in previously. ( Chapter 320 Tonight went like all the other nights. After dinner, Brian stayed in the living room a bit before heading to his study to work. He kept at it until 11 pm, then off to bed he went. Louise felt awkward about going to Brian''s room to find him. This went on for four days. Louise started feeling like Brian was still thinking about Grace, even though he didn''t say anything. Louise couldn''t handle it anymore. Since he''s going to be staying here, then let''s make things official Louise thought.This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Even though they set the wedding date, Louise still feel uneasy and unsure. The safest thing would be to have sex with Brian soon and get pregnant. At night, Louise checked the time. When it was nearly 10:40 pm, she went to the kitchen for a cup of hot milk and brought it upstairs. Brian was in the study. Louise knocked. Brian mumbled from inside. Hearing his voice made Louise''s heart race. Louise/said, "Brian, I warmed up some milk. I noticed you''ve been having trouble sleeping, so this might help you fall asleep. Drink before you go to bed." Brian didn''t even look away from theputer screen as he said, "Okay, put it down." Nervous, Louise waited for Brian in the study until he finished drinking, then she went downstairs. Back in her room, Louise changed into the sexy lingerie she had ready. When Brian finished work, he felt hot. He shut down hisputer and went for a shower, but as he washed, the water felt hotter than usual. He frowned. A weird heat surged, familiar yet strange. Turning off the shower, he wrapped a towel around himself. Exiting the bathroom, the cold air cooled him down a bit. Then, out of nowhere, Louise appeared. "Brian, it looks like rain tonight. I''m scared." Brian looked down and could practically see Louise''s cleavage through thece, see-through lingerie. Louise bit her lip and wrapped her arms around Brian, leaning her head against his chest. Narrowing his eyes, Brian felt a sudden realization. ''I''ve been drugged, Brian thought. ''Something was off about that milk!'' Realizing this, Brian pushed Louise away. His gaze darkened as he demanded, "Did you drug the milk?" Louise paled, then tried to y innocent. "Brian, what do you mean? What drug? I''m really scared. Don''t you want to be with me? Why are you being so mean?" Louise didn''t believe Brian would be able to hold himself back. I have to stand my ground. It''ll be safe after tonight, Louise thought. 0 With this thought, Louise threw herself at Brian, wrapped her arms around his neck, and kissed him wildly as she ripped off his towel. Brian couldn''t think clearly. Beyond his control, his hands wrapped around Louise''s waist But, at this moment, a face rushed into his mind. Brian''s gaze suddenly turned cold as he pushed Louise away. He grabbed her wrist, opened the door, and pushed Louise out, locking the door behind her. Chapter 321 Louise stared at the bedroom door, disbelief pulsing through her as she pounded on it. "Brian! Open up!" Her voice jolted Melvin, who rushed to the living room and switched on the lights, only to find Louise standing naked by Brian''s door. Louise turned. Closing his eyes, Melvin stammered, "Miss Adkins, I didn''t see anything." He hurried back to his room, leaving Louise seething with anger, her face fluctuating between pale and flushed. She hastily dressed and resumed knocking on Brian''s door. Just moments ago, Brian seemed entranced. My n was on the verge of sess, but he remained conscious enough to push me away despite the drugs! What crossed his mind just before that push?'' Louise thought. Louise knew it had to be Grace. The more she dwelled on it, the colder she felt, sinking to the floor against the wall. In the bedroom, Brian phoned the doctor, then turned the shower to cold, desperate to stay awake. Sensations crawled under his skin, his thoughts swirling. Why did I think of her?'' Brian thought. ''Maybe it''s because I''ve never seen any restricted materials and Grace is the only woman I''ve ever touched. Who else could pop up in my head? But the more Brian pondered, the more intense the sensations grew. Why can''t I shake Grace from my mind?'' Brian thought. A call interrupted his thoughts. The doctor had arrived. Opening the door, Brian ushered the doctor in, ignoring Louise outside, mming the door shut. Louise bit her lip, the rain matching the chill in her heart. After the doctor gave Brian medicine and left, Brian took a nap. When he woke up, Brian felt parched and weak.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. Memories of the previous night flooded back. Rubbing his temples, he rose to wash. Opening the door, Brian found Louise sitting there. "Why are you still here?" he frowned. Louise slowly rose, bloodshot eyes betraying a sleepless night. betraying a sleepless night. Thinking of how she had drugged him, Brian''s pity vanished, reced by cold resolve. Brian said coldly, "I''ll send you back home this afternoon." Louise''s eyes widened. "You''re kicking me out?" He met her gaze squarely. "Isn''t it clear? We''re set to marry. Is this how you act?" Louiseughed. "Brian, are you so old-fashioned? If you really loved me, wouldn''t you touch me? You clearly want Grace!" Brian''s brow furrowed. "Louise, don''t be ridiculous!". 1/2 11:55/ Thu, Oct 31 BB. "Am I wrong? You won''t touch me until marriage, but you and Grace got together while I was away! I know everything!" Chapter 322 Brian furrowed his brows. "What the heck are you saying?" "I''m talking reality here! Remember the Vance family party? You vanished for the whole night, only to stroll out the next morning! You seriously expect me to believe you just chatted the night away?" Brian''s stare turned icy. "Are you spying on me, Louise?" Louise burst intoughter. "Spying? Me? You''ve wronged me, and now you''re the one questioning me?" "That night, I got drugged. After I split with her, I haven''t touched her since!" "Ha! You slept with her when you were drugged, but when it was my turn, you kicked me out even if I was butt naked!" Louise tossed aside any facade of niceties. Since Brian already knew about her drugging, she might as well air out all her grievances.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. "You still think drugging me was okay? You''re a letdown, Louise!" Louise felt crushed, tears streaming down her face. She bit her lip hard, making it go pale. Feeling like a broken kite, she muttered, "Fine, I''ve let you down. Maybe you should find Grace. Forget about how I saved your butt when we were kids." Mentioning their childhood rescue, she saw a flicker of emotion in Brian''s eyes. Louise seized the moment to bolt, running out into the pouring rain without looking back. Brian hesitated, regretting his harsh words. Without her, I might not even see daylight. Did I go too far?'' Brian thought. He dashed into the rain. Louise was nowhere to be seen. He called out, "Louise! Where are you? I messed up. It''s pouring. Can we go back?" Louise hid in the bushes next door, hearing his apologies. She took a deep breath, needing to hold out a bit longer. She wanted him anxious and regretful, to feel it was his fault. Otherwise, she''d lose her standing with him. Sensing the timing right, she staggered into the rain, shoulders slumped, looking on the verge of copse. Brian spotted her and hurried over. "Louise!" Just as he approached. Louise''s eyes fluttered shut, and she fell Brian caught her just in time. "Louie He whisked her back to the vi, getting the maid to change her clothes and took her to the hospital The doctor checked her finding nothing wrong yet, rmending she stay for observation Brian stood by her bed, billed with remorse. Tin sorry. Louise was pretending to be asleep. After hearing his apology, Louise pretended to have just woken and peered Chapter 323 Brian''s face lit up. "Louise, you''re up!" Louise stared at him for a moment, then her expression shifted, and she blurted out, "Why are you here? Go find your precious Grace. You don''t need to worry about me." Her voice choked with tears, her face drained of color, making Brian feel even more guilty. "Louise, I''m really sorry. I shouldn''t have snapped at you like that." Louise forced a weak smile. "Oh, really? So you think saying sorry makes everything okay? I can''t forget how cold you were using mest night. It felt like I didn''t even know you." "No, I messed up. I know that now. I should''ve listened to how you felt. You only did what you did because I failed to make you feel secure. But Louise, I really care about you." "Stop." Louise interrupted, covering her ears. "I don''t want to hear it. I''m the one who messed up. Just give me some space, okay? I don''t want to see you right now."All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. She knew Brian must be feeling guilty, so sheid it on thick to make him feel worse. Brian pursed his lips, relenting. "Okay, take a rest then. I''ll ask Melvin to whip up some of your favorite food." Without waiting for a response, he left the room. Even though she faked passing out earlier, Louise did catch a cold. That night, she started coughing. When Melvin brought dinner, Brian heard her coughing when he entered the ward. His heart sank. "Come on, eat. Take your meds after" Louise turned away, sulking. "I''m not hungry. I might as well just die." Brian frowned. "Louise, can you please not say things like that?" He sat by her bed, unpacking the food, and began feeding her. "Here, open up." Louise hesitated at first, but secretly enjoyed the attention. She opened her mouth obediently. Finally, Brian smiled. He arranged for her to have a few days off. Despite the doctor saying she was fine and just needed rest and good food, Brian insisted she stay in the hospital a bit longer. Louise didn''t mind. She felt things weren''t resolved yet. Brian stayed by her side every day and even had Camren bring his work to the hospital. this care was meticulous. He fed her, helped her to the bathroom and did everything.. Gradually. Louise''s mood improved. By the third day, her cough had cleared up, and she couldn''t keep up the act anymore, so she was discharged. But Brian insisted the rest at the Francis residence for a while longer Chapter 324 ? Of course, when she posted that video, Louise had Brian blocked, making it visible only to close friends. Her caption read, [Getting discharged today. Thanks for all your help, Mr. Brian], followed by several heart emojis. Ava felt nauseated by this sickening sweet post. ''It''s no wonder Louise hadn''t been hometely. She''s sick,'' Ava thought. The thought of Brian taking care of that annoying woman for so long made Ava want to expose Louise''s true colors in front of him. She called Louise, asking what had been going ontely. Louise casually mentioned having a cold and fever, then added that she was currently at Brian''s ce. ying along, Ava said, "I''lle over and see you. You''re at Brian''s right?" "Yeah." Louise didn''t object. She knew Ava didn''t really care about her. But dealing with a brainless creature like Ava was real easy. After hanging up, Louise called Brian, asking him toe back early. Ava took a taxi to the Francis family mansion. Seeing Louise in casual clothes, Ava was handed a pair of slippers by Louise. "It''s been a while, Ava. How have you been?" "Brian''s not here?" "He''s been taking care of me at the hospital for days. Lots of work piled up at thepany, so he''s at the office. Just treat this like your own ce. Anything you want to eat, just tell the staff." Ava sneered. "You should''ve been an actress. Even in private, you''re acting like my sister. You never get tired of it." Louise yed dumb. "What are you talking about, Ava?" Ava shot her a jealous look and headed to the living room. Looking around, Ava remembered when she used to live here. She always thought she''de out on top after Louise left. But things had changed, and Ava was on a path she couldn''t turn back from. Louise seemed cheery, making coffee for Ava and having her sit down.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. Ava''s heart sank. She nced at Louise, sat beside her, picked up her coffee, and swirled it twice. "You''re ying a great act in front of Brian. But if he ever finds out about your true colors." Louise smiled, speaking softly, "Are you threatening me, Ava? I haven''t done anything wrong. And if you want to keep breathing, don''t bring this up around me." Ava gripped the coffee cup. "Louise, you can''t just walk away from this cleanly!" Then she added, "Even though I failedst time, you can''t fall back on your promises to me! Or I''ll spill it to Brian!" Louise narrowed her eyes. "You''ve got some nerve asking for favors when you didn''t even do your job right. Dream on!" Since that incident, Louise hadn''t mentioned giving Ava any shares. Ava assumed Louise would refuse, iming her failure voided the deal, but Ava didn''t expect Louise''s firm rejection. "Louise! I''m not afraid to spill everything to Brian, even if he doesn''t believe me! I''ve got nothing to lose!" Chapter 325 = "Think Brian''s gonna still love you if he finds out? Plus, we both know he''s still hung up on Grace," Ava remarked, eyes narrowed. 00 00 Louise smirked. "Well, well, Ava. You''ve grown some spine. If you want me to keep my word, then give me a satisfactory reason." Ava no longer wanted any part in Louise''s schemes. This time, Aya had been scared out of her wits. Ava knew if she pulled another stunt like that, she''d be toast. Fuming over being used by Louise without gaining anything, Ava seethed. "You think I''m just a pawn for you to y with? Dream on!" With a sharp move, she sshed the coffee from her cup at Louise. The cups were tiny, barely holding any coffee. They''d been sitting out, cooling off for ages, so they posed as no danger. That''s why Ava used them. But Louise jumped up like she''d been scalded. "Ow!" Ava frowned, ready to call out Louise''s fake act when a familiar voice cut in. "What are you doing?" Brian had just returned and caught Ava red-handed, dousing Louise with coffee. Hurrying over, he asked, "Louise, are you okay? Is it hot?"This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Ava paled. She could practically see the smugness on Louise''s face. Brian dabbed Louise''s face with a tissue and blew on it gently. Watching, Ava''s eyes burned. ''Brian is clueless! He treats this snake like a saint!'' Ava thought. "Brian, listen! I never meant to hurt her. She provoked me, and I lost my cool. Plus, the coffee''s cold. It won''t hurt." Brian turned to Ava, his expression icy. Any goodwill he had for her evaporated. He wasn''t buying any of it. ""Get out!" Ava bit her lip, seething. She knew there was no point arguing. Brian''s opinion of her had hit rock bottom. ring at Louise, Ava bolted. Shannon saw her daughter storming in, upset, and demanded an exnation. Feeling cornered, Ava spilled everything. Shannon''s shock was palpable. She pinched Ava''s temple hard. "Are you out of your mind? Why mess with Louise? Why help her?" "Mom, she threatened me! She found out I drugged Brian and that I hired people to harm Grace''s baby while she was on the run. If I don''t help her, she''ll spill everything to Brian!" "Even if Brian finds out, it''s better than what you did after. What are you? Stupid? What if you end up in jail?" Ava bit her lip. "Mom, I regret it so much now. I''d rather Brian be with Grace than let Louise walk all over me! She''s evil! Once she''s Mrs. Francis, who knows what she''ll do to me!" Shannon shook her head: "That won''t happen, but you need to learn to protect yourself! Look at Louise. She''s a smooth operator, buttering up your dad and Jasmine Francis. Once she''s married to Brian, she''s untouchable!" Chapter 326 "So, am I just supposed to sit here doing nothing?" "Of course not!" Shannon chimed in. "Forget about battling for Brian. He''s just one guy, right? Plenty of fish in the sea! What you gotta focus on now is making your dad see you in a better light! If you keep stirring up trouble like you used to, even if Louise gives you a hard time one day, Dad might think you had iting! You get me?" Ava nodded. "Yeah, got it." "And listen, as long as Louise messes up, she''s not untouchable. You gotta have something on her. Even if you can''ty a finger on herter, she won''t darey a finger on you if you got dirt on her!" Ava thought Shannon made sense. Ava knew she had been too rash today. She badmouthed Louise in front of Brian, but he didn''t buy it at all. Later that afternoon, when Marshall got back from work, he found hisdies sitting around looking a bit off. He approached. "What''s up?" Shannon stood, helping him with his coat. "The weather''s been acting up, and Ava''s sick." "Oh?" Marshall peered at Ava with concern. "You feeling okay? Should we head to the doctor''s?" Ava shook her head, speaking up obediently. "Dad, I''m okay. But I need to talk to you." His daughter rarely yed it so straight. Marshall sat beside her. "Shoot. What''s on your mind?" "I wanna join thepany, work hard, and learn the ropes of running things." Marshall looked surprised. Shannon''s heart raced when Marshall stayed quiet. ''Is he thinking Louise should take over the Adkins Group?'' Shannon wondered. Shannon hurried, asking, "What''s the holdup? Ava wants to learn the business, and you''re saying no?" Marshall chuckled suddenly. "No way! I''d be thrilled! My daughter getting into the family business? Couldn''t ask for more." Shannon breathed easier. It looked like she was overthinking. Marshall still loved Ava. "Ava, you''re growing up. When did you get so level-headed?" Shannon sighed on purpose. "Since Louise came back, you''ve been all eyes and ears for her, almost forgetting you had a daughter. Sure, Ava might not be as sharp as Louise, but you''ve watched her grow, seen her innocence!" Shannon emphasized thest bit, hoping he''d catch the drift. ''Some folks you don''t see grow up, hard to tell what they''re made of, Shannon thought. But Marshall didn''t dwell on it. He smiled. "Yeah, my bad. I''ve been busytely and forgot to check in on you. Louise is my daughter, but Ava''s my baby, too." Just then, a familiar face strolled in. It was Louise. Ava''s brows knit automatically. ''What''s she doing back? Wasn''t she cozy at the Francis'' home?'' Ava thought. Seeing Louise now just irked Ava. Seeing the happy family of three, Louise felt like she didn''t belong. Marshall, spotting Louise''s return, called her over.This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 327 When Marshall heard that, he got uneasy. ''How can Louise being sick be a small thing?'' Marshall thought. He rushed over and took Louise''s hand. "What''s up, Louise? If you''re feeling off, you gotta tell Daddy." Ava shot Louise a re. I gotta admit, when this woman puts on an act, especially ying the victim, she was Oscar-worthy,'' Ava thought.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. Right now, Louise was giving Ava the sad puppy eyes, no anger, just pure ''woe is me,'' looking quite pitiful. Seeing her gaze fixed on Ava, Marshall asked, "What''s the matter?" Louise bit her lip, tears welling up. "Today. Ah, forget it. Just ask Ava!" She was on the brink of using Ava of bullying. In Ava''s mind, she''d cursed Louise out a million times already. This shameless bitch. I''m no match for her, Ava thought. Marshall turned to Ava. "Ava, spill. Where were you today? What went down?" Shannon saw all the good impressions she''d built up slipping away again. She was ready to stand up for Ava, but Marshall shut her down with a re. "Zip it! Let her talk!" Ava bit her lip, took a moment, then spilled it. "I heard she was sick, so I went over to the Francis residence to check on her. No ill will, seriously. But I identally spilled coffee on her." As soon as Ava finished, Louise chimed in, acting all wronged. "ident? Dad, do you buy that I identally got coffee in my face?" Ava clenched her fists tight. "Cut the crap! Tell the truth!" Marshall snapped. Ava could only admit they had a spat, and Ava''s short fuse led to the coffee incident. Ava added, "But she started it! Dad, you know how it is, right? If she hadn''t pushed my buttons, I wouldn''t have done it." Marshall looked at Ava sternly. Then, he remembered her earlier talk about wanting to work at thepany. He kept his temper as he chastised Ava. "Louise is your sister. Show some respect. And don''t fly off the handle like that again. Apologize to your sister." Ava took a deep breath. She saw Louise smirking smugly. Shannon jabbed Ava discreetly. Reluctantly, Ava muttered, "Sorry. It won''t happen again." At dinner, Marshall brought up Brian. Louise thought back to their recent tiff. They''d patched things up, but she was itching for that marriage certificate. Of course, she couldn''t tell Marshall that, especially not in front of Ava. "Dad, we''re good, as always" 111 1043 87%1 She whipped out her phone with a grin. "See, when I was sick in the hospital, Brian was there taking care of me till I got discharged." Marshall nodded. "That''s nice." Seeing Louise''s smug face, Ava lost her appetite. Shannon, worried she''d start up again, kept nudging Ava under the table to rein it in. Ava barely touched her food, excused herself, and headed upstairs. Louise nced at her. "This pawn isn''t worth much anymore. Might be time to let it go, Louise thought. Chapter 328 0 00 87%=This is from N?velDrama.Org. As usual, whenever Vivian had some free time, she''d swing by Grace''s ce to pick up some cooking tips. Vivian was focused, paying attention to every detail, even making the dishes look fancy. Seeing the heart-shaped sandwich made her grin from ear to ear. Once they were done cooking, Vivian suggested they go together. Grace eyed the lunchboxes, which clearly showed love vibes. After a pause, she said, "Vivian, sorry. Got to take the kid for a ver." Vivian bit her lip. "Okay then, I''ll head off first." ""Wait!" Grace stopped her. "Let Carson drive you. It''s not safe for you to wander alone." Grace always had this fear of getting snatched or worse. Letting a girl walking solo didn''t sit right with Grace. Vivian nced at Carson, about to say it was fine, but he was already on his feet, grabbing the car keys. Carson''s face was nk. "Let''s go. I''ll drop you off." Vivian didn''t argue. "Sure, thanks." On the ride, Vivian tried to chat, but Carson was all icy today. Every topic she started got snuffed out with a few words. It got awkward. Luckily, the hospital was close. Twenty minutester, they pulled up. "I''ll wait in the car. I''ll take you back to schoolter." Vivian wanted to tell him to head back, but when she turned, she caught Carson lighting a cigarette. It was the first time she''d seen him smoke. He looked distant, like a stranger. She left it at that and headed inside. Justin had just wrapped up his rounds and spotted Vivian. He frowned. "What brings you here?" Vivian shed a smile, holding up the lunchbox. "Got food for you, but Grace has to take the kid for a shot, so she asked me to drop it off." Justin nodded, getting it. He smiled. "Got it." He took the food and disappeared into his office. Vivian thought to wait until he finished eating, but remembered Carson was out there waiting and Justin seemed busy. "Hey, Justin, Carson''s waiting for me. Gotta go. Just remember to give the lunchbox back tonight. I''ll pass it to Grace tomorrow." "Got it." Justin nodded, then called out, "Wait!" "What''s up?" Justin hesitated. He wanted to ask if she''d been spending more time with Carsontely, but it felt off. "Nah, never mind. Drive safe, alright?" Vivian felt a warmth in her chest. She waved and left. Once Justin was alone, he popped open the lunchbox and saw the heart-shaped sandwich and the neatly packed food. V His heart skipped a beat. What''s up with Grace''s heart-shaped lunch? Is this a sign she is ready to move forward? After the whole kidnapping drama, is she giving our rtionship a shot? No wonder Grace hadn''t personally dropped off food these past couple of days. She must feel awkward!'' Justin thought. This thought made Justin giddy. Even if the food tasted a bit offpared to her usual stuff, he still felt like it was the best meal ever. Chapter 329 Grace''s wounds were healing up, so no more hospital trips for dressings were needed. It was time to settle the score with Ava. Ava had called Grace before, so Grace unblocked Ava''s number and dialed it. Ava must''ve forgotten Grace''s number because she picked up real quick. "Who''s this?" It was the same old arrogant tone. "Miss Adkins, forgetful much? Forgot about me already?" There was a pause on the other end. "Ava, it''s been too long. Time to sort things out, right?" Grace half-expected Ava to hang up, but to her surprise, Ava said, "Sure, let''s meet up!" Grace gave Ava an address not far from her own ce. *** When Ava showed up, Grace had been waiting for ten minutes. Ava sat down across from Grace and ordered coffee.This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Grace shot her a cold look. "Why''d you go after me?" Ever since Louise recorded herst time, Grace was on high alert. Ava didn''t outright admit it. "Grace, I''m sorry for what went down, but Louise was calling the shots!" Grace narrowed her eyes. She believed Ava when she mentioned Louise was behind the whole deal. She suspected Louise''s hand in it all along. "How''d you know where I was that day?" "Louise told me," Ava said. "She told me to invite you out and said she''d handle the rest. When I called, you hung up. I tried finding you at your brother''s with no luck. Oh, and Louise gave me your brother''s address." Grace pursed her lips. ''So, Louise had been snooping around since I got to Capern City! She knew I was bunking at Carson''s!'' Grace thought. Thinking about it sent shivers down Grace''s spine. Louise knew everything about her. If Louise wanted to harm her, it would be too easy. "And she knows about you having a kid, but then you moved. She probably stopped snooping when she found out you were with Carson. So, she probably doesn''t know where you''re at now! Grace clenched her fists. Grace just wanted toy low, but Louise wasn''t allowing that to happen. Ava saw her reaction. Ava''s n today was to expose Louise''s true colors and let Grace handle her. Ava kept on. "Since I couldn''t find you, I didn''t go through with it. She thought I ked, so she took over. Third day, she rang me up, said to be outside the restaurant to await further instructions." Grace stared, disbelieving. "Was it really Louise who set me up?" 10:48 Fri, "Didn''t she ID herself? Oh-right. She wanted a clean getaway, so she wouldn''t spill her identity." So, the person texting me that day was really Louise!'' Grace thought. This blew Grace''s mind. <3 How''d Louise know about my family background? What else does she know? Does she know Daisy and Frederick?'' Grace thought. Chapter 330 330 No way. If Louise and Daisy were familiar with each other, Daisy would''ve recognized her when Daisy first showed up at Brian''s home. So, what was Louise''s deal? She knows about my past, Grace thought. This was just perfect. Grace had no clue where to even start digging into her own with Louise. origins, but this gave her the idea to start Ava caught the changes in Grace''s face and frowned. "What''s up with you? You don''t buy that she did you dirty?" Grace kept her cool, her heart racing. "I knew what kind of snake Louise was way before I split with Brian. But you''re no saint either. How can I trust what you say?" Ava couldn''t think of a solid proof. To show she was sincere, she let out the truth. "Grace, you''re sharp. You get I''m spilling ''cause I want you to handle Louise, but I ain''t fibbing today. Louise got me by the throat! She knew. She knew I spiked Brianst time we hit the hotel. And she knew that I had a hand in the dealings after you bolted from Seefer City. I was scared she''d spill to Brian. I was petrified. If Brian caught wind, I''d be toast! So, I had no choice but to do what she said, even if it meant hurting you." Grace sensed Ava was telling the truth. Ava couldn''t pull off a charade even if she wanted to. "I regret it too! I hate Louise more than you! If you want, we can team up to take her down!" Ava gritted her teeth.This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. Grace lowered her gaze, avoiding Ava''s eyes. "Grace, you gotta trust me! Louise is a real piece of work. Like a viper. You still love Brian? You gonna let him get duped by such a venomous broad?" Grace met her gaze. "I''m done with Brian." "I came here for a heart-to-heart. Since you spilled, I can tell you''re sorry. Then be a good person from now on!'' With that, Grace got up, footed the bill, and left. She had a mission now. She had to head to her hometown and snag the clothes Daisy and Frederick stashed. Back home, she told Carson she was headed out. Carson wanted to tag along, but Grace worried about going out with the kid. There were no cameras and no backup if things went south. ***** The next day, Grace hitched a ride solo to her old home. Clearview Vige was a remote spot. It was in the middle of nowhere. When she was a kid, Grace would walk 0.6 miles for a bag of salt. Back in the day, the vigers wanted nothing more than to build a house in town. Once Grace grew up, Daisy and Frederick built their house in town. Now, more than a decadeter, it was different. The roads were cleared the wilderness was reced by cocoa trees. In the cab, the driver asked in a simple twang, "Ya from ''round?" "Yeah, but it''s been ages since I came back. Everything''s different now. Can''t even recognize the ce. Chapter 331 The driver grinned and chimed in. "Yep! Clearview Vige is booining now. Mountains decked with cocoa trees. Vigers won''t have to toil as hard in the future. Oh, and speaking of Clearview Vige, they''re sprucing up Myrtle Peak to turn it into a tourist spot. Folks in that neck of the woods are making the big bucks." Soon, Grace spotted Myrtle Peak which was being constructed of The Shermans'' old home wasn''t far, so Grace got off here. The whole mountain was fenced off. Grace could kinda make out its original look through the construction. A cement road snaked halfway up. Grace trailed it up. This spot held a ton of memories. Back in the day, she''d hike this mountain to gather wood. She remembered rescuing a kid here once. She found him sprawled, bloodied. She dropped her load, hoisted him, and hauled him out. She carried him nearly two miles to the hospital. She had no idea what was wrong with him. He clung to her ne so tightly that she couldn''t snag it from him before she left. Luckily it wasn''t anything fancy, just some stic. In a hurry to get back to chopping wood, she ditched him at the hospital. But when she came back, her scythe and basket were gone. Daisy gave Grace a beating, even breaking her stick. The next day, Grace tried to im her ne from the kid, but he was gone. The doctor said his rich family had taken him. Now, she reckoned the kid was running from trouble. She''d been gutsy then. If his pursuers had found out, she''d be toast. She wondered how he was doing now. There was another memory here, too. When Grace was a kid, she''d found a pup on the mountain. Daisy said no pets, called them a waste and threatened to ughter it if she brought it back. So, Grace raised it up there and even built it a dog house from some branches. Daisy forbade Grace from taking food form home so Grace helped out an elderly man who lived alone and in return, he gave her some scraps. Grace raised the little mutt for five months. Later, the pup vanished one day. Grace bawled for days. Thinking about it got her misty-eyed. Those were simpler times. Her joys and worries revolved around work and feeding the pup. Lost in thought, she overheard two men chatting behind her. Their voices clicked in Grace''s mind. She spun around and froze It was Brian. Brian seemed to have sensed something and locked eyes with her. Brian''s eyesThis is from N?velDrama.Org. widened. Before his brain processed what just happened, Brian approached Grace. Grace looked around. This ce had long been ttened because of construction. She had nowhere to hide. Before she could bolt, he marched over and grabbed her wrist. Their eyes locked, Brian''s grip trembling. Chapter 332 Grace locked eyes with Brian and then started pulling away. "Let me go!" Brian gripped her hand tightly, as if he feared she''d vanish if he loosened his hold. ""You''re really here!" Grace pursed her lips and turned away. "You were at the breakfast jointst time, right?" Suddenly, Brian recalled the woman he met when that movie premiered. It clicked in his mind. "You were at the cinema that day too!" He remembered finding the woman odd. The movie wasn''t that moving, yet she sobbed uncontrobly. Because while others watched the movie, she was living her own And she was the same person he bumped into outside the pharmacy. The realization made Brian''s grip tighten involuntarily. She''d alreadye back to Capern City, but she''d been avoiding him. Just then, the man who''d been chatting with Brian approached, wearing a hard hat like he was overseeing the project. "Mr. Francis, who''s this?" Brianposed himself, but his gaze stayed fixed on Grace. "My ex-wife." Grace pursed her lips, reluctant to acknowledge thebel. "Mr. Francis, you know we''re done. There''s nothing between us. Show some respect." Brian''s dark eyes gleamed, a faint smirk ying on his lips. "Who said we''re done? There''s unfinished business." Grace pursed her lips, knowing he meant the child. "Get back to work. Send me the project details," Brian said. "Sure thing, Mr. Francis. I''ll head out." The man in the hard hat entered through the steel door. Grace looked at Brian''s hand, annoyed. "Can you let go now?" Brian wasn''t worried she''d bolt. She was right here. It was impossible to escape, "What brings you here?" Grace shot him an irritated look. "Why are you here?" "I''m behind this tourist project. Just checking in." Though Grace anticipated his response, she was still irked. Myrtle Peak held too many memories. "There''s so many other ces. Why here?'' Grace thought. III J 58 Sat, Thinking it over, she spat, "Why develop a tourist spot in the middle of nowhere?" Brian narrowed his eyes, noting she dodged his question. "I like it. Now, why are you here?" I grew up here," Grace muttered, descending the mountain. Brian trailed after her. "You grew up here?" Grace stayed silent, picking up her pace, clearly trying to shake him off. But Brian''s strides easily matched hers. He kept pace. "Where''s the kid?" Grace was silent. "Boy or girl?" Still silence. There was a familiar path. Grace remembered it led to the old house, so she headed that way. Brian followed, voice stern. "Grace! Answer me!" "I told you, the child''s got nothing to do with you! Aren''t you engaged to Louise? Why bother me?" Brian had nned not to seek her out, but seeing Grace made him want to draw closer. 1All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 333 Brian felt a pressing need to learn more about the baby. As for Louise, he hadn''t figured out his n yet. If Louise epted the child, great, they''d be a family. But if not, he wasn''t about to abandon his own flesh and blood for her. The path ahead looked treacherous. It had poured two days ago, leaving it slick with mud. One wrong step and someone could take a tumble.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. Grace, though, seemed at home here. She''d grown up in these parts and wisely wore shoes with good grip. She navigated the muck with ease. Brian, on the other hand, wasn''t so lucky. He''de here for a site inspection, dressed in a suit and shiny ck shoes, not the best for navigating mud. Seeing Grace zoom ahead, he struggled to keep up, nearly taking a spill into a nearby pond a few times. "Did you live in a cave back then? Why''s it so far out?" he grumbled. Grace nced back, catching Brian slipping and sliding like a clown. Suppressing augh, she quickened her pace. After about ten minutes, they reached their destination. The old house stood with its mud walls, a bold "dangerous" sign stered on the wall. The central room''s door was locked tight, the key long gone. Grace eyed the rusty lock. It''d take some effort to open. Spying a rusty scythe in the adjacent kitchen, Grace had an idea. With it being a wooden door, cutting the lock wouldn''t be too hard. By the time Brian caught up, Grace was wielding the scythe, eyeing the "Dangerous House" sign. Brian hurried over, snatching the tool from her grip. "What''re you doing? Hand it over!" Grace demanded. "Don''t you see how risky this is? This ce could copse any second," Brian reasoned. "This is my childhood home. I need something from inside," Grace insisted. Brian surveyed the mud hut, the sort of thing one would only see in movies. "Just give me the tool," Grace pressed. Brian didn''t budge, then met her gaze. "Is it really necessary?" Grace nodded firmly. "Step back, I''ll handle it," Brian offered. Seeing his fine suit and mud-caked shoes, Grace shook her head "You''re not suited for this. Do you even know how to use -that thing?" Without a word, Brian pushed her aside. "Just watch." With a swift swing, the scythe struck the lock with a resounding ng. Grace winced. Approaching cautiously, she saw the lock had a sizable dent. m "Maybe I missed. Stand back, I''ll try again," Brian admitted. Snatching the scythe, Grace headed into the courtyard, her purpose clear. She remembered a whetstone lying around somewhere. Digging through the overgrowth, she uncovered it, caked in dirt. As she sharpened her knife, Brian watched, realizing he was out of his depth in this environment. Chapter 334 Grace spent some time sharpening the de until it sliced through weeds effortlessly. Brian, worried about making a fool of himself, ditched the showing off and stuck close to Grace. As Grace tackled the door, he kept a vignt eye on the surroundings. After some effort, the stubborn lock finally gave way. Grace pushed the creaky old door open, revealing the somewhat eerie emptiness of the central room. Disdain etched Brian''s face as he took in the dark, abandoned space. The musty smell only added to the gloom. Undeterred, Grace strode into the room and headed for the bedroom once upied by Daisy and Frederick Sherman. This was where the box was stashed. In those days, houses had elevated floors, with bedrooms divided by wooden nks serving as makeshift storage. But the stairs were gone. She had to find something to stand up on to crawl up. Brian''s frown deepened. ''Can anyone really live in such a ce? It seems like the perfect hideout for creepy crawlies, Brian thought. Just thinking about it gave him goosebumps. "Just what are we looking for? I''ll lend a hand," he offered. Ignoring Brian, Grace fetched arge barrel from the kitchen, using it as a makeshift step stool to reach the attic. Brian noticed Grace''s path was cleaned away by her crawling. It was that dirty. Though repulsed, Brian hesitated to let Grace climb alone, fearing the rickety structure might copse. Without overthinking it, he followed her up. Once there, Brian noticed rain seeping through a soaked wall. The roof tiles were clearly failing. This wall would definitely copse soon. "This ce is a hazard. What exactly are we after? I can help move stuff down so we can search safely," Brian suggested. Focused on an old wooden box, Grace didn''t even nce his way. With some effort, Grace pried open the box, revealing its contents with excitement. At the bottomy swaddling clothes, aged but recognizable by their delicate pink hue and golden embroidery. This was indeed made of high-quality materials. Otherwise, this thread would not have been left intact for so many years. She heard her younger brother had used this swaddling cloth too. Brian watched as Grace carefully stowed them away, treating them like precious relics. "Is this what you''ve been searching for?" Brian asked, puzzled. Grace rolled her eyes. "I was hoping for something more exciting from your family," Brian said. Unfazed, Grace continued rifling through the box, searching for more treasures.This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. Suddenly, Brian heard a faint but ominous sound of cracking. Before he could react, the wall behind Grace lurched, threatening to copse on her. Reacting swiftly, Brian pulled her away, shielding her from the impending disaster. With a resounding crash, the soaked mud wall gave way, tiles cascading down. Though shaken, Brian held firm. Grace looked at him in surprise. "What are you doing?" Frowning, Brian replied, "Saving you from being buried alive." $ €, 94%¡ã 0 Chapter 335 ???94% Grace looked at him with aplicated feeling. "Let''s go. It''s not safe here." With that, he put his arm around her shoulder and walked to the side of the attic. Brian looked down. Although it was quite easy toe up, it was still a little high from above. Seeing that Grace was about to jump down, he hurriedly pulled her back. "It''s too high. I''ll go down first." Brian''s tone was firm. With his long legs, he jumped down easily. Then, he turned around and looked up at her. He stretched out his slender arms. "Come down." Grace was speechless. Did he mean for her to jump into his arms? She looked a little ufortable. "Get out of the I can go way. down myself." She nned to sit down and slip down. Brian frowned. "You don''t believe me? The wooden board is covered in dust. It''s dirty!" She pursed her lips. "This is where I grew up. Mr. Francis, if you find it dirty, you can leave." Brian was angered by her words. As expected, Grace was the only one who dared to diss him! Grace carefully sat on the wooden board and slipped down, her feet stepping on the tank. The tank was small at both ends, so it was easy to copse. With the uneven ground, the tank kept spinning when Grace stepped on it. Gr¨¢ce gasped and instinctively grabbed with both hands. After stabilizing herself, she realized that she was holding Brian! Grace bit her lip and looked a little embarrassed. Brian carried her down andnded safely. He did not tease her and said, "Let''s go." After going out, Brian stood under the roof and kept cleaning the soil on his body. The ck suit was stuck to the wet soil and couldn''t be brushed off. This suit was considered useless. Grace turned to look at him. His brows were tightly furrowed. He had probably never been in such a sorry state before. Suddenly, she saw a thin red liquid flowing out of his head. There was also a cut on his neck. It should be caused by the falling tiles on the roof. Grace pursed her lips and wondered if she should take him to the hospital. After thinking about it, she felt that there was no need to care about him. She did not ask him for help. He was asking for trouble. Why should she care about him? Thinking of this, Grace walked away, Seeing her leave, Brian''s pupils constricted. "Where are you going!" rt Grace turned around and looked at him. "Stop following me! Thank you for helping me today. I don''t think there''s a need for us to contac each other anymore. You have to start your new life, and I have to start mine. Can''t we just live our own lives and not disturb each other?"All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. Brian stared at her with a dark gaze. "Who said that there''s no need to contact? What about our child? Grace, we''ll be tied together for the rest of our lives." A chill rose in her heart. "I''ve said it countless times. The child has nothing to do with you. Don''t you know that yourself?" "Before the paternity test, everything is unknown!" Grace sneered in her heart. At the same time, she felt sorry for herself. Even now, he still suspected that she was having an affair with another man. She loved him. Didn''t he know that? In his eyes, was she the kind of person who could casually have sex with a man? At the thought of this, she was very annoyed. She turned around and left without looking back. When she walked on the road and passed by a clinic, Grace slowed down. After hesitating for a while, she turned to look at him. "Go in and treat your head injury." Brian was stunned. He did not even know that he was injured. 0 Chapter 336 When she said that, he felt a headacheing on. He reached out and touched his forehead. His fingers were stained with red blood. He turned to look at her. "Grace, I was injured to save you. If you have a conscience, you should apany me in." Grace looked at him expressionlessly for a while. In the end, she could not bear to do it. She almost sighed and said, "Follow me." Brian followed behind Grace. The corners of his mouth could not help but curl up. When he walked up the steps, Brian suddenly felt that this ce was somewhat familiar, as if he had been here before. After Grace brought him to the clinic, she said to the doctor, "Please treat his wound." After bringing her to the old doctor, she was about to leave when Brian grabbed her wrist. "Where do you think you''re going? I was injured to save you, and you''re nning to leave? Is this how you treat your benefactor Grace frowned in frustration and looked at the doctor. "How much does his medical fees cost?" Brian was speechless. So, she thought that he was trying to extort money from her? The doctor said, "We''ll only know after we see the exact situation." Brian red at her fiercely, as if warning her with his eyes that she could not leave. When the doctor treated his wound, Brian also forced her not to leave his sight. Grace resigned herself to fate and waited for him to finish bandaging his wound before paying and leaving.This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. Brian had been following her. He took another look at the clinic and asked, "How many such clinics are there in your vige?" "One," she said coldly. There was only one clinic in the vige. The boy Grace saved when he was young was also brought here. Brian took another look at the clinic and caught up with Grace. There were many motorcycle drivers at the entrance of the vige. Grace walked to the entrance of the vige and found a motorcycle to return to town. Brian looked at the motorcycle and then at the owner. It was a man around 40 years old. His face darkened. If Grace got on, wouldn''t she have to hug his waist? Almost without thinking, he grabbed her wrist. "Don''t sit!" Grace was really frustrated. If she dyed any longer, she would miss thest bus back to Capern City. She tried to shake him off, but she couldn''t break free. "Brian! Are you crazy? I have nothing to do with you. If you continue to pester me, I''ll call the police!" The vigers were all very down-to-earth. Seeing that Grace was being pestered and that Brian did not look like he was from here, they all spoke up for Grace. "Why are you pestering this youngdy? Are you rted to her?" Brian did not speak. He only held Grace''s hand firmly. "Buddies, please help me. I really have nothing to do with him. I''ve already been followed by him for a day!". When the vigers heard what she said, they were even more certain that Brian was a bad person. Some of them even stood up and said, "Girl, don''t be afraid. Don''t worry and just leave. With us around, he won''t dare to do anything." Brian''s gloomy gaze swept across the face of the person who spoke. That person''s imposing manner just now instantly wilted by half, and his hand that had just reached out resentfully retracted. Grace was furious. She raised her hand and bit his wrist. Brian felt the pain and subconsciously let go. Grace took the opportunity to climb onto the motorcycle. "Sir, let''s go!" Chapter 337 The driver immediately stepped on the elerator and the motorcycle drove off. Brian could have pulled her down, but he was still worried about danger and let her leave. The motorcycle driver wasn''t the only one at the vige entrance Several motorcycle drivers were also waiting there. Brian took out his wallet and took out a thick stack of cash. "Carry me to catch up to her!"This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Everyone widened their eyes, especially the motorcycle driver. His eyes almost popped out of their sockets when he saw the stack of money. He epted the money and said excitedly, "Alright! I promise to catch up to her and not let her escape!" Brian looked at the back seat of the motorcycle. Although he despised it in his heart, there was no other transportation here, so he had no choice but to sit on it. Soon, he saw the motorcycle Grace was on, so he asked the driver to keep a certain distance. It didn''t take long for them to reach town. When Grace ran to the ticket seller, she realized that the ticket seller had already gotten off work. She had already missed thest bus. She was so frustrated that she wanted to cry. She turned around and saw Brian, who was still haunting her. He was on the phone. Grace rolled her eyes and went to town to find a hotel. The person who called Brian was Louise. The two of them had originally nned to have dinner together tonight. Louise saw that it was already past five o''clock, so he called to ask if Brian hade back to Capern City. When Brian saw Grace leave, he said perfunctorily into the phone, "There''s something urgent here. I might not be able toe back tonight. Let''s talk about it another day." With that, he hung up. Louise was a little puzzled, but she did not think too much about it. She thought that Brian really had something on. When Grace went to get a room, she was told that there was onest double room. Due to the recent construction of Myrtle Peak, some project leaders were unwilling to stay at the construction site and rented hotels on the streets. Just as Grace was about to take out her identity card, Brian suddenly took it out and ced it on the table. ""Two of us." Grace stared at him in shock. "Are you done? I was the one who booked the room first!" Brian raised his eyebrows. "Isn''t it a double room? There are two beds. You can sleep on your bed, and I''ll sleep on mine. We won''t disturb each other. Besides, so what if it''s one bed? It''s not like we haven''t slept in it before." People in the countryside were conservative to begin with. When Brian said such explicit words, the aunties at the inn.ughed awkwardly. Grace was even more embarrassed. Her face turned red. The middle-aged woman thought that the two young couples had quarreled. She smiled and said, "Well, every couple has Chapter 338 The woman ced the room card on the countertop and Grace took it away first. He walked to the stairs and climbed to the third floor. Brian followed closely behind, not giving her a chance to lock herself out. Grace went into the bathroom to wash up first. When she came out, she was still wearing her original clothes, but she had taken off her coat. Shey down on the bed, wrapped herself up tightly, and closed her eyes. Brian stood in the room and looked at her. He did not sit down for a long time. She knew that he despised the ce for being dirty. Grace suddenly said, "If you think you can''t sleep here, you can sleep in your car." Of course, Brian could not leave. It was not easy to catch her. He had to keep an eye on her at all times! He looked at the bed, his expression indescribable. After hesitating for a long time, he finally sat down. His clothes were dirty anyway. Grace was so wary of him that she even forgot to eat. By eight or nine in the evening, her stomach was already singing deceptive tactic. The room was very quiet. Neither of them spoke, and the rumbling of their stomachs became more obvious. Brian looked up at her. "If you want to eat, I can treat you." Grace turned over and deliberately made his movements very big. The nket shook so much that the wind blew over to Brian. > He couldn''t help but smile. "Are you going to eat it or not?" Grace immediately sat up from the bed. She put on her coat and went out to eat. Brian also stood up and went downstairs with her. It was a pity that the town was filled with ordinary home-cooked restaurants. If there was a high-end restaurant, she would rip him off. After dinner, the two of them returned to their rooms in silence, Brian said, "Grace, let''s talk." She stood still and looked back at him. "You want to talk about the child, don''t you? There''s nothing to talk about. The child isn''t yours." "Since you''re so sure, you wouldn''t be afraid of a paternity test. Don''t worry, as long as the child isn''t mine, I won''t pester you anymore!" "You''re at Capern City now. As long as I want to, I can mobilize manpower to find the child now. I can take her for a paternity test tomorrow. I just respect you and don''t want to use such a forceful method." Grace was so angry that she wanted tough. Look, this was what a man was like. This was what capital was! Was he speaking humannguage? She lowered her head and pondered for a while. The light in the room was rtively dim, so he could not see what she was thinking. After a while, she looked up at him. "Why should my daughter do a paternity test for you? If you want to do a paternity test, that''s fine. You have to agree to one condition." Brian did not expect her to agree so quickly. This made him a little flustered. She was so fearless. Was the child really not his? Brian was silent for a moment before asking, "What condition?" "I want to work at the Francis Group." Brian looked at her in surprise. "Why?" "Because the Francis Group is the bestpany in Capern City. I think there''s a good development prospect." To be honest, Brian did not believe it, but he did not want to think too much about it. He had already agreed to the condition when Grace said it. "I promise you." Grace added, "But your fianc¨¦e will also know that I''m going to work at the Francis Group. You have to guarantee that she won''t cause trouble for me." "Louise wouldn''t do that." Brian frowned. After a while, he said, "Louise also works in mypany. She''s professional." 1 This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 339 Grace''s eyes lit up. Louise was also working at the Francis Group? That couldn''t be better. Her goal was to get as close to Louise as possible and investigate her background. At first, she wanted to go to Adkins Group, but when she thought about how Marshall and his wife hated her so much, she was afraid that even if Brian got her in, they would think of a way to get rid of her in less than two days. Going to the Francis Group might not guarantee how long Brian would kick her out, but at least she could negotiate with him now. "Alright, after we go back tomorrow, I''ll arrange a time for you to do a paternity test." For some reason, Brian suddenly felt a little upset. He nodded. "Okay." It was rare for the two of them to have such a calm conversation. It made Grace feel a little strange. She said "goodnight" ufortably andy on the bed to rest. Although Grace had promised him to do a paternity test, Brian was still afraid that she would run away in the middle of the night, so he pushed the bed to the door of the room to sleep. When Grace woke up in the morning and saw this scene, her eyelids twitched. After washing up, she packed her things and prepared to leave. Of course, Brian would not let her run away alone. Hence, he followed her out without washing his teeth or brushing his teeth. Grace went straight to the station to buy a ticket. Brian followed her onto the shuttle bus. The smell of the shuttle bus directly dissuaded him. He frowned so hard that he could squeeze a fly to death. He grabbed her hand and forcefully brought her out of the car. "Take my car!" "I don''t want to! I want to take the shuttle!" Brian''s attitude was firm. He made a call and not long after, someone drove over to pick them up. Grace was forced into the car and gave up struggling. It was a pity about the ticket money. After getting into his car, Brian rxed. Grace sat in the back without saying a word. "Where do you live?" Grace gave her his home address. Brian looked at her in the rearview mirror. "Real address?" She frowned. "If you don''t believe me, you can let me go." Brian handed her a bottle of mineral water. "You''d better not lie to me." Grace took the water from him, unscrewed it, and took a sip. He did not continue the conversation. When the car arrived downstairs, Brian locked the door and forced her to leave her phone number. 10:01 After Grace arrived home, she told Carson about her encounter with Brian. Carson hurriedly asked, "What should we do next? Should we move?" "No, I''m going to work at the Francis Group."This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. Grace told him that Louise knew about his background. Carson also felt that getting close to Louise was feasible, but it was a little unsafe. However, in order to find out her background, she had to investigate even if it was dangerous. After all, she had experienced even more dangerous things. What was this? After taking a shower, Grace called Justin. "Justin, there''s something I need to trouble you with." Justin seemed to be in a good mood. When he spoke, his voice was raised. "Just say it. Your matter will never be a problem." "I''m taking Austin for a paternity test in two days. I want to ask if you have any friends who work at the identification center to change the results." Justin''s breathing paused. This sentence contained too much information. After a moment of silence, he asked, "You met Brian." Grace briefly told him what had happened. Justin felt a littleplicated. After a while, he said, "Alright, I''ll send you a few hospitals. As long as it''s done in these hospitals, it won''t be a problem." 0 Chapter 340 After hanging up the phone, Justin felt uneasy. Although he knew that Grace really did not want to have anything to do with Brian anymore, he still felt flustered when he thought about that she was going to work at the Francis Group. In short, he felt that as long as Grace got close to Brian, she would be injured. After thinking about it, Justin sent Grace a message. Grace was still awake. Justin gave his opinion. "I can help you investigate Louise. Don''t go to the Francis Group, okay?" Grace looked at the message and thought for a long time. In the end, he replied, "Justin, I appreciate it if you''re willing to help me investigate, but regarding my background, I have to unravel the mystery myself." Justin sighed in his heart. He thought of the box of lunchboxes from a few days ago. Just as he was thinking about how to test the waters, she sent him a message. "It''ste. Go to bed early. Good night." Justin stared at the phone for a long time before putting it away. The excitement of the past few days seemed to be shrouded in ayer of fog that could not be pushed away. When Brian returned home, Louise was also there. Seeing that he was covered in mud and injured, she asked in surprise, "Brian, what''s wrong?" Brian said without changing his expression, "I encountered andslide and suffered some superficial injuries." Louise bit her lips and said with heartache, "That ce is so remote. What''s the point of developing there? You even injured yourself." Brian looked at her and frowned slightly. "That''s where we first met. Don''t you want to make it better?" Louise was stunned for a moment before she quickly put on a touched smile. "Yes... but seeing you injured makes ache too." my heart "It doesn''t bother me," he said lightly, and then went upstairs to shower. Louise felt that Brian was a little strange. The sound and tone of his voice were a little strange. After taking a shower, he went into the study and locked the door. When Louise knocked on the door, he only opened it after a long time. "Brian, why did you lock the door?" Louise asked suspiciously. He pinched the space between his eyebrows and said calmly, "I was having an important video conference just now. I can''t be disturbed." Louise held a ss of milk in her hand. Brian looked down at it. Just as he was about to serve it, he seemed to have thought of something and stopped in midair. Louise lowered her head in embarrassment and grievance. "Don''t worry, I won''t do that kind of thing again." Brian touched her hair absent-mindedly and took the ss of milk away. He said, "Rest early." Then, he closed the door of the study. Louise felt even stranger. Brian and Grace agreed on a time and personally drove to the entrance of her neighborhood. Before setting off, Louise saw that he was dressed very formally. He even looked at himself in the mirror repeatedly. When Louise asked him where he was going, he simply said, "I''m meeting a client." "Oh." Louise nodded suspiciously. Brian left the vi. For some reason, Louise felt that his footsteps were very urgent. Brian was waiting for her outside Grace''s neighborhood when he saw Graceing alone.This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. He frowned. "Where''s the child?" Grace raised the hair he had collected in advance. "I''ve already collected the hair. You don''t have to bring the child." "How do I know whose hair this is? Take the child out." Grace knew that he would not give up until he saw the child, so she could only carry the child out. Chapter 341 Grace carried the child and sat in the back seat. Brian''s face darkened. He craned his neck to look in the rearview mirror, but he did not see anything. He had no choice but to start the car and drive to the hospital. Austin was still sound asleep. Grace carried her out of the car. Brian quickly locked the car and strode over, his heart suddenly pounding. He was tall and could easily see Austin''s face. Looking at that chubby little face, his heart seemed to melt instantly, and his throat moved unconsciously. He reached out and wanted to carry the child, but Grace walked very quickly with her head lowered. The appraisal center was on the second floor. There were many people waiting for the elevator. Grace did not want to carry the child to squeeze into the elevator. Just as he was about to take the stairs up, Brian grabbed her hand. "Give me the child. What if you fall on the stairster?" He finally found a suitable reason to take over the child. It was Brian''s first time carrying a child. He was still a baby. When he first received it, he was at a loss. He imitated how Grace carried the child and held her in his arms. From Grace''s angle, his cold side profile became gentle, and there seemed to be a gentle smile hidden in his eyes. Grace was slightly absent-minded. If they were together, they should be a very happy family, right? Brian should also be a good father, right? Tears welled up in her eyes. "Grace, Grace, stop daydreaming. It''s impossible for the two of you to be together. If he marries Louise, he''ll never be Austin''s father in this lifetime." Austin was too cute. She closed her eyes lightly, but she could see his long eyshes that were like fans. Her little nose was also pink and tender, and her small mouth was moist. Maybe because she had eaten milk before sleeping, at this moment, her small mouth was still pouting slightly. It was simply adorable enough to melt his heart. He subconsciously asked, "What is my daughter''s name..." He cleared his throat to hide his embarrassment. "What''s her name?" "Austin." Austin, Austin, Brian repeated her name several times and even added the word ''Huo... Austin Francis. It was a good name. Brian blinked and hid the excitement in his eyes. He deliberatelymented in an indifferent tone, "Austin symbolizes harmony, auspiciousness, and longevity. It''s a good name. It''s cadence and catchy. I didn''t expect you to be so good at naming." B Grace looked at him. "Of course I have to take care of my own daughter." "Come on, let''s go up." " Brian nodded and kept his gaze on Austin''s face. They were not the only ones who came for the test. There was also a queue in front of them. Brian was very happy with this phenomenon because he could carry the baby longer. At this moment, Austin stretched and rubbed her head twice before opening her eyes. Brian''s heart skipped a beat. It was as if he was weing the first time the father and daughter met. He subconsciously sat up straight and looked at her. Grace saw the change in his expression and frowned. "What are you doing?" Brian looked at her and then down at the child. "She''s awake." Austin was already staring at him with her ck grapes-like eyes. Her eyes were round as she stared at him without blinking with a hint of curiosity. 0This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. Chapter 342 Brian subconsciously held his breath. He even subconsciously wondered if she would recognize him. Then, he realized how ridiculous his idea was. At this moment, Austin suddenly grinned at him, his round eyes smiling like two crescent moons. Her pitch-ck eyes were as pure as the stars in the sky. In an instant, Brian''s heart softened. The corners of his mouth could not help but widen. Looking at him, Grace''s eyes suddenly stung. He hurriedly raised his head and forced back the hot tears in his eyes. Brian turned to look at her. "Grace, she''s smiling at me!"This is from N?velDrama.Org. Grace smiled at him. If nothing unexpected happened, the interaction between the father and daughter would onlyst for a few minutes. She did not want to disturb him. When the staff called Brian and Austin''s names, Grace walked over. "Let''s go Brian''s face fell at a visible speed. He hadn''t held her enough. and collect samples." When they were collecting the swabs, Austin cried loudly. When Brian heard her cries, his heart ached so much that it felt like it was bleeding. He shouted at the nurse, "Can''t you be gentler? It hurts her throat!" The nurse felt that he was being ridiculous and rolled her eyes at him. "Why are you here for a paternity test when you care so much about the child? Just take care of her!" Brian was speechless. There was nothing he could say. After collecting the samples, Brian began to use various excuses to stall for time. In any case, he refused to let go of the child. Grace could tell that he liked children very much, so she did not expose him and let him hold the child for a while longer. When he went out, it was also Brian who carried the child. Austin was in high spirits now. Brian quickly learned how to y with the child by himself. Austin was amused by him. It would take at least three days to get the report. The three days of waiting was nerve-racking for Brian. He looked at Austin for a long time, but he couldn''t tell if she looked like him. He looked very much like Grace. In fact, Austin looked like Brian, especially a week after he was born. Later on, she gradually grew a little, and she looked especially like Grace. Therefore, just by looking at her appearance, Brian was not confident. When he reached the car door, he had no choice but to hand the child over to Grace. The moment he looked up, he suddenly saw a familiar figure standing on the other side of the road. Louise was looking at him with a pale face. Brian frowned. Louise suddenly turned around and ran away without looking back. He staggered as if she had suffered a huge blow. - Grace''s heart sank. She watched helplessly as he called Louise''s name anxiously and chased after her. She sneered in her heart and looked down at Austin. "Baby, Mommy will always love you the most in the world." Grace took a taxi back alone. It did not take long for Brian to catch up with Louise. He held her hand and said, "Louise, listen to me. I don''t intend to hide this from you. I''m going to find a suitable time to tell you." Louise shook off his hand. "The right time? What is the right time? You''re going to do a paternity test today, right? What are you going to say to me when the test results are out? You want me to quit in order to give the child aplete family, right?" Brian frowned. "Louise, I''ve never thought of it that way!" Chapter 343 "Brian, do you know how disappointed I am in you? How could you bear to hurt me like this? How many things are you hiding from me?" Brian said heavily, "That''s the only thing. Louise, can you calm down and listen to me?" "I did find out about her pregnancy a long time ago, but I didn''t know whose child it was. Before you came back, I was indeed looking for her, but after you came back, I never thought of looking for her again." "I bumped into her this time because I bumped into her on a business trip that day. That''s why I asked her to take the child for a paternity test." "What if the child is yours? What do you n to do?" Louise looked at him coldly. "If it''s my child, I naturally have to give her the best education and a high-quality life." Therefore, it meant that he had to raise the child! Louise''s heart turned cold. She looked at him sadly. "What about me? Brian, have you ever thought about my feelings?" Brian frowned and his tone became a little stern. "Louise! What''s wrong with you? Can''t you even tolerate an innocent baby? I''ve never said that I won''t marry you if the child is mine, right?" Louise was stunned. He actually spoke to her in such a tone for the sake of the child. Great! Before the paternity test results were out, he was already speaking up for the child. In his heart, it seemed that she was not as important as a child!This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. What would happen if the DNA test report came out and she was really his child? Louise was smart. She knew that she could not go against him at this time. If she continued to throw a tantrum, it would only backfire. Hence, she lowered her head and smiled aggrievedly. "Am I really such a person in your eyes? Any woman who encounters such a thing will be unable to ept it for a moment, right? But she''s the child of the man I love after all. Other than treating her as my own, what else can I do?" These words made Brian feel that he had let her down even more. He pulled her into his arms and said, "Louise, thank you." Embracing was a strange thing. It was clearly very intimate, but they couldn''t see each other''s faces, just like now, He could not see the ruthlessness on Louise''s face. If the child was really Brian, it would be good to bring back to the Francis family. It would be easier for her to control. Children were weak and sickly. What if she died from illness? The wait was long and nerve-racking. On the third day, it was finally time to get the examination report. Louise insisted on going with him. Brian had no choice but to let her apany him. Grace did not bring the child out today. When Brian drove to the entrance of her neighborhood, he was a little unhappy to see hering down alone. However, today was just about the result. He had no excuse to ask her to bring the child down. When she saw Louise sitting in the front passenger seat, she hesitated for a moment and looked at him deeply. Brian''s expression was indifferent. Grace did not say anything either. When they arrived at the hospital, Grace still looked a little uneasy. Before getting out of the car, she even stopped Brian and said to Louise, "I have a few words to say to him alone." Louise smiled and walked to the side generously. Grace asked him seriously, "If the child is yours, I can''tpete with you for custody. Are you nning to bring her back to raise her with Louise?" Chapter 344 "Right." "Will she be good to my baby?" she asked in a shaky voice. "Don''t worry. With me around, the child will be fine. At least it''s better than being with you." Hearing his words, Grace was so disgusted that she almost vomited. He couldn''t even see how Louise was. Where did he get the confidence to think that he could protect the child?? However, Grace did not show these emotions. "Frankly, I''m not sure who the child belongs to. If it''s yours, I hope you''ll remember what you said today and give her the best education you can. She''s not only your child, but she''s also my life." Although he felt ufortable hearing her say that she did not know who the biological father of the child was, if the child was really his, he would definitely give her the best life. When he walked into the hospital, Brian''s heart was beating wildly. The more the answer was revealed, the more nervous and uneasy he became. Meanwhile, Louise was smiling as she calmly waited for the results. Before Grace left the house, she called Justin. Justin had already arranged everything. Although she was confident, Grace still tried her best to show her nervousness. Brian''s fingers trembled slightly as he held the report. He swallowed unconsciously and eagerly opened the file.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. He almost held his breath as he looked at the small row of words confirming that they were not rted by blood! Louise could not wait to take a look. She widened her eyes in surprise. The child was not Brian''s? Brian''s mind went nk for a moment. His pupils constricted and he exerted force with his fingers. The A4 paper was crumpled by him. He suddenly crumpled the report into a ball and grabbed Grace''s neck. He stared at her with bloodshot eyes. "Who exactly is the child''s father?" Grace found it difficult to breathe. She grabbed his wrist tightly. "I have no obligation to tell you this..." Louise advised, "Brian, calm down." Although she couldn''t wait for Brian to strangle Grace to death. A momentter, Brian seemed to understand something. He suddenly smiled coldly. "It''s Justin, right?" Grace did not say anything. She just looked at him with aplicated gaze. Her face was red fromck of oxygen. There were many situations like this in the assessment center, and the doctors were used to it, so no one cared about Grace. Brian realized that he had lost hisposure and suddenly let go of his wrist. Grace breathed rapidly. Brian looked at her with disappointment. It turned out that Grace had really betrayed him during their marriage! Grace regained his senses and looked up at him. "When can I go to work?" Louise did not understand what she meant. She looked at Brian in confusion. Brian said "anytime" gloomily and strode away. To him, this ce was filled with humiliation! Louise red at Grace and quickly caught up to Brian. "Brian! Wait for me! Brian! Ah..." When Brian heard the exmation, he stopped in his tracks and saw Louise covering her ankle with a pained expression. Expressionless, he walked back and took her hand. "How''s your foot?" "It hurts a little... Carry me." She stretched out her hands. Brian carried her back into the car. He started the car without a word. After a while, Louise asked, "What does Grace mean by going to work?" Chapter 345 Brian was still in a bad mood. He lit a cigarette and controlled the steering wheel with one hand. He exhaled a mouthful of smoke and said, "She''sing to thepany to work." Although Louise had guessed this possibility before, she still could not ept it after receiving an affirmative answer. "She''sing to work at the Francis Group... This, Brian, do you think that''s appropriate? I''m also at the Francis Group now. How should I face your ex all day?" Brian looked at her. "Do you think something will happen between her and me?" His voice was very cold, as if it came from an icehouse. Louise bit her lip. "Of course, I believe you... but I will feel..." "She promised to take the child for a paternity test. I promised her to work at the Francis Group. It''s that simple," he interrupted her without any fluctuation in his voice. Louise swallowed a mouthful of saliva. It seemed like this matter was set in stone. No matter how much she fussed, there was nothing she could do to change it. He was in an extremely bad mood now. It was not suitable for her to talk about anything. If Grace wanted to enter the Francis Group, so be it. She had plenty of ways to deal with Grace. ***** Grace returned home and took out the swaddling clothes she had brought back from the countryside that day. That day, she had only taken a simple look at it. Now that she took a closer look, she realized that the bamboo patterns on it should be hand-embroidered. In the bottom corner of the swaddling cloth, there was a word "Caylee" embroidered with golden thread. Grace reached out and touched the word. Could this be embroidered by her mother? Could this ''Caylee'' be her mother''s name? If that was the case, she could imagine that her mother must love her. Then how did she get lost? Who caused she and her mother to be separated for more than twenty years!This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. She had to find the culprit! Grace went to the Francis Group the next day. Carson''s work could bepleted at home. It was also convenient to take care of Austin usually. She could also work in peace during the day. When Grace arrived at Francis Group, she coincidentally met Brian. Louise was with him. Louise got out of the front passenger seat. She was wearing an elegantmuter dress and had a graceful figure. Standing in front of Brian, they looked like a perfect couple. The two of them quickly noticed Grace. The corners of Louise''s lips curled up slightly. She held Brian''s arm intimately and leaned closer to him. Brian frowned slightly but did not dodge. Instead, he subconsciously looked up to see Grace''s reaction. Her expression was calm, as if she was looking at a stranger. He couldn''t exin why, but he suddenly felt very annoyed. He took a long step and walked towards thepany without looking sideways. His footsteps were a little big, and he did not pay attention to Louise beside him. Their backs looked a little discordant. It was a lie to say that Grace''s heart did not fluctuate at all. After all, he was the man she loved deeply. Her heart would still ache when she faced him being intimate with another woman. However, she had more important things to deal with. She did not have time to grieve. When she walked into thepany, there were many people who knew her on the way. When they saw hering, they whispered in surprise. Everyone knew that Louise was Brian''s fianc¨¦e. She was also the one who had been doted on from the beginning to the end. Most people treated Grace, his ex-wife, as a joke and a substitute Grace ignored thements of others and went straight to the CEO''s office. When she walked out of the elevator, she saw Camren. 0 Chapter 346 Camren''s eyes lit up when he saw her. "Miss Sherman, long time no see It was rare to meet an acquaintance. Grace smiled at him. "Camren, long time no see." "Are you looking for Mr. Francis?" Camren asked. Grace nodded. "From now on, we''re colleagues. I hope you will take good care of me." As she spoke, she extended a fair hand towards Camren. Camren shook her hand and said in surprise, "Wee, Miss Sherman. At this moment, Brian came over from the other side of the corridor. He happened to see the two shaking hands and Grace smiling brightly. Brian frowned fiercely. He felt that her smiling face was especially eye-catching. In fact, it evert gave off a lewd feeling Ever since he found out that the child was not his, he felt a thorn in his heart and felt ufortable no matter what. What right did she have to be so wanton? He only had one woman, and this woman was pregnant and did not even know who the father of the child was! He walked over with a dark expression. Camren felt a chill from afar and quickly retracted his hand. Brian walked past the two of them expressionlessly and entered the office. Camren looked at her and said, "It seems that Mr. Francis is not in a good mood today. Miss Sherman, take care!" Grace shrugged. She understood his feelings. After all, no man would be in a good mood after knowing that he had been cheated on. Moreover, it was a proud man like Brian. Grace smiled and said, "I won''t bicker with him." ** In the office, Brian sat on the chair with a cold expression. Grace walked up to him and said, "Mr. Francis, I''m here to report. Should I go straight to the Human Resources Department?" Brian looked up at her and frowned. When she faced Camren just now, she was smiling like a flower. When she stood in front of him, it was as if he owed her money. Brian was unhappy. He said sarcastically, "Are you here to work? guess you''re here to hang a man. You''ve just arrived and you''re already flirting with Camren. Why? Didn''t Justin feed you enough?" His words were very unpleasant, but when he said them, he did not feel the pleasure of venting. Instead, he felt even more ufortable. Grace''s expression changed slightly, but she still controlled her emotions and did not argue with him. She smiled brightly. "If I can find a good home while working here, why not? After all, Justin''s family won''t ept me. Brian was speechless hearing this. 111 "However, Camren is not my type. If there''s anyone suitable, Mr Francis, you can introduce him to me." Grace guessed that the reason why he mocked her was probably because he saw her talking to Camren just now. She did not want to implicate Camren. Brian snorted and got down to business. "What department are you nning to go to?" T "Programming, I think," Grace replied. Brian looked up at her. Grace was a little surprised. "What''s wrong?"Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. Instead of answering the question, he asked, "Are you sure you want to go to the programming department?" Grace nodded. "Report directly to HR Department. I''ll talk to both departments Brian told her. Grace retreated and went to the HR department to sign the contract. When she arrived at the program department and walked into the office, she knew why Brian had such a reaction just now. Chapter 347 When Louise saw her, she was surprised for a moment before a bright smile appeared on her face. She was really not afraid of death. She dared to put herself in danger. The colleague who brought Grace over told the Erin, "This is a new employee. Her name is Grace. I''ll leave her to you."This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. The head of the programming department knew her and sized her up with an ambiguous gaze for a while. Grace took the initiative to introduce herself. When she saw the name on her work pass, she politely extended a hand to her. "Hello, Erin." Erin looked at Louise and then at Grace. She could not help but have some guesses. Everyone knew that Grace was Brian''s ex-wife, and she didn''t have any background. Louise was fair-skinned, beautiful, and came from a decent family. She was a match made in heaven with Brian, and they were going to get married soon. At this time, Grace, the ex, suddenly came to the Francis Group. Isn''t it obvious what Grace was thinking? Grace could tell what she was thinking. She did not care about other people''s guesses. "Erin, may I know where my desk is?" Only then did Erin respond to her. Her tone was a little perfunctory as she pointed at an empty seat. "There." Grace took a look and asked, "Erin, I''ve just arrived and I''m not very familiar with the business. May I ask if you can arrange for a senior to guide me for a few days?" Erin looked a little impatient. "Can''t you see that everyone is busy now? How can they have the time to specially guide you? Go and see what others are doing." With that, she said to everyone, "Everyone, work hard. Don''t ck off." She turned around and looked at Louise. Her face was instantly filled with a fawning smile. "Mrs. Francis, what are you going to drink today? I''ll get someone to buy it for you." Louise raised her eyebrows and suddenly nced at Grace. "Everyone is so busy now. How can I let them buy things for me? Forget it." Erin saw her nce at Grace and instantly understood what Louise meant. She said to Grace, who had just turned on herputer, "Grace you just arrived and don''t know anything. Everyone is still busy. Go buy Mrs. Francis a drink first." Grace frowned. She wanted to say that this was not her job, but then she thought that this request must have been instructed by Louise. If she refused and Louise talked to Brian, she might be kicked out of the Francis Group at any time. At the thought of this, Grace endured it. It was impossible for her to drink coffee all day. "What would Mrs. Francis like to drink?" "Well, how can I have the cheek to ask you to buy me coffee?" Louise said sarcastically. When everyone heard this, they naturally thought that when Grace was still Mrs. Francis, he must have embarrassed Louise I 18:47 a lot. That was why a kind person like Louise would be so sarcastic. B Grace said calmly, "There''s nothing to be embarrassed about. I''m a neer. It''s only right for me to buy milk for you. "Well, then I''ll have to trouble you. Mocha. No sugar. Thank you Louise was best at torturing people. She had indeed started to find fault with the coffee that Grace had bought. It was as if she had returned to the Francis Vi, but now that she was not pregnant, she did not feel tired. The entire morning was wasted just like that. In the afternoon, Grace seized the time to learn from her colleagues. Soon, she would gradually get used to it. Chapter 348 In the afternoon. When Grace went to the coffee room, she heard some gossip. "Do you all know the new woman from the programming department? Her name is Grace." "I heard that she''s quite pretty. Ask your colleagues in the programming department to give her WhatsApp ount to me," a man said. The woman tutted. "Look at you. You look like you''ve never seen a woman before. Do you know her well? Do you know what she''s like?"Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. ""What people?" "You don''t know this, do you? She''s Mr. Francis''s ex-wife!" "Mr. Francis''s ex-wife? No... I remember that Mr. Francis''s fianc¨¦e is also in the programming department. She''s also in the programming department. There''s going to be a good show." "Since she used to be Mr. Francis'' woman, she must have her own strengths, right?" The male colleague analyzed. "What do you know? Stop spouting nonsense. I heard that she had a child a few months after divorcing Mr. Francis Moreover, she doesn''t even know who the father is! Her private life is so messy." "Huh? It takes at least ten months to give birth. She''s only been divorced for a few months, but she already gave birth. Doesn''t that mean she cheated on Mr. Francis?" "Look, you don''t know this. Mr. Francis has always loved Miss Adkins. As for Grace, she''s a substitute. She looks a little simr to Miss Adkins. Coincidentally, the Francis family is urging her to get married, so Mr. Francis married her." The woman said sourly, "Maybe, after Mr. Francis marries her and never touches her once, she can''t stand the loneliness and goes to find a man herself! Mr. Francis doesn''t like her, so of course he doesn''t care that she''s cheating on him." "I didn''t expect that you can''t judge a book by its cover. She looks so pure, but she''s so promiscuous deep down." The male colleague said again, "I don''t think we know her well either. It''s not good to talk about her behind her back, right?" "Tsk! Do men like sluts like her? Let me give you a piece of advice. It''s better not to get close to sluts like her!" "Her family isn''t rich. She probably came to ourpany to find a father for her child! Men like you are all targeted by her! Well, it is scary just by thinking about it." "Forget it, I can''t exin it to you. Let''s go." When the women saw that their male colleague was not only chatting with them, but also speaking up for Grace, they felt that it was very boring. The few of them walked away with their cups. As soon as she walked out, she turned the corner and saw Grace. They were all stunned for a moment. Some of them looked embarrassed, while others rolled their eyes arrogantly. When they passed by her, they deliberately bumped into her arm hard It was Grace''s first day here. She did not want to make enemies for the time being, so she endured it. She walked into the coffee room. When the male colleague saw her, he was slightly stunned. Because he had never seen her before, he was not sure if she was Grace. Chapter 349 "My name is Grace Sherman." Grace shook his hand lightly. Homer suddenly said, "Can I add you as WhatsApp?" Grace smiled. "Of course." The two of them took out their phones and added WhatsApp to each other. Homer left with the ss of water. At this moment, a familiar female voice sounded. "You''ve already charmed the male colleagues in thepany on your first day here. Miss Sherman is indeed charming!" Grace narrowed her eyes and looked at her. Other than Brian, only Louise knew about her child. It was impossible for Brian to spread such rumors. Therefore, Louise must have added fuel to the fire! She looked at Louise and smiled. "Mrs. Francis, you''ve misunderstood. It''s just an ordinary colleague adding WhatsApp." In the end, she added, "Of course, if we feel that we are suitable in all aspects, it''s not impossible for us to be lovers." Everyone in the programming department called her Mrs. Francis, and Louise enjoyed it. Louise/snorted coldly. "You''ve finally revealed your true colors! I know very well why you came to the Francis Group. Your methods are really brilliant. You know how to retreat in order to advance." Grace frowned and lowered her eyes. When she looked up again, her eyes were filled with sincerity and humbleness. "Mrs. Francis, I hope you can let me off. I entered the Francis Group only because the Francis Group has a good development prospect. I definitely wouldn''t dare to have any delusions about your fianc¨¦." This was the first time Louise had seen Grace speak to her in such a humble tone. It could even be said that Grace was begging her. She suddenly felt extremely happy. "I hope you remember what you said today. Don''t let me catch you red-handed." Otherwise, your days in the Francis Group will be very difficult!" Grace lowered her head. "I understand." Louise left arrogantly. Grace went back to work. She realized that Louise rarely worked in thepany. She basically chatted with Erin all day long. To be precise, Erin was chatting with her. Erin was very good at ttery. The address ''Mrs. Francis'' made Louise very happy!Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Unknowingly, it was time to get off work. Grace waited until most of her colleagues had left before turning off herputer and preparing to pack up and leave. However, at this moment, Erin suddenly turned back and said coldly to Grace, "Grace, I just sent an email to your Open it and take a look. Work overtime tonight to deal with it." email. Grace looked at her in surprise. "Erin, you didn''t inform me that I should work overtime just now." Erin looked at her impatiently. "I''m notifying you now. Didn''t you hear us?" ti Grace put down the bag in her hand and exined to her seriously, "Erin, it''s my first day at thepany today. There are many things that I don''t know very well. If I work overtime tonight and make something wrong tomorrow, who should be med?" "Of course it''s yours! You''re not good enough at your job! Are you ming others?" Grace frowned. Why couldn''t she tell that Erin was deliberately making things difficult for her? Louise was sitting beside them. There were only the three of them in the programming department. Louise looked like she was watching a good show. At this moment, Brian suddenly appeared at the door. "Louise, let''s go." Louise was overjoyed. She quickly stood up from her chair. Afraid that Brian would see Grace, she walked to the door and pushed him out. Chapter 350 Unfortunately, Brian was too familiar with Grace''s figure. Just by looking at his hair, he recognized that it was Grace. He turned around and shook off Louise''s hand. Louise''s hand was empty, and her heart sank. Brian saw Grace and Erin standing there as if they were confronting each other. He asked, "What happened?" When Erin saw Brian turn back, he was shocked. "Mr. Francis, Grace hasn''t finished her work. I''m here to guide her" Brian looked up and saw that all theputers had been turned off. Grace was carrying a bag in her hand. It was obvious that she was preparing to leave. "Really? Theputer is turned off. How do you want to know?" he asked coldly. Ayer of cold sweat instantly broke out on Erin''s back. He stammered, "Um... Instructor..." When Louise saw this, she smiled and exined, "Brian, don''t scare her. It''s like this. It''s Grace''s first day here. There''s something wrong with her work. Erin wants to talk to her alone." Louise thought that Brian would leave after she said that. Unexpectedly, he looked at Grace again. "You are not active at work?" Grace pursed her lips. She had not nned to resolve this matter through Brian, but if she did not show her strength to Erin er even more in the future. today, Erin would only bully At the thought of this, she said, "Mr. Francis, it''s like this. After work, Erin sent an email to me and asked me to work overtime alone toplete my work." "It''s not that I refuse to work overtime. Firstly, Erin has never informed me about overtime in the work group. It''s against the rules tomunicate it to me verbally. Secondly, the contract clearly states that the first seven days are the training period. If I make a mistake because I''m not familiar with the business andplete the work alone, who will be responsible?" Grace''s words were reasonable. After saying that, she looked at Brian and asked, "Mr. Francis, the Francis Group, the management of each department was promoted with your approval. What do you think of the talents you selected?" Brian''s expression darkened as he looked at Erin. Erin''s face was already pale. She did not expect it to be so difficult to deal with Grace. Brian knew that it was Grace''s first day at work. She must be anxious to go back and see her child. He said to Grace calmly, "You can get off work first. I''ll handle this matter." Louise clenched her fists in anger and red at Grace. Grace looked at her, then quickly lowered her head and left. "Erin, don''t tell me that you don''t understand thepany''s rules after being the team leader for so long." Brian sat down on the chair with a serious attitude. her. Erin was already scared out of her wits. It was all Louise''s fault for telling her that Brian also wanted to kill Grace. That was why Erin bullied her brazenly. Unexpectedly, Brian spoke up f "Mr. Francis, I''m sorry. I won''t do this again. It''s all my fault." 14.40 Sun, NOV 17 Louise was also afraid that-if Erin was removed from her position, she would definitely tell others about how he had defamed Grace. Therefore, she stood up for Erin. 76% "Brian, don''t me Erin. Erin actually wants to nurture Grace as soon as possible. Besides, Erin has always been serious and responsible. Don''t make things difficult for her this time." "That''s right, Mr. Francis. I promise that this won''t happen again"This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. f Chapter 351 Brian frowned slightly. No one could tell what he was thinking iter a while, he stood up and said, "I hope you remember what you said today. If there''s any more malicious forced overtime in the future, pack your things and leave. Erin heaved a huge sigh of relief. Brian drove Louise home. On the way, Louise looked at him a few times and realized that he seemed to be thinking about something. When the car arrived at the entrance of the Adkins family, she looked at him and could not help but ask, "Brian, is there something on your mind?" He nced sideways at her. "No." "Are you still thinking about how Erin asked Grace to work overtime? Did your heart ache when you saw her being troubled?" Brian frowned. "That''s not true. Don''t let your imagination run wild." A As if tofort her, he held the back of her head and kissed her forehead gently. "Go back quickly," he said gently. Louise smiled. "Alright, be careful on the way." After getting out of the car, the smile on Louise''s face disappeared. Although Brian''s voice was very doting and gentle when he spoke to her, she still felt a chill in her heart. He would never take the initiative to kiss her lips. Even if she took the initiative to send herself up, he would pull her away. The more Louise thought about it, the more she felt that Brian could not let Grace go! Grace had already cheated on him! Why was he still in love with her? She had to get Grace to the Francis Group as soon as possible! In fact, Brian was indeed thinking about Grace. But he wasn''t thinking about her being forced to work overtime. The car stopped at the entrance of Southside Hospital. Brian did not know why he hade here without anyone knowing. He got out of the car and leaned against the car to light a cigarette. After taking a few puffs, he saw Justining out of the hospital Brian''s car was too eye-catching. Justin saw it at a nce and frowned. Justin guessed that Brian was here to look for him and walked over generously. Brian threw the cigarette butt at his feet and extinguished it. Brian looked up at him. "Mr. Francis, are you here to look for me?" Justin smiled. Brian''s face was cold, and he was in a bad mood. As long as he saw Justin''s face, the image of him and Grace together would appear in his mind. That child belonged to him and Grace! 15:02 Mon Nov 18 He even automatically imagined Grace sleeping with him: These scenes made him feel as ufortable as a thorn in firs throat He said coldly. Dr. Vance, are you nning to let your child be an illegitimate child even though you''re an illegitimate child? Justin frowned, not understanding what he was referring to. After a while, he understood. Did he think that Grace''s child was his and came to question him? Justin smiled. "Mr. Francis, you sure have a lot of things to worry about. Naturally, I won''t let my child be helpless. Don''t worry. Soon, you''ll hear the good news about me and Grace." Good news... This word was especially ear-piercing. He said sarcastically, "Really? As far as I know, the Vance family won''t allow you two to be together."Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. "What can I do? I''ll make my own decisions. Besides, Grace and I have already been together. It''s only a matter of time before we get married." The more Brian listened, the more suffocated his chest became. It was as if a huge rock was pressing down on him, and he was about to suffocate. Why did hee here to say all this? What did Grace''s life have to do with him? Chapter 352 Thinking of this. Brian turned around and opened the car door Without saying a word, he started the car and drove away quickly. Justin stood on the spot and narrowed his eyes slightly as he watched him leave. At this moment, he clearly realized that Brian could not let go of Grace at all! With Brian''s personality, something would definitely happen in the future! Grace was working at the Francis Group. It was very dangerous! At night, Grace received a message from WhatsApp. She opened it and saw a familiar profile picture that made her eyes tremble slightly. Brian took the initiative to add her as a friend. She stared at this message for a long time, but in the end, she did not choose to pass. Louise was with him. What if this message was deliberately added by Louise''s phone to test him? Grace furned off her phone and stopped letting her imagination run wild. She had a dreamless night. The next day, when Grace went to work, she bumped into the two of them again. There were more people waiting for the elevator. She stood at the elevator entrance and saw Louiseing in intimately with Brian. Brian''s exclusive elevator was just ahead. When the two of them passed by her, one of them did not look too good, and the other smiled. "Grace, you are waiting for the elevator. Why don''t you take our elevator up together?" Grace lowered her head slightly and said politely and distantly, "Thank you for your kindness, Mrs. Francis. I''ll just take the employee elevator. I won''t disturb your private time." When Louise heard ''Mrs. Francis, he looked up at Brian''s reaction. He maintained a cold expression the entire time. It was unknown if he cared about this title in his heart. When the elevator door opened, Louise smiled and waved at her. "Then we''ll leave first. Goodbye." Grace nodded ''slightly. In the elevator, Louise sized up Brian. "Brian, are you in a bad mood today?" Brian''s side profile was tense. He was indeed in a bad mood. Last night, he went to the work group and added Grace to WhatsApp. He wanted to withdraw it, but it did not have this function. He thought that she would agree soon, but there was no news in the middle of the night. He did not believe that young people nowadays would lie in bed at night and not open WhatsApp to take a look. He tossed and turned for the entire night, unable to fall asleep. Brian turned his head to look at her and smiled absent-mindedly. "It''s nothing. I''ll bring you out for lunch at noon." Louise nodded. Coincidentally, the elevator arrived at Louise''s hor. She walked out of the elevator After Grace arrived at the office, she rummaged through her bag She had specially brought Saffron to soak in water today. There was also a packet of chocte in the bag. Grace took it out and castially ced it on the table. Then, she went to the coffee room to get water. When Louise came out of the washroom, she passed by Grace''s desk. When she saw the chocte on the table, she raised her eyebrows slightly and casually tore open a small packet to taste it, When Grace returned, she saw that a small packet of chocte was missing from the table. She frowned and raised her voice to ask, "Did anyone cat the chocte on my table?" Her colleagues looked at each other, but no one answered her. Grace didn''t want to question anything, but the chocte had been there for a long time. She had brought it with her when she was pregnant to prevent hypoglycemia. Just as she was about to ask again, Louise suddenly said, "I ate it.This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 353 Grace looked at her. "I didn''t have breakfast this morning, so I casually brought it over to eat. I''ll get Brian topensate youter. You don''t have to be so aggressive. You make it sound like I can''t even afford a box of choctes. When Louise said this, she did not even turn around to look at her. She was used to taking whatever she wanted to eat in the office. No one would say anything about her. This was the first time she had been questioned by Grace after eating chocte. She was very frustrated. Grace opened her mouth and said with a smile, "Mrs. Francis, what are you talking about? It''s my honor that you like my things." Louise sneered. "If you really thought that way, would you still be there asking questions just now?" Grace shrugged and decided to shut up. She sat down and picked up the rest of the chocte. It was expired... And it had expired four months ago. Grace silently looked back at Louise, then silently threw the chocte into the trash can at her feet. When it was almost noon, Louise felt her stomach ache. She went to the bathroom and came out. When she returned to the office, she felt that her stomach was still squirming. She felt like farting. She held her breath awkwardly. However, she still couldn''t take it anymore and let out a fart. She deliberately made a sound while farting, thinking that this way, no one would be able to tell that the sound wasing from her side. However, when she looked up, she realized that several pairs of eyes were staring at her. When they met her gaze, they quickly lowered their heads. Louise bit her lip awkwardly. After a while, the pungent smell of ammonia and hydrogen sulfide spread in the office. Louise held her breath tightly and pretended not to smell anything. Grace frowned and covered her nose. She thought to herself that this expired chocte worked really quickly... Some of her colleagues couldn''t stand the smell. Some pretended to go to the toilet, while others pretended to fetch coffee and left the office. Louise had never felt so awkward before. However, on second thought, they didn''t dare to say anything about her. As long as she wasn''t embarrassed, others would be. At noon, Brian came to pick Louise up for lunch. Chapter 353- Under everyone''s envious gages, Louise left with Brian with a smile.This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. At this moment, Homer from the design departiment next doorn to the office door and shouted, "Grace! Let''s go ear together!" Brian, who was about to reach the elevator door, paused and subconsciously turned around. He saw a young man waving at Grace at the door with a bright smile. At this moment, he heard Homer say, "I sent you WhatsApp. Why didn''t you reply?" "I''m busy. I didn''t see the message." Grace smiled in embarrassment. Brian''s expression stiffened. She had only been here for a day, but she had already added the WhatsApp of the male colleague from the neighboring department. She even had a lunch date. It seemed that even after giving birth, she was still popr. He felt aggrieved when he thought about how he had added her WhatsAppst night but was rejected. Louise looked at him. "Brian? What''s wrong?" "I suddenly remembered that I still have some unfinished business. I''ll go back to the office first. You can eat alone. We''ll eat together tonight. Is that okay?" Louise''s expression darkened slightly, but she still maintained her elegance. "Alright, I''ll pack it up for youter Chapter 354 Brian returned to his office and asked Camren to call Grace over. At that moment, Grace was walking to the canteen with Homer. It was already her turn. She had asked him to go to the CEO''s office with a call and said that it was something urgent. Grace felt very ufortable, but she still did not dare to go against Brian. "Homer, I''m sorry. Something cropped up at thest minute. Let''s eat together another day." With that, she did not dare to dy any longer and went to the CEO''s office. Brian sat on the chair and smoked. When he saw Grace enter, he did not look like he wanted to talk about serious matters. Grace rubbed her hungry belly and asked, "Mr. Francis, may I know why you''re looking for me?" Brian looked up at her. "What do you think?" Grace thought about it. She did not need to personally hand over her work to him. The only thing she could think of was the friend request from WhatsAppst night. She did not expect Brian to want to settle scores with her. She pretended to reply to the message and quickly took out her phone to delete the friend request. As she deleted it, she said, "I''m sorry, Mr. Francis. Forgive me for being slow-witted, but I don''t seem to need to contact you directly at work. I wonder why you are looking for me. My colleagues are still waiting for me to eat together..." As she spoke, she casually opened a dialog box and waved her phone at him. Her colleague was waiting for her to eat? The one who hooked up with her downstairs just now? Brian''s face darkened. "Grace, are you still pretending?" Grace pretended to be innocent. "Mr. Francis, I really don''t know what you''re talking about. What am I pretending for? Please tell me." Brian rubbed his temples and gritted his teeth. "Why did you reject the friend request I sent youst night?" In his eyes, if she did not agree, she would be rejecting him. Grace looked at him in confusion. "What friend request? Mr. Francis, are you mistaken? I haven''t received requests. How could I dare to reject your friend request?" any friend Anyway, she would never admit that she had ignored him. Brian was the most vengeful! Brian red at her, wishing he could knock her to death. "Give me your phone!" Grace silently handed her phone to him. His friend request was indeed not included. He had already guessed that she must have deleted the record when she fiddled with the phone just now. He looked at her coldly. "Grace, you''re amazing. Why didn''t I realize that your acting skills were so good previously?" Grace pursed her lips and refused to admit it. "Mr. Francis, I really didn''t receive anything. "Really? Do you dare swear to that?" Grace shut up. Brian snorted coldly. He added himself with her WhatsApp before handing the phone to her in satisfaction. "If you want to survive here, don''t go against me." Grace pursed her lips and said with a fake smile, "Don''t worry. I don''t have the guts." Brian said coldly, "Get out!" Grace quickly left the office. When she turned around, the expression on her face turned cold. Seeing his profile picture made her unhappy. She swiped her thumb across the screen and swiftly deleted his dialog box.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Louise quickly packed food for Brian. He was looking at his phone and seemed to be in a better mood. She ced the takeaway box on the table and stuck her head over to ask, "Brian, you seem to be in a good mood. Did you see something funny?" Brian quietly put away his phone. "It''s nothing. Thank you for bringing me so much food." 0 B Chapter 355 14:58 Thu, Nov 21 Chapter 355 A sweet smile appeared on Louise Adkins''s face, as she wanted to watch Brian Francis finish his meal. Just as Brian opened the lunch box, Louise felt a squirming sensation in her lower abdomen. She bit her lip and said, "I''ll go down first." Then, she quickly ran out of the office. As soon as she ran out, she could not stop herself from releasing a stream of gas. Outside sat Brian''s secretary, and when she saw Louiseing out, she stood up and greeted her politely. Louise forced a smile in return, and quickly left before the smell spread. Momentster, Secretary Vance frowned and covered her nose. Louise was having diarrhea the entire afternoon. After the awkward experience in the morning, she almost dared not return to office. After she finally managed to get off work in the afternoon, Brian hade to the office to walked carefully, afraid that she would not be able to hold it in again. pick her up for dinner. She The two of them went straight to the parking lot, but just as Brian was about to start the car, Louise suddenly unbuckled her seatbelt. "Wait!" She was about to rush out of the car, but her stomach sharp sound sounded in the quiet car. gave her no chance to do SO. Just as she was about to open the door, a In that moment, Brian was stunned speechless. Louise bit her lips, her face flushed a deep red. The space in the car was small to begin with. Brian held his breath and silently opened the window. Although he did not utter a single word, his mere action of opening the window made Louise feel absolutely embarrassed. In order to hide her embarrassment, she covered her stomach with an exasperated face and looked at Brian. She said pitifully, "Brian, my stomach doesn''t feel good... It''s been hurting all day. I''m sorry..." Brian did not say anything and just smiled. However, Louise could tell that he was holding his breath when he did so. After a while, the smell faded, and he said, "What''s there to be sorry about? This is normal." "I''ll take you to the hospital first. We''ll have dinnerter." At this point, she had already lost her appetite to eat anything. When they arrived at the hospital, the doctor asked Louise, "Did you eat anything wrong this morning?" Louise recalled for a moment and a memory shed by. "Oh, I ate chocte this morning." She looked up at Brian. "I ate two pieces of choctes that were ced on the table by Grace Sherman this morning. There must be something wrong with her choctes. She must be messing with me!" Brian frowned and asked, "She fed the choctes to you?" No. 4:58 Thu, NovProperty belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. 3 The doctor asked, "Eating choctes is not the problem. Are they expired?" Louise took out the packaging from her bag and looked at the date. It was indeed expired! Only then did she understand why Grace had asked so many times who had eaten the chocte. She probably wanted to remind her that the chocte was expired! Louise looked at Brian pitifully. "Brian, her chocte is expired, but she didn''t tell me deliberately!" Brian looked at her and remained silent for a long time without saying anything. The doctor prescribed some medicine for her and instructed her, "These medicines I prescribed for you will help you with digestion, but you might fart more after eating them. However, that shouldn''t happen anymore tomorrow." Louise had never experienced such an awkward situation in her life, and her face flushed red. After picking up the medicine and walking out of the hospital, Louise looked at Brian and said, have dinner again another day." Brian did not reject her suggestion and said lightly, "I''ll send you off." I go back first. Let''s 0 356 After all, it was impossible for her to eat while her body released farts one after another. Louise was also afraid that she could not control herself, so she insisted on taking a taxi instead. The next day, after Louise''s stomach had recovered, the first thing she did when she arrived at thepany was to find Grace. "Was your chocte from yesterday expired?" Grace had not expected her to find out. She looked at Louise with a puzzled expression, and asked in return, "Was yesterday''s chocte expired?" Louise narrowed her eyes. For a moment, she could not tell if Grace was putting on an act. Grace looked straight into her eyes. Louise had no evidence to prove that she knew that the chocte had expired anyway. What could she do? "But I ate them yesterday too. There''s nothing wrong with them. Mrs. Francis, did you think your diarrhea yesterday was caused by my choctes?" Grace''s words were very tactful, but Louise instantly remembered her embarrassment in the office yesterday. She was so furious that her face flushed with anger. The colleagues around looked at the two of them. Louise did not have evidence, so she dared not do anything to Grace at the moment However, regardless of whether Grace knew about the expired choctes, Louise would remember this grudge! In the afternoon when Grace ended work, she received a call from Justin Vance. Justin''s had almost recovered, so he asked her out for dinner. At first, Grace had refused on the grounds that she wanted to go home and take care of her child, but Justin then said that he had wanted to celebrate his recovery. Grace thought that since he was injured because of her, she immediately agreed. Justin''s car was already waiting for her downstairs. When she reached the first floor, Brian and Louise came out of the exclusive elevator, arms interlocked Grace nced at the two of them and habitually nodded as a greeting bef walking towards Justin. When Louise saw Justin, a bright smile appeared on her face. "Oh, isn''t this Dr. Long time no see." Justin wanted to ignore her, but since she had called his name he turned around out of courtesy and smiled in greeting. "Miss Adkins." Louise looked at Grace and then turned her gaze to Justin, asking with a smile, "Are the two of you officially together? Does Dr. Vance know that Grace has a child? I''ve heard that she doesnt even know who the child''s father is. Dr. Vance, you must be quite big-hearted to not mind this." Grace lowered her eyes, smiling sarcastically. She had to admit that Louise and Brian were really a perfect match. Even their sarcasm was exactly the same. She really wondered what her private ma had to do with them. Justin''s smile deepened. "I''m the that?" biother. Anything wrong w then said, "I How is it that you had a child before getting married? The Vance family Louise was surprised for amProperty belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Chapter 357 Chapter357 Brian''s gaze was fixed on Grace''s face the entire time Although there was almost no expression on his face, his ck eyes were filled with many indescribable erootion During Louise and Justin''s conversation, Grace had not said a word, nor admitted or denied anything. Since she did ont deny anything, it meant that she had admitted it At this moment, Brian suddenly realized that Grace hadpletely dissipated from his world There seemed to be an empty feeling in his heart. He had felt something simr before, but this time, it felt even stronger. He stood rooted to the ground in a daze until Louise called his name twice. Only then did he blink and return to his usual cold expression. After Grace got into the car, Justin asked her about her recent situation in thepany. on whether she had found any clues or whether she had been bullied. "I''ve only been at work for a few days and I''m still familiarizing myself with the business. Louise has her guards up against me, and keeps thinking I''m here for Brian. I can''t investigate anything for the time being. I have to make her lower her guard against me first." Justin nodded as he turned the steering wheel. "Isn''t letting her know that you''re with me the best way to get her to let down her guard?" Grace looked up at him and pursed her lips awkwardly. "That''s not the best idea." Justin thought that she felt shy and asked with a smile, "Grace, what are your ns now? I''m talking about your personal problems." He then immediately added, "I mean, between you and me." Grace looked at him in confusion. Justin looked at her in curiously. "You made me a bento, but you don''t dare to admit it was you?" Grace instantly understood what he was saying. Justin had always thought that the bento was a gift from her and that she liked him... Grace did not know how to exin this. "Justin, actually, my only focus right now is to find out my background. I don''t have the time to think about my personal matters." Justin looked at her expression and thought that she was shy and embarrassed. Hence, he smiled and said, "It''s okay. I''ll wait for you." As long as she was willing to ept him. After dinner, it was still early, but Grace was in a hurry to go back, so Justin had sent her back very early. Upon driving home and exiting the elevator, he saw that the door of Vivian Greene''s house was ajar. He frowned. As a girl, how could she be so careless with her own safety? After some thought, he pushed open the door and walked into the living room. 16:02 Fri, Nov 22 There was no one there, but he saw a book on the dining table t There was a lunch box beside it, which was the one Vivian had Why was it with her? Justin frowned slightly. When he saw the r At this moment, Vivian walked out of the kitchen while hummi "Ah!" She gasped when she saw the person in the living room. When she Shat it was Justin, her eyes widened in surprise. "J Justin looked at her with a dark expression and pointed at the th Vivian''s face froze as she stammered, "...Well, I''ve been studying Justin narrowed his eyes. "During this period of time, the food se Vivian was shocked by his gaze and her eyes reddened. "Justin, I G There was no one there, but he saw book on the dining table that looked like a recipe book. There was a lunch box beside it, which was the one Vivian had given him that she had said was from Grace. Why was it with her? Justin frowned slightly. When he saw the recipe, he suddenly seemed to have guessed something. At this moment, Vivian walked out of the kitchen while humming a song. "Ah!" She gasped when she saw the person in the living room. When she saw that it was Justin, her eyes widened in surprise. "Justin! Why are you here?!" Justin looked at her with a dark expression and pointed at the things on the table. "What''s with these?" Vivian''s face froze as she stammered, "...Well, I''ve been studying recipes recently."This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Justin narrowed his eyes. "During this period of time, the food sent to me wasn''t made by Grace at all, right?" Vivian was shocked by his gaze and her eyes reddened. "Justin, I didn''t mean to lie to you..." Chapter 358 Chapter 358 As soon as she said that, Justin''s expression darkened. It meant that this whole time, it had all been his own wishful thinking. He thought that Grace was already willing to ept him when there was, in fact, no such thing. Vivian hurriedly said, "Justin, it''s...it''s just that I like you too much. The first time I brought you food, you were indifferent, but the moment I said that Grace made the food for you, your eyes lit up! "Do you have any idea how upset 1 feel about the different treatment? All I want is to take care of you without asking for anything in return. "Justin, do you know how much I like you? Can you try to ept me?" Vivian''s tears had already fallen, and her voice choking up by the second. Justin looked at her. He did not want to hurt her, but he felt that if he did not make things clear, it would only hurt her more. He said coldly, "No, Vivian. I won''t like you, so I won''t even try to ept you." His words were too cruel to Vivian. She looked at him in disbelief. She finally understood that even the gentlest person could be cold and heartless if they did not like you. "How am I inferior to Grace?" Vivian asked numbly. "Why don''t you like me?! Grace has a child and she likes someone else! Why won''t you take another look at me?! How am I inferior to her!" When she reached the end of her sentence, she was almost screaming. Justin was unmoved as he said coldly, "You''re very outstanding, and you''re in no way inferior to her, but there are many outstanding people in this world. It doesn''t mean that anyone who''s more outstanding should be liked by the entire world. There''s no reason to liking someone. I like her, and even if she likes someone else for the rest of her life, it won''t stop me from liking her." Vivian''s face was pale-white after hearing that. Justin had not said anything to belittle her, but he had managed to hurt herpletely. Justin pursed his lips tightly, then took a nce at her and left without hesitation. After he had left, Vivian visited a bar alone and ordered two bottles of hard liquor to drown herself in them. When she was in a drunk daze, she reluctantly took out her phone and called Grace. At this point, it was already midnight. Grace was woken up by her ringing phone, and when she saw that it was Vivian, her intuition told her that something must have happened for her to call sote at night. She quickly picked it up. "Vivian?" Deafening music came from the other side of the line. Grace frowned. "Vivian? Where are you?" After a while, a drunk voice came from the other end. "Grace, how can you get all of Justin''s love without any effort?! I''m the one who''s known him for the longest... So why?" As she spoke, she felt more and more aggrieved and began to cry over the phone.Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. She said intermittently, "I really like him... How am I inferior to you? Why won''t he look at me?" Grace asked anxiously. "Vivian? Did you quarrel with Justin? Where are you now?" "Yes... I quarreled with him. He said that it was impossible between us... It was impossible for us to even try..." "Vivian? Which bar are you at? Can Ie and find you?" Vivian did not seem to hear her and continued, "Let me have Justin, can you?" C Chapter 359 hapter 359 Vivian, listen to me. Justin doesn''t dislike you. He''sing to look for you soon. Can you tell me where you are?" Grace coaxed her patiently. What she just said was indeed useful as Vivian had told her the name of the bar she was in. After hanging up, Grace wanted to call Justin, but she was afraid hat he would decline, so she got out of her bed and went to look for Carson. "Vivian''s at 1988. She''s already drunk. I''ll go look for her, so stay at home and keep watch." Carson frowned. Is she alone?" "I think so." "What are you going to do?" Carson frowned. He had already gotten out of bed and put on his clothes. "You''re two girls. What happens if you encounter a hooligan and no one''s there to help you? I''ll go instead. Carson then left the house quickly. The road was clear at midnight, so Carson soon arrived at the bar. Vivian was nowpletely sprawled on the table, and opposite her sat a man with dyed yellow hair who was looking at her with a malicious smile as he said something Carson''s face darkened. He walked over and looked at the other man coldly. The man was not looking for trouble either. He rubbed his nose, then walked awayContent is property ? N?velDrama.Org. tactfully. Vivian''s face was already red from drinking, and it looked especially scary. Carson frowned and patted her cheek. "Vivian." Vivian was already long gone. Sensing that someone was messing with her face, she raised her arm impatiently and waved it away. Carson leaned close to her ear and asked loudly, "Since you''re up, can you walk?" She seemed to be annoyed at being woken up and looked up at him with drunken eyes. "You''re annoying me! Can''t you see that I''m sleeping?" Carson pinched his forehead. It seemed impossible for her to walk by herself. He bent down and suddenly carried her on his shoulder, then brought her out of the bar. As Vivian''s head was facing the ground, her stomach was churning. As soon as Carson walked out of the bar, she vomited right away. Arge pile of vomitnded on Carson''s body and feet. His eyes widened, and he hurriedly put her down to support her with one hand. Vivian was not done vomiting, as she continued to vomit while standing on the spot. Carson looked at her in disdain and said through gritted teeth, "Vivian!" He led her to a tree and ordered her, "Stand still and hold it steady!" This time, Vivian had heard him. She was probably afraid that she would fall, so she grabbed the tree trunk tightly. Carson opened the car door and took out some tissues and wet wipes to clean himself up, but he could still smell the vomit on him Carson looked at Vivian in disdain again and wiped her mouth with a tissue. Vivian could feel someone holding her arm, so she let go of the tree and fell softly into his arms. Carson frowned. "Have you got no bones?" years older In the past, he would call her name with honorifics out of courtesy and respect. After all, she was two or three than him. However, when he saw her drunk today, he really could not bring himself to call her that. He had even wanted to teach her a lesson. The guts that Vivian must have had for her toe to such a messy ce alone. Now that she wasying in Carson''s arms, Vivian refused to get up. He was worried that she would vomit all over him again if he carried her over his back, so he picked her up princess-style and then got a bottle of water from the nearby supermarket. "Drink some water and rinse your mouth." He opened the bottle cap and brought the water to her mouth. Instinctively, she opened her mouth and took a sip. "Rinse your mouth. Stop drinking the water. Spit it out after you rinse your mouth..." ""Gulp!" She had drunk the water. Chapter 360 Carson let out a sigh. "It''s all just what you''ve thrown up from your stomach, so go ahead and drink up." He settled her into the passenger seat and secured her before making his way to the driver''s side. "Where''s your key?" Vivian, already dozing off in her chair with her eyes closed, was oblivious to Carson''s words. Carson hesitated for a long time, finally reaching into her pockets to search for the keys. He found nothing but a cell phone. With no way to take her home and no room at Grace''s ce, head no choice but to bring her to his apartment. Carrying a person who was utterly stered was truly a strenuous task, and Vivian, being uncooperative, kept fidgeting in his arms. It took Carson quite a bit of effort to finallyy her down on the bed.. Exhausted, he sat down beside the bed and took arge gulp from the bottle of mineral water on the bedside table. After a while, a soft body suddenly pressed against his back. Carson''s body stiffened abruptly. Vivian rubbed against his back and murmured, "Don''t leave... I like you." Thest few words were mumbled, but Carson still made out that she was calling Justin''s name. She must have gone to the bar to drink after an argument with Justin. Carson turned around, removing her hand from himself, and said stiffly, "I''m not Justin. I''m Carson." Vivian was now automatically blocking out all external sounds, immersed in her own world, and couldn''t hear a word he said. "I can be whatever you want me to be, as long as you''re willing to try to ept me..." As soon as Carson removed her hand, she quickly wrapped her arms around his neck, bringing them very close together. She was looking at him with her eyes open, but her mind couldn''t discern who she was seeing. Carson''s throat involuntarily rolled, and his cheeks began to slowly warm up, bing hot and flushed. "You''re drunk. You should talk to Justin in person tomorrow!" Feeling the person in front of her about to leave, she hurriedly hooked her arm around him. "Don''t... don''t go. Do you really not want to see me? Are you in such a hurry to leave to find Grace?" Carson''s voice took on a slight change, hoarse as he said, "You''ve mistaken me for Justin." He stood up firmly, but to his surprise, Vivian wrapped her legs around him and locked her arms tightly around his arm. The scene was that of Vivian clinging to him like an octopus. This ambiguous action caused a sudden surge of desire in Carson''s brain. "Vivian, get down!" Instead of listening to him, Vivian buried her head into the crook of his neck. "Don''t make me leave!" Her voice carried a hint of a sob, soft and mellow, like a feather constantly fluttering against his heart. It fluttered so much that he felt a bit disconcerted. She was hanging on him, and he couldn''t just push her off for fear of hurting her, so he had no choice but toy her on the 111 < bed. As a result, he was pulled down onto the bed by Vivian, who kept squirming against his chest. Carson''s lower abdomen tightened, and he spoke sternly, "Vivian! You better stop right now!"Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. Hearing the serious tone, she became quite upset, like a frenzied kitten, grabbing his shoulders and biting down hard. Carson gasped, clutching the back of her neck, enduring the pain. But she seemed to have developed a taste for biting, moving from one spot to another after each bite. Unable to bear it any longer, Carson pinched her chin. "Did you have enough biting? Be careful, or I''ll bite you until you cry!" 35% Chapter 361 Upon realizing the rough words he had just uttered, Carson''s throat bobbed, and he abruptly released her. Vivian gazed at him with dazed eyes, looking pitiful, and after a long moment with his hand hovering above her head, Carson gently said, "You better sleep." Vivian let out a breath, clinging to his arm. It seemed she had exhausted herself from themotion andy still on the bed, though her hand was still tightly clutching his. Carson was also tired, so he simply copsed by the bedside and fell into a deep sleep.. The next morning, the ring of a cell phone awoke both of them almost simultaneously. Vivian, seeing the unfamiliar surroundings, was bewildered for a couple of seconds before she noticed the man beside her and inhaled sharply. I Carson was also taken aback for a moment, then with an impassive expression, he answered the phone. Vivian immediately shrank back to the head of the bed. Grace had intended to wait for Carson''s return the previous night, but she was too sleepy and ended up dozing off while waiting. Upon waking up in the morning and finding Carson not back yet, she hurriedly called him. Carson answered the phone, said he would be right back on the phone, and then hung up. Vivian, feeling awkward, couldn''t bear to look at him, as she had no recollection of what had happened the night before. Carson looked at her, his gaze showing no embarrassment. Instead, he stared at her with a teasing glint in his eyes. "Where are we?" she asked. "At my ce," he replied. Vivian nervously swallowed. "Why am I at your house?" "What do you think?" Carson raised an eyebrow, throwing the question back at her. Vivian had always regarded Carson as a friend, after all, they had known each other for many years. But from his look and his expression, it seemed that their rtionship had changed. She nced down at her clothes and then back up at him, noticing a more pronounced mischievousness at the corners of his mouth. "Did anything happenst night?" she inquired, reassured that nothing had happened since her clothes were intact. But just then, Carson suddenly tugged at his shirt, revealing a patch of bruise on his shoulder. Vivian''s eyes widened in disbelief. ''Did I cause it?'' she wonderedThis is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Carson looked at her with a mischievous glint. "Vivian, you usually seem so prim and proper, but I didn''t expect you to be such a little wildcat!" Vivian felt utterly mortified. 19:32. Tue, Nov 26 DEO: So, what exactly had happened between themst night? She was so einbarrassed that she wanted to find a hole to crawl into. After much internal struggle, she asked again, "Did anything else happen?" Carson leaned in for a closer look at her. "Why do you ask? Are you trying to take responsibility?" Vivian immediately shook her head. "Carson, as adults, a one-night stand doesn''t mean anything serious! She quickly finished her sentence and hopped out of bed, slipping away. Carson''s lips curled up/slightly, his heart feeling as if it was walking on soft cotton. Even when he got home, Carson couldn''t help but wear a faint smile. Grace was busy getting ready for work and, noticing the smile on his face, asked while attending to her own matters, "What''s got you so happy? Why didn''t youe back after you took Vivian homest night?" Carson shook his head nonchntly. "I didn''te back. Go to work. I''ll take care of Austin. Just before leaving, Grace felt something was amiss and turned back to look at him earnestly. "Did you two spend the night together?" Carson paused for a moment. "You could say that." "You... What do you mean by that? Carson, you mustn''t do anything inappropriate!" Chapter 362 Chapter 362 ¹úÍâ»á 56%ͯ Carson raised an eyebrow at her. "Am I the kind of person who takes advantage of others'' vulnerabilities?" Grace was on the verge of saying something but then stopped, suddenly realizing that the boy in front of her had gradually shed his youthfulness and was now a man. Grace pondered for a moment, unsure of what to say. "Just go to work, or you''ll bete and Louise might startining about you to Brian again. I''m going to take a shower," he suggested. ***** 0 Recently, Grace had been getting more ustomed to her job. Since Erin was reprimanded by Brian, she had stopped targeting her. However, her colleagues in the office, due to Louise''s influence, continued to exclude Grace. But Grace didn''t care about that. She didn''t need such friends in thepany. The Francis Group had been established for 50 years, and May 1st marked thepany''s 50th anniversary. In preparation for the celebration, many departments within thepany were working overtime. The Development Department was no exception. When Erin received the notice and was about to inform everyone about the overtime, Louise said to Erin, "Why not give the new employee a chance to shine in such a great opportunity?" Erin was taken aback for a moment, and Louise continued, "Grace was brought in without even going through the formal recruitment process, so her abilities must be quite impressive. Don''t you think, Erin?¡± Grace knew Louise was deliberately making things difficult for her because of the previous chocte incident. Before Erin could speak, Grace preemptively said, "Erin, if you are willing to give me this opportunity, I will certainly not disappoint Mrs. Francis." Her words slightly surprised Louise, who wondered what Grace was up to. Has she truly understood the situation andpletely submitted to me?'' Louise wondered. In the afternoon, when everyone else had left the office, Grace was the only one still there working overtime. She was so busy that it was past eight in the evening, the sky outside was dark, and her stomach was growling from hunger. She had forgotten to order takeout and decided to quickly grab something outside. At this hour, everyone in thepany had already left for the day. After eating, she returned to the office to continue working. Downstairs, Brian''s car was parked by the roadside. He took the elevator upstairs to retrieve a document. As he approached the elevator, he nced over and noticed the employee elevator was stopped on the twelfth floor.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. The twelfth floor was the Development Department. Because he often went to pick up Louise, he was aware of that. He nced at his watch and noticed it was already ten o''clock. Could there really be someone still working overtime at this hour? After stepping into the elevator, he pressed the button for the twelfth floor. 15.13 wed, 56% Sure enough, the lights in the Development Department were still on. As he approached the door, he spotted a fluffy head of hair, intently staring at theputer, deeply engrossed in work. It was Grace. Even from just a view of her head, he could recognize her at a nce. He made no sound, and it seemed Grace hadn''t noticed him yet. He tiptoed up to her. T Her gaze was fixed on theputer screen, one hand holding the mouse, the other tugging at her hair, with a few strands of pulled-out hair wrapped around her fingertips. Brian frowned and spoke up to disturb her, "Are you working overtime alone?" Grace was startled and gasped, clutching her chest. "What are you doing here?" "The entire building is mine. Why wouldn''t I be here?" he said. Graceposed herself and responded with a nk expression "It''s thepany''s anniversary celebration. Erin asked me to create the lottery program for the event." Brian''s eyebrows knitted together. "She asked you to do it alone? Grace absentmindedly acknowledged with a murmur. Chapter 363 3 + 56% She was in a bit of a bad mood right now. Earlier, when she was testing, a bug had emerged in the functionality, and in her frustration, she would subconsciously tug at her hair, a habit she had developed since joining thepany. Brian looked down at her from above. From his vantage point, he could see the top of her head, which appeared to be suffering from significant hair loss. He could tell she was very troubled and was probably trying to resolve the issue quickly, hence her intense focus on theputer. Suddenly, theputer screen went ck. Grace''s eyes widened in surprise, thinking there was a problem with theputer, and she panicked. "Myputer!" "I turned off the screen. Deal with it tomorrow," he said. Grace let out a sigh of relief and, after ncing at him, turned theputer back on. "Don''t worry about me. I''m not leaving until I get this program fixed." "Do you really want to go bald?" Brian asked coolly. Hearing his words, Grace was taken aback and subconsciously touched the top of her head. "Am I really balding?" "What do you think?" No woman wanted to be bald, and Grace was no exception. His words sessfully prompted her to turn off theputer herself. She was aware that she had been experiencing significant hair loss, especially after giving birth, as she entered the postpartum period of hair loss. However, she hadn''t paid much attention to the top of her head, but now, upon touching it, it did feel rather sparse... "There are still five days until the anniversary celebration. Take your time," he said. "But Erin said I need to give it to you the day after tomorrow." Brian''s eyebrows furrowed. "I never said that. You can continue working overtime if you want to." Grace was left speechless. Brian looked at her for a moment. "Have you eaten?" His tone was calm, and for once, he was not speaking to her with sarcasm. "I have," she replied. "How about I take you to a ce?" he asked.Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. Grace looked at him in surprise. "What for?" "To get a scalp treatment. It''s good for hair growth," he said. Grace was quite tempted, but after a moment''s thought, she declined. "No need, thank you for your kindness. I can go by myself another day." Brian''s expression darkened. To him, it seemed like she was rejecting hispany, not wanting to be seen with him. 15.13 "Why not?" he asked. "Mr. Francis, you are engaged, and I have a special status. It''s better if we keep our distance." D 356%* Brian raised an eyebrow and retorted. "What''s wrong with a boss treating an employee to a scalp massage? Is there anything inappropriate about that?" "If your fianc¨¦e finds out, she''ll be angry." She kept referring to his fianc¨¦e and addressing him as Mr. Francis, which inexplicably irked him. "Louise isn''t that petty," he said. Grace frowned slightly, looking at him. He truly had blind faith in Louise. For a moment, she really wanted to tell Brian about the misdeeds Louise hadmitted, but she swallowed the words before they could escape her throat. They were about to get married, and breaking up a marriage was immoral. Moreover, even if she told Brian, with his trust in Louise, he wouldn''t believe her. As these thoughts raced through Grace''s mind, Brian had already forcefully taken her wrist and was leading her toward the door. "Let go of me!" she protested. "What are you afraid of? There''s no one here to see us." Once inside the elevator, Grace took a deep breath and said to him, "Mr. Francis, I really don''t have time for luxuries. I have a child, and it''s sote. My daughter needs me to put her to sleep." Brian chose to ignore her words. Although her daughter was very cute, the thought that she wasn''t his own child irked him. Chapter 364 Once out of the elevator, Brian firmly guided her into his car. Grace''s phone rang. It was Carson calling to ask when she would be back. Before she could say a word, Brian snatched the phone away. "She''s still working overtime," he said, then promptly hung up and ced the phone on his side. Grace looked at him speechlessly. "Mr. Francis, even if you want to reward me, you should at least ask for my opinion, shouldn''t you?" Brian responded with a bit of a rogue''s tone. "Do you really want to leave the Francis Group?" Threat! Another threat! Brian is best at making threats! Grace wondered. The car soon stopped in front of a high-end wellness center. epting the situation, Grace stopped resisting. The therapist was a beautiful woman in her thirties who recognized Brian. It could tell he was a regr. The beauty smiled at him and then nced at Grace, politely inquiring, "Mr. Francis, are there two of you?" "Yes," Brian nodded. Brian used toe here with some executives to discuss business while getting shampoo. It was the first time he had brought a young woman, and they seemed quite a match, leading the therapist to naturally assume they were a couple. While performing the scalp treatment on Grace, the therapist asked about her hair loss condition. Upon hearing that it was postpartum hair loss, the beauty looked at her in surprise. Then she smiled. "I didn''t realize that Mr. Francis already has a child!" Grace awkwardly replied, "Well, we''re not husband and wife." After she said this, she subconsciously turned to look at Brian, who was lying there with his eyes lightly closed, his expression unreadable. The therapist was even more embarrassed and quickly apologized for her assumption. The therapist''s technique was excellent, and Grace''s entire scalp was rxed, causing her to fall asleep unawares. When she woke up again, she and Brian were the only ones in the room. She was lying on the bed, while Brian was sitting in a chair. Grace suddenly sat up. "What time is it?" "It''s midnight," Brian said indifferently. Grace frowned. "Why didn''t you wake me up?" Brian opened his mouth, but said nothing. He simply stood up, his tone cold as he said, "I''ll take you back." The journey back was silent, and it wasn''t until she got out of the car that Grace said, "Thank you." In response, Brian nced at her before the car swiftly sped away. 5 Grace frowned, unsure of what had upset him. <3This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. 56%1 Austin was already fast asleep, and by now, she had grown ustomed to being taken care of by her uncle and could sleep by herself at night. Grace tiptoed back into the house, and Carson opened his eyes to look at her before turning over and going back to sleep. The advanced therapist''s skills were indeed impable. The next day at work, she felt much more energetic, and the bug that had been troubling herst night was suddenly clear in her mind as she fixed it. After workingte into the evening and dealing with some minor tasks, she had everything ready for the Erin couldn''t help but look at her in surprise when she saw how quickly Grace had finished. event. Louise had intended to make Grace work overtime for a few more days, but she hadn''t expected Grace "Okay." Louise approached Brian and opened theptop. "Brian, I''ve got the programs rted to the anniversary celebration all sorted out. Could you take a look and see if there''s anything that needs to be improved?" Seeing Erin about to take theptop upstairs to show Brian, Louise stopped her. "Erin, I just happen to have something to attend to, so I''ll go up and show it to him." to finish SO soon. ? ½Ç Wed, Nov 4 Chapter 365 Chapter 365Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Brian gazed at theptop screen, his expression growing increasingly serious. Louise, with high spirits, was exining the various features to him, not yet noticing the change in Brian''s demeanor. It was only after she had finished the presentation that she looked at him. "What do you think? "Brian, what''s the matter?" Brian spoke in a heavy tone. "Did you do this?" Louise sensed something was amiss and hesitated for a moment before replying, "I worked on it with a few colleagues from the department." "Who?" he asked. Louise couldn''t immediately tell if he was probing or simply asking, and she felt an unexined nervousness. She adjusted her expression and said in a joking manner, "What''s wrong? Are you nning to reward us? Then I''ll have to fight for some good benefits for my colleagues." Brian stared at her face for a long while, making Louise feel a bit uneasy. "What''s going on? Do you really want to reward us? How about we all go out for dinner and karaoke tonight?" she asked. Brian suddenly smiled. "Alright, whatever you want is fine." Seeing his expression returned to normal, Louise let out a sigh of relief, her palms sweaty. His expression just now was too strange as if he knew that the work was done by Grace. After Louise went downstairs, she announced to everyone. "Tonight, Mr. Francis has invited our department to dinner. Is that okay with everyone?" The colleagues all cheered, and one of them asked, "Mrs. Francis, why has Mr. Francis suddenly decided to treat us to dinner?" Louise''s expression was a bit odd as she nced at Grace. At that moment, Erin said, "Why do you need to ask? It''s obvious that Mr. Francis is treating our department because of Louise. We are all benefiting from Mrs. Francis''s grace." Louise then feigned a shy smile. to dinner Grace listened to everyone''s excitement without uttering a word. After a while, when the excitement had died down, she spoke to Louise, "Mrs. Francis, I won''t be joining you. As you know, I need to go home to take care of my child after work." Louise curled her lips into a semnce of regret. "Is that so? That''s a real pity. We won''t force you, then." She hadn''t intended for Grace toe in the first ce. The fact that Grace had voluntarily suggested her own absence was a sign of her being quite sensible. After observing her for a few days, Louise found that Grace was indeed behaving morepliantly, not daring to talk back when made difficult, and it seemed she was no longer harboring any illusions about Brian. In the afternoon, after work, Grace was the first to leave. It wasn''t until everyone had arrived at the restaurant that Brian noticed someone was missing. "Where''s Grace?" he asked. His question about Grace''s absence in front of so many people was a bit embarrassing for Louise. 2, 356% However, with so many people present, she maintained her elegance and exined, "Grace has to go home and look after her child. Considering the child is still very young, we didn''t insist on hering." Brian''s expression darkened slightly. "Let''s eat." This minor incident didn''t affect the mood, and everyone quickly settled into a cheerful meal together. While eating, they discussed where to go for singing. Everyone shared their opinions, and in the end, Erin said, "Why don''t we let Mr. Francis decide?" Brian''s demeanor was indifferent as if he wasn''t very interested, and he casually said, "Whatever." Perceiving that Brian wasn''t in high spirits, they finally chose a mid-to-high-end venue. At the KTV, everyone was singing, except for Brian, who was continuously drinkin The gathering was meant to be in honor of Grace, yet she wasn''t present, which made Brian feel increasingly ufortable. Öæ Chapter 366 Chapter 366 At ten o''clock, Grace received a call from Brian. She hesitated for a long while, and by the time she picked up, the call was almost about to disconnect automatically. "Why didn''t youe?" came his deep voice. "I already told Louise this afternoon that I have to go home to take care of my child and don''t have time. I hope you all had fun." "Do you think I''m having fun?" Brian asked coldly. Grace found him amusing. "Don''t tell me you''re unhappy because I didn''t go." He didn''t speak as if he was admitting it. After a while, he suddenly said, "I invited everyone to dinner today because of you, and you stood me You''ve got some nerve." Grace replied sarcastically, "I stood you up? I never agreed to go to the dinner in the first ce." Brian didn''t get angry but changed the subject after a moment. "Did you do the lottery event for the anniversary celebration all by yourself?" She instantly understood why he was asking. "Why? Did Louise tell you she did it, and don''t you believe her so much? She''s kind and generous. Why are you asking me?" Brian actually had an answer in his heart but was unwilling to believe that Louise would take credit for Grace''s work in front of him. Grace didn''t want to waste any more words with him and said perfunctorily, "I''m going to sleep. Goodbye." With that, she hung up the phone and set it to silent. Outside the restroom, Brian nced at the phone that had been hung up, his face clouded over. The sound of high heels echoed in the background, and Louise just caught sight of Brian looking at his phone. A chill ran through her heart, and her intuition told her he had been calling Grace. Brian put away his phone, looked at Louise, and said with an impassive expression, "I''ll go back first. I''ll have Camrene to wait for you. Call him when you''ve had enough fun." As he said this, his gaze swept over her briefly. Louise sensed his coldness and took his hand. "Brian, what''s wrong with you today? Is it because Grace didn''te that you''ve been unhappy all this time?" Brian pressed his lips together and looked at her, ultimately choosing not to reveal anything. "No, I''m just a bit tired." He subtly removed her hand and left without looking back. Louise felt a void in her heart but didn''t dare to follow. Grace! It must be because of Grace!'' she roared inwardly. ***** 16:19 Thu, Nov 28 G GY. The anniversary celebration of the Francis Group was held at the Imperial Capital Club.This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Grace didn''t like such asions, but often, it was in ces with many people that one could learn things they didn''t know. At five in the afternoon, the event officially began. Enterprises that had long-term cooperation with the Francis Group also came to participate, and as the inw family of the Francis Group, the Adkins family also attended. Marshall was beaming with a smile, looking like the host, chatting andughing with Jasmine. Grace found a quieter spot. Brian was on stage delivering a speech, and then the banquet officially started. Louise, with her arm in Brian''s, moved through the crowd, toasting guests who came to congratte them. After the toast, music began to y, and everyone started to enter the dance floor. A hand suddenly appeared in front of Grace. She looked up and saw Homer, dressed in a white suit, smiling at her with his eyes crinkling. "Miss S pleasure of this dance?" Grace pursed her lips, put down her wine ss, and dly epted his invitation. On the other side, Louise said, "Brian, let''s go dance too." , may I have the The man beside her didn''t move. Instead, he looked on with a dark expression at the woman on the dance floor. Chapter 367 Louise slowly followed his gaze and her face stiffened. Brian raised his ss and drained it in one gulp, indifferently saying, "I don''t feel like dancing." Louise clenched her fists tightly. ''Grace! It''s always Grace! Why does she always haunt us?'' she wondered. Just then, a woman in a tight long dress approached, her seductive red lips curled into a somewhat arrogant smile. Louise frowned slightly, sizing her up, guessing that she was probably the daughter of one of thepanies that cooperated with the Francis Group. The woman arched her eyebrows at her. "Don''t you recognize me? That''s right. Although you are the daughter of the Adkins family, you haven''t had the chance to attend the socialite gatherings in Capern City since you were just recognized." Louise felt a chill in her heart, but her face remainedposed, still wearing a gentle and genero "I''m sorry, I really don''t know you. Do you know me?" she asked. The woman lifted her chin proudly. "I''m a ssmate of Brian''s, Emily Taylor." Louise certainly knew the Taylor family, which was also a distinguished family in Capern City, with an empire evenrger than the Adkins Group. That was why Emily was so arrogant. Emily truly looked down on Louise, thinking she wasn''t good enough. Emily also had a liking for Brian. Her mother had hinted to Jasmine several times before finding out that Brian had been waiting for a woman who had saved his life when they were children. Now, Emily saw the woman in person. Louise was somewhat pretty, but such beauties were a dime a dozen in Capern City. Emily really didn''t think much of Louise. "Miss Taylor, nice to meet you," Louise said, extending her hand. Emily''s gaze was somewhat disdainful. She hesitated for a moment, extended her hand to casually touch Louise''s, and then quickly pulled it back. Louise sneered inwardly. "Which school did you graduate from?" Emily asked abruptly. Louise was taken aback, and her face paled slightly. "Ah... Ms. Taylor, I attended a regr university, one that you might not have heard of." Emily let out a disdainful, haughty smirk. "I thought the woman Brian was interested in would be more special in terms of looks, education, figure..." Emily scrutinized Louise from head to toe as she spoke, then shook her head. "What exactly does Brian like about you? "Is it just because you saved him when you were a child, and that''s why he can''t forget you?" Louise didn''t get angry. A woman''s intuition told her that Emily was interested in Brian. Knowing about Brian''s past rescue was a clear indication that she had inquired about his emotional history. Deliberately, Louise put on a pitiful and self-deprecating expression. "Miss Taylor, are you not aware of Grace?" Emily''s eyebrows knitted in confusion. "Grace? Who is Grace?" 6& 3, 71%= "To be honest, the reason Brian is marrying me is indeed out of a sense of duty. There has always been a woman he can''t forget, and that woman is Grace. They were actually married for three years." Emily looked at her in shock. "What are you talking about? Three years of marriage?" Louise was also a bit surprised that Emily was unaware. It seemed that the secret marriage between Brian and Grace had been well-protected. Since Emily didn''t know, it was even better. Louise could embellish the story as much as she wanted.Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. It would be ideal if she could use Emily to deal with Grace. That would be perfect! "Grace is quite the schemer, which is why Brian has always been infatuated with her. Miss Taylor, I understand that you think I''m not a good match for Brian, but... you really shouldn''t dislike me. Chapter 368 The implication was clear. Emily should direct her resentment toward Grace. Emily waspletely deceived by Louise''s seemingly frail demeanor, believing that her condition was a result of being bullied by someone named Grace. In her heart, Emily had alreadybeled Grace as an Angel Bitch.Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. Noticing a change in Emily''s expression, Louise continued, "Her greatest talent is to keep people on edge. When she was still married to Brian, she was always involved with Justin, the illegitimate son of the Vance family. Now, I have no idea whether she has managed to find her way back to the Francis Group because she has fallen out with Mr. Vance. As for her motives for returning to the Francis Group, I think it''s quite obvious to anyone with a discerning eye..." Emily raised an eyebrow. "If you are Brian''s Louise, why don''t you do something to drive her away?". Louise put on a pitiful look and sighed. "A woman like Grace always has a way of making men remember! forcefully try to get rid of her, it would only make the men feel more sympathetic toward her." If I were to Emily inwardlymented that Louise was spineless. After the music ended, Grace, who had finished dancing, felt a bit hungry and went to the snack area to find some refreshments. At that moment, a man approached her. "Miss, I have been observing you for quite some time tonight. May I have the honor of this dance?" Grace did not recognize this man, but she could tell from his attire that he was someone of some status. However, she did not want to get involved with someone she did not need to know. She smiled and said, "I''m sorry, but I''m a bit tired." The man seemed not to have expected her refusal and was visibly taken aback. Just then, Emily suddenly rushed over and pushed her forcefully. "Who do you think you are, refusing my brother''s invitation to dance? Who are you to put on such a haughty attitude?" Gary''s eyebrows furrowed as he grabbed Emily. "Emily, what are you doing?" Emily looked at Gary. "Gary! Don''t tell me you''ve fallen for her in just three hours of being here! She''s a bitch, the best at seducing men!" She turned her head toward Grace. "Just now, was that ying hard to get? You are quite resourceful." Grace took a deep breath, not wanting to engage with her, and turned to walk away. However, in Emily''s eyes, Grace''s action was seen as arrogance. She had never been ignored by someone before in her life. Furious, Emily blocked her path. "You stop right there! Did I say you could leave? How dare you!" Grace frowned. "Miss, I don''t know you. Why should I listen to you?" Emily''s lips twitched in disbelief. "You''ve got some nerve to say that again?" "I said I don''t know you. Move out of my way!" Emily''s eyes widened, and without warning, she raised her hand and pped Grace. 16:20 Thu, Nov 28 B B 71% Grace turned her head to the side, her cheek feeling a bit numb. This woman was more overbearing than Ava she had ever met. But Grace didn''t understand what she had done to offend her. While Emily was still reveling in the satisfaction of having pped someone, Grace returned the favor with a p of her own. Emily seemed to have not expected Grace to fight back and was stunned, taking a long moment to recover. Gary, witnessing this scene, was also taken aback. A crowd had gradually begun to form around them. Grace didn''t want to draw attention, so she turned and tried to leave. Emily waspletely enraged and lunged to strike, but Gary quickly stopped her. "Emily, don''t make a scene here. This is the anniversary celebration of the Francis Group. Don''t mess things up!" 2/2 Chapter 369 "She hit me, Gary! You have no idea. She''s such a bitch! She''s best at ying with men! Don''t be deceived by her appearance!" Emily roared. In reality, Gary was merely attracted to Grace''s looks and wanted to get her contact information. There wasn''t much of a concept of love at first sight involved. Gary had invited Grace to dance, and when she declined, he didn''t think much of it. But now, with Emily''s outburst, what was a minor incident had escted into a scene with a growing audience. Gary had a bad feeling about this. Sure enough, a deep voice sounded from behind. "Mr. Taylor, it seems that Emily is not suitable for such events. I suggest both of you leave now." Being publicly dismissed by the host, could there be anything more embarrassing? Emily couldn''t believe that Brian would, for the sake of a Grace, expel her in front of so many people. She looked at him in disbelief. "Brian, we were ssmates after all. How could you be so heartless?"Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. Louise, who had been watching from the sidelines, was quite pleased with this turn of events. The enmity between Emily and Grace was now firmly established. Seeing that the time was about right, Louise quickly stepped forward and, with a smile, tried to defuse the situation. "What''s going on?" she asked, looking at Brian and then whispered to him, "Brian, after all, it''s the anniversary celebration. It''s better not to make things too awkward. We still have so much coboration with the Taylor family. Harmony is the foundation of prosperity. Don''t you think?" Brian''s face was still very stern. He nced at Grace and noticed that she seemed not to care much about what was happening on their side. In an instant, he felt that his intervention on her behalf seemed quite unnecessary. "Miss Taylor is, after all, a girl. It''s quite hurtful to treat her like this. I won''t be able to be friends with Miss Taylor in the future," Louise added. Brian''s expression softened a bit, and he said, "You handle it." Louise smiled. "Alright, thank you, Brian." Emily also didn''t expect that, after her earlier sarcasm toward Louise, she would be the one to plead for her. As a result, Emily''s opinion of Louise had slightly changed for the better. Louise nced at Grace before turning to Emily and speaking in a friendly manner, "Emily, let''s go sit over there." Emily shot a fierce re at Grace, as if to warn her that she would not let this go, and then followed Louise away. Louise asked a waiter to bring an ice pack and considerately applied it to Emily''s face. "Miss Taylor, I told you earlier that Grace is quite the maniptor. Why did you still provoke her?" Emily spoke indignantly. "I can''t stand those bitch the most! Gary invited her to dance, and she acted all high and mighty! I''ve seen so many women like her, clearly ying hard to get!" Louise agreed. "Indeed, that''s her usual trick." After a while, Louise mentioned one thing. "By the way, she has a child." "A child?" Emily was a little surprised. Louise nodded. "But she herself isn''t even sure who the father is "Could it be Brian''s?" Emily asked suspiciously. 0000, 71% Louise shook her head. "A paternity test has been done, and it''s not Brian''s. However, you must be cautious. She might resort to any despicable means to find a stepfather for her child. You should warn Gary to be on guard against her deceptions." "Hmph, trying to scheme against the Taylor family, no way!" A malicious glint appeared in Emily''s eyes. "They say the most important thing to a woman in this world is her child. To deal with her, let''s start with the child!" Chapter 370 Homer noticed that Grace seemed to be in trouble and came over to escort her to a booth to rest.Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Grace said to him, "Thank you." Homer smiled shyly. "It''s my pleasure. Those two people just now seemed to be from the Taylor Group. Are you not afraid they will retaliate against you for offending them?" In fact, Grace also felt that she had acted somewhat impulsively afterwards, but she couldn''t tolerate the way Emily bullied her. "Retaliate if they want. I''ll deal with it as ites," she said. Homer smiled. "I''ll go get you a ss of juice." "Thank you." Next door, it seemed that Jasmine and Marshall were sitting, and Grace overheard their conversati Jasmine said, "I just hope that after they get married, I can have a grandchild as soon as possible. But I don''t feel it''s appropriate for me to ask Louise about this. How does Louise feel about having children?" Marshall chuckled. "As a youngdy, she''s naturally shy to express her thoughts on such matters. But don''t worry, I also hope to have a grandchild soon, so once they''re married, I''ll be urging her as well." "That''s good!" Jasmine continued. "Seeing them finallye together, it was worth Brian waiting for so many years." Marshall smiled and said, "It was Louise''s good fortune to have saved Brian back then." "No, it''s Brian''s good fortune. If it weren''t for Louise that time, how could our Brian have what he has today?" "Brian is a good boy. I heard that for Louise''s sake, he specially transformed the ce where Louise saved him into a tourist attraction." Jasmineughed repeatedly. "Yes, that''s true. I didn''t expect him to be quite so romantic." "With this, I''m convinced that Brian will definitely be a good husband and a good father in the future." Upon hearing this, Grace''s eyebrows furrowed slightly. Suddenly, she remembered something from thest time she went back to her hometown. So, Brian had developed that ce because of Louise. In that case, that ce must be where they became close. Grace shook her head, realizing that no one could rece Louise in Brian''s heart. She thought she might hear more, but the two people next began discussing some details of the wedding. Grace felt a bit stuffy in her heart and decided to leave. At the same time, Marshall was preparing to get up and go to the restroom. He had high blood pressure, and the banquet hall was noisy. He rose a bit abruptly and felt dizzy after just a few steps. Grace happened to pass by and saw Marshall teetering, instinctively catching him. "Are you alright?" Marshall looked up at Grace, his eyes still blurred, and he couldn''t see clearly. 16:20 Thu, Nov 28 BG. He shook his head vigorously, and suddenly felt that the blurry face in front of him was somewhat familiar... He called out subconsciously, "Caylee?" Grace looked at him suspiciously and called out again, "Mr. Adkins, are you okay?" ¨¤ 8 000, 71%? 1 At that moment, Louise, with her sharp eyes, saw the scene. She seemed to be afraid of something and rushed over, pushing Grace away with a bit of excitement in her tone. "What are you doing!" Grace frowned. "Now that you''re here, your dad just seemed to be about to faint. You should take him to the hospital right away." Louise looked at Marshall, who had now regained his senses. "Louise, I felt a bit dizzy just now," he said. Chapter 371 Louise was visibly nervous and quickly pulled Marshall aside. Grace paid it no mind and turned to leave.Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. After some thought, Louise called a car and sent Marshall back home, while she stayed to chat with Jasmine. Having failed to gather any useful information and finding the banquet uninteresting, Grace decided to leave. Just at that moment, Justin called her, asking when the event would end and offering to pick her up in his car. Grace did not refuse and told him she was about to leave. Justin arrived in his car shortly after, and Grace, having put on her coat, left the hotel. Upstairs in the hotel, Brian stood in the dark, watching Grace from below as she skillfully got into Justin''s car. He held a cigarette between his fingers, which remained un-smoked for quite some time. As Justin''s car disappeared into the traffic, the burning end of the cigarette in his hand singed his fingers. Camren''s voice suddenly rang out. "Mr. Francis, the award ceremony is about to start." Brian nodded slightly, tossed the cigarette butt into the ashtray, and returned to the banquet. Inside the car, Grace, thinking of the incident with Vivian the other day, couldn''t help but ask, "How are things between you and Vivian?" At the mention of Vivian, Justin''s eyebrows knitted slightly. "I''ve made my position clear to her. I think she needs to cool off/ When ites to matters of the heart, it always depended on ones involved. Grace didn''t know what to say. After hesitating for a long while, she finally spoke up. "After your argument with her that day, Vivian went to a bar by herself. She was very upset. Actually, I think you really could give it a try with her...". "No need to try," Justin interrupted her before she could finish. "Grace, as far as I know, Carson seems to like Vivian. You wouldn''t be unaware of that, would you?" Grace nodded. After all, he was her brother, and having grown up together, she could tell his feelings. However, she felt that Vivian was more suitable for Justin than for Carson. Men naturally mature more slowly than women, and with Vivian being two or three years older than Carson, she couldn''t quite imagine her brother pursuing a girl. "I think, as a sister, you could help him." Justin suggested. Grace said nothing further. Since the anniversary celebration, Louise had been frequently inviting Emily out for coffee to build their rtionship. The enemy of one''s enemy was one''s friend. Emily quickly teamed up with Louise to discuss how to deal with Grace. "Do you know where she lives?" Emily asked. "I do," Louise replied, stirring her coffee with an innocent-looking expression. "But I don''t know the exact apartment number." 15:21 Fri, Nov 29 B B Emily sneered. "We don''t need to know the apartment number. Just follow her." Louise, with her head down, gave a satisfied smirk. On Saturday, Grace had made ns to have dinner with Vivian and was just about to leave when she received a call from Brian. Brian asked her toe to thepany, iming that there was an issue with hisputer. He had asked her to go to the president''s office the previous day after work, but Grace had left at the end of her shift. He had called her again, and Grace had said that she hadn''t seen his message. Brian threatened her, demanding that shee in on Saturday to work overtime. Grace, however, disregarded his demand as if it were just idle talk. Now, seeing Brian''s call, Grace hesitated for a moment before setting her phone to silent mode. Then, she happily pushed Austin out the door for their dinner. 0 Chapter 372 46% Vivian felt very embarrassed around her, as she couldn''t help but think of the image of waking up in bed with Carson that day. Although sheter realized when she got home that nothing had actually happened between them, the thought that they might have kissed and hugged made her feel utterly ashamed. These days, Carson woulde to pick her up whenever he was free, but she always avoided him. Since that night, they hadn''t exchanged a single word. After they finished eating, Grace wanted to go for a walk, so they took Austin for a stroll in the park. Grace was genuinely curious about the situation between Vivian and Carson and couldn''t help but ask, "Vivian, after Carson picked you up that day, did he do anything inappropriate?" Grace felt quite awkward asking this question. Vivian quickly waved her hands in denial. "No, nothing happened between us!" Grace let out a sigh of relief. "That''s good." They walked to a bench by the park and sat down. After a while, Grace couldn''t help but say, "Vivian, if Carson has done anything that troubles you, you can tell me." Vivian scratched the back of her head and changed the subject. "Grace, I think I ate a bit too much. Let''s sit down and rest for a while before we continue, okay?" Grace thought that Vivian might be too embarrassed to talk, so she didn''t bring up the matter of Carson again. After sitting on a park bench for a while, Grace decided to go to the nearby restroom and asked Vivian to keep an eye on Austin. Austin was already asleep. Vivian pinched her little cheek. Just then, a little boy ran over. "Miss, my ball fell into the water. Can you help me get it out?" Vivian looked in the direction the little boy was pointing. The ball had indeed fallen into the pond, and the little boy''s arms were not long enough to reach it. She nced at Austin. "Okay, wait a moment. Can you help me watch over the little girl?" The little boy obediently nodded his head. Vivian walked to the edge of the pond, hooked one hand around a willow tree by the pond, and stretched her other hand to retrieve the ball from the water. There was a gentle breeze in the park, and the ball was slightly blown further away by the wind. She broke off a branch and managed to retrieve the ball. "Yay! Miss, you are awesome! The ball is back! Thank you!" The little boy stood on the bank, cheering with joy. Vivian handed the ball to him and returned to the bench, only to find the stroller empty. Austin was gone. Vivian''s face turned pale, and she quickly looked around the park, but all she could see were two elderly people and a few children ying. There was no one else around. = 1 Just then, Grace came back-from the restroom and saw Vivian''s ashen face. She asked, "Vivian, what''s wrong?"This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Vivian''s voice trembled uncontrobly as she spoke. "Grace... the baby... the baby is gone. I''m so sorry... 46% Grace thought she had heard wrong, and her expression suddenly froze. She nced at the stroller, and her legs buckled. For a moment, her mind went nk, and her lips lost all color. "I''m so sorry, Grace. I... I''ll go look for him right away!" Vivian was already crying in fear. The child had disappeared on her watch. If she hadn''t gone to help the little boy retrieve the ball, the child wouldn''t have been taken. And where was that little boy now? Vivian looked around but couldn''t find the boy who had asked for her help earlier. Grace didn''t dare to waste a moment and rushed out of the park desperately searching for the child on the busy streets. 0 COMMENT Chapter 373 Every time she saw someone carrying a child, she would rush over as if possessed. Yet, each time, hope turned to disappointment. Grace was already in tears. For her, Austin was her very life. If anything were to happen to Austin, she truly didn''t know what would keep her going. Vivian, after searching in vain for the child, quickly caught up with Grace. "Grace, we can''t keep searching aimlessly. Let''s call Justin! Justin will have a way!" Grace, who had just lost her ability to think clearly, was jolted back to reality by Vivian''s reminder. She urgently took out her phone to call Justin. But when she made the call, there was no answer. Vivian, seeing the situation, also tried calling Justin with her own phone, only to face the same silence. Grace was at aplete loss, copsing to the ground in despair, her sobs echoing. Just then, her phone rang. She answered it hastily, but it was Brian''s voice on the other end. "Grace, you really have some nerve! I''ve called you so many times. Why didn''t you pick up?" Brian suddenly heard the sound of sobbing through the phone. His eyebrows knitted in concern. "Grace? What''s wrong?" She clung to the call as if it were herst lifeline, pleading urgently. "Brian... Austin is missing... Can you help me find my child?" His heart clenched, and he immediately asked with calmposure. "Where did Austin go missing? Where are you now? Send me your location, and I''lle to you right away." Grace felt a glimmer of hope, wiped away her tears, and sent her location through WhatsApp. At that moment, Brian was already in the garage, opening the car door as he spoke. "Where did Austin go missing? What was the approximate time?" His voice was steady, with a kind of magic that gradually calmed her heart. "It was at Easke Park, between 1:45 PM and 2:00 PM." "Alright." Brian did not hang up but used another phone to make a call. Grace listened as he spoke in a deep, orderly manner into the phone. "Hello, this is Brian. Could you please help me retrieve the surveince information from the vicinity of Easke Park? I''m looking for any footage of someone taking a baby from the park between 1:45 PM and 2:00 PM... Yes, thank you. I''ll definitely treat you to a meal another day."Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. After a moment, it seemed he made another call to the traffic management department, instructing them to check all vehicles at the intersections. Upon hearing his orderly arrangements, Grace''s heart gradually settled. Before long, Brian pulled up in front of her in his car. 15:21 Fri, Nov 29 B B He rolled down the window. "Get in!" 46% Grace got in, with Vivian also seated in the back. Brian drove around, and Grace''s gaze was fixed intently on the pedestrians along the road. Meanwhile, inside a ck sedan, Emily looked at the child in her arms with a slight squint and asked Louise beside her, "Is this the little brat?" Louise took a nce and was taken aback for a moment. Why did the child''s features resemble Brian somewhat? "Is it her?" Emily asked again. Louise snapped out of her daze. "I haven''t seen her before. It should be correct. Time is of the essence. We should get rid of her quickly." Emily nodded, handed the child to Louise to hold, and then started the vehicle. Austin, after all themotion, had woken up at this point. Chapter 374 Austin rubbed her eyes with her hands, her cheeks a bit flushed, as her big, dark eyes began to curiously inspect the people in front of her. The more Louise looked at Austin''s face, the more she thought she resembled Brian. Could it be the child Brian''s? But the paternity test results were out, and this child had no blood rtion to Brian. Could it be that there was a problem with the test report? Ah, Justin worked at the hospital. So it''s very likely that Justin tampered with the results in advance!'' As Louise thought of this, she red at the child in her arms. How could Grace give birth to Brian''s child? How dare she? She''s not even worthy!'' Louise roared inwardly. As if sensing Louise''s malice, Austin suddenly started to cry. Emily nced at her with annoyance. "This little brat! What''s all the crying for?" The thought of the child possibly being Grace and Brian''s made Louise want to strangle her, and she forcefully pinched her mouth shut. "Stop crying!" Austin, in pain from being pinched, struggled and cried even louder. Louise stared at her intensely, her fingers gradually spreading apart, then covering her mouth and nose. The car came to an abrupt stop, and in front of them was a welfare institution. Emily turned to Louise, about to tell her to leave the child there when she saw that Louise was actually covering Austin''s mouth and nose. Emily was shocked and quickly removed her hand. "What are you doing?" Louise''s expression was very terrifying. "In for a penny, in for a pound! Let''s just kill her today and be done with it!" Austin, gasping for breath, cried even more fiercely, her little face turning a purplish-red. "Are you crazy? If you want to kill her, don''t drag me into it! Let''s leave her at the welfare institution today, andter, if you want her dead, no one will be able to stop you!" Emily didn''t want to be dragged into her schemes. It was true that she despised Grace, but tomit murder, her hatred hadn''t reached that level of intensity. Emily took the child and got out of the car, avoiding the cameras, and then drove away. Louise picked at her nails, thinking over and over again that such an act was too lenient on Grace and that abomination of a child. "Stop the car!" Emily frowned at her. "What do you want to do?" "Stop the car! We can''t let that child go! We can''t let her off!" Emily found her terrifying and tried to reason with her. "Taking away her child is already a severe lesson! There''s no need to take a life." Louise didn''t want to have blood on her hands either, but she felt that if they let the child go this time, it would surely be a major problem in the future. 46% Seeing Louise''s determination to go back, Emily found a ce without surveince and dropped her off. Louise hurried back, but from a distance, she saw someone from the welfare institutione out and take the child away. She bit down on her lip in frustration and turned to leave. Searching aimlessly on the streets wasn''t a solution. Brian nced at Grace, who was almost desperate with worry, andforted her. "Don''t worry. The child will be fine. I''ve already ordered a blockade of all exits, and we''ll find out soon." Grace covered her face with her hands, tears streaming down. Capern City was so vast, and finding a child was like looking for a needle in a haystack. What else could they do but wait for news? "Is there any other possibility besides human traffickers?" he asked.This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. A sh of insight struck Grace. "Louise! It must be Louise!" Chapter 375 Brian furrowed his brow. "She wouldn''t do that." Her emotions red up instantly. "How wouldn''t she? Brian, do you trust her that much? Do you believe that she was the one who kidnapped mest time?" Brian''s eyebrows knitted tightly. "What are you talking about? When were you kidnapped?" She touched her forehead and took a deep breath. "Forget it." Brian was indeed unaware of that incident. Brian continued to press. "What exactly happened? When were you kidnapped?" Grace was extremely agitated at the moment, and with Brian''s unwavering trust in Louise and his incessant questioning, she didn''t want to say another word. Vivian, noticing the situation, exined, "Grace was kidnapped by Ava not long ago and almost... almost raped. Justin was also injured trying to save her." Brian''s expression darkened severely. He steered the car to the side of the road and stopped. "So, it was Ava who kidnapped youst time!" "But if it was Ava who did it, why are you so sure it was Louise?" Grace suddenly lifted her head to look at him, her eyes bloodshot, a mocking smile tugging at her lips. "Brian, if I say it was Louise, then was her! You better hope it wasn''t her this time, or I swear I will kill her with my own hands!" Her gaze held a fierceness and hatred that Brian had never seen before. "I will confront Ava about your kidnapping, and I will also look into the matter of the child," Brian said. Grace suddenly felt very agitated, pushed open the car door, and strode forward. Brian knew she was acting out of anger and quickly followed. "Grace, can you please calm down? I''m also very worried about Austin being missing. You can suspect Louise, but what evidence do you have?" "Evidence?" Grace said sarcastically, "She can''t stand me, nor can she tolerate my child. Even if the child has nothing to do with you, she won''t let me go! Because she feels threatened by my working at the Francis Group. She wants to ruin me! Can''t you see something so simple?" Brian shook his head. If Louise were a malicious person, what Grace said would make sense logically, but he couldn''t believe that Louise was such a person. He thought that this was Grace''s prejudice against Louise. "Alright, if you don''t believe me, I''ll call Louise right now to see where she is, okay?" Brian offered. Grace didn''t speak, which was taken as her tacit agreement to his proposal. Brian took out his phone and made a voice call to Louise. It took a while for her to answer, and Louise''s voice was still soft and gentle. "Brian? What can I do for you?" "Louise, where are you?" Brian asked. Louise was taken aback. "Why? Are you going to pick me up somewhere?"Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Grace listened carefully to Louise''s voice, intuitively feeling a hint of wariness in her tone. "Yes, I''lle to pick you up for dinner in a bit. Turn on your location sharing," Brian replied. 3 46% Louise clenched her fist, looked around, and said, "Hello? Brian, what did you just say? My phone signal seems to be weak." With that, she put the phone on mute, and after a while, she turned the sound back on, creating the illusion that her signal was poor. Grace, listening to the phone conversation, frowned. She felt that there was no such coincidence, and Louise must be hiding something. Seeing the poor call quality, Brian hung up the phone. Chapter 376 Then, he sent a WhatsApp message to Louise. [Louise, turn on location sharing. I''lle to find you.] When Louise received his message, she felt a bit strange. Why was it necessary to turn on location sharing? Couldn''t she just send a location? Louise looked at the location-sharing invitation from Brian, hesitated for a moment, and did not tap into it. Instead, she found a nearby park and sent a location from there. Then she quickly hailed a taxi and went to the park where she had just sent the location. Brian, seeing the location she sent, held up his phone for Grace to see. "Why didn''t she dare to share her location when you asked her to? Clearly, she has something to hide!" Brian frowned. "Grace, don''t be so hasty, okay?" "Enough!" Grace shouted, "Believe in Louise if you want to! Don''t talk about her in front of me anymore. It''s sickening!" Grace walked on ahead by herself. In no time, Brian received the location sharing information from Louise, and he hurriedly caught up to Grace to show her the phone. Grace roughly pushed his hand away. Just then, his phone rang. Brian held Grace''s wrist to prevent her from leaving and answered the call. "Hello, Mr. Francis, we''ve found suspicious individuals in the surveince information near Easke Park. Pleasee and have a look." "Okay, I''m on my way." After hanging up, he pulled Grace by the hand into the car. "To the police station, there''s news."Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. They rushed to the police station without dy. The surveince footage showed that at about 13:50 in the afternoon, a man wearing a hat quickly left through the back door carrying a baby. However, it was clear that the person was very familiar with the surveince locations, skillfully avoiding capturing his face in every shot. Brian looked at her. "This is obviously a human trafficker. It couldn''t have been Louise." Grace said sarcastically, "She didn''t personally show up when I was kidnappedst time either." Brian was taken aback, but realizing that Grace was in a very unstable emotional state, he did not argue with her further. "If this person is a human trafficker, we believe they will be identified soon. They won''t be able to escape from Capern City," the police chief analyzed. Grace closed her eyes, realizing that the surveince footage was of little help to their current situation. The child was still missing, with no clue as to her whereabouts. It was clear that the perpetrator had made thorough preparations. Grace did not believe that it was the work of human traffickers. 46% 5 Vivian was extremely self-ming, wishing that she was the one who had been taken instead. Austin was so young, and she didn''t know when she would be found. What was Austin going to do tonight? Vivian kept apologizing to Grace. "Grace, you might as well hit me! It''s all my fault. If it weren''t for my momentary negligence, the child wouldn''t have been taken away!" Grace couldn''t bring herself to say that it wasn''t Vivian''s fault. She closed her swollen eyes. Brian''s eyebrows knitted, and he suddenly grabbed Vivian by the neck. "What do you mean? You''re the one who lost the child?" Vivian could hardly breathe but did not resist. She closed her eyes, and tears rolled down her cheeks. "I''m sorry..." Unconsciously, Brian''s grip on her neck tightened. Just then, Carson arrived and, seeing the situation, rushed forward and violently pushed Brian away. Vivian''s face was flushed red, and she clutched her neck, coughing desperately. Carson looked at him coldly. "What are you doing here?" COMMENT 0 Chapter 377 Grace then noticed what Brian had just done and stood up to look at him. "Brian, thank you for today. It''s gettingte. You should go." Brian didn''t move, standing there with a cold expression. He himself didn''t know why he was here apanying her to search for the child, when the child had nothing to do with him. Grace had already dismissed him, but his legs just wouldn''t carry him away. At that moment, Louise called him, and after a nce, he left the police station. Carson inquired, "Grace, have there been any developments regarding Austin?" Grace shook her head, the movement was very slight, as she was utterly exhausted. Upon thinking about the possibility that Austin might be hungry, cold, and scared at this moment, her heart felt as if it was being tightly wrung. Vivian was in tears. "Carson, I''m sorry. It''s all my fault. I didn''t keep a good eye on Austin... Scold me! I feel absolutely terrible. Please, yell at me!" Carson frowned, looking at her with aplex expression. His hand raised and paused mid-air before he gently patted her shoulder. "I know it wasn''t intentional on your part. Austin will be fine." Hearing Carsonfort her instead, Vivian felt even more guilty. Outside the police station, Brian was smoking while on the phone. "Brian, aren''t youing? It''s almost dark." He then remembered that Louise was still waiting at the park. He nced at the police station and then said indifferently into the phone, "I''m sorry, Louise. Something urgent came up, and I forgot to tell you." Louise asked suspiciously, "What kind of urgent matter?" "It''s work-rted. I''ll hang up now. I''ll have someonee to pick you up, okay?" "Oh, never mind, it''s not necessary. I''ll just take a taxi back." "Okay." Brian nodded and then ended the call. The police chief was consoling Grace, saying to her, "Miss Sherman, you should go back home and wait for news. We will notify you immediately once we have any information." Grace''s voice was hoarse as she asked, "How long will it take to find out?" "As soon as this human trafficker leaves Capern City, we will be able to apprehend him immediately." "What if he''s not a human trafficker? What if he was hired to do this?" Grace asked with rising emotion.Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. "Are you suggesting, Miss Sherman, that the child might have been kidnapped by an enemy?" The police chief narrowed his eyes. Grace nodded. "Yes! I have someone in mind, Chief, and I hope you can help me investigate." Brian''s deep voice came from behind, as he quickly approached "Grace, go back and get some rest first. 3 C "Why won''t you let me investigate her?!" Grace looked at him coldly. Brian pinched the bridge of his nose and said with patience, "I know you won''t be able to sleep even if you go back now. But you can''t just run around like a headless chicken. Let''s wait for the police to finish their initial investigation, okay?" To Grace, no matter what Brian said, it seemed like he was covering for Louise. Her heart felt cold, and she looked at him with tears in her eyes, Brian, if anything happens to Austin, I will make you regret it for the rest of your life!" Grace ran out of the police station, with Carson and Vivian following closely behind. Once in the car, Grace noticed that Justin had called her several times. He was calling again, and Grace answered the phone. Justin said, "I''m sorry. I was in surgery all afternoon and just finished now. You were looking for me?" Hearing Justin''s voice, Grace was instantly choked up and couldn''t speak. Justin''s heart skipped a beat. "Grace, what''s happened?" Chapter 378 Grace haltingly recounted the incident of Austin being taken away, and Justin immediately rushed over. Justin stayed with Grace for the entire night. Grace didn''t sleep at all that night, and as dawn approached, she had a dream in a daze. She saw Louise holding Austin, her hands covered in blood. The dream was filled with Austin''s heart-wrenching cries. She suddenly woke up, her body drenched in cold sweat. Carson and Justin were also awakened and quickly approached her upon seeing her wake. "Grace, did you have a nightmare?" Grace abruptly grabbed Carson''s hand, her tone certain. "It''s Louise! It must be Louise!" Carson and Justin exchanged nces. "But we don''t have any evidence right now. How can we catch her?" Grace thought for a moment, rolled out of bed, and quickly ran out the door.. "Grace! Where are you going?" "To find Louise!" Justin and Carson both followed her out, with Justin''s car parked outside. The three of them got into his car together. "Are we going to the Adkins family?" Justin asked as he started the car. "No, to Sevetin Park."Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Justin furrowed his brow but didn''t ask any further questions, choosing to trust Grace, and without hesitation, he drove quickly toward Sevetin Park. On the way to Sevetin Park, they passed by Easke Park, and Grace became more and more certain that this matter was definitely rted to Louise. When Grace arrived at Sevetin Park, it was just past eight in the morning. At this time, there were hardly any people in the park, only a few people jogging in the early morning. Grace stopped an elderly person in their forties or fifties and asked, "Excuse me, did you happen to see a woman around here yesterday afternoon, holding a baby in her arms?" The elderly person frowned, shook his head, and then walked away Grace continued to ask the next person, while Justin and Carson immediately began questioning the people exercising in the park. Everyone said they had not seen anything. Justin asked, "Grace, why are you certain it was here?" "Yesterday, Brian was there too. I said I suspected it was Louise, but he didn''t believe me. He called Louise, and she imed her signal was poor at the time. After a while, she sent a location to Sevetin Park." Grace spoke and took out her phone, which showed full signal strength. 15:12 Sun, Dec 1 GO Chapter 378 The area was t and there were no obstructions around, so under normal circumstances, there should be no issue with the mobile signal. Therefore, she became more convinced that Louse was lying at that time. Grace looked around and then took out her phone and opened the map. Suddenly, she noticed a welfare institution located several hundred feet away from the park. Without hesitation, she ran in the direction of the welfare institution. Justin quickly grabbed her. "Grace, where are you going?" Grace said, "This ce is not remote. If the child was left by the roadside, the crying would attract the attention of people nearby. If the child was picked up, there''s a high probability there would be no life-threatening danger. "There''s a welfare institution up ahead. If... if she didn''t kill the child, she might have left the child at the welfare institution!" At this moment, she really didn''t have the courage to think of anything worse. She couldn''t bear the possibility that Austin might have been killed. Both Justin and Carson thought her analysis made sense. "Get in the car. Let''s drive there." There was a security guard at the entrance of the welfare institution. Grace''s voice trembled as she asked, "Excuse me, did you find a baby here yesterday? She was wearing a pink dress and had a tiger head hat." Her voice was shaking badly, and if Austin wasn''t here, she truly didn''t know where else to look. Chapter 379 The security guard suddenly stood up. "You''re here to find the child? Who are you to the child?" Upon seeing his reaction, Grace''s heart leaped with excitement, tears suddenly rolling down her cheeks. She said loudly, "I''m her mother! Her name is Austin Sherman. I... I can show you the birth certificate..." Grace excitedly searched her phone for a photo, her fingers trembling uncontrobly. The security guard, seeing her state, knew she must be desperate. "No need to show me. Let me take you inside first!" Grace''s legs were weak, and she was in a state of high tension. Now that she had finally found the whereabouts of Austin, it was as if all her strength had left her. She had barely taken a step when she fell. Carson, who was behind her, quickly supported her. "Grace!" She clutched Carson''s arm, struggled to stand straight, and followed the security guard inside. The security guard led Grace to the director''s office, where Grace eagerly described Austin''s appearance and characteristics. "Madam, where is my daughter? Has she been injured?" Upon hearing that the child was stolen in the park and seeing Grace''s haggard appearance, the director couldn''t help but also feel teary-eyed. The director immediately took her to find Austin. Austin was still asleep, and ording to the staff who were looking after Austin, Austin had been crying all night, and there were still traces of tears at the corners of her eyes. Grace rushed over to see her, tears flowing down her cheeks again. She carefully picked her up and checked if she was injured anywhere. Apart from some bruise around the mouth, there were no other injuries. Grace''s hanging heart finally settled back into her chest.Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. Carson gritted his teeth and said, "Louise is such a bastard! I''m going to make sure she ends up in prison!" Justin asked, "Madam, are there any surveince cameras around the welfare institution? Have you checked for any suspicious guy?" "We checked the surveince videos yesterday when we found the child. She was found in a blind spot of the surveince and we didn''t find anything," the director replied. Justin''s expression turned grim as he pressed his lips together. From the moment the child was taken, all the cameras had been deliberately avoided, indicating a premeditated act by someone familiar with the surroundings. "Miss Sherman, I understand your feelings, but for the child''s sake, we must first follow the procedures to confirm the child''s identity," the director said. Grace nodded. "Okay, what needs to be done?" "You need to go back and get the passport and the child''s birth certificate. I will apany you to the hospital for a blood test for the child," the director exined. "Okay, no problem." Grace agreed. 15:12 Sun, D¨¦c "It''s just a procedure. Thank you for your understanding," the director said. 02% "You have saved my daughter. You are the one who should be thanked as the child''s benefactor!" Grace couldn''t help but shed more tears. After obtaining the necessary documents and confirming the child''s identity at the hospital, the director felt reassured and returned to the welfare institution. Austin had woken up by then and, upon seeing her mother, cried out in grievance for a while, tugging at Grace''s heartstrings. After venting her grievances, Austin fell asleep peacefully in Grace''s arms. Once Grace took the child home, she too could not hold on any longer and fell into a deep sleep. In the afternoon, Grace was awakened by the vibration of her phone. She squinted at the caller ID and saw that it was Brian. She hung up the call without answering. But soon after, the phone rang again. Grace hung up once more. However, when she closed her eyes again, she found that she could not fall back asleep. 0 Chapter 380 She opened her eyes again and looked at her phone, where Brian had sent her a message. [I''m waiting for you downstairs.] Grace was now wide awake. She looked at Austin beside her, leaned down, and gently kissed her cheek, then got up, dressed, and went downstairs. When Brian saw Grace, he was taken aback. He had never seen Grace look so haggard before. Her eyes were swollen, and herplexion was as pale as a sheet of paper. His heart ached, and he felt guilty thinking that they still hadn''t found any news about the child. "I''m sorry that we haven''t found the child yet..." "You should be sorry," he was interrupted by Grace''s cold voice before he could finish. Brian frowned, looking at her in confusion. "My daughter has been found. Can you guess where she was found?"Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Brian''s eyes lit up. "Really? Austin has been found?" He was genuinely happy and excited, so he instinctively grasped her shoulders. However, Grace coldly brushed his hands away. "The child was found at a welfare institution near Sevetin Park. Do you have anything to say about this?" Brian''s eyebrows furrowed slightly, and after a moment, he realized what she was implying. She was still suspecting Louise, as the location Louise had sent yesterday was at Sevetin Park. "Grace, don''t be so hasty. She was with her friend yesterday." Grace looked at him with a sneer, her heartpletely cold. Even now, Brian still had unwavering trust in Louise. Grace no longer expected her words to be enough to change Brian''s opinion of Louise. "Brian, the thing I regret the most is falling in love with you. You wait and see. One day, you will regret trusting her so much! "Thank you for helping me search for my child yesterday. Speaking of which, I should thank you for having Louise send a location, otherwise... I might never have seen my daughter again Grace''s voice choked and blurred as she spoke thest sentence, and her tears slid down again. Such a Grace was fragile yet resilient. Brian''s heart felt as if it had been sharply tugged. He opened his mouth, his voice a bit hoarse as he asked, "Austin wasn''t injured, was she?" Grace let out a coldugh. "Thanks to you, apart from being pinched by Louise on the mouth, she wasn''t hurt." Brian''s eyebrows furrowed slightly, but he didn''t defend Louise any further. "I''d like to take a couple of days off to rest. I''m very tired. Is that okay?" she asked. "Alright, I''ll talk to the HR Department and arrange for your paid leave." "Thank you." Grace turned and went back into themunity. 15:12 Sun, D¨¦c Brian returned to his car, lit a cigarette, and exhaled a puff of smoke. 3 62% Although he believed that Louise wouldn''t do such a thing, Grace''s firm tone always brought to mind the image of Louise holding Austin and pinching her mouth with her hand. He closed his eyes as if there was an indissoluble fog in front of him, blurring his vision. He didn''t know what to believe. His ears echoed with the words Grace had said over and over again. Her expression was resolute, firmly stating that it was Louise who kidnapped her, that it was Louise who stole Austin. But perhaps the childhood impression was too thick, preventing him from believing that Louise was such a person. Shaking his head, he burned his fingers, suddenly regaining his senses, and threw away the cigarette butt in his hand. After thinking for a moment, he started the car and drove toward the Adkins family. Chapter 381 Brian asked Louise out for a meal.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. 0000000 42% Louise felt a bit apprehensive inside, but she had to go. She had already guessed that Brian knew about Grace''s missing child. Louise didn''t know his thoughts, but she could see that he seemed to be in a bad mood. But what was the use of being in a bad mood? Austin had already been abandoned, and he should never see her again. Thinking of this, Louise couldn''t help but feel secretly pleased. During the meal, Brian was clearly distracted. Louise asked tentatively, "Brian, what''s wrong?" Brian looked up at her, paused for a moment, put down the food that he hadn''t eaten much of, and looked at her. "Grace''s child is missing." Louise had already guessed that he might mention this matter, and she had already prepared her reaction, widening her eyes in shock. "How could she be missing? Isn''t the child still very young, not even able to walk yet?" Louise put down her fork, ying the shocked expression with great detail. Brian stared at her face for a while but couldn''t see any ws. "Is she alright?" Louise asked. Brian frowned. "What do you think?" "The child is gone. She must be worried to death. Has she called the police? Has anything been found?" Brian shook his head. Louise was secretly delighted. It seemed that nothing had been discovered. They had made thorough preparations before their actions, specifically avoiding surveince cameras, making it as difficult to find as looking for a needle in a haystack. Just as she was feeling pleased with herself, Brian suddenly spoke, "The child was found near Sevetin Park." Louise''s mind froze instantly. What? They found her?'' she wondered. She looked up at Brian abruptly, and it took her a while before her expression changed from shock to joy. "Really? That''s great news!" Brian stared intently into her eyes and said slowly, "On the day the child disappeared, you were at Sevetin Park." Louise''s fingers curled slightly, but her facial expression remained normal. "Brian, are you suspecting me?" Brian looked at her for a long time, unable to say a word. He didn''t know who to believe either. His eyebrows were tightly knit as if he were facing a difficult choice. Louise could see that he was suspecting her, but perhaps he felt in his heart that he shouldn''t be questioning her in such a manner. EEB 1. 0042%* She took the initiative, erying out in grievance, "Brian, in your eyes, am I such a vicious woman? I admit that your past with Grace has always bothered me, but I could never harm a child! I swear. If I harmed her child, may I die a terrible death! Is that enough?" Hearing her resolute words, Brian instantly felt that he must have been wrong about her. He quickly apologized to her. "I''m sorry, Louise. I haven''t been sleeping well these past few days, and my mind is not clear. That''s why I said such things." Louise, hearing his guilty tone, yed up her grievance even more. Brian exined, "I didn''t mean to doubt you. It''s just..." "Did you not mean to doubt me? If you didn''t doubt me, then why are you asking me like this? You first said the child was found near Sevetin Park, and then you deliberately mentioned that I was at Sevetin Park that day. Are you trying to imply that I had something to do with the child''s disappearance?" "I''m sorry, Louise. I was wrong." Brian didn''t offer any more exnations. 0 Chapter 382 He had intended to ask about the incident where Grace was kidnapped by Ava. As Grace insisted that it was Louise who was responsible, he wanted to rify the matter. However, seeing Louise in such a state, he couldn''t bring himself to ask. Forget it. I would ask Ava some other day, he wondered. After the meal, Brian sent her back to the Adkins family and then drove back. Louise got out of the car, watched as Brian''s car left, and her expression gradually turned cold. She walked back to the Adkins family, and the servants felt a chill when they saw her face. She returned to her room without expression, encountering Ava along the way. She nced at Ava emotionlessly, causing Ava to shudder and subconsciously step back. Louise ignored her and went into her room. As soon as she entered, she violently threw the pillow on the bed to the floor. Bitch! To think she found the child so quickly!'' Louise wondered. She was filled with regret at that moment, only wishing she had been decisive enough to strangle that little brat. She had a hunch that the child was Brian''s child. The resemnce in the eyebrows and eyes was too striking.Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. This child must not be allowed to live, nor Grace!'' she roared inwardly. Since Grace had saved Austin, then she would have to pay with her own life. Louise took a shower and, aftering out, calmly thought about what to do next. She had to get rid of Grace, but to eliminate her without getting her own hands dirty would require careful nning. The most important thing now was to regain Brian''s trust. Their marriage could no longer be dyed. They were supposed to get married by the end of the month, but as long as Grace was around, she felt uneasy. She must find a way to make things irreversible. The next day, Louise skipped work entirely. She did not go to the office, and when the time came to pick her up in the morning, the servant from the Adkins family informed him that she was not feeling well and did not want to go to work, so Brian drove to thepany alone. When Brian called her at noon, she didn''t answer, clearly angry with him. Today, Grace was also not at thepany, and Brian felt very restless at work, so he left early. After some thought, he decided to go to the Adkins family. Upon arriving at the Adkins family, he was told that Louise had gone out in the afternoon. He called Louise again, but there was still no answer. At that moment, Louise was in a private hospital, where she had scheduled a hymen repair surgery. 1 18:14 Mon, Dec 2G. @43% 5 The surgery was performed by a male doctor, who examined her and said, "Miss, the damage is quite severe, and the repair might not be very effective." Louise, lying on the bed with a mask on, frowned upon hearing this, sat up, and looked at him. "What do you mean? Are you saying there might not be any bleeding during intercourse?" "It would be quite difficult to repair. I''m guessing you''ve had this repaired more than once before, right?" the doctor said. Louise was caught off guard, and her expression became somewhat unpleasant. "I think it''s more likely that you''re just not skilled enough!" The doctor didn''t get angry but pointed out the possible oues after the repair, asking her whether she chose to go ahead with it or not. Louise pursed her lips, got up from the bed, put on her pants, and said coldly, "I''m not going to do it." The doctor shook his head and sneered. "What''s the difference from having given birth? Wanting to repair it like this, who do you think you''re trying to deceive?" Louise crumpled the form and payment records in her hand in frustration and threw them into the trash can. She had identally be pregnant once during her time in college, and in order not to let it be an obstacle for her future, she had an abortion. 0 14 Mon, Dec 2 Chapter 383 She had two more boyfriends afterward, and each time before they had sex, she had the hymen repair surgery done. The first two times, the repairs were sessful, but this time, it couldn''t be fixed. Louise was extremely agitated, worried about what would happen if Brian found out she wasn''t a virgin. Seeing his call, Louise still didn''t answer. She took out her phone, made a call, and coldly instructed someone for a few moments before heading to a bar to drink. When she had had enough to drink, Brian called again as expected. Her head was a bit dizzy, but she wasn''t drunk. Her mind was very clear. Seeing his call, she took a while before answering. "Louise, where are you?" Louise curled her lips and didn''t speak in a hurry. The person on the other end realized she was in a bar and immediately frowned. "Louise, are you at a bar?" Louise deliberately slurred her words. "Brian... is that you? I''m in so much pain..." "What''s wrong? Which bar are you at?" "Brian, I feel so ufortable... I feel like I can''t breathe." Louise began to cry softly as she spoke. Brian''s heart skipped a beat, and he asked anxiously, "Louise, I''lle to pick you up right now. Be good. Don''t drink anymore, okay?" "Really? Do you still care about me?" she asked in a pitifully tone "Yes, tell me the address." Louise had achieved her goal and told him the location of the bar. She took a couple more sips of her drink, theny down on the table. Before long, Brian arrived. He rushed into the bar and quickly found Louise. "Louise!" He lifted Louise up, saw the tears in her eyes, and pressed her into his embrace with heartache. "Are you still angry with me?"Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Louise cried out in grievance, "Brian, do you not like me anymore? Do you know how much your suspicion hurts me? It hurts so much here." She took his hand and ced it on her chest. Brian said with remorse, "I''m sorry. I shouldn''t have doubted you. Louise, I believe in you." "Really?" Louise asked through her tears. "Yes!" Brian nodded his head firmly. At this moment, he truly believed in Louise. Even though Grace had insisted to him that it was Louise who did it, seeing Louise in tears, he still believed her. After all, Grace had no evidence. "Let''s go back, Brian said as he helped her up and walked out of the bar. 18. 18. 0043%0 Outside the bar, Louise-stood by the roadside, holding her forehead. "Brian, I want some water. Can you go and buy me a bottle of mineral water?" Brian nced at the nearby convenience store. "Okay, wait here for me." "Okay." Louise nodded. As Brian went to buy the mineral water, a man wearing a mask and with a scar on his forehead suddenly rushed out from the alley next to them. He held a sharp knife and lunged at Brian. Louise''s eyes widened, and she shouted, "Brian! Be careful!" At the same time, she rushed to stand behind him. A dagger cut her arm. The man narrowed his eyes and quickly fled. Brian''s gaze trembled. He nced in the direction the man had run off to and was about to chase after him when Louise grabbed his hand. "Bria my hand hurts so much. Don''t chase him." Brian''s eyebrows furrowed as he looked at her bleeding arm and said in a low voice, "I''ll take you to the hospital." Louise kept eximing in pain all the way to the hospital. Brian''s heart ached even more for her. She had saved him once again. 0 Chapter 384 Upon arriving at the hospital, the doctor bandaged Louise''s wound, which wasn''t deep. The doctor said it would heal in two weeks with rest. After this incident, Brian felt even more remorseful toward Louse. She was such a kind person, willing to step in front of danger for him. How could she possibly be the venomous woman he had doubted? On the way back, Brian said to her, "Take a few days off and rest at home. Don''t go to work. I''ll arrange for two bodyguards. to follow you when you go out. "I don''t know who that person was, but it''s likely they were after me. Before we find out, I need to ensure your safety to prevent them from targeting you." Louise smiled at him. "Thank you, Brian." "These are things I should do. If it weren''t for me, you wouldn''t have been injured," he said. "Brian, if you are in danger, I will always be the first to rush to save you, without hesitation." She looked at him intently. Brian couldn''t help but sigh inwardly, ''How could I have doubted her?" Louise, seeing that her objectives were mostly achieved, gradually felt more at ease. The next day, back at thepany, Brian ran into Grace downstairs. He looked at her as if he had something to say. Grace, seeing that he was alone and hadn''t brought Louise, found it a bit strange. However, thinking about his rtionship with Louise, she didn''t want to talk to him any more than necessary. While waiting for the elevator, Brian, who had been looking at her for a long time, suddenly grabbed her hand and pulled her into the private elevator. The surrounding colleagues looked at them in surprise. Grace struggled. "What are you doing? Let go of me! There are so many colleagues watching!" Brian closed the elevator door. "Grace, I understand that the incident with Austin has been a great shock to you. You suspect Louise, and I have no objections to that. But I need to make it clear to you. I believe in Louise. You have wronged her." Grace didn''t expect that after all his hesitation, this was what he wanted to say to her. Her gaze shifted from shock to anger, and then from anger to disappointment. She bit her lip, staring at him intensely, and asked word by word, "On what basis do you believe her?" Brian knew Grace''s emotions must be very unstable at the moment, but he still said to her, "You have no evidence, and neither do I. I believe in her becausest night she was injured while saving me. I can''t believe that someone as kind as her would do such a thing." Grace found him so ridiculous that she actuallyughed. "Brian, you think she almost lost her life for you, right? But did you know that when Hoved you, I would have done the same for you, risked my life for you? Then why do you choose to believe her and not me?"Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. 1/2 16:18 Tue, Dec 3 BBV Chapter 385 Chapter 385 As soon as she finished speaking, she left the elevator without looking back. Grace was like a porcupine. He wanted to pull out all her thorns, but she would raise them and attack him whenever he tried to pull them out. Perhaps that was just a way for her to protect herself. Brian did not know how to describe his feelings. He felt that it was very tricky. On one side was Grace, and on the other side was Louise. Wait! Since when were Grace and Louise on the same scale?'' Brian wondered. Grace was utterly disappointed in Brian. She originally thought that he would investigate after she told him Louise and Ava had kidnapped her. She did not expect that the result would be him telling her firmly that he believed Louise. She felt she shouldn''t have had any illusions about him. Therefore, Grace avoided Brian as long as she could in the following time. When they met, she would lower her head and brush past him. After a few days, Grace''s cold attitude made Brian more and more annoyed. He wanted to grab and bring her to him, but there was no suitable reason. However, Louise felt that Brian was treating her better and better. Every day, he woulde to see her as soon as he got off work. During dinner, he also fed her bite by bite. However, today, Louise did not see himing. Louise looked at the time and saw it was already past eight in the evening. Brian was still not there, so she took out her. phone and called him. Camren answered the call. He said, "Miss Adkins, Mr. Francis has to have dinner with a client today. He might not be able to visit Louise hesitated for a moment. Suddenly, she seemed to remember something and asked, "Where?" Camren nced at Brian and gave her the address. you untilter." After hanging up, Camren returned the phone to Brian. He could tell that Brian was in a bad mood. The person he was having dinner with today was just the boss of a small listedpany. To Brian, he could choose not toe to this meal. However, he came and even drank crazily. Without waiting for anyone to toast him, he picked up his wine ss and drank one ss after another. If this wasn''t a bad mood, then what was it? Camren didn''t know what Brian was thinking, but he knew that Brian had Grace in his heart. Otherwise, he wouldn''t have searched the world for Grace when she disappeared. 10.10 Tue, Dec J Only Camren knew about this. However, what Camren could not understand was why Brian wanted to marry no one but Louise. Louise arrived not long after. 483% When she appeared, Brian was stunned for a moment. Then, he stood up and walked over. "Why did youe here? You haven''t recovered from your injuries, right?" Louise enjoyed his concern and worry for her very much. She smiled sweetly at him. "I heard that you were drinking. I''m worried you will drink too much, so I came here to check." When the boss of the listedpany saw Louiseing over, he took the initiative to stand up and greet her to toast her. Brian gave him a cold look, so he immediately said tactfully, "Good to see you. We have other beverages here if you can''t drink. Do as you please." After saying that, he finished all the wine in his ss. Louise smiled. "Brian, don''t scare him. He has good intentions. It''s fine for me to drink a little." Brian frowned. "I''ll drink it for you." back.This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. After drinking for a while and seeing that Brian''s eyes were already a little blurry, Louise finally said she wanted to go Camren sent the two of them back to the Francis family''s residence. Louise went to the kitchen to make hangover soup. Chapter 386 "Miss Adkins, I''ll make it for Mr. Brian. You can go back." Louise had one hand in her bag as if she was about to take something. When she heard Melvin''s sudden voice, she was shocked and took a deep breath. Melvin quickly apologized. "I''m sorry, Miss Adkins, that I scared you."Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Louise patted her chest. "Melvin, go back and rest. Leave this to me. I''ll take good care of Brian." Melvin hesitated for a moment. He remembered that Louise had drugged Brian previously and was a little worried. When Louise saw he was still unwilling to leave, she frowned. "What''s wrong? Melvin, are you trying to chase me away?" "No, no. Miss Adkins, you''ve misunderstood. I''m just afraid that you''ll scald yourself. Since you''ll make it for Mr. Brian, I''ll take my leave first. Be careful and take care of your safety," said Melvin. Louise nodded. "Go back and sleep." After seeing that he had deft and making sure that no one was around, she quickly took a packet of medicine from her bag and put it into the hangover soup. She carried the hangover soup to Brian''s room and woke him up He was a little sleepy and squinted at Louise for a while. "Why aren''t you back yet?" Louise smiled. "I''ll wait for you to fall asleep before leaving. Your head probably hurts now. Take the hangover soup first." Brian rubbed his temples. Louise fed him a spoonful and he opened his mouth to eat it. Soon, the bowl of hangover soup was finished. Louise helped him lie down, removed his shoes, and bent to look at him. "Brian? Brian?" she called out to him. Brian was still conscious and answered vaguely, "Yes... Grace." Louise''s expression suddenly changed. ''He said Grace''s name! How much did he like her to be able to call her name when he was drunk?'' Louise closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Brian, look carefully. I''m Louise, not Grace." Brian felt his head getting heavier and heavier. The sounds he heard became more and more blurry. After a while, hepletely lost consciousness. Louise looked at his sleeping face and said Grace''s name through gritted teeth. ''Grace must die!'' Louise decided. The next morning, Brian woke up with a headache. He rubbed his temples and slowly opened his eyes. His mind went nk for a moment. He looked down and suddenly caught a glimpse of the woman sleeping beside him! His entire body shook, and he immediately sat up. The nket on his body slipped off, and his chest was filled with hickeys. He lifted the nket and looked at it. His eyes darkened, and he quickly covered himself with the nket. 1/2 Last night, he slept with Louise. At this moment, Louise turned around and naturally hugged his waist. She said in a daze, "Brian." Brian frowned. 74% Louise slowly opened her eyes. When she saw Brian, she was stunned for a moment. Then, she screamed and sat up while covering herself with the nket. A clear hickey could be seen on her neck. It was obvious how passionate the scenest night was. However, no matter how hard he tried to recall what happenedst night, he could not remember anything! This was probably a drunken mistake! But he remembered he didn''t ck out when he came homest night. He wonde how the following things happened. Louise looked at his expression and her heart sank slightly. "Brian, I''m sorry... I was about to leave after sending you backst night, but you..." Louise bit her lip and wanted to say something but hesitated Chapter 387 The implication was clear. She had nned to walk him back and leave, but he held her back and wouldn''t let her go. That was why they had sex. Brian frowned. "Silly girl, why are you apologizing for something like this? I''m the one who should be apologizing." Brian picked up the pants beside him and quickly put them on. I''ll go wash up first. You can put on your clothes." After saying that, he walked into the bathroom and saw himself in the mirror. He had mixed feelings and even regretted it. He never expected to make a drunken mistake! C Although the other party was his soon-to-be wife, an inexplicable emotion lingered in his heart. It felt as if something had slipped from his hands. When he woke up and saw Louise in the morning, Grace''s face appeared in his mind. It seemed Grace would be even further away from him from today onward. Brian washed his face with cold water in frustration. He thought to himself, ''Brian, wake up!'' In the bedroom, Louise looked at herself in the mirror. The hickey on her neck was caused by her pinching herself ruthlessly. It was still hurting. She nced at her inner thigh. The cut she''d made with the knife was slowly healing. She threw back the covers and got dressed. When it was about time, she knocked on the bathroom door. "Brian?" she called softly. Brian had already finished washing up. He opened the door and looked at her indifferently. When his gaze touched the mark on her neck, his eyes shed. "Come in and wash up. I''ve prepared a new toothbrush for you, said Brian. Louise''s walking posture was a little strange. Brian frowned. "What''s wrong?" She bit her lip and looked at him shyly. "That ce... hurts a little." Brian didn''t know what to say for a moment. In the end, he only said, "I''m sorry." He turned and left the bathroom, closing the door behind him. When he reached the bedroom, he saw the ssh of bright red on the sheets. His eyes trembled violently, and he slowly let out a shaky breath With a pull of his big hand, he tore off the bedsheets in a few moves, wrapped them into a ball, and threw them into theundry basket. He went downstairs and called for the maids to clean the house and change the sheets and nkets. When the maid came in, Louise had just finished washing up. She smiled at the maid and did not hide the marks on her -neck.Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. When the maid saw Louise, she quickly looked away. Breakfast was ready downstairs. Brian sat at the dining table with an unfathomable expression. After Louise came down, the two of them finished their breakfast together. Throughout the entire process, neither of them said a word. After breakfast, Brian told Louise, "I''ll send you back." Louise nodded. Brian drove to thepany after sending her back to the Adkins family''s house. Marshall saw the mark on his daughter''s neck and instantly understood everything. "Louise,e here," said Marshall. Louise covered her neck in embarrassment, "Dad." 74% "What''s there to be embarrassed about? I''ve been there before. Did you spend the night at Brian''s housest night?" Marshall asked. Louise nodded. "Yes." Marshall smiled and didnot ask further "Alright! There might be another surprise on your wedding day at the end of the month!" She lowered her head and pursed her lips slightly, thinking, ''Another surprise? How can there be another surprise?" She would not have a day of peace unless she married Brian! She thought for a moment. Then, she told Marshall, "Dad, speaking of this, the two families haven''t had formal meals together. You can organize a meeting in two days!" Marshall nodded. "You have a point. I will treat Jasmin and her family to a meal in two days." Chapter 388 When Brian entered thepany, his head was slightly lowered Fortunately, after he sent Louise back today, it waste when he arrived at thepany, so there were not many people in the hall. He quickly walked into the office. Grace had a program that needed Brian to finalize personally today. In the morning, she brought herputer to his office. Brian looked up and saw that it was Grace. He lowered his head reflexively. "What''s up?" he asked. Grace did not care about his reaction. She came to him with her notebook and said, "You said yesterday that this program needs to be demonstrated to you first." Brian nodded. If he had known that something like that would happenst night, he would not have said that on purpose yesterday. Grace began to exin to him. Brian lowered his head and looked at herputer screen the entire time. Even after Grace finished speaking, he did not look up at her. Even when he wasmenting, she could tell that he was distracted. Grace could not help but look down at him. "What''s wrong?" Brian did not say anything. After a while, an idea suddenly appeared in his mind. ''What am I hiding from? We have nothing to do with each other anymore. Why should she have any reaction when she sees it?'' Thinking of this, Brian slowly raised his head. Grace''s gaze trembled. In just two seconds, she had regained herposure.Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. She thought, ''He and Louise have been together for a long time. Isn''t it normal for this to happen? It''s just thatst night might have been passionate.'' Brian stared at her face, hoping to see a trace of hurt on her face But no, not at all. Instead, she smiled mockingly and said, "Looks like your fianc¨¦e''s injury isn''t serious. She can do strenuous exercise so quickly." Brian was speechless, thinking, ''She can say anything now without feeling awkward. He felt he had kept her here to annoy him. He waved his hand. Get out." Grace smirked coldly and turned to leave. Brian was even in frustrated these few days. However, Louise was injured because of him, and then they had sex. Every day, he had to rush back to apany her after work. On this day, during dinner, Louise said, "My injuries are almost healed. I should be able to go to work tomorrow. Brian nodded absent-mindedly. "Okay" 14:51 Wed, Dec 4 Gw. After a while, Louise suddenly looked at him and said, "Oh, no!" "What happened?" Brian asked. "Brian, I suddenly remembered that thest time we... I wasn''t in the safe period," said Louise. Brian did not react for a moment. After a while, he understood what the safe period meant. "How many days has it been?" he asked. 3 "I think it''s been almost four days. Is it toote to take the birth control pill?" Of course, she knew that it was toote. She only asked this on purpose to show that she was a virgin and did not know these things. Brian had bought it for Grace before and knew it would be useless after 72 hours. He suddenly lost his appetite. He put down his fork andforted her. "It''s fine. Since it''ste, forget it. Let fate decide. We''re getting married soon anyway." Louise bit her lip. "Alright." Marshall was quite reliable when doing things. He had already made an appointment for a meal. The two families had dinner at the Caper Grand Hotel in the evening, but Ava did note this time. Louise/sat beside Jasmine. She was very good at making Jasmine happy. Jasmine kept holding her hand and refused to let go. She kept praising Marshall for having a good daughter. Chapter 389 Marshall was grinning from car to ear. Louise sat at the side and obediently served Jasmine food. She asked Marshall to set up this dinner for a reason. As they ate and chatted, Louise skillfully led the conversation. Jasmine sighed and said, "Louise is so obedient and sensible. Brian was also very obedient when he was young. In the future, your children will inherit the good genes of the two of you!" Louise lowered her head in embarrassment and smiled. As for Brian, it was unknown if it was because of Jasmine''s words or because he thought of something, but he frowned slightly. "Jasmine, you don''t have to worry about your grandson. I think there''s some progress on this matter, Marshall said in a low voice. The private room was only that big. Marshall''s low voice was just a token gesture. The two parties involved could hear it. Brian suddenly felt disgusted by Marshall''s words. He raised his ss and took a big gulp of wine. Then, he refilled his ss mechanically and repeated the action of drinking. Jasmine''s interest was piqued. She looked down at Louise. "Louise, is what your father said true?" Louise bit her lip and did not say anything. However, the shy look on her face when she bit her lip was better than being silent. Jasmine''s eyes lit up as she looked down at Louise''s belly and whispered to Louise, "When did this happen? Have you confirmed that you''re pregnant? When was yourst period?" Louise became even more shy. "Well, Jasmine, not yet..." She whispered into Jasmine''s ear, "It''s just that we forgot to take contraceptive measuresst time. Maybe... maybe..." She deliberately pretended to be embarrassed to say the rest of the sentence. Jasmine was overjoyed. She firmly believed that Louise would get pregnant soon.Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. She looked at Brian and saw that he was still drinking. She reprimanded him, "Brian, why did you drink so much? How are you going to take care of Louiseter?" Brian put down the wine ss that was about to reach his mouth Jasmine cleared her throat and announced formally, "Looks like we should have good news soon. Although their wedding date is at the end of the month, it''s still inappropriate to get married after pregnancy. Brian and Louise, you should take time these days to register your marriage first. Marshall, what do you think?" Marshall smiled and narrowed his eyes. "Jasmine, you can arrange it." Jasmine smiled and shook Louise''s hand. "Louise, what do you think?" What she said just now was Louise''s goal tonight. However, to appear reserved, she still said shyly, "Of course, I will listen to you." "Alright, Brian. I''ll choose a dateter. You''ll register your marriage in two days," Jasmine said happily. The tone of her statement seemed she was only informing Brian that. Jasmine had asked for everyone''s opinion but not her 14:38 Thu, Dec 5 son''s. Brian felt frustrated for no reason. He nodded curtly. "Okay. We''ll talk about it after you''ve chosen date." Louise saw his reaction. How should she put it? He didn''t resist uch but wasn''t happy and was even perfunctory. It was as if marrying her was just an obligation. Louise thought unhappily, ''What did it mean to talk about it after Jasmine chooses a date? What is there to talk about after the date is set?'' Louise understood the main point of his words, but she could not say it out loud. She was certain that Brian was still thinking about Grace! Therefore, she felt Grace had to die! On the way back, Louise did not mention anything that happened at the dinner table. If she did, Brian would only seize the opportunity to counterattack. 0 COMMENT Chapter 390 £¤:75%0 Jasmine liked Louise very much. Hence, immediately after she returned, she decided on the date. She called Brian and said, "It''s a good day in two days. Brian, go and register your marriage with Louise. We''ll have dinner together that night." When Brian heard Jasmine''s words, he paused for a long time without saying anything. "Brian, are you listening?" Jasmine asked. Brian flicked the cigarette ash in his hand and said indifferently, "Yes." Jasmine clicked her tongue. "Brian, what''s wrong with you? Why do you look like you don''t care at all? Wasn''t marrying Louise your wish all along? But now, you don''t seem happy when you''re about to get married." Her words stunned Brian. Yes, ever since he found Louise and found out that she was the one who saved him when he was young, he had been determined to marry her in the future. However, he didn''t feel excited when they were about to get married. Instead, he felt a little resistant. "Brian, what''s wrong with you? Don''t tell me you don''t want to get married." Jasmine''s heart skipped a beat when she heard Brian had not spoken for a long time. "No," Brian denied subconsciously. "I was just thinking about work." He lied without changing his expression as if he was already skilled at lying about Louise. The more this was the case, the more he felt guilty about Louise He seemed to have fallen into a dead end. On the one hand, he felt guilty and wanted topensate her, but on the other hand, he could not figure out his true thoughts. "I still have something to do. I''ll hang up first." Brian ended the call in frustration. It had been raining in Capern City for the past two days. The weather was a little stuffy and hot. After a while, it would be summer in Capern City. Brian did not go to work today. He looked at the rain outside the window and was in a daze. Today, he was going to register his marriage with Louise. ***** Grace was in a meeting when she suddenly received a call from Carson. She nced at her colleagues in the office and hesitated for a moment. Then, she walked to the side to answer the call. This was because Carson usually wouldn''t call her for no reason. "Grace, can you take leave ande back for a while? Austin is sick and has been having a fever," said Carson. Grace''s face turned pale. Austin''s cries could still be heard on the other end of the phone. "Okay, I''ll be right back." Grace hung up the phone and told the team leader, "I''m sorry, Ms. Fox, but there''s an emergency at home." Then, Grace ran out of the conference room without waiting for Erin''s approval. 14:38000, Erin instantly felt that her status as Grace''s leader was being looked down upon.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Everyone in the department knew Louise and Grace were not on good terms, so they seized the opportunity to fan the mes. "Ms. Fox, I don''t think she takes you seriously. You havent even said anything, and she has already run away. How dare she!" Someone echoed, "Yes, that''s right! I think she thinks she''s amazing just because she knows Mr. Francis. She even doesn''t show respect to you! If this continues, she''ll only be worse! "That''s right, Ms. Fox. Why don''t you take this opportunity to get rid of her?" People present gave Erin suggestions one after another. In the end, Erin thought about it. She had not forgotten that Brian had scolded her because of Grace. Although she wanted to get rid of Grace, she still couldn''t offend Brian. Grace was specially recruited by Brian. Even if she wanted to find a reason to get rid of her, she had to inform Brian. Chapter 391 Therefore, Erin took out her phone and called Brian. She reported, "Mr. Francis, here''s the thing. Grace skipped work for no reason today. She doesn''t care about thepany''s rules and regtions at all. She''s not serious about her work. I think this kind of problem should be dealt with seriously..." Before Erin could finish speaking, Brian asked, "Why did you only call me after so long if she skipped work for no reason?" Brian looked at the time on his watch. It was already eleven o''clock. It had been two hours since they started work. Grace wouldn''t skip work for no reason unless she had a problem. When Erin heard this, she thought Brian wanted to deal with Grace''s absence seriously. Hence, she added fuel to the fire and said, "I also thought she should be self-aware, but I didn''t expect her to note after so long. She doesn''t take me seriously at all and doesn''t take you seriously. Mr. Francis, how do you think we should handle this matter? Should we fire her or..." Beep, beep, beep... Everyone looked at Erin. Erin looked at her phone and frowned. "Mr. Francis hung up." "Then what does Mr. Francis mean? Is he going to fire her?" someone asked. Erin did not understand what Brian meant and did not dare to call him again. Without Brian''s instructions, she dared not do anything to Grace. As for Brian, as soon as he hung up, he called Grace. The call went through, but no one picked up. Brian''s heart skipped a beat. After experiencing the child being stolen and hearing that she was kidnapped, Brian subconsciously felt that something had happened to Grace. He immediately went out and drove to Grace''s ce. However, he didn''t know which room Grace lived in. He spent a lot of money to bribe the property management to find out the room number of Grace. He knocked on the door for a long time, but no one opened it. At that moment, his phone rang. He hurriedly took it out, but the name shing on the screen was not what he was thinking about.Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. It was Louise. Brian stared at his phone for a long time. The danger that Grace might encounter shed across his mind. He still picked up the phone and said, "Louise, there''s something urgent. Can you wait for me for a while?" Louise was stunned. She instinctively felt that something was about to happen. She wondered what kind of emergency happened when they were going to register their marriage. Before she could ask, Brian had already hung up. It seemed like it was something urgent. Louise clenched her fists tightly. A face appeared in her mind. She said that name through gritted teeth fiercely. ''Grace, you better not have anything to do with this. Otherwise, you will die a terrible death!'' The reason why Grace did not answer his call was because she was afraid that he would call her back to work. She was originally absent from work and had no reason to refute Brian''s punishment. Hence, she gave up and ignored his call. 1 1 0 COMMENT 4:38 Thu, Dec 5 Brian thought about it and finally went to Justin''s hospital. He was Austin''s father, so he must know the whereabouts of the mother and daughter. As soon as he arrived at the hospital, Brian saw Grace. When he saw her, he rushed forward and grabbed her arm. He questioned coldly, "I''ve called you so many times. Why didn''t you answer?" Grace was stunned for a moment. She frowned and nced at his big hand, indicating for him to let go of her. Brian calmed himself down. When he couldn''t contact her just now, he panicked. Chapter 392 "Let go of me!" Grace said furiously. Brian realized he had hurt her, so he quickly let go of her and asked, "Why did you skip work?" Grace pursed her lips and said coldly, "My daughter is sick. You can punish me for absenteeism, but if you want me to return to thepany to work now, I''m sorry, I can''t leave here." Brian was stunned. "What''s wrong with her?" Grace nced at him and felt no need to tell him about the child. The less contact he had with the child, the better. She said lightly, "It''s just a usual cold." As soon as she finished speaking, Carson came out of the ward. "Grace, Austin has been crying. She seems to be very ufortable." Grace ignored Brian and immediately ran into the ward. Austin''s fever had not subsided yet. She had just taken the fever medicine and was still not feeling well. She kept crying. Justin came over after he was done with his work. When he saw Brian, he frowned and a trace of impatience shed across his eyes. "What are you doing here?" Brian ignored him and craned his neck to look at Austin. He didn''t know why, but when he heard Austin crying, he felt like an invisible hand had grabbed his heart. Grace hugged Austin and coaxed her softly. She walked back and forth in the ward, but Austin still cried non-stop. Grace looked at Austin with heartache. Grace''s eyes were red. Every mother was strong and fragile. She wished she was the one who was sick. After she found Austinst time, Grace could not bear to see Austin suffer even a little. She even hated herself for not taking good care of her and causing her to catch a cold and have a fever Brian stretched out his hand and wanted to say he would try, but Justin beat him to it and said, "Let me try." Grace nced at Justin and gently ced the child in his arms. Justin''s movements looked very skilled as if he often carried children. Brian''s eyes hurt when he saw this scene. He stood there like an outsider. Oh no, I am an outsider myself. The three of them are a family, aren''t they?'' Brian thought. His legs seemed to weigh one thousand pounds. He wanted to leave, but he raised his feet again. Austin was still crying. Grace was so anxious that tears fell from her eyes. "Justin, is she feeling very ufortable? Is it because she has a fever and her heart is so hot that she keeps crying?" Before Justin could appease Austin, he had tofort Grace. "No. Her fever is only 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit. She won''t feel too ufortable. Perhaps she keeps crying because she feels aggrieved?" Brian could not stand it anymore. He walked forward and forcefully took the child away from Justin. "Let me do it." Grace and Justin were stunned for a moment. However, they couldn''t appease the child, so they could only let Brian try. COMMENT 0 If Austin continued to cry like this, her throat would be damaged Brian did not know how to coax the child at all. After all, he had only carried this child once. He didn''t even know what to say. After thinking for a while, he tied to call softly, "Austin." The child seemed curious about this unfamiliar voice and stopped crying surprisingly. Brian was overjoyed, but Austin opened her mouth and cried again after a while. Brian hugged her anxiously and shook her gently. He subconsciously coaxed her, "Be good, alright, don''t cry anymore. I will carry you."This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. His words seemed to work, and Austin stopped crying. Even Grace was stunned. She wondered, ''Could this be the connection between father and daughter?" Justin looked at Brian''s smile at the child and felt that it was very ring. 00000 1:1: 000 00????????????????????? Chapter 393 Brian looked at the little girl in his arms in surprice. The cornert his mouth curled up unconsciously. It was strange. He liked this child, even if he knew she was not daughter. Brian didn''t know how to tease the child, so he imitated the soul of a puppy and teased her a few times Austin managed a smile. Brian was stunned. Then, he looked up at Grace. She smiled at the Grace did not know what to say for a moment. She even felt that the problem was a little tricky. She could not let Brian interact too much with Austin. Brian lowered his head and looked at Austin again. The smile on his face grew wider and wider. He teased her a few more times. This time, Austinughed out loud. Grace was stunned. She looked at Justin. He had a dark expression as he went forward and extended his hand. "Let me do it After all, she''s my daughter." The smile on Brian''s face froze. Justin took the child from him. Brian''s hands were empty, and so was his heart. Less than a minute after Justin carried Austin, Austin suddenly opened her mouth and cried loudly, making Justin embarrassed. Justin felt a little awkward. His expression alternated between shocked and angry. Brian smiled sarcastically. He looked at Grace and said, "It seems your daughter doesn''t like the father you found for her. Does he usually abuse your daughter?" The atmosphere was awkward and strange. Grace bit her lip and carried Austin away. She said to Justin, "Justin, go to work first." Staying here would not solve the problem. Instead, he would be mocked by Brian. It was awkward enough. Justin had no choice but to leave. After Justin left, only Grace, Brian, and Austin were in the ward. Brian instantly felt much better. Austin was still whimpering as if she was still not feeling well. Brian frowned slightly and looked at Grace. It was as if he was ming her for not appeasing the child. Grace rolled her eyes in frustration. She turned around and changed her posture of carrying the child. She straightened Austin''s body. When Austin was straightened and saw Brian, the humming stopped. She looked at Brian with her big ck eyes. Brian smiled unconsciously. Austin seemed to be able to feel Brian''s love for her. She smiled and there was saliva in her mouth. She was so cute. Grace noticed Austin had stopped crying. She looked at Austin and realized Austin was smiling at Brian again. 305% Grace felt a little jealous in her heart. She had been pregnant for ten months and had raised Austin single-handedly until now. In the end, Austin only smiled at her father, who had only hugged her once. Seeing that Austin liked him so much, Brian was reluctant to leave. He raised his eyebrows at her. Austin was amused and giggled. Grace was very speechless. However, now that Austin was sick, she could only watch this scene and do nothing. Otherwise, she would have kicked Brian out without hesitation.This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Austin looked at Brian eagerly as she put her hand in her mouth Grace sighed in her heart. ''It''s said that daughters are their father''s lovers in their previous lives. It seems that this saying is true.'' Grace was very against him and did not let him touch the child at first, but Austin was too noisy and wanted to y with Brian. In the end, Grace left Austin to him directly. Brian loved Austin so much that he forgot Louise was still waiting for him at home. The phone in his pocket kept vibrating. It was not until Austin fell asleep that Brian realized that Louise had called him. Fri, Dec b Chapter 394 Brian looked at the time on his phone. It was already five in the afternoon. People who worked in city hall had already gotten off work. He frowned and immediately called Louise back. He called, but no one picked up. Brian thought for a moment. He turned around and said to Grace, "I''ll go back first." Then, he quickly left the hospital.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Although anxious, he did not think that this was a very troublesome thing. After all, there was plenty of time to register their marriage. When Brian drove to the Adkins family''s house, he heard from the Adkins family''s maid that Louise had already gone to the Francis estate. He drove back to the Francis estate. When he entered the living room, he saw Louise sitting beside Jasmine with red eyes. Her face was haggard, and her lips were pale. Brian felt a fittle guilty. "Louise," Brian called. "I''m sorry." Jasmine''s sharp gaze swept over. "You still have the cheek toe back! Tell me, what have you been doing? Don''t say I''m your mother if you dare to lie!" Brian took a deep breath. He knew that even if he lied, Jasmine would still be able to find out. He said briefly "An employee''s daughter is sick, so I went to visit her." Jasmine narrowed her eyes at him. "What kind of employee made you, the boss, lower yourself to visit her daughter?* Louise said softly, "Jasmine, forget it. Perhaps Brian likes children too much. It''s all my fault for being unable to be pregnant till now." Jasmine''s heart ached even more for Louise. She patted her hand andforted her. "Louise, it''s not your fault. I''ll help you." "Who is it?" Jasmine asked. Brian was silent for a while before saying, "Grace." Jasmine''s heart trembled. "What did you say? Grace? Didn''t she divorce you not long ago? She had a child?" Louise interrupted, "Jasmine, the child isn''t Brian''s. We''ve already done a paternity test." Jasmine''s expression paused for a moment before sheughed sarcastically. "When she married into our family, she pretended to be innocent. I didn''t expect that she would cheat on my son. What a promiscuous woman." Brian frowned. In terms of time, Grace had indeed cheated on him during their marriage. Thinking of this, Brian felt -disgusted and even hated her. However, when he heard others say that about her, he felt like a thorn was stuck in his heart. At this time, he didn''t want to have a conflict with his mother, so he cleverly changed the topic. "It''s my fault today. We can register our marriage anytime. It doesn''t have to be a lucky day." 1. GG. Jasmine was a superstitious person. "That won''t do! I''ll choose another good dayter, but don''t think today''s matter is over just like that!" Brian felt a headacheing on. "What is Grace''s purpose in staying in yourpany? Why did you fire her?" Jasmine asked. Brian frowned deeply. "Mom, there''s nothing wrong with her work ability. I hope you won''t force your grudges against her to work." "You have to resolve this matter! With Grace around, Louise will never have a good life!" said Jasmine. Brian looked at Louise. After a long silence, he said slowly, "Louise, I know you feel wronged, but you also know why you''re in thepany. I can''t go back on my word. I said I would marry you, and I will do it. If you can''t tolerate her in thepany..." Chapter 395 Brian paused and looked straight at her. Louise did not expect Brian to go to this extent to keep Grace. His attitude was too unyielding His meaning was clear. If he fired Grace, he would not marry Louise. Before Louise could say anything. Jasmine said, ''Brian! What kind of attitude is this? If Louise can''t tolerate her, what will you do? What are you going to do?" Brian frowned and looked at his mother. ''Am I not clear enough Grace working in thepany had no conflict with me marrying Louise. On the other hand, Mom, what will you do if don''t fire Grace?" Yes, what could she do to Brian? Brian''s father had been dead for several years. Brian had been in charge of thepany during the past few years. He was also thergest shareholder. No one could shake his position. Even his mother could not do anything to him. If Brian wanted to do sopitthing, no one could stop him. Of course, Louise also understood this logic. She finally understood that Brian had Grace in his heart, but he still could not see through his heart, and Brian wanted to marry Louise only because he wanted to repay her for saving him when he was young When he saw through his heart, this little responsibility meant nothing in front of love. Therefore, what she had to do now was to marry Brian as soon as possible. The marriage license was at least ayer of protection. Then, she would eliminate Grace. Without Grace, no one would fight with her. Without Grace, Brian would never be able to see through his heart. Therefore, at this time, Louise could not fight head-on. Louise said softly, "Brian, I think you know me. It''s not that I can''t tolerate her. I only feel slightly aggrieved and worried that you didn''t answer my call today. As for you going to visit her child, I don''t mind. We will have our child. You''re so loving, so you''ll be a good father." She perfectly disyed her generous and gentle side. These words made Brian can''t help but feel even more guilty. He had indeed let Louise down. To a girl, it was very hurtful to get stood up. Moreover, he stood her up on the day they registered their marriage. Brian looked at her apologetically. "Tm sorry. Louise.* Laube shook her head. You must be tired Let''s eat first* "Okay Brian replied softly was the pol in jasmine also felt that she had let Louise down. She thought. Where can he find such a considerate and after gut his sp cinnor a date quickly for the two of theto get married, Aber duet Brian wet Louise back to the Cly ww The car stopped by the roadside and Louise looked at him 18:49 Sat, Dec 7 ti G. Brian raised his hand and touched her hair. "What''s wrong?" Louise leaned on his arm and said softly, "I feel very insecure. Can you stay with me?" Brian thought for a moment. Then, he said, "Alright, I''ll wait for you to sleep before leaving." + 66% Louise''s heart sank. ''Is he still going to leave? Even if we had already "had sex", is he not willing to stay and sleep with me?''N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Louise''s heart turned cold, but she still looked happy. After parking the car, she held his hand and entered the Adkins family''s house. After entering the bedroom, Brian kept looking at his phone as he Wa dealing with some work. Chapter 396 Chapter 396. 2 Louise went to take a shower and deliberately wore thin sexy pajamas. Brian did not react when she stood in front of him. He looked up at her calmly and said, "Go to sleep. I''ll apany you by the bed." Louise bit her lip. He was so serious that she could not do anything else. She could only listen to him and lie down on the bed. It was already half past eleven when Brian finished his work. Louise also seemed to be asleep, so he left her bedroom quietly. Louise opened her eyes. The next day, Louise sat by the window and waved at Emily in a restaurant. Emily was wearing a beret and looked very noble. She walked to the sofa and sat down elegantly. She looked at Louise and asked, "So you finally have time to ask me out today." Louise smiled. "Don''t say that. I was just too busy recently. Of course, I still have to catch up with you when I have time." Emily smiled and took a sip of the coffee. "I don''t believe you''re just here to catch up with me." She was not stupid. She thought about thest time when she stole Grace''s daughter. Louise was using her to take revenge on Grace. However, Louise was wrong. Although Emily was also interested in Brian, it wasn''t like she had to have him. There were so many men in Capern City. The Taylor family had a big business and was wealthy, so why would she be afraid that she wouldn''t be able to find a good man? As for Grace, teaching her a small lesson was enough. There was no need to get into trouble because of this. "Emily, I do have something to discuss with you. Did you know that Grace has found her child?" Louise asked. Emily nodded. "Yes." party. Can you tolerateContent (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. "Then everything we''ve done before will be wasted! Emily, think about how she treated you at the party. this?" Louise asked. 1 Emily raised an eyebrow. "It''s quite boring to deal with a nameless person like her." Louise was stunned. ''What''s going on with Emily? Didn''t she hate Grace before?'' Emily looked at her and said, "Miss Adkins, it has nothing to do with me if you want to deal with Grace. She''s not a threat to me." "She''s not a threat to you now, but your brother is interested in her. If that woman ys some tricks, can you ept her as your sister-inw?" Louise asked. Emily raised an eyebrow. "You think too highly of Grace. You also underestimate my brother too much. My brother isn''t blind. He won''t want a divorced woman like her." Louise was a little anxious when she saw Emily wasn''t moved. "That''s because you underestimated Grace. Think about it. She can even seduce Brian, let alone your brother." In her panic, Louise didn''t even think about what she said. Her words implied that Gary was inferior to Brian. Emily''s expression changed and she mmed the table. "Louise, what do you mean? Are you saying that my brother can''tpare to Brian?" Louise was stunned. Realizing she had said somethi purpose. I didn''t mean that." * 0000 66% wrong, she hurriedly exined, "I''m sorry, Emily. I didn''t say it on "I think that''s what you mean. Louise, I advise you not to have any ideas about me. n well." With that, Emily stood up, picked up her bag, and strode out of the restaurant. If you have the time, you might as well She was not stupid. It was wishful thinking for Louise to want to use her to kill Grace. Chapter 397 Louise was too dangerous. Emily felt it was better to draw a clear line with her sooner orter! Louise was frustrated that Emily refused to work with her.Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. After thinking about it, she went back to look for Ava. Ava was already in a state of feeling afraid whenever she saw Louise. She looked at her warily. "What do you want to see me about?" Louise smiled sweetly and put her arm around Ava''s shoulder. "You''re my sister. Why can''t Ie to you?" As she spoke, she locked the door and took Ava''s hand to sit in the chair. Ava felt that her smile was creepy. She had goosebumps all over her body. "Don''t tell me about Grace. I don''t want to know about Brian either. I won''t fight with you for anything. I don''t want to do anything now." Before Louise could speak, Ava''s phone rang. Ava took out her phone and Louise took a look. The caller ID was Brian! She narrowed her eyes and said, "Answer it. Turn on the speaker Ava did not dare to disobey her and obediently turned on the loudspeaker. "Hello? Brian?" said Ava. Brian''s deep and cold voice sounded. "Ava, are you free today? Come out if you have time." Ava would have immediately replied that she was free if Louise was not by her side. However, Louise was here, so she could only ask Louise with her eyes. Louise gestured to her with her mouth. Ava asked, "Brian, is there anything you want to talk to me?" "Yeah," Brian replied faintly, "There are some things that I need to find out from you in person." Ava looked at Louise again. Louise''s brain worked quickly. ''What can Brian want from her? Could it be that he knows that the person Ava kidnappedst time is Grace? That must be it! Grace must have said something to him and he came to ask Ava for confirmation!'' Louise signaled for her to agree. After hanging up the phone, Louise looked at her coldly. "He probably wants to ask you about thest time you kidnapped Grace. Remember, don''t say anything you shouldn''t say! I''ll go with you." The two of them went out together and arrived at the agreed location. Ava went in alone. Brian was already waiting there. Louise wore a bit that she rarely wore, a hat, and a pair of sunsses. She wrapped herself tightly as she walked to the booth behind them and sat down. She could hear their conversation. Ava was a little nervous. She looked at Brian and said, "Brian, what do you want to see me about?" Brian did not have much to say to her. He went straight to the point. "Who was the person you kidnappedst time?" [1] ti 7,66% He was indeed asking about this! Louise was indeed smart to have guessed that! Ava swallowed her saliva and said without changing her expression, "Didn''t you say you''ve investigated the previous kidnapping? I''ve never been involved in this." Brian narrowed his eyes at her. "You didn''t do it? Ava, I advise you to tell the truth." The powerful pressure he exuded made her palms break out in cold sweat. "I didn''t do it! I didn''t kidnap Grace!" said Ava. If she admitted it, she would die, so although she was nervous, her tone was still firm. Ava continued to ask, "Grace told you about this, right?" She had once told Grace that Louise had instructed her to kidnap Grace behind Grace''s back. If Brian had learned this from Grace, Grace must have told Brian it was Louise''s idea. Chapter 398 18:49 Sat, Dec 7 ti G. Chapter 398 000; 66% F Therefore, Brian''s question was to confirm if Louise was the one who did all this, right?'' Ava thought. Brian did not say anything, but it was considered a tacit agreement. Ava nced at Louise. "Didn''t Louise tell you back then? I didn''t participate in the kidnapping. Just because Grace told you that I kidnapped her, you came to question me. Do you believe Grace so much?" Ava asked. Brian frowned. Ava continued, "Don''t you like my sister? Why don''t you believe what my sister says? Are you questioning me to seek justice for Grace?" Ava had said these words on purpose for Louise to hear. She just wanted to provoke her. She wanted to let Louise see that Brian could not let go of Grace Ava''s words hit Brian. He looked at her coldly and said, "Don''t care where I got the news. In short, don''t get close to Grace again!" His tone was more or less angry. Ava wondered how interesting Louise''s expression was now. Since Ava insisted that she did not kidnap Grace, there was no need to ask if Louise had ordered it. She would not admit it even if he asked. Instead, it might cause unnecessary trouble. He was about to leave when Ava stopped him again. "Brian, who are you to her? Why can''t I get close to her?" Brian was about to get up when he heard that. He stopped. "Ava, do you want to die?" A dangerous cold light shot out from his sharp eyes. Ava was a little afraid, but she smiled and said, "Brian, are you threatening me? Admit it, you like Grace! You can''t forget her. Your heart will ache when you see her in danger, right?" Brian''s eyes darkened as if he would explode in the next moment. "Brian, don''t worry. I won''t hurt the person you like. I don''t have the guts to do so. On the other hand, why don''t you dare to admit you like Grace? Do you feel sorry for my sister?" Brian said stiffly, "I don''t like Grace." After saying this, he strode away. His back seemed to be fleeing, Ava then looked at Louise. She sat there for a long time without moving. Louise had her head lowered. Her hat covered her malicious face, and her eyes were filled with hatred. Sheposed herself. When she opened her eyes again, her eyes were filled with sadness. She walked to the seat opposite Ava, where Brian had been sitting. When Ava saw her expression, she felt happy. ''It turns out Louise also had such a moment.Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. Louise took off her hat and smiled bitterly. "You saw it. I lost. I lostpletely." [11 ti G. . @65% "He didn''t admit that he likes Grace," Ava said lightly. Louise raised her head to look at Ava and pleaded, "Ava, can you help me? We''re family. Do you want to see Brian and Grace together? That won''t do the Adkins family any good." Right now, Ava didn''t want to think about these benefits at all. She only wanted to withdraw and muddle through. "Louise, I don''t want to do anything bad anymore. You can settle your grudge with Grace yourselves!" said Ava. Louise was silent for a while. After a while, her tone turned cold. "Ava, do you think Brian will let you go if Grace is with Brian? Even if they are not together, will you be safe and sound if Grace finds evidence?" COMMENT Chapter 399 Louise was right. Ava was indeed the one who kidnapped Grace She and Louise were in the same boat. Louise saw the change in her expression and continued, "Ava, don''t be naive. Some things will still happen even if you don''t think about them. Since you''ve already done it, you have to take precautions. Otherwise, you should wait for death!" Ava''s fingers curled up. The thing she regretted the most in her life was helping Louise to make a move to Grace. Now, she had fallen into a difficult situation. She stood up subconsciously and said in a panic, "I don''t want to If you want to do it, do it alone! Don''t drag me along!" "Ava, don''t you understand? I have nothing to do with you kidnapping Grace. If you don''t get rid of her before Grace makes aeback, you''ll be the one who dies!" said Louise. "I''m trying to help you, okay?" Ava was furious. Yes, there was no turning back now. Louise was a vicious woman. She had already removed herselfpletely from that matter. They were on the same boat? No, Ava was the only one on this boat from the beginning to the end. Louise continued to bewitch her. "Have you thought about it? Are you going to go to jail or make Grace disappear?" Ava slumped weakly on the chair. After a long time, she asked mechanically, "What should I do?" Louise curled her lips in satisfaction, thinking. Indeed, the easiest person to manipte in this world is still Ava!'' Austin stayed in the hospital for two days and recovered quickly. Brian had not visited Austin in the hospital since the first day. This was also good. After interacting with him for a long time, Grace was worried he would see through it. After Austin recovered, Grace went back to work as usual. Louise''s injuries had also recovered. It was the first time she had seen Louise since Austin got kidnapped. Although Grace hated Louise, she could not fall out with Louise before learning her background. Therefore, when facing Louise, Grace still disguised herself very well. Both of them had their thoughts. Recently, Grace had been driving Carson''s to work every day. She lived outside the Fourth Ring Road, slightly far from the Francis Group. She had to drive through a viaduct to get to work each day. She drove steadily and kept her speed at the lowest speed. Just as she got off the highway and was about to wait for the traffic light, she stepped on the brakes and slowed down, but she realized that the speed did not show any signs of slowing down. Her heart skipped a beat. She looked down and mmed on the brakes. The car still didn''t slow down. There was arge truck in front of her. Seeing that it was getting closer and closer, Grace suddenly turned the steering wheel and crashed to the side of the road Rang Sun Deco A violent collision sounded, and the roadside was deeply embedded in the front of the car. The car was forced to stop, and the huge inertia ejected the airbag. Grace felt that her chest and forehead were about to shatter. She felt the world spinning in front of her. Small cars stopped around her and came to check. Someone banged on the car window, but Grace''s ears couldn''t hear anything. Then, her vision became more and more blurry. Finally, the world was pitch-ck to her. At the Francis Group.Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. 2+13% When Erin saw that Grace was not there today, she ran over to Louise and snitched, "Mrs. Francis, Grace doesn''t know what''s good for her. She onlyes to work when she likes. Why don''t you tell Mr. Francis so that you can take this opportunity to chase her out?" Chapter 400 Louise turned around and looked at Grace''s desk. She asked in surprise, "Grace didn''te again? Did she take leave?" Erin shook her head. "No, she always leaves for no reason. Thest time, she heard that her child was sick, so she left early. I called Mr. Francis to tell him about this, but Mr. Francis didn''t punish her because she''s a mother, but she''s bing too much. Now, she''s skipping work without even saying anything. Work started a long time ago today." Erin was stillining about Grace and did not notice that Louise''s expression was already terrible. Louise thought, ''So it was this idiot who told Brian that Grace had left early! That was why Brian went to look for Grace instead of going to register marriage with me.'' Although Louise''s expression was ugly, Erin was still talking. "Mr. Francis, I think Grace should be taught a lesson. Otherwise, she will think that she can do whatever she wants!" Louise clenched her fists and tried her best to suppress the anger in her heart. She forced a smile and looked at her. "It''s fine, Erin. I know you''re a fair and serious leader, but idents always happen. She might have gotten into an ident today." Erin said, "But... Mrs. Francis, don''t you..." Louise said, "Erin, just treat it as absenteeism. There''s no need to make a fuss over such a small matter to Mr. Francis. Do you think Mr. Francis is very free every day? How can he have the time to care about the employees'' matters? Just deal with it as you should." Efin looked at her in a daze. She thought, ''Why is Louise so strange today? Why is she letting Grace off this time?'' Although she was puzzled, she did not ask further. After all, she did not have much of a grudge against Grace. The reason why she was mean to Grace was because she wanted to please Louise. After all, Louise hated Grace the most. Since Louise did not care anymore, she would not interfere. However, even though she did not say anything, Mr. Francis came looking for her. Brian sent an announcement to the group chat to gather all the members of the Development Department for a meeting. It was a discussion about the new project. In the office, Camren turned on the projector. Brian sat beside him. His gaze habitually swept through the crowd, but he did not see Grace''s face. He frowned slightly and looked at Erin. "Where''s Grace?" Erin said respectfully, "Grace hasn''te today." Brian''s frown deepened. "Did she take leave?" Erin was about to answer, but Louise beat her to it. "It was ast-minute request. After all, she has a child." Erin looked at her in surprise, but she did not dare to say anything. The atmosphere was a little strange. Brian stared at Louise for a long time. Louise said without changing her expression, "Brian, let''s begi Brian''s eyelids suddenly twitched. He nced at his watch, took out his phone, and called Grace. The call went through and it took a long time for the other party to pick up. Then, a hurried female voice sounded. "Are you thisdy''s family member? Thisdy was in a car ident and is now in the emergency room of the Cornmunity Hospital... Before the other party could finish speaking, Brian''s pupils suddenly constricted and he stood up from his chair.Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. With a cold expression, he left the meeting room after saying, "Camren, you''re in charge of the meeting." 0 Chapter 401 Chapter 401 73% Louise looked at Brian''s anxious footsteps and her five fingers were clenched tightly. Her nails were deeply embedded in her palm. It was enough to show the hatred in her heart. Brian''s car sped along the road, and the speed of the car sped up to more than 50 miles per hour on the city road. The car sped through the traffic. It was a 40-minute journey, but he only took 20 minutes to arrive. Brian ran into the emergency building without even locking the car door. At the same time, Carson arrived at the hospital. Brian looked at him and nodded slightly. He grabbed a nurse and asked, "Where is the person who was sent over from the car ident?" The nurse replied, "That patient is in the operating theater, and she''s still waiting for her family toe over and sign! Are you the patient''s family?" Brian said anxiously, "I am! Which floor is the operating theater on?" The nurse replied, "Third floor." Brian and Carson quickly rushed up to the third floor. Outside the operating theater, a doctor was still asking the nurse. "Is the patient''s family here yet?" Carson said loudly, "I''m the patient''s family member. I''m here to sign!" After confirming Grace''s identity with him, the doctor handed him the surgical consent form. Before he could take a closer look at the contents of the surgery consent form, Carson quickly signed his name, Immediately after, the doctor entered the operating theater and the door closed. Brian felt his heart beating violently. When Carson was signing the papers, he saw her lying on the operating bed, her face covered in terrifying blood. There was so much blood that even her face could not be seen clearly. He stood outside the operating room and felt a little terrified. Carson was still holding Austin in his arms. He nced at Brian and walked to a chair a little further away from him to sit down. Carson was deliberately avoiding him, but Brian walked towards him. Brian looked at Austin in his hand. The little kid opened her eyes wide and looked at Brian without blinking. Her little hand was still in her mouth. The kid seemed to recognize him and grinned at him. Brian could not smile at this moment. He forced a smile. Carson frowned and asked, "What are you doing here? Don''t tell me you can''t forget my sister." Brian frowned and sat down beside him without answering him. After a while, the door of the operating theater opened. "The patient''s abdominal bleeding is serious. There''s not enough blood in the blood bank. Is there any type A blood?" "I''m type A!" Brian immediately stood up. 13% The nurse asked again, Are you rted to the patient by blood?" Brian replied, "No." The nurse said, "Come in with me." Brian changed into sterile clothes and walked into the operating theater. He saw that the blood on Grace''s face had been cleaned up. At this moment, she was lying on the bed. Her lips were pale and she looked lifeless. He watched as the red liquid was transferred into her body bit by bit. Only then did the indicators on the instrument gradually return to normal. After the blood transfusion was done, the doctor stitched her forehead and abdomen. Brian was now at the side and was soon chased out by the nurse. Brian walked outside and continued to wait. Carson said to him expressionlessly, "Thank you." After about an hour, Grace was pushed out. Carson and Brian stepped forward at the same time. "How''s my sister?" The doctor answered, "The patient''s previous abdominal injury hasn''t fully recovered yet. This car ident injured her abdomen again. She must take good care of herself. Everything else is fine. She only has a few stitches."N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Chapter 402 Brian looked down at Grace. She was still unconscious and her face was as pale as paper. A nurse pushed her into a ward. The ward here was for three people. As soon as Brian entered, he frowned. This environment made him feel that it was not suitable for her to recuperate. Hence, he called out to the nurse, "Is there a VIP ward?" The nurse nodded. "Yes." He said, "Transfer her to a VIP ward." The nurse nced at his attire. He indeed looked like a rich man. The nurse''s voice became more respectful. "Please follow me." Brian helped Grace upgrade the ward. Soon, a nurse came over to push Grace to the VIP ward. Carson''s expression darkened. "Mr. Francis, my sister doesn''t need to stay in such a good ward. You should save your money for paying your employees." Brian said, "She got into a car ident on her way to work. It''s considered a work-rted injury. I''ll bear all the medical and hospital expenses." Carson could not refute his words. He thought, ''Forget it. Since he is willing to pay, I will dly ept it. My sister has already suffered enough because of him."Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. After everything was settled, Brian began to chase him away. "Mr. Francis, thank you for paying for my sister''s medical 1. up. Please go back." expenses. I''ll tell my sister when she wakes Brian could not find any reason to stay here. His gaze lingered on Grace''s face for a long time before he turned around and prepared to leave. At this moment, Louise suddenly appeared at the door. Brian''s eyes flickered. "Why are you here?" Carson turned around and his expression darkened. "Louise, you''re not wee here! Please leave immediately." There was no expression on Louise''s face. She pursed her lips and smiled. "Grace is my colleague. Can''t Ie and see her?" Carson snorted. "I think you''re here to see if my sister is dead. I''m sorry to disappoint you. The doctor said that she''ll wake up soon." Louise frowned. "Carson, how can you say that? I don''t have any ill intentions. Besides, she''s not only my colleague but also my fianc¨¦''s employee. She''ll also be my employee in the future. Isn''t it natural for me to care about my subordinates?" Carson said, "Thank you so much. I''ve received your kindness on behalf of my sister. Please leave." Louise''s expression changed slightly. She lowered her eyes to hide the fierceness in them. She thought, ''It seemed that Grace did not have any major problems this time. How good would it be if she could be finished once and for all!'' When Brian heard Carson''s rude words to Louise, he frowned and pulled Louise''s hand. "Louise, let''s go." 64%0 14:52 Mon, Dec 9. Louise said, "Since we''re already here, let''s wait here for a while Carson did not n to pay attention to them. He only coldly let the two of them out. Louise walked to the door and turned around to look at the child in Carson''s arms and Grace lying on the bed. Her gaze instantly darkened. She thought, "These two people deserve to die!'' Justin Vance also came over not long after. In the afternoon, Grace gradually woke up. She looked at the ceiling in a daze. Her head felt like it weighed a thousand pounds, and the pain made her frown. Justin immediately called for a doctor. When Brian heard that Grace had woken up, his fingers subconsciously curled up. Louise looked at his face. His expression was indifferent. She asked, "Shall we go in and take a look too?" Chapter 403 A doctor came over, and Brian followed the doctor into the ward The doctor gave Grace a simple examination and said to everyone, "The patient is fine. Take a lot of rest for the next few days. Change the dressing on your wound in time. It won''t be long before you can be discharged. Grace felt dizzy and looked at the people in the ward with a turd gaze. Brian''s gaze was fixed on her face. His throat moved. He wanted to say something, but in the end, he pursed his lips. Her gaze didn''t linger on his face for long. She just nced at him. Carson asked, "Grace, how are you?" Justin added, "Does your head hurt?" Grace nodded slightly. "It hurts." Carson said, "Grace, you really scared me to death. When the hospital called me, I was so scared that my legs went weak. Why were you so careless? If anything happened to you, what would Austin do?" Grace looked up at him and smiled. "Am I not fine?" Justin sighed. "It''s amazing that you are still smiling." Brian suddenly said, "Since you''re fine, I''ll leave." Grace looked up at him. This time, she stared at him for a long time. Brian was about to turn around, but he stopped and met her gaze. Louise narrowed her eyes and thought, ''What is this shameless bitch staring at Brian for?'' "Who are you?" A low and hoarse voice sounded in the ward, and everyone was stunned. Brian''s eyes trembled. "What did you just say?"Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. Grace frowned and looked at Carson. "Carson, who is he? Was he talking to me just now?" Carson looked at her in surprise. "Grace, don''t... don''t you recognize him?" "Should I know him? But why don''t I remember him?" Her eyes were closed as if she was trying to remember: Louise''s eyes darkened. She thought, ''Did she lose her memory? Did she only forget Brian?'' At the thought of this, she suddenly stepped forward. "Grace, do you know me?" Carson stood in front of her in disgust, not letting her get close to Grace. Grace looked up at Louise. She paused for a while before shaking her head. "I don''t know you." Justin immediately asked the doctor to examine her. When the drip on her hand was done, he pushed her to do a CT scan of her brain. The results of the examination were out. The doctor frowned. Justin was a doctor, so he could also understand the results of the examination. There was nothing wrong with Grace''s brain, she just had a slight concussion. 14:52 Mon, Dec 9 Brian frowned and asked, "Doctor, what''s her condition? Why does slie only forget me?" The doctor stared at the report for a long time before looking up at Brian. "The patient has selective amnesia." Brian asked, "What is selective amnesia?" The Dayles This time, Carson answered, "She just doesn''t want to remember you. Is it hard to understand? The memory is her own. Can''t my sister forget you?" Brian suddenly felt powerless and thought, ''Why? Is she really unwilling to remember me? Did she really want to forget me that much?'' The doctor said, "Guys, don''t worry too much. This situation shouldn''tst long." Carson snorted. "I hope my sister never remembers you." He turned around and returned to the ward, only to see Grace sitting alone on the hospital bed, looking out of the window with a slight frown. No one knew what she was thinking. After a while, Brian entered the ward again, but Carson did not let him approach her. Chapter 404 Chapter 404 Carson said. "Since my sister selectively forgot about you, it means that in her subconscious, you''re a person who makes her feel dangerous. You should stay away from her. Brian frowned, andyers of coldness began to spread out from his body. He looked at Carson and said sarcastically, "I''m afraid that''s impossible. She''s my employee. There will be many ces she wille into contact with in the future unless she doesn''t work at the Francis Group anymore." At this moment, Grace said, "Carson, is he the CEO of the Francis Group?" Carson turned to look at her. "Yes." Grace looked at Brian and said to him, "I''m sorry. My brother offended you just now. Thank you foring to visit me. I''ll go back to work as soon as possible." Brian looked at her deeply. "Do you really not remember me?" Grace tilted her head and thought for a moment. She frowned again. "I''m sorry, I really don''t remember? Brian let out a shaky breath. "Alright, don''t worry about it. The car ident you had on the way to thepany can be considered a work injury. There''s no hurry to be discharged. Come back after you recover so that others won''t say that Francis Group treats its employees badly." With that, he held Louise''s hand and left the ward. On the way back, Louise was secretly delighted. Now that Grace had lost her memory and did not recognize Louise or Brian, she would be less wary of her. Louise felt that it was convenient for her to deal with Grace now. Justin closed the door of the ward. He sat in front of Grace''s bed and asked, "Grace, have you really forgotten Brian and Louise?" He had never believed in selective amnesia. In all his years as a doctor, people who had such a disease were all mentally ill, and Grace was very normal. Grace looked at him and smiled. "Sure enough, I can''t hide it from you." Carson looked at her in shock. "Grace, were you pretending just now?" Grace said, "Yes, I pretended to have amnesia because I felt that there was something fishy about the car ident. The car was fine yesterday, but the brakes suddenly failed today. Someone must have tampered with our car." Carson asked, "Are you suspecting Louise?" Grace shook her head. "I''m not doubting it. It must be her!" However, she could not understand. Grace thought, ''I have already expressed that I was not interested in Brian at all. Why did Louise still want to kill me? Or perhaps, she wanted to kill me not only because of Brian but also for other reasons. Grace said, "Justin, I think there''s something up with Louise. Can you help me investigate her? She''s the Adkins family''s lost daughter. Where did she live before she returned to the Adkins family? What was her identity?" Justin said, "Alright, I''ll help you investigate as soon as possible. You just finished the surgery. It''s not appropriate for you to sit for too long. Lie down first." The car was sent for a checkup, and the results were out. The car had indeed been tampered with. However, the residential area where Grace lived was rtively rundown. There were only two cameras in the parking lot, so it was impossible to find out who had tampered with their car. The next day, Justin transferred Grace to Southside Hospital.Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. Grace was in a dangerous situation now. He was worried and wanted to keep her at his hospital. Previously, Vivian Greene had learned how to make soup when Justin was hospitalized. Now that Grace was hospitalized, the skills she had learned were used on Grace. She would make soup every day and get Justin to send it to her. After what happenedst time, Vivian seemed to have gotten over it. Facing Justin, she was much calmer. Chapter 405 Vivian handed the soup to Grace and watched her take a sip before asking nervously, "How is it? Is it not as good as what you made? Grace could not help butugh. "It''s delicious. No wonder Justin could not tell that you made it After saying that, she immediately realized that she had said something she shouldn''t have. She hurriedly exined, "Well, I mean that you''re very smart. Your skills have really improved very quickly." Vivian smiled nonchntly. "Don''t be so nervous. That matter is already over. Besides, I''ve already thought it through. I can''t force a rtionship." Grace sighed slightly. "Actually, you''re quitepatible with Justin."Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. "There are many people in this world who are notpatible with each other but have walked to the end," Vivian said half- jokingly, "It''s said that it''s easy for a woman to pursue a man, but this doesn''te true for me, so God must have designed. someone better for me." Her words made Grace fall silent for a moment. After looking at her for a long time, she suddenly asked, "Vivian, how have you and Carson been recently?" Vivian''s expression changed slightly, her cheeks were slightly red Grace tilted her head and looked at her. "What''s wrong?" She waved her hand. "It''s fine." Vivian could not help but recall the scene of Carsonforting her that day when she could not help but reach out and hug him. At that time, she med herself too much and felt too guilty. All she knew was to cry. Carson kept saying that she was not to be med. She didn''t know what happened after that. Perhaps her mind wasn''t clear, but she fell into his arms as she cried. Now that she thought about it, she felt so embarrassed. Seeing her embarrassed look, Grace pursed her lips and smiled, changing the topic. "Vivian, there are nutritious meals in the hospital. Actually, you don''t have to make soup for me every day. You have to go to work every day, and sometimes you have to study at night. It''s too much trouble for you." "It''s no trouble at all." Vivian quickly waved her hand. "It''s really no trouble at all. I feel terrible about Austin''s incident. Since Carson and you didn''t me me, if I don''t do something for you I''ll feel even worse." It turned out that she was still ming herself for that matter. Grace looked at Vivian seriously. "Vivian, listen to me. That matter really isn''t your fault. Someone deliberately stole Austin. Even if I went out alone that day, they would have attacked the child." This incident had obviously traumatized Vivian. Vivian still felt a lingering fear when she thought about it. She let out a breath. "Fortunately, we found the child. Fortunately." Otherwise, she would live with guilt for the rest of her life. She would probably have nightmares every night. Vivian chatted with her for a while before leaving the hospital. At the Francis Vi, Brian sat alone in the empty dining room and was eating breakfast. Melvin Duncan was waiting by the side. He looked up at him from time to time. After serving Brian for more than Brian Francis years, he immediately understood that Brian must have something to ask him. "Mr. Brian, do you have any orders?" Brian put down the fork in his hand, cleared his throat, and asked in a deliberately calm tone, "Is there any nutritious meal or soup suitable for people who have suffered external injuries?" Melvin frowned slightly. "Mr. Brian, is Miss Adkins injured?" Brian shook his head. "No." Melvin did not ask further. "Mr. Brian, things like chicken soup and fish are all helpful for recovery. How about this? I''ll prepare them for you immediately. Are you going to deliver the yourself?" Chapter 406 Brian seemed to think for a while. He frowned slightly and came over for a while before saying, "No, you can get someone to send it to the VIP ward on the sixth floor of the Community Hospital." He thought, ''Now that Grace has lost her memory and forgotten about me, and Melvin was rted to me, she might not know Melvin anymore.'' Thinking of this, Brian added, "By the way, she might not know you. You don''t have to be surprised. If she''s willing to eat it, you can make it for her every day in the future. If she doesn''t eat it... forget it." Melvin nodded slightly. "Alright." After Brian left, Melvin began to make soup. After he was done, it was almost 11:30 pm. It should be about time to rush over. Melvin went to the sixth floor of the Community Hospital with a servant. There was only one VIP ward on each floor. Melvin quickly found it. To Melvin''s surprise, it was a man in his thirties who was inside. However, he was only slightly surprised before he walked in with a smile. "Hello, sir. This is the nutritious meal that Mr. Brian instructed us to prepare for you. It will help you recover." The man looked at him strangely. He was forced to transfer to the VIP ward since there were no spots left in other wards. The man thought, ''Could it be that there was someone specially sent nutritious food in this VIP ward?'' Melvin had already taken out the thermos. The delicious smell instantly filled the entire room. The man was about to order delivery. He silently put away his phone and was tempted by the smell. Melvin said, "Sir, eat while it''s hot. I''ll bring the thermos back after you''re done and bring more to you tonight." The man nodded vigorously. He felt that it was nice to stay in this VIP ward if he could get meals like this every day. When Brian returned at night, he happened to bump into Melvin, who had also returned after delivering dinner. Brian looked at him and asked, "Has she eaten everything?" Melvin smiled and nodded. "He''s already eaten. And it looks like he has a good appetite." Brian nodded slightly. "Then... does she still recognize you?" "No." Melvin thought, ''Not only did that man not recognize me, I did not even recognize that man!" Brian seemed a little disappointed. "You don''t have to deliberately mention me in front of her in the future. She has already forgotten about me and doesn''t want to remember me. Just watch her finish her nutritious meal" Melvin was a little puzzled. He thought, ''Looking at Mr. Brian''s expression, he seems to be very hurt. It is exactly the same as when Miss Sherman first left. Could it be that... Mr. Brian has been hurt too much that he has changed his sexual orientation? This bold guess frightened Melvin so much that he did not dare to guess further. He thought, ''No wonder Mr. Brian refused to mention his name This kind of thing is indeed difficult to say. Therefore, in the next few days, whenever Brian talked about that gentleman, Melvin cleverly avoided the word "sir" and reced it with "he". In the next few days, Melvin delivered food every day. The man''s face was ruddy after a few days.N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Brian came back from work and asked, "How is she recovering?" Melvin smiled and replied, "Mr. Brian, he''s almost recovered. You can clearly see that his face is rosy." Brian nodded. "She still doesn''t remember me?" Melvin said, "...No." He seemed a little disappointed. "Got it," he said lightly and turned to go upstairs. SEND GIF Chapter 407 After Brian went upstairs, hey on the bed and took out his phone. He opened WhatsApp and stared at Grace''s name for a long time. His eyes were a little dry. He clicked into the dialog box and tapped on the virtual keyboard a few times. Brian typed: [How are you?] He received a reply very quickly after sending the message. [Thank you for your concern, Mr. Francis. I''m recovering well. I should be back to work soon.] Brian looked at her distant and indifferent words. It was as if something was pressing down on his heart, and his breathing was a little irregr. He wanted to ask more, but he did not know what to say. To her, they were just strangers at this moment. Grace saw that he didn''t say anything else, so she added politely: [Mr. Francis, it''s gettingte. You should rest.] She was about to send it when the other party suddenly sent another message. [What do you want to eat tomorrow? I''ll get someone to bring it to you.] Grace looked at the text in surprise. She thought, ''Deliver food? What is Brian doing?" She thought for a moment and replied: [Mr. Francis is someone with a fianc¨¦e. This is not appropriate, right? Won''t your fianc¨¦e be jealous if she finds out?] Brian: [Don''t worry, I won''t make things difficult for you. I''ll get the servants to send it to you tomorrow. What do you want to eat?] His dominance could be seen in his words. What surprised Grace was that this time, he did not exin that Louise was a kind person who would not be jealous. Since his attitude was so domineering, Grace happily epted it. She replied: [Fried fish.] He asked again: [What about for dinner?] Grace thought for a moment and sent another message. [BBQ ribs.] This time, Brian simply replied: [Okay, good night.] He didn''t say anything else. Grace pursed her lips. After a while, she sent a message to Vivian. [Vivian, you don''t have to bring me food tomorrow.]Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Vivian asked: [Why? Is Carson bringing you food?] Grace: [Yeah.] The next day, Brian instructed Melvin as ribs at night." Oon as he woke up in the morning, "Make her fried fish at noon today, and BBQ He thought about it and added two more dishes that Grace liked to eat. Melvin looked at him with aplicated expression, but he immediately epted the order. "Alright, Mr. Francis. I''ll prepare the dishes immediately." Melvin called someone to bring fresh ingredients over. After hanging up, Brian was about to go out. He looked at Brian''s back and let out a long sigh. Melvin thought, ''Why does Mr. Francis care so much about a man? I don''t know if this is good for him or not. Sigh!'' 17:42 Tue, Dec 10 G BB Chapter 407- After lunch, Melvin immediately went to the Community Hospital. What the ma clean. 3 looked forward to the most every day was the food sent by Melvin. Every time, he would finish the food Melvin watched as he wolfed down the food. He could not understand what Mr. Brian was thinking. 57% +5 After the man finished his meal, Melvin left with the thermos. When he reached the door, the man asked, "Sir! What are you bringing tomorrow?" Melvin did not really want to talk to him. This man was not on the same level as Mr. Brian. From the way he ate, it could be seen that he was a person with no substance. He turned around and said indifferently, "We''ll have to wait for Mr. Brian to arrange this." With that, he left without looking back. At Southside Hospital, Grace touched her belly and looked at the time on her phone. It was already one o''clock in the afternoon. Chapter 408 7:42 Tue, Dec 10 G BB Grace''s stomach had been growling for an hour. She waited patiently for a while longer, thinking that there might be a traffic jam. Another hour passed, but there was no sign of anyoneing. Grace gradually became disappointed. She pursed her lips sarcastically and thought, ''Why did I choose to believe him? Hasn''t he gone back on his word often enough?'' The more he thought about it, the more ridiculous she felt. At this moment, Justin came to her ward after he was done with his work. Seeing that her face was a little pale, he asked, "Carson hasn''t brought you food yet?" Grace lowered her head and suddenly felt that her eyes were a little dry. She forced a smile and looked at him. "He can''te. He has something on." Justin frowned. "Haven''t you eaten? I''ll get the canteen staff to send you a nutritious meal immediately." By the time the food was delivered, Grace had lost her appetite. Justin sat in front of her bed. In order not to worry him, she forced herself to take a few bites. She nced at WhatsApp''s notifications. It was empty. She thought, ''Look, he has stood me up for no reason, but he does not even give an exnation. Perhaps, in his eyes, I am not worthy!'' Justin was busy with work. After a while, a nurse came to call him and asked him to do surgery. Only Grace was left in the ward. She could not eat anymore and dropped her fork. Grace did not think of sending a message to ask Brian about this. She had to constantly remind herself not to have any hope for that man. She would not be disappointed if there was no hope. She tried her best not to think about it, but the dullness in her heart reminded her that even though she had been away from him for so long, he still had the ability to make her sad. Grace clenched her fists tightly and thought, ''Grace, why are you so hopeless?'' Of course, she did not have any hope for her dinner to be delivered. She ordered food from the hospital. Brian came back from work and asked Melvin, "Is she looking better? How''s her wound healing?" Melvin frowned and looked like he wanted to say something but hesitated. Brian frowned. "What''s wrong?" Melvin said, "It''s nothing. He''s always looked good. He ate all the food sent today. His wound has already recovered and he looks lively. Even the food sent every day doesn''t seem to be enough." Brian''s lips curled up. "Then send more food over tomorrow." Melvin fell speechless. Brian asked, "Melvin, what''s wrong with you today? Do you have something to tell me?" Melvin hesitated for a moment. In the end, he shook his head. He really did not know how to start. 17:42 Tue, Dec 10 & BN?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. 57% Around ten o''clock in the evening, Briany on the bed after taking a shower. Out of habit, he opened Grace''s dialog box. [What do you want to eat tomorrow?] Grace''s phone rang. When she saw the message on the screen, she was so angry that she almost smashed her phone. She thought, ''Is he ying with me? Why is he so mean?'' She picked up her phone angrily and clicked on it. Her fingers pressed hard on the screen. [Mr. Francis. You''re really good at joking. You should joke with your fianc¨¦e about this instead!] She even added a sarcastic smiley emoji at the end. When Brian received the news, he was dumbfounded. He thought, ''What does she mean by that?'' He sent three question marks. Grace was very upset. [Mr. Francis, why are you still acting this way?] Brian was getting more and more confused by her words. He asked: [What''s wrong? Is there a problem with today''s dishes?] Chapter 409 Brian thought, "That shouldn''t be the case. Melvin clearly said that she ate everything! Grace replied: [There''s no problem. You gave me the most precious air in the world. I''m very grateful.] Brian''s brows were tightly knitted together. Recalling Melvin''s strange expression today, he felt that there must be something wrong with Melvin. He immediately got up and went to look for Melvin. "Melvin, did you not deliver today''s food at all?" When Melvin saw Brian''s cold expression, he was a little stunince "I sent it over. You can ask the servant who came with me to deliver the food. He has already finished the food. Mr. Brian, is there a problem?" Brian did not believe it and called another servant over to ask. The servant did not usuallymunicate with Brian. Seeing his cold expression, she trembled and said, "Mr. Brian, that gentleman ate all the food you asked us to send over." Brian was dumbfounded Melvin looked embarrassed after hearing that. After asking some more questions, Brian found out that Grace had not received any food he had sent over these days. Brian quickly took out his phone and wanted to exin at all. He frowned, grabbed his car keys, and went out. 10 Grace After a pause, he felt that text messages were not enough He felt that Grace should have been transferred to Justin''s hospital. He quickly arrived at Southside Hospital. When he arrived at the hospital, he called Grace. Grace looked down at the caller ID on her phone. She was so angry that her stomach hurt. She wanted to hang up, but after thinking about it, she switched it to silent mode. She wanted to get up and go to the washroom. Perhaps she was too angry with Brian, she lost her bnce and fell to the ground when she got out of bed. The wound had yet to heal. The fall pulled at the wound on her abdomen, and it was so painful that she almost cried. Grace thought, ''Damn it, Brian!'' At this moment, a familiar voice sounded, "Grace!" Brian rushed over and picked her up from the floor, cing her on the bed. "How did you fall? Are you alone in the hospital?" Grace did not even want to look at him. She lowered her eyes and said indifferently, "Mr. Francis, why are you here? It''s already sote. You shouldn''t be here." Brian pursed his lips and exined, "I came over to exin to you that I didn''t stand you up. I brought you food, but I didn''t know that you had been transferred. I always thought that you were at the Community Hospital." Only then did Grace look up at him. "I''m telling the truth,? childish." "he said with a serious expression, "Do you think I need to tease you about such things? I''m not that Grace thought about it calmly and realized that he really did not know about her transfer. 17:10 Wed, Dec 11 BBB. However, Grace still felt terrible for no reason. She even wanted to cry. Brian said irritably, "This Melvin has been delivering food for a few days in a row. He gave it to someone he doesn''t know and didn''t evene back to tell me." Grace looked up at him in surprise. She thought, ''Has he already asked Melvin to deliver food to me for a few days in a row? What does he mean?'' Seeing that Grace was silent, he lifted her clothes. "Let me take a look at the wound." Grace subconsciously shrank back. "Hiss..." This action made her wound hurt again. Brian frowned and looked at her. His tone was reproachful. "Why are you dodging? Your wound is bleeding." BContent (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. Chapter 410 COMMENT Grace pursed her lips and was slightly stunned. She thought, ''Did I see wrongly? I actually saw a trace of nervousness in his eyes. "Lie still," Brian said, taking her by the shoulders to case her onto the bed. Grace originally wanted to go to the toilet. She had already held it in for a while. Now that he had dyed her for a while, she could not hold it in anymore. "Mr. Francis, I''m sorry. I misunderstood you. Sorry to trouble you toe personally. I won''t me you. You can go back first." Brian listened to her cold tone and felt very upset. He stood by the bed and lowered his head to look at her. Grace''s face turned red. "Mr. Francis, are you still not leaving?" Brian asked, "Do you not want to see me that much? Grace was a little speechless. She wanted to say that she just didn''t want to see him, but when she remembered that she was currently in a state of amnesia, it wasn''t appropriate to say that. She did nor say anything. She thought that he might leave in a while, but she did not expect Brian to pull out a chair and sit down. Grace pressed between her eyebrows. She really could not hold it in anymore. "Can... Can you get out?" Brian asked, "What am I going out for?" Grace pursed her lips tightly. Her face was red and she almost squeezed the words out from between her teeth. "I want to go to the toilet." Brian was stunned. He immediately walked forward and picked her up horizontally without saying a word. Grace was lifted and grabbed his neck instinctively. "What are you doing?" "You''re hurt," he said tly. Without changing his expression, he carried her into the bathroom and carefully put her down. Grace lowered her head, her eyes filled with panic. Brian left the toilet and closed the door for her. Grace came out of the washroomter and tried her best to appear cold and distant. "Mr. Francis, it''s time for you to go back," she ordered him to leave expressionlessly. Brian felt very upset. He nced around the ward and curled his cold lips. He said sarcastically, "Where''s Justin? Didn''t he love you very much? You''re so seriously injured, but he didn''te to take care of you?" Grace lowered her eyes. "You don''t have to worry about me and him." He sneered. "Is it worth it to bear his child?" Grace asked, "Mr. Francis, you seem to be very concerned about my matters. Our rtionship shouldn''t be just between the boss and employees, right?" Brian was silent for a while, and the smile on his face gradually disappeared. His eyes seemed to be filled with ayer of mist that could not be seen clearly. After a while, he slowly smiled. "Yes, didn''t they tell you?" She shook her head. "No. Then what was our rtionship before?" She asked this on purpose. She really wanted to know how he saw their past. Brian looked up at her. "We used to be husband and wife." His eyes were as ck as ink as he stared at her. Grace''s gaze me his. His eyes were like a vortex that wanted to suck her in. She came back to her senses and smiled sarcastically. "You''re joking, right? How can you marry someone of my status?" Brian lowered his eyes and chuckled. He took out his cigarette box, took one out, and put it in his mouth. Just as he was about to light the cigarette, he remembered that she was still sick, so he held the cigarette and lowered it to his side. He looked at her. "Marrying you was certainly an ident."Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. "What do you mean?" Grace asked calmly. Brian thought for a moment and realized that it seemed inappropriate to tell her that it was because she looked like Louise. 0 Chapter 411 Brian said casually, "At that time, my family urged me to get married as soon as possible, so I got married" "So, I''m just a shield to you. You have never loved me in this marriage, right?" Grace stared into his eyes. Brian looked up at her. For a moment, he thought she remembered something, but when he saw the alienation and indifference in her eyes, his gaze flickered again. "You cheated on me and you still think I love you?" Grace was stunned for a moment before sheughed sarcastically. "Wouldn''t you kill me if I did such a thing?" She suddenly did not want to say anything more to him because she didn''t think that he would say anything nice. Grace closed her eyes and mercilessly ordered him to leave. "Mr. Francis, that''s enough jokes. Please leave." Brian frowned at her. "Do you think I''m joking with you?" Grace stopped talking and closed her eyes, looking like she was going to sleep. He stared at her sleeping face for a long time before finally asking in a hoarse voice, "What do you want to eat tomorrow? Don''t worry, I''ll definitely bring it over for you tomorrow." Grace opened her eyes and looked at him. "Mr. Francis, your attitude makes me suspect that you still have feelings for me." Brian choked and said in a cold voice, "Don''t misunderstand. You''re my employee. As the boss, is there anything wrong with taking care of you?" Grace was speechless for a moment. After a while, she said distantly, "Even if it''s for an employee, it''s not appropriate. If I were your fianc¨¦e, I would also mind you treating your ex-wife like this." Brian felt a tinge of frustration rising from the bottom of his heart. Her eagerness to disassociate herself from him made him very unhappy. He stood up and said in a tough tone, "I''ll send you fried fish and BBQ ribs tomorrow." Grace did not say anything and nodded slightly. "Mr. Francis, take care." Brian said, "I came to see you because you''re so pitiful that no one is taking care of you. Since you don''t know what''s good for you, just pretend I never came!" He did not know why, but his anger rose all of a sudden. He strode out of the ward and mmed the door shut. This time, Grace did not take Brian''s words to heart at all. The next day was the weekend, and Vivian brought her food. Grace was eating when an extremely oppressive figure walked in from the door. Grace and Vivian looked up at the same time.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Grace nced at the thermos in Brian''s hand. She really did not expect Brian to personally deliver food to her. She looked at him in surprise and was stunned for a long time. Until Brian ced the item heavily on the bedside table with a gloomy expression. Vivian was so shocked that her jaw almost dropped. She subconsciously stood up. Brian red at Grace with a dark expression. That knife-like gaze made Grace unable to swallow the food in her mouth. Brian asked, "Is it good?" 17:10 Wed, Dec 11 BDD. Grace came back to her senses. "Thank you for taking care of me Mr. Francis Do you mind if I eat with my friend?" Brian nced at Vivian gloomily. He thought. It was one thing for this woman to ignore my words fast night, but today, she even wants to give the food that I have personally delivered to someone else? However, before Brian could lose his temper, Vivian waved her hand in fear. "No, no, no. Grace, I remember that I still have something to do. You should be done eating, right? I''ll leave first? Chapter 412 As Vivian spoke, she snatched the bowl from Grace''s hands and quickly slipped out of the ward with the lunch bag. As soon as she walked out, she patted her chest. Brian was really scary. Staying in the same room made her feel depressed. Justin happened toe out of the office. When he saw Vivian''s flustered expression, he frowned and asked, "Vivian, why did you leave so quickly?" Vivian found a random excuse and quickly ran away. Justin looked at her suspiciously before turning around and walking into Grace''s ward. Brian was making Grace eat. Hismanding tone and condescending attitude made it feel that he was forcing Grace. Justin''s eyes turned cold. He strode in and opened Brian''s door. He said coldly, "What are you doing here?" Brian was filled with anger when he saw Justin. He pursed his lips sarcastically. "I want to ask you, why did you leave her here alonest night?" When Justin heard that he hade to pester Gracest night, he instantly narrowed his cold eyes and grabbed his cor. "What were you doing herest night? What are you up to?" There was a hint of nervousness in his tone. He was afraid that Crace would be deceived by Brian again if he yed some tricks. Brian grabbed his wrist and removed his hand from his shirt slowly. His cold face was filled with arrogance. "Dr. Vance, I''m question me here?" his boss. I naturally have a reason to visit her. What right do you have toProperty belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Justin was rendered speechless by his retort. Grace rubbed his temples. "Justin, you can leave first." Justin frowned. "Grace?" Grace said, "I''m fine. You can go out first." A trace of hurt shed across his handsome face. He turned around and left stiffly. "I''ll eat the food you sent over. You can leave after eating, right?" She looked at him coldly. Brian''s heart skipped a beat. Then, he saw her silently pick up a fork and eat without saying a word. However, she looked like she was chewing wax. He clenched his fists and turned around slowly. He left without stopping. He could already deeply feel that she hated him. Even though she had lost her memory, she could not hide her disgust for him. From that day onwards, Bri trip. never came again. Graceter heard in the work group chat that Brian had gone on a business Jasmine Francis had originally set a date for them to get their marriage certificate, but because Brian was on ast-minute business trip, this matter had to be postponed. Days had passed. Grace''s injuries were gradually recovering, but Louise was getting more and more flustered. Before Grace could be discharged, she urgently called Ava Adkins out to discuss countermeasures. < Chapter 413 Since the morning, Grace had received bouquets one after another, Some of them were anonymous, and some were sent by some male colleagues in thepany, including Homer Doyle The colleagues in the office teased curiously, "Grace, we didn''t expect you to be so popr!" Another one said, "I''m afraid you''re the only one in ourpany who has so many suitors after having a child." Grace had always been like this. When she was in school, she was much more popr with the opposite sex than with the same sex. Her looks attracted many inen. Most male colleagues knew that although she had given birth, she was not married yet. They could not help but take this opportunity to secretly send a bouquet of flowers to express their feelings. Faced with everyone''s teasing, Grace smiled and did not say anything. She silently ced all the flowers she had received into the public area of thepany, When Louise went to the coffee room, she happened to see Grace arranging flowers. She leaned against the bar counter with a ss of water in her hand, and her lips curled into a mocking smile. "Are you showing off that you have many suitors?" Grace''s eyes twisted slightly as she turned to look at her. "I would not dare to do that in front of you, the wife of the CEO. If you don''t like these flowers, I''ll take them away immediately." Louise sneered. "Forget it. It''s not bad to have more embellishments in thepany." She gave Grace a sidelong nce and left arrogantly with coffee. Grace calmed herself down and ced thest bouquet of flowers in the bathroom. She turned around and came out. The passageway was not very wide. After turning around, Grace bumped into a cleaningdy. Grace hurriedly apologized and bent down to help her pick up the fallen mop and stic bucket. Thedy nced at her and hurriedly lowered her head. She picked up her things and entered the utility room. Not long after Grace returned to her desk, it was time to get off work. Just as she was about to leave, a figure suddenly rushed in and walked straight to Grace''s spot.N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Grace looked at her. Before he could react, the cleaningdy shouted, "Did you steal my ne?" Grace frowned and looked at her in confusion. "Madam, don''t be anxious. What did you say? I stole your ne?" "Yes, it must be you! I met you at the entrance of the washroom in the afternoon. You bumped into me and my ne disappeared! My ne is worth more than twenty thousand dors!" The cleaningdy''s tone was resolute as she pointed at Grace''s nose. Her voice was so loud that it almost attracted everyone on the entire floor. Grace''s frown deepened. Her gaze turned slightly cold. "Madam, I advise you not to nder me! Think carefully before you speak!" There were more and more onlookers. A few female colleagues who usually helped Louise ostracize Grace said, "We didn''t expect you to be a thief!" A woman took out a phone to take a video and sent it to the group chat. "Guys,e and take a look. This is the woman you like. She''s a girl who steals things! She even stole from the cleaningdy!" Grace''s cold gaze swept across the woman who took the video. When that person saw her turn around, she immediately put tell that away her phone and raised her chin. "What? You dare to steal and you''re afraid of others talking about it? Can''t you you still have some shame!" There were always some women in this world who were naturally hostile to other women, especially Grace, who was good- < 61% looking and popr with men. The female colleagues'' words became more and more unpleasant. "You''ve already chosen to be a thief. Why do you still need to care about your reputation?" Chapter 414 Grace said coldly, "If I didn''t steal it, everyone present, apologize to me one by one!" Seeing her firm tone, everyone felt a little guilty and fell silent. The cleaningdy said firmly, "You must have stolen it! We will know after searching your belongings. Will you allow us to search you?" Grace took out her bag and poured out everything inside in front of everyone. Other thanpacts, lipsticks, key tissues, and other small items to touch up her makeup, there was nothing else inside.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. The cleaningdy, on the other hand, was staring at her clothes pocket. She grabbed her clothes and reached out to take out a Cartier ne. She raised the ne in her hand in front of Grace and questioned sharply, "What else do you have to say?!" Everyone gasped. "She really stole it!" The female colleague who had just put away her phone hurriedly took out her phone to record a video. "Look! We''ve caught her red-handed! I didn''t expect her to be a thief! She is such a bitch." Everyone was discussing. Grace narrowed her eyes and instantly understood that this ne must have been deliberately put in by the cleaningdy in the washroom this afternoon. The cleaningdy burst into tears. "Everyone, you''re all witnesses! She even stole from an old woman like me! I don''t know what she''ll steal from you in the future. Everyone, help me!" At this moment, Louise stood up and said, "Grace, the item was indeed found in your bag. the Francis Group does not tolerate employees with questionable behaviors. Please report to the police station." "I didn''t steal anything. Someone put this in my bag on purpose Grace said coldly. "All of you, look at this. You''ve been caught red-handed and you still refuse to admit it! I originally thought that you were just a youngdy and would settle it privately. Now, it seems that you''re so unrepentant! Come with me to the police station!" The cleaningdy dragged her by the wrist and walked out. Everyone chimed in. Grace frowned. Just as she was about to say something, a cold voice suddenly sounded from outside the crowd. "Stop!" It was Brian. Everyone looked at the door and automatically made way. Brian slowly walked over from the door. When Louise saw him, her face turned pale. She thought, ''Why did hee back? I originally wanted to think of a way to get Grace out of the Francis Group while Brian was on a business trip. If I destroyed herter, it would have nothing to do with the Francis Group. Brian would not pay too much attention to her. I didn''t expect him toe back on the second day that Grace came back to work!'' Louise had a bad feeling. "What''s going on?" Brian looked at the cleaningdy expressionlessly. His gaze fell on her hand that was holding Grace. A strong sense of oppression overwhelmed her, and the cleaningdy could not help but let go. She felt a little guilty and started to lose her breath when she spoke. "Mr. Francis. She stole something from me." III 18.22 00, Brian frowned and looked at Grace inquiringly. A colleague spoke up for the cleaningdy. "Mr. Francis, we''ve caught Grace red-handed! Grace did steal the cleaningdy''s ne and we found it in her bag!" Another person said, "That''s right! Mr. Francis, let''s do it formally!" Brian did not believe that Grace would do such a thing. His gloomy gaze swept across the crowd, and everyone kept quiet. Chapter 415 Brian looked down at Grace. "I''ll help you check the surveince footage." Grace looked up at him and said calmly, "There''s no need. Mr. Francis, we''re not familiar with each other. Brian was a little angry at her casual words. At this moment, Grace looked at the cleaningdy. "Madam, you said that this ne is yours. May I know what brand this is? When did you buy it? Where did you buy it? Where is the receipt? How can you prove that it belongs to you?" Grace asked a series of questions. The cleaningdy was obviously a little stunned. Grace did not give her a chance to fabricate a lie and continued to press. "Your entire outfit today would not be worth more than forty dors. Do you think it''s reasonable for you to wear a ne worth twenty-eight thousand dors? The cleaningdy choked and swallowed nervously. "I... This is a gift from my rtive! What''s wrong? What do you mean by that? Are you looking down on me?"This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Grace raised her eyebrows and nodded. "Alright, even if this ne was given to you by someone else, I''ll give you onest chance. If you really enter the police station, you won''t be able toe out." Her tone was heavy and oppressive. The cleaningdy''s eyes shed. "What do you mean? You''re the one who won''te out after being caught for stealing!" Grace smiled. "You were the one who found the ne in my bag just now, but I haven''t touched this ne at all. My fingerprints aren''t on it at all. Tell me, if we really enter the police station, who won''t be able toe out?" The cleaningdy''s eyes widened instantly. Brian narrowed his eyes. "Who asked you to do it?" The cleaningdy averted his gaze and lowered her head, not daring to speak. "Speak!" Brian shouted coldly. The cleaningdy stuttered. When Louise saw this, she hurriedly stood up and said with a smile, "Brian, she''s already so old. It''s not good for you to question her in front of so many people. Leave it to me." Grace couldn''t help but sneer in her heart. She thought, "Then why didn''t you say anything when she questioned me in front of so many people? Seeing that the matter is about to be exposed, she hurriedlyes out to divert the focus. I will not let her do it her way!'' Grace lowered her eyes. When she looked up again, there was a hurt look in her eyes. "Mrs. Francis, just now, everyone insisted that I stole it, but they didn''t consider my reputation. Some people even recorded videos and ndered me. I don''t know if it has been posted online and damaged my reputation." The person who recorded the video hurriedly said, "No, no. I didn''t upload it online. I only posted it to ourpany''s staff group, but it can''t be withdrawn now. I... I''ll apologize immediately, okay?" Grace asked, "There are so many employees. How can you guarantee that no one will post these videos that nder me online?" "I..." The female colleague didn''t know what to do for a moment. She looked anxious and afraid. Brian looked at her coldly and said coldly, "You don''t have toe back here tomorrow." III < The female colleague was so frightened that her face turned pale. No one in the crowd dared to speak. "If anyone dares to post anything in your group somewhere else, they will end up like her. If they have already posted it, they will automatically go through the resignation procedure tomorrow. If I find out, it won''t be as simple as being fired." Brian''s deep voice echoed in the office. Louise took the opportunity to give the cleaningdy a look, indicating that she should take the opportunity to slip away. Grace''s sharp eyes noticed her and grabbed her. Chapter 416 "Madam, why are you running away? Didn''t you want to settle this privately previously? I''m not so unreasonable as to send you to the police station. Tell me yourself, what''s wrong with the ne?" Grace asked. The cleaningdy had low mental fortitude and was already trembling in fear. Afraid that she would say something wrong, Louise stood up and asked, "Madam, don''t be afraid. The ne isn''t yours, right? Tell me, who gave you the ne?" The cleaningdy took the hint. She swallowed and said nervously, "It''s... it''s Ava Adkins." Grace narrowed her eyes and thought, ''Ava Adkins is probably just a scapegoat!'' A few days ago, she had asked Ava out for a chat. She could tell that Ava was afraid of Louise. However, Ava was not smart enough. This time, she was probably bewitched and threatened by Louise again before she went to help her. Louise pretended to be surprised. "You mean Ava Adkins? My sister?" The cleaningdy nodded. "I really don''t know anything. Mr. Francis, please spare me!" Before he could speak, Louise said to Brian, "Brian, since this matter was done by Ava, it can be considered my family matter. Leave this matter to me." Grace smiled sarcastically. She thought, ''Family matters? She is just afraid that Brian will dig deeper and find out that she is the mastermind.'' Brian looked at her with a dark expression. "This sister of yours has made the same mistake several times. How dare she cause trouble in mypany?" Louise said in shame, "I know. As her sister, I can''t escape the me for what Ava did. I''ll go back and teach her a lesson." Then, she shouted, "Everyone, disperse!" Some went home, and some went back to work overtime. The cleaningdy took the opportunity to quickly slip away. Only Grace, Louise, and Brian were left in the office. Grace said to Brian with a distant attitude, "Thank you, Mr. Francis, for upholding justice for me." Brian nodded slightly. Grace packed her things and left first. Louise held Brian''s hand and asked him with a smile, "Brian, why are you back early?" He turned to look at her and pursed his thin lips without saying anything. Louise''s heart skipped a beat. She thought, ''Could it be that before he came in, he heard my suggestion to send Grace to the police station? There was still a gentle smile on her face as she asked gently, "What''s wrong, Brian?" Brian shook his head. "I''m back to spend the holiday with you. Let''s go and have dinner." The two of them went downstairs together. Just as they drove out of the underground garage, they saw a thin figure standing by the roadside. She was waiting for someone. After a while, a Maserat stopped beside her, Justin got out of that with a bouquet of flowers in his hand. Brian have Into the main road and saw a bright smulle on Graece That smile had never appeared in front of him before. He could it help but step hard, and the car sped past Grace. After dinner, Brian sent Louise back to the Adkins family. He als got out of the car, Louise was stunned for a moment. She turned around and look at him. "Brian, are you going in too?"N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. "Yes," he said tly. Louise immediately guessed that he was going to look for Ava. She thought for a moment and said to him, "Brian, Ava is not at home today. Don''t worry, I will deal with that matter seriously Brian looked at her for a while. His gaze was sharp as he said coldly, "Is that so? The person she kidnappedst time was Grace. Do you k Chapter 417 0 Louise''s heart skipped a beat. She frowned and pretended not to know. "Brian, what are you talking about? Didn''t you say that it was a misunderstanding? Who told you that she kidnapped Grace?* Brian''s eyes narrowed slightly with a hint of probing as if he were guessing the truth of her words. Louise tilted her head and a trace of hurt shed past her eyes. Brian, are your suspecting that I knew that she hurt Grace but deliberately covered up for her? Whether you believe it or not, I really don''t know anything about that matter! Ava doesn''t like me to begin with. How can she tell me everything?" As she spoke, her tears fell. "I don''t know who you heard these things from. Even I don''t know. What''s the motive of the person who told you this news? Brian, have you thought about Brian saw the tears in her eyes and suddenly became confused again. He didn''t know who was telling him the truth. "Alright, why are you crying? I''m not ming you. It''s just that your sister has done unreasonable things over and over again. I can''t sit back and do nothing." "Brian, I know that Ava is insensible, but we sisters don''t have a good rtionship to begin with. If you go in and teach her a lesson, she will only hate me more. Brian, leave it to me, okay?" What Louise said seemed to make sense. It concerned the friendship between the two sisters. In the end, Brianpromised. "Alright, I''ll leave first. Call me if you have any questions," "Good!" Louise watched him leave before turning around and returning home with a dark expression. As soon as she entered, she went straight to the second floor to find Ava. She closed the door behind her and stared at her coldly. Ava knew that something must have happened today. She shrank back and asked, "What''s wrong?" Louise narrowed her eyes at her. "What''s wrong? What do you think? I asked you to do something, but Other than eating, what else are you capable of?" you failed again! Ava pursed her lips. "I''m just following your instructions. You wanted me to hand the ne to her. I did that." Louise looked at her sarcastically. "Idiot! The cleaningdy is an illiterate person, are you the same? Can''t you let her find a way to leave Grace''s fingerprints on the ne?" "If you think I''m ipetent, then go ahead and do it yourself! Ava said in a tone as if she had given up. Louise''s eyes turned cold. "What did you say? How dare you talk to me like that!" Ava said, "Did I say anything wrong? What does it have to do with me if she missed out on the trap? You''re the one who didn''t choose the right person!" "p!" Louise pped her hard without saying a word. Ava was stunned. She covered her face and slowly turned to look at Louise. "How dare you hit me!" "So what if I hit you? Ava, you have a bad temper, don''t you? Do you want me to send you to jail before you''re happy?" Her gaze seemed to be poisoned, making Ava shudder. Ava gritted her teeth and did not dare to look at her. Louise took a deep breath and gave her a business card. "Think of a way to make her embezzle funds. The bigger the amount the better." Ava looked at the business card in her hand and did not reach out to take it. "What is this?" "If she doesn''t end up jail, you will Louise sounded impatienProperty belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Ava hesitated for a long time before reaching mat to take it. Louise smiled and tell her room. Chapter 418 COMMENT Chapter 418 Ava callel the number on the business card and realized that the other party was a hacker. Later, on a weekend. Vivian asked Grace to go shopping at the mill, and Grace happened to need to buy clothes for Austin, so the two of them went to the Golden Center early in the morning. As a mother, she couldn''t stop shopping when she saw the baby clothes. The little girl''s clothes were soft and cute. Grace bought several sets in the first shop. Vivian could not help bur remind her, "Austin has to change the size of her clothes once every two months. How many times can she wear these clothes?" Only then did Grace stop her urge to spend money and apany Vivian to the women''s clothing section on the third floor. The two of them had just gone upstairs when they coincidentally bumped into two figures that were glued together. It was Brian and Louise. Grace did not want to meet the two of them. She quickly turned her head away and held Vivian''s hand as they walked into a specialty store around the corner. Brian had already seen her when Grace came down the esctor. He felt ufortable when he saw her deliberately avoiding him. He pointed at the shop and said to Louise, "Louise, go check out that shop. I''ll buy you some clothes." Louise nced at the shop and frowned slightly. She thought, ''Is Brian serious? How can a second-tier brand suit me?'' Her gaze fell on the luxury store next door. Just as she was about to say that she wanted to check out this store first, Brian had already walked over. Louise could only follow him to that shop. At the entrance of the shop, Louise finally understood that Brian had an ulterior motive. She thought, ''He must have seen Grace long ago!'' Louise was so angry that her chest was about to explode. She took a deep breath and maintained an elegant and generous smile. She held Brian''s arm and walked into the shop gracefully. "Grace, why are you here?" When Grace heard Louise''s voice, she turned her head reluctantly and smiled. "Mrs. Francis, Mr. Francis. What a coincidence." Louise snuggled intimately next to Brian and said with a smile, "Brian came backtest night and didn''t have time to prepare a gift for me, so he especially came here to buy a gift for me today." Grace nodded slightly and did not say anything else. She did not look at Brian the entire time. Vivian came out of the fitting room and saw Brian. She was stunned for a moment before asking Grace, "How about this?" Grace said, "It''s alright, but I don''t think it''s very stunning. Why don''t we go to another store?" Vivian was smart enough to tell that Grace did not want to stay in the same shop as the other two. She understood and nodded. "Okay, I''ll go change immediately." Louise smiled and walked towards her. "Grace, aren''t you going to buy a few? I think the clothes here suit you quite well. 76:30This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Why don''t you choose a few and 111 by them for you?" As soon as she came over. Grace instinctively mover must be foking. I don''t deserve anything from you." baby car to the sphe and said in a distant tone. "Mrs. Francis, yous Louise seemed to be casually picking on clothes from the disy rack, but she took out a middle-aged female outfit and gestured in front of Grace. "Crace, this outfit suits urban women like you who have just given birth Brian, what do you think Brian didn''t know how to appreciate women''s clothes, so he nodiled. At this moment, Vivian came out after changing her clothes. She happened to hear Louise''s ill-intentionalment. A Chapter 419 Vivian said, "What do you mean? What''s wrong with giving birth After giving birth, you should..." "Vivian!" Grace called out to her. Vivian wanted to say something, but Grace gave her a reassuring look, so she could only shut her mouth. Grace looked at Louise and looked down at the clothes in her hand. Then, she nodded in admiration. "Mrs. Francis, your taste is really good. However, I can''t bring out the effect of this dress. It has to rely on a natural model like you to bring out its beauty. Since you''re so picky, let Mr. Francis buy it for you?" After saying that, she nced at Brian. "Mr. Francis, your fianc¨¦e likes this dress very much." Louise''s expression was a little ugly. She felt like she had shot herself in the foot. Just as she was about to find an excuse to leave, Brian had already taken out his bank card and said, "Buy it if you like it." Seeing this, Vivian also echoed, "Mr. Francis, you really don''t understand how women shop. How can women not try it on before buying it? Aren''t girlfriends and boyfriends going shopping just to hear apliment when they''re trying on clothes? Otherwise, what''s the point of shopping? You might as well buy it online. Grace, don''t you think so?" Grace smiled and nodded. It was the kind of smile that came from the bottom of her heart when she saw Louise being defeated. Brian looked at her smiling face and was slightly dazed. He said, "Louise, go and try it first." Louise had no choice but to carry the clothes into the fitting room. About five minutester, Louise walked out in a gray dress. Grace and Vivian both praised, "Mrs. Francis, you look so good in this dress. It outlines your figure so well. It''s as if it was tailor-made for you!" Brian''s face was a little petrified. He thought, ''Could it be that a woman''s appreciation style was different from a man''s? This dress is obviously very long. Just by looking at her back, Louise even looks like a woman in her fifties. Only models who are over five feet nine can wear dresses like this one." Looking at Louise in this dress, Brian really couldn''t bring himself to praise her. Grace looked at Brian with a smile. "Mr. Francis, have you been stunned speechless by your fianc¨¦e?" Louise could easily see the indescribable look in Brian''s eyes. She wished she could tear Grace''s face apart. Brian could only say, "Louise. If you like it very much, you can buy it." Louise felt speechless. Grace and Vivian looked at each other and smiled. They said goodbye and left the clothing store. On Monday, at the CEO''s office, Camren Whitley hurried into Brian''s office and whispered something in his ear. Brian''s expression changed. He turned on hisputer and said in a low voice, "Go and call her up." Ten minutester, Grace entered Brian''s office. She stood far away and asked, "Mr. Francis, why are you looking for me?" f Sat, Dec He smoked and stared at theputer screen. When he heard her voice, he looked up at her. "Don''t you know why I''m looking for you?* Grace shook her head suspiciously. "I''m sorry that I don''t know the reason. Please exin. Brian stared into her eyes for a moment. "I''ll give you another chance. If you confess, I will let you off."Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Grace was confused. She frowned in frustration. "Mr. Francis, I still have a lot of work to do. I don''t have time to talk to you in riddles. If there''s nothing else, I''ll go down first." Chapter 420 "Stop right there!" Brian''s voice deepened. Grace turned to look at him with a puzzled expression. Brian asked, "You really don''t know anything?" Grace looked at his serious expression and realized that something must have happened. She shook her head. Brian hooked his finger at her, indicating for her to go over and look at hisputer. She walked over to take a look and her expression changed. There was a transaction record on the page. Six million dors from thepany had run into her ount. "That''s impossible!" Grace had not received any news about such a huge sum of money being transferred to her ount. Moreover, she had never done it.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Grace suspected that it was someone with the same name as her "You suspect me of doing this? I can show you right now!" She took out her phone to check her ount in front of him, but when she saw the ount bnce, her face turned pale. Brian narrowed his eyes slightly. "What''s wrong?" Grace pursed her lips and looked at him. "The money is indeed in my ount, but I don''t know how this money came to my ount. I don''t want to exin anything." She tried to transfer the money to him, but her card was frozen. She had to go to the bank first. Grace said, "The card is frozen. I have to go to the bank first. If you''re afraid I''ll run away, you cane with me." Such arge sum of money was dangerous to her ount. If the National Tax Bureau checked her ount, she could be arrested and sent to jail in minutes. It was a good thing that the National Tax Bureau usually did not do that. Although Grace did not know who had transferred this sum of money to her ount, she had a feeling that someone would definitely report this incident to the National Tax Bureau. She could not waste a moment. Of course, Brian knew the severity of the matter. He looked at her seriously and left the office with her. After getting into the car, Brian was not in a hurry to start the car. Instead, he took out his phone and was working on something. Grace was anxious, but she did not dare to rush him. After a while, he started the car and went to the bank. When she arrived at the bank, Grace went to the counter. Brian was waiting for her. At this moment, Camren called him. "Mr. Francis, the National Tax Bureau is here to audit us!" Brian said calmly into the phone, "Got it. Let them investigate openly." Hanging up the phone, he looked at Grace and narrowed his eyes. The fact that the National Tax Bureau came to audit thepany so quickly meant that Grace was indeed innocent. He just didn''t know who was behind it. Afterpleting the procedures, Grace transferred the money to Brian. 63%1 After returning to thepany, Grace found out that the National Tax Bureau had alreadye to audit thepany, but thepany''s finances were not showing any anomalies. Grace secretly sent a message to ask Camren what was going on. Camren replied: [Mr. Francis should have filled in the missing fund in advance.] Only then did she remember that Brian must have been replenishing thepany''s funds when he was in the car. At the thought of this, a strange feeling shed across her heart. After hesitating for a long time, she sent him a message. [Thank you.] Brian did not reply to her message. Grace did not mind. Anyway, she had already thanked him. However, rumors of Grace''s embezzlement quickly spread in thepany. Homer sent her a screenshot. It was a private group chat created by some employees in theirpany. An employee sent a message to that group chat. [Have you heard? The National Tax Bureau came to audit because Grace embezzled thepany''s funds! The amount is six million dors!] Chapter 421 An employee replied: JOh my god! How can she be so bold? I jua want to know why she''s fine?] Someone said I heard that Mr. Francis used his own money to fill the vacancy, What''s Mr. Francis''s rtionship with her?] Another person: JOh my god! To be able to make her ex-husband do this for her, it seems like Grace has some tricks sleeve! That day, Mr. Francis must have stood up for her because he couldn''t bear to see her being made difficult!) Someone else added: 11 low can Mr. Francis be blinded by such woman! Louise is too pitiful!] up An employee emphasized: [Everyone, be careful in the future. you''re targeted by Grace, you might be destined to be doomed!] Looking at the screenshots of the chat, Grace felt calm. her She had long guessed that this matter would be spread. After all, the person who had transferred the funds to her ount had wanted her to go to jail. Now that their goal had not been achieved, they would naturally feel unwilling. That person would probably feel better if she could damage Grace''s reputation this way. After Homer sent her a screenshot, he asked her: [Is this true?] Grace asked: [What do you think?] [I believe you. You wouldn''t do such a thing.] The text sent by Homer had a resolute tone. [Thank you.] After Grace replied, she didn''t say anything else. In the afternoon, when Grace went to fetch water and use the washroom, she noticed many people gossiping about her. Homer met her in the corridor and chatted with her for a while, He said, "Is someone deliberately setting you up in this matter?" Grace lowered her eyes. Of course, she knew that someone had framed her. This person was most likely Louise. Last time, she had failed to frame her for stealing the ne. This time, she had yed an even bigger game. However, she did not want Homer to interfere in this matter, so she said calmly, "Homer, thank you for your concern for me. Don''t worry about this matter. I''ll be more careful in the future." Homer wanted to say something else, but Grace changed the topic with a smile. After work in the afternoon, when everyone had left, Grace called the police.Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Brian sent Louise home from work as usual. In the car, Louise asked, "I''ve already heard about the embezzlement of Grace. Brian, you used your own funds to make up for it, right?" Brian said calmly as he drove, "She didn''t embezzle any funds." Louise frowned. "Do you trust her that much?" Brian simply said, "The National Tax Bureau came to audit us so quickly. It''s obvious that someone deliberately framed her and maliciously reported her." Louise bit her lip. She thought that it would be foolproof this time. Even if Brian found out, he should not have used his own money to make up for the loophole. However, she was wrong. Louise wondered if thend underestimated the importance of Grace in his heart. She sounded disappointed ''Brian. So you really made it up for her? Brian didn''t say anything and tacitly agreed. Louise asked, From the time you found out that she embezzled funds to the National Tax Bureau to audit us, it shouldn''t have been more than two to three hours, right? In such a short period of time, you didn''t even know the truth of the matter, and you chose to help her! How afraid are you that she will go to jail? Brian frowned and turned to look at her. "Louise, I helped her because I know she doesn''t have the guts to do such a thing. Moreover, she has already transferred six million dors back to me. Is there a problem?" Louise gritted her teeth. She was screaming in her heart, ''Of course, there''s a problem! The fact that you were so anxious to help her could only mean that you care about her! If it were any other employee today, you would have investigated thoroughly beforeing to a conclusion. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 422 Brian asked again, "Do you really want something to happen to her?" Louise was stunned. "Brian, are you going to quarrel with me again because of her?" "You''re the one who brought it up first," Brian said casually. There was an imperceptible hint of impatience in his tone. Louise was speechless. She subconsciously clenched her fists. The hatred in her heart for Grace was about to seep out of her chest. After getting out of the car, Louise''s face was contorted. When A saw her gloomy expression, she could not help but stay away from her. Louise looked at Ava in frustration. She wanted to vent her anger but she could not find a reason. After all, it was not Ava''s fault for failing this time. She felt that her anger was stuck in her chest and could not go away. She felt ufortable no matter what. After taking a few deep breaths, she looked for Ava to discuss. "I missed again today. Think of another way. You must get that bitch in jail Ava''s hair stood on end when she saw her twisted face. "I''ve already helped you twice. Don''t me me for failing this time. I don''t want to do it anymore. Think of a way yourself!" Louise red at her fiercely. "You don''t want to do it? Then do you want to wait for death?" HerPlease check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. eyeballs were about to fall out. It was especially terrifying. eyes were wide open as if her Ava could not help but take a step back. "I''ve already done enough for you! I don''t want to do these outrageous things anymore! If you want to deal with Grace, deal with her yourself. have nothing to do with Grace, and I''m not interested in Brian. Why should I help you?" Louise said, "Ava, haven''t you recognized the reality? You can''t turn back. You called the hacker, and there are recordings of the calls. If one starts really investigating, do you think you can escape from being charged with the embezzlement?" Ava looked at her in shock. "You! You let him record it!" Louise said, "He''s a hacker. It''s very easy for him to recover the contents of the call." Ava''s legs went soft. "Louise, you devil!" "Isn''t it good to be a demon? Let''s be demons together. It''s better than being dead." Louise looked at her coldly. "You must get rid of Grace before the end of the month. No matter what!" After saying this, she turned around and left. Even her back view exuded a murderous aura. ***** The police investigated for two days but could not find out who did it. They guessed that the other party was a hacker, which was why they transferred the money to Grace''s ount without anyone knowing. Just like that, the matter was left unsettled. Ever since Louise almost quarreled with Brian in the car that day, the two of them had be much more distant. Louise was very worried. That morning, she asked the servants at home to prepare food for the two of them and bring it to thepany. When it was almost non, quive carried the lunch box upstairs to the CEO''s office to look for him Brian was working with his head lowered. When he heard her voice, he did not even raise his head. He raised his eyes to take a look before lowering his head to do his work again. She took a deep breath and walked up to him with a smile. "Brian, shall we have lunch together? I specially got up this morning to make this." Brian was writing something with a pen. Without raising his head, he said, "Alright, put it there first" He seemed to be very busy, so busy that Louise could not even get a word in edgewise. After waiting for a while, Brian still did not have any intention of talking to her. Louise became more and more frustrated. She could not help but wonder if the reason why he was so cold to her was because she questioned Grace about embezzlement in the car that day. Chapter 423 Louise thought, ''It had to be. Other than this matter, every argument between us was started because of Grace. This damned bitch!''Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. The more Louise thought about it, the angrier she became. Brian was ignoring her again. She had nowhere to vent her anger, so she left the office and went to look for Grace. She rushed to the office angrily, but she did not see Grace. She looked around the coffee room but did not see anyone. Louise thought, ''Where did this bitch go during work hours? She crossed her arms and stood at Grace''s workstation. She asked the colleagues around her, "Where is Grace?" The female colleagues in this department were basically on Louise''s side. When they heard Louise''s questioning tone, they added fuel to the fire. "Grace, I haven''t seen her for a long time. Jewel, did you see where she went?" Jewel Hawkins replied, "No." When a male colleague heard this, he wanted to say something on behalf of Grace. However, due to Louise''s status as the CEO''s fianc¨¦e, he did not dare to say anything. He could only sigh secretly and thought, "The world of women is really filled with scheming. Grace had clearly left her desk less than ten minutes ago. When Louise heard that Grace had left for a long time, her expression turned cold. She looked at her watch and said, "It''s not even lunchtime yet, and she has been gone for so long. When did thepany''s rules be sox? She is so bold!" After Louise finished speaking, she nced at Erin Fox. "Erin, I think if you don''t control her, she will probably ride on your head." It was already time for lunch. Everyone went to eat. Erin understood what Louise meant and nodded. "It''s time to teach Grace a lesson!" Louise finally felt a little better. She turned around and went upstairs to find Brian for lunch. When they got off work in the afternoon, Grace was forced to work overtime by Erin, who used the excuse of her cking off at work. Grace said, "Erin, I just went downstairs to pick up a package earlier. Seeing that it was almost noon, I went straight to the canteen to eat. I''ve already done the work you arranged." "It''s already bad that you don''t reflect on your mistakes, but you''re even finding excuses for beingzy. What do you take thepany for? Because you''re cking off at work, the document needed for tomorrow morning is not ready yet. I''ve sent the materials to your email. You can leave after you''re done with that tonight!" Erin did not give her a chance to resist. She picked up her bag and left. As soon as Erin stepped out of the door, she bumped into Camren in the corridor. She immediately put on a ttering smile. "Camren, why are you still here?" Camren nodded slightly. "I am sending some information to the Design Department." "Camren, you are a loyal man to thepany. Don''t overwork yourself." Erin left after saying a few ttering words. After passing by the door of the Development Department, Camren stopped for a moment and walked towards the Design Department. Grace opened the email and read the contents. Her scalp was a little numb. In order toplete the presentation, she would probably have to stay up until midnight again. < Chapter 423- 0473% She called Carson and told him that she was working overtime that night. Then, she rolled up her sleeves and started working. She happened to be on her period recently and was not in good spirits. She had a headache from checking the information. and her eyes were dizzy. She held her aching abdomen and poured some coffee into her up. She was nning to make herself some coffee. As soon as she got up from the chair, she felt dizzy. She took two steps and felt light-headed. In the next second, she lost consciousness and fell to the ground. Chapter 424 Brian had a dinner party today. After dinner, Camren sent him back to the Francis estate. On the way back, he recalled what he had heard outside the Development Department before he got off work today.Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. He mentioned it to Brian unintentionally. Brian was sitting in the back row rubbing his temples. After hearing that, he paused slightly and did not express his opinion. Camren did not say anything else. When the car passed by Francis Group, Brian suddenly opened his eyes. "Stop the car. Camren turned the steering wheel slightly and stepped on the brakes steadily. "Mr. Francis. Do you want me to check on Miss Sherman?" Brian''s face darkened. "Shut up!" Camren smiled and asked respectfully, "Then Mr. Francis, I''ll wait for you here." Brian said, "Yeah." Entering the elevator, Brian''s fingers paused on the number key. He stared at a certain number for a while, then pressed the top button and returned to his office to grab a document. Back in the elevator, he pressed the button for the floor where the Development Department was located. As expected, the lights in the office were still on. Brian slowly walked to the door and looked inside, but he did not see Grace. He frowned slightly. Just as he was about to turn around and leave, he suddenly saw a shoe in the corner. His heart tightened as he walked over quickly. As expected, he saw Grace lying on the ground. "Grace!" Hastily he scooped her up. Her face was so pale in themplight that it was almost translucent. He scooped her up in his arms and rushed out. Camren was stunned when he saw Brian carrying Grace out from afar. He quickly got out of the car and opened the door of the backseat. Brian said, "To the hospital!" "Okay!" Camren quickly started the car. Grace''s face was pale. Her forehead was covered in cold sweat, as if she was very ufortable. Her brows were furrowed slightly. Brian touched her fingers. They were cold to the touch. Her haggard look made his heart feel like it was being squeezed by a pair of invisible hands. The car soon arrived at the hospital. Brian carried her and rushed into the emergency department. After checking, Brian asked in a deep voice, "How is she?" A doctor said, "The patient is fine. She''s just overworked. She''s a little anemic, and she is on her period. If she sits for too long and stands up in a hurry, she''ll easily faint." Brian asked, "Period?" "Yes." The doctor nced at him. "Don''t you know your wife is on her period?" < 14.05 Sun, Dec 15 FOG Brian was stunned. He lowered his head ufortably. ''Got it The doctor said. Til prescribe some medicine that will replenisher blood for her to take at home. Make sure that she gets a lot of rest during this period. During her period, it''s very easy for someone with a poor constitution like her to fall siek Brian nodded. "Okay." Grace had yet to wake up. The doctor said that her immunity was low. In order to prevent her from falling sick, he put her on an IV drip. Brian looked at the time. It was almost midnight. Ife asked Camren to go back first while he stayed behind to apany Grace. Grace had a dream. In the dream, she kept hearing Brian talking in her ear, She could not hear him clearly, but from his cold expression, she felt very uneasy and her brows were tightly knitted. The scene changed, and she saw Brian and Louise together. They were holding a baby andughing in the courtyard of the Francis Vi. She was holding Austin as she stood at the door and watched them from afar. The scene changed again. Austin was in Brian''s hands. He held the child and looked at her coldly. Grace suddenly found herself in a desert. Her throat was dry as she shouted Brian''s name, but she saw him carrying Austin further and further away. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 425 Grace muttered, "Brian... No!": "Grace? Grace?" Brian tilted his car slightly and listened to her burry ravings. It was as if she was calling his name He thought, ''Has she regained her memory?! At the thought of this, he held her shoulders and shook her sligly. "Grace! Wake up!" Grace suddenly opened her eyes. When she saw the erged face in front of her, she sat up from the bed and shrank back. Brian stared at her face. "What''s wrong with you? You were having a nightmare just now. You were calling my name." She took deep breaths of cold air, her mind still reying the dream. Brian asked, "Did you remember something?" Grace slowly raised her head and looked at him. There was a hint of doubt in her eyes as she frowned slightly. "What did you say?" "You called my name in your dream just now," Brian said firmly. She blinked and wiped the cold sweat-off her forehead as if nothing had happened. "Oh, I think I dreamed of you. I dreamed that you all asked me to work overtime." She looked around. "Am I in the hospital? Why are you here?" Brian said, "You were working overtime and fainted in the office. I... I happened to go back to get something and saw you, so I brought you to the hospital." Grace looked down at the needle on the back of her hand and said to him, "Thank you." Brian stared into her eyes. "You don''t remember anything?" Grace shook her head in confusion. Disappointment shed in his eyes as he nodded lightly. "Alright, there''s still a little bit of IV drip left. I''ll stay here with you Grace subconsciously wanted to chase him away, but when she thought about how he had sent her over, she did not say anything in the end. Brian got up and went to the corridor to smoke a cigarette. Then he went to the office of the doctor on duty. "Hello, my wi was in a car ident some time ago. She had selective memory loss and forgot about me. I want to ask, how can I help her regain her memory as soon as possible?" When the doctor heard his words, he frowned slightly. This was the first time he had encountered a patient with selective amnesia. Being able to selectively forget her husband was even more bizarre, but he still suggested to him, "You can try doing something with her that you used to do. It''s best if it''s something that has a great impact on her, such as proposing." AX Brian''s expression froze for a moment. The word was stuck in his throat for a long time before he said with difficulty, "Alright." He walked back to the chair in the corridor and thought about it for a long time. He really could not think of anything between him and Grace that left a deep impression on each other. Mon Dec 16 The thing they often did was probably sex. Brian covered his face. He suddenly realized that his three years of marriage with Grace was like smoke drifting away. Nothing was taken away or left behind. He looked at the time and estimated that her drip was almost fished before he walked into the ward. It was probably because she had her period and was too tired, Grace fell asleep again. Brian checked the drip and quietly went to call the nurse to get the needle for her. He was afraid of waking her up, so he specially instructed the nurse to make it as light as possible. The phone screen next to her pillow lit up. Brian picked it up an took a look. It was a message from Carson. Brian nced at her and replied: [I am sleeping at the office tonight.] Then, he muted her phone. Brian sat by her bed andter fell asleep. ** COMMENTContent protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. Chapter 426 That night, Grace slept soundly. When she woke up the next day, she was full of energy She stretched her waist and was shocked to find Brian sitting in front of her. She gasped in shock as memories came back to her. She then remembered that she had faintedst night and was sent to the hospital by Brian. Grace thought, ''When did I fall asleepst night? Did he just watch over me all night?'' Grace had mixed feelings, At this moment, Brian moved his neck, stretched his long legs, and slowly opened his eyes. Grace pursed her lips and looked at his face. "Morning." He moved his stiff neck. "Are you feeling any difort anywhere else?" She shook her head. "What time is it?" Brian took out his phone and took a look. He had slepttest night and it was already eight o''clock. On the screen were messages and missed calls from Louise. [Brian? Why didn''t you pick me up? Melvin said that you didn''t go backst night. Where were you?] Brian nced at the message but did not reply. He put his phone back into his pocket. Meanwhile, Louise could not sit still at home. She had called Brian three times, but he did not pick up. He did not reply to her messages either. She thought, ''Could it be that he was with Gracest night?'' Thinking of this, she couldn''t sit still anymore and drove to thepany. She went to the CEO''s office first. There was no one inside, so she waited inside. When it was almost time for work to start, Camren arrived. "Camren." She hurriedly went forward and stopped him. "You were the one who sent Mr. Francis back after dinnerst night, right? Why isn''t he at home?" Camren looked at her and frowned slightly. Louise did not let go of any of his expressions. Her voice turned cold. "Where is he?" After hesitating for a while, he said, "Miss Adkins, when I sent Mr. Francis backst night, Mr. Francis said that he had something to do and had to return to thepany. I don''t know what happened after that." With that, he nodded politely and left. Louise narrowed her eyes and immediately went downstairs to the Development Department. Erin was muttering, "This Grace is getting bolder and bolder! She actually dares to knock off before she finishes what I arranged for her! She even messed up the office!" Louise walked in and asked, "Erin, what''s wrong?" Erin replied, "Mrs. Francis, I asked Grace to stay for overtimest night, but look, she didn''t even finish her work. I don''t know where she went." "Then give her a call," Louise said immediately. Erin took out her phone and called Grace. When she picked up, Erin started scolding her. Louise signaled for her to turn on the speaker. Grace waited for her to finish scolding before saying, "I''m sorry Erin. I wasn''t feeling wellst night and went to the hospital for an IV drip. I''ll be back in a while." Louise mouthed to Erin to ask which hospital Grace was in. Grace hesitated for a moment but did not think too much about it. She told Erin the name of the hospital she was in. "I have to go back to the office." Grace sat up from the bed and went to the washroom to wash her face. At this moment, Brian suddenly stopped her. "Grace..." Grace looked back at him. "What''s wrong?" There was a strange look on his face as if he wanted to say something. After a long pause, he said, "Your pants are dirty." Grace immediately put her hands behind her back and turned her back to him. Her face instantly turned red, and she wished she could crawl into the ground at that moment.R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Chapter 427 Chapter 427 "You, you go out first!" Grace said awkwardly. Brian frowned and asked seriously, "What''s the use of letting me out? Do you want to hide in the hospital and wash your pants?" Grace covered her face and squatted down along the wall. "Can you stop talking?" She felt that she was already embarrassed enough. This was the only time she had dirtied her pants, and it was in front of Brian. When Brian saw her appearance, he could not help but want tough. "What are you doing? Are you embarrassed? I''ve seen everything down there." Grace wanted to tear his mouth apart. Brian didn''t go out. He just stood there and looked at her. Grace really didn''t know what to do. Now that the weather was gradually getting warmer, she always wore a shirt. If she had a coat, she could cover her butt. Afterughing, Brian said, "I''ll go buy some pants for you. What brand of tampon are you using?" Grace looked at him awkwardly. She felt that she couldn''t ept the fact that Brian was going to buy pants and tampons for her. But now, she had no other choice. She forced a smile awkwardly. "Thank you. You can buy whatever you want. I''m not picky about brands." Brian nodded lightly. "Wait for me." With that, he left the ward and went to the nearby clothing store and supermarket. It was still early, and many clothing stores were not open. Brian did not drivest night, so he could only walk one street at a time. It was almost an hourter when he finally bought the pants and tampons. H¨¦ hurriedly hailed a cab back to the hospital. As soon as he got out of the car, a white Mercedes-Benz stopped opposite the hospital. Louise carried some fruits and got out of the driver''s seat just in time to see Brian running into the hospital. She clenched her fists tightly and thought, ''Indeed! Grace, this shameless bitch!'' When Brian returned to the ward, his head was already covered in sweat. "I''m sorry to have made you wait so long." Grace lowered her head and took the bag from him. "You''ve been searching for a long time, right? There should not be many clothing shops outside that are open at this time." "I didn''t search for long," Brian replied casually, "Go change your clothes. I''ll go back to the office with you after you''re done." ANA At this moment, a delicate and gentle voice sounded. "Brian? Why are you here?" Brian and Grace were stunned at the same time. Grace subconsciously put the thing in her hand behind her back.Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. Louise nced at her hands behind her back and smiled. "Grace, I heard from Erin that you were sick, so I specifically came to see you. I didn''t expect Brian to be here too. Brian, have you been here sincest night?" 1/2 14:34 Mon, Brian frowned slightly and exined, "When I returned to thepanyst night, I happened to see her fainting in thepany, so I sent her over," Louise maintained her smile, but her heart was already filled with hatred. She thought, In other words, he has apanied Grace for the entire night! She gritted her teeth tightly, but she still had a smile on her face. She ced the fruits on the table and caught a glimpse of a dark brown mark on the bedsheet. She narrowed her eyes and turned to look at Grace''s pants. Her expression froze. "Grace, are your pants dirty?" Grace did not say anything. Louise''s expression could not hold it in anymore. She looked at Brian and thought, ''He actually went to buy pants for Grace personally. He bought something as private as tampons!'' The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 428 "Brian, did you go buy her pants? Louise asked with a smile. Brian felt a little guilty, but he did not know how to exin it. He only nodded lightly. Louise''s heart turnedpletely cold. She walked up to Brian step by step and held his hand. She looked at Grace and said, "Grace, my fianc¨¦ is just too warm-hearted. However, I think it''s better for you to get your husband or boyfriend to buy you such private things in the future. What do you think?" Without waiting for Grace to speak, she continued, "Oh, don''t misunderstand. I don''t mean to me you. Think about it from another perspective. If I asked your boyfriend to buy these things for me, you would definitely mind, right? Don''t worry, I won''t take it to heart." Hearing her hypocritical words, Grace swallowed her apology. Grace said, "Mrs. Francis, you''re right. Mr. Francis. If you encounter something like me being sick again, just call an ambnce for me." Brian looked at her with mixed feelings. His heart instantly sank to the bottom. Louise held Brian''s hand and smiled at him. "Brian, let''s go." With that, the two of them turned around and left the ward hand in hand. Graceposed herself and looked at the tag on her pants. She noted down the price and went to the washroom to change her pants. She immediately transferred the money to him online. On the way back, Louise drove without saying a word. There was only one thought in her mind. ''Grace must die! How dare she ride on my head and behave atrociously. I must make her pay a painful price! Brian sat in the front passenger seat. He turned his head to look at her expressionless face and thought about how to exin it to her. After a while, his phone suddenly rang. It was a transfer notification. Grace had paid him back for the pants. Brian thought, ''She really doesn''t want to have anything to do with meat all. She can''t even wait to return the money. For a moment, he didn''t even want to exin. He put the phone back in his pocket and closed his eyes to take a nap. At night, Louise was on the phone in bed. Her tone was enchanting and charming. "Hale, where are you having fun tonight?" A rough male voice came from the other end and said frivolously, "Louise, without you, how can there be fun? No matter how good the women out here are, they aren''t half as impressive as you." Hale Burns should be at a nightclub. Louise could still hear the sound of him kissing the woman beside him when he said this.N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. Louise smiled and said, "Hale, you''re joking again. You''ve been with countless women. Do you think my skills are worth mentioning?" Hale said, "Why? Do you miss me? Can''t that Brian do it? Didn''t he satisfy you?" Louise''s expression changed. She still said coquettishly, "Hale, you''re so annoying!" Tue, Hale said, "I know you won''t call me unless you need something Let''s arrange a time to meet!" Louise said, "Let''s meet at the usual ce." At the Adkins family, when Ava returned from work, a servant at home called out to her, "Miss, there''s a delivery for you." "Okay," she said. She took the delivery and turned to go upstairs. When she returned to her room, she opened the package. There was a letter inside. Ava opened the letter suspiciously. When she saw the contents of the letter, her face instantly turned pale. The content of the letter was very simple. Louise was not Marshall Adkins''s daughter who had been missing for many years. Ava looked at the letter in disbelief. There was no name, so she did not know who the sender was. Chapter 429 61%1 ChapterMaterial ? of N?velDrama.Org. 429 Ava thought, ''Who sent this letter? Why did they choose to tell the instead of my father? Countless questions shed through Ava''s mind. After staring at the letter for a long time, she carefully folded it and hid it under her bedsheets. She thought, ''If the contents of the letter are true, then I will be able to chase Louise, this vicious bitch, out of the Adkins family. At that time, she will not be able to marry Brian'' When Ava thought of this, she became unusually excited. However, after a while, she suppressed her excitement. After all, this was a serious matter. She had to have sufficient confidence before she could expose Louise. Moreover, the identity of the person who sent the letter was unclear. She was worried that this was a trap. Thinking of this, Ava decided to ask her mother first. She went to Shannon Adkins''s room and asked tentatively, "Mom, when Louise came back, did she go for a paternity test with Dad?" Shannon looked at her. "Yes. How can we bring her back so easily without doing a paternity test?" Ava asked, "Are you sure?" Yes, it showed that there was 99% chance that they were rted. What''s wrong?" Shannon felt that Ava''s expression was a little strange and looked at her suspiciously. "Ava, don''t provoke Louise anymore. Haven''t you been tricked enough by her?" Ava wanted to say that she had already been forced into a corner by Louise. However, she pressed it and did not say it out loud to make Shannon worry. She could only say, "I know." Shannon adviced, "Ava, you''ve just started working at your father''spany. Your father''s attitude towards you is slowly changing. You''d better behave yourself and not cause trouble." Ava nodded absent-mindedly. Shannon looked at her for a while and asked, "Ava, tell me honestly, are you nning to do something? Are you trying to spread rumors that Louise is not your father''s biological daughter?" "I..." Ava hesitated for a moment. She really wanted to tell Shannon about the letter she had received. "Mom, I..." "Mrs. Adkins, Mr. Adkins is back. It''s time to eat." The servant''s voice came from outside and interrupted Ava. Shannon replied, "Got it." Then she said to Ava, "Let''s go Ava pursed her lips. "Yes, don''t worry, Mom." down and eat. Don''t cause trouble, do you hear me?" Louise came back veryte. She went to have dinner with Brian at night. Ava specifically waited downstairs for her to return. There was no one else in the living room. Marshall and Shannon were already asleep. Louise walked into the living room and walked upstairs without even looking at Ava. Ava stopped her. "You''re back sote. Did you have dinner with Brian?" Louise stopped in her tracks and turned around to look at her in confusion. She said expressionlessly, "Yes, what''s wrong?" Ava stared at Louise''s face carefully. There was indeed no trace of her father in her facial features. When Louise saw Ava staring at her, she frowned and asked impatiently, "What are you looking at?" "Nothing." Ava retracted her gaze and walked towards her. "I just feel a little strange. Why haven''t you let me do anything recently?" Louise sneered. "What do you think you can do?" She seemed to be mocking Ava for being a useless piece of trash After saying that, she turned around and went upstairs. Ava watched her disappear behind the door and narrowed her eyes. The next day, Ava thought for a long time and decided to follow Louise to see if she had any secrets. Chapter 430 COMMENT Chapter 430 Ava took a taxi to Francis Group and waited in the car. Around ten in the morning, Ava saw Louiseing out of thepany. She instructed the taxi driver, "Sir, please follow the woman in front." After walking for a short distance, Louise sneakily got into a ck car. Ava added, "Follow her." Louise''s car stopped outside a park. She got out of the car with a man and walked into the park with him. Ava got out of the car outside and followed quietly. Louise and the man came to a rockery in the depths of the park. The two of them sat side by side on a stone bench. Ava followed them quietly. She went around and hid behind the rockery. Louise said, "Hale! That bitch Grace is about to ride on my head! I asked Ava to deal with her, and she escaped every time. She didn''t even break an arm in the car identst time. I''m so angry!" Hale had a scar on his forehead. He grinned at her, lifted her chin, and kissed Louise on the mouth. "Don''t be angry. I''m going to take a leak first." As he spoke, he walked to the side of the small pond and peed in it. Louise continued toin. "If I hadn''t failed the previous two times, she wouldn''t even have been able to give birth to her kid! Now, not only did she give birth to a bastard, but she even entered thepany and is seducing Brian every day! Shameless bitch!" The more Louise spoke, the angrier she became. Hale hugged her shoulders and pinched her chin. "Don''t be angry. If you''re angry, your body won''t look good." Ava covered her mouth in shock as she listened to their conversation. She thought, ''Louise, this vicious woman. It turns out that before Grace divorced Brian, she had already wanted to kill her! This woman is really scary and disgusting! Brian treats her so well, but she is flirting with another man! What an ungrateful bitch!'' Louise''s coquettish voice sounded again. "Hale! I''m about to die from anger! That bitch has seduced Brian time and time again and even asked Brian to buy tampons for her! I can''t take it anymore! Hale, she''s a dangerous person. If we don''t get rid of her, she''ll threaten my future. I am still hoping to give you a good life after marrying Brian." The big, dark, and ugly hand on her shoulder kept stroking her shoulder. It slid all the way down to her waist and caressed her waist, pinching her neither lightly nor forcefully. Hale said, "Baby, you''re going to marry that nerd Brian. Why would you still think of me in the future?" Louise leaned into his arms like a little bird and said sweetly, "Hale, what are you saying? You''ve done so much for me. I definitely won''t forget you! As long as you want me, I''ll wash myself clean and send myself over anytime."Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. Hearing her delicate tone and disgusting words, Ava almost vomited. When Hale went to pee just now, Ava secretly nced at him. His private part looked ugly and disgusting. She felt that Louise was very impressive for being able to put up with this man. Ava took out her phone, turned off the silent mode, and started recording. She carefully leaned the phone against the tree Chapter 430- trunk. Louise''s words made Hale''s heart race. He lifted her chin and ki enter her mouth domineeringly. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 431 Louise was a little resistant, but when she thought about how he still had to rely on him to deal with Grace, she did not dare to reject him too obviously. She softly pushed against his chest. Hale let out a deep breath. He was so anxious that he wanted to take off his pants. As he unbuckled his belt, he said, "I can''t take it anymore. Let''s do it right here, okay? Doing it in public must be very exciting. I''ve never tried it with you! Use your mouth." Ava covered her mouth in shock. She thought, ''Oh my god! I never thought Louise was this kind of woman. I thought that Louise was just a little vicious, but I did not expect her to be rotten to the core. Whoever married such a disgusting woman would be unlucky! Fortunately, I have caught Louise in action. Later, I will hand this video to Brian! I want to let him know how disgusting this woman is!" Louise was held in Hale''s arms and was forced to lower her head. A look of disdain appeared on her face. She thought, ''This damn man just peed and wanted me to use my mouth? We haven''t even discussed the matter. I can''t let him get the benefits yet.'' Louise dodged nimbly and punched his arm coquettishly. "Hale, you''re so annoying. You haven''t said when you''ll help me get rid of her! Also, this time, you have to promise me that you won''t miss and destroy her in one go." Hale said in a hoarse voice, "Don''t worry, I promise you that she won''t live past tomorrow! Are you satisfied now?" Louise suppressed the disgust in her heart and smiled at him. "You are so impatient! Shall we go to the car?" Hale couldn''t wait any longer. "Okay!" With that, he immediately stood up, turned around, and walked out. When Ava saw him get up, she was so frightened that her fingers trembled violently. She stepped on the dried leaves on the ground and made an ear-piercing sound in the silent air. She quickly put her phone behind her back. At the same time, the two people opposite her had already looked over. Hale said, "Who is it!" Ava was so frightened that her hands and feet went limp. Her phone fell into the leaves on the ground. She did not bother topick up her phone and ran. Louise narrowed her eyes and said coldly, "Catch her!" Hale narrowed his eyes and took out a dagger from his pocket. In a few steps, he caught up to Ava and grabbed her hair. "Where are you going?" Ava looked at Louise in horror. "I didn''t see anything... I didn''t see anything." Louise''s eyes were filled with killing intent. "Do you think you can walk out of here safely?" When Hale heard her words, he grabbed the dagger and stabbed Ava in the abdomen without hesitation. Ava felt a sharp pain in her abdomen. She lowered her head and looked at Louise in disbelief. "Louise! ! You... will never get Brian''s love!" Louise red at her fiercely. She snatched the dagger from Hale''s hand and stabbed her again. Ava fell to the ground weakly, she started to fall unconscious. The man looked at Ava on the ground and asked, "How should we deal with her?" Louise stared at her for a while. "She has to go. As long as she''s alive, she''ll tell my secret."N?velDrama.Org (C) content. "Then let''s make sure that she is dead for sure!" Hale squatted down and pulled out the dagger from her abdomen, preparing to stab her heart. Just then, Louise had an idea and called out to him, "Wait! I have an idea!" Chapter 432 Carson was at home when she received a call from Vivian. "Carson, are you home alone?" Vivian asked cautiously. "Yes, what''s up?" Carson felt that Vivian wouldn''t call him for no reason. "I sprained my ankle. I''m at home. Is it convenient for you to send me to the hospital?" After a pause, she hurriedly said, "If you''re busy taking care of Austin, I''ll call an ambnce." She hesitated for a long time before making the call. Although Carson did not confess his feelings to her, she knew that Carson had feelings for her. If he didn''t say anything, she wouldn''t mention it. The two of them would stay ordinary friends. When Vivian encountered something, the first thing she thought of was Justin. However, she would soberly tell herself that it was impossible between her and Justin. Then, she would think of Carson. When Carson heard that she had sprained her ankle to the point where she needed to call an ambnce, he did not care about the half-finished game and immediately said, "Wait for me. I''ll be right there." He carried Austin in his arms and went out. Ever since Grace got into a car ident and the car was repaired, Carson was worried about letting her drive again, so he kept the car at home. Carson drove to pick up Vivian. When he arrived, he saw that her insteps and ankles were already swollen. Carson frowned. "What happened? How did you end up like this? Were you dancing at home?" His tone was mature and serious. It was impossible to tell that he was a young boy. Vivian said awkwardly, "The light brokest night, so I went to buy a light bulb. When I changed the light, I stepped on a chair. Who knew that the chair would slip? I jumped to the ground in a hurry and sprained my ankle." Carson nced at the chair with wheels. He shook his head helplessly. "Standing on a chair like this to change the light bulb? How did youe up with that idea? And you''re a teacher. Don''t teach the children stuff like this and make them stupid." Vivian pouted unhappily. "Who said that this chair can''t be used? I just made a mistake, okay?" Carson rolled his eyes at her. "Alright, stop finding excuses for yourself. I''ll help you out." Vivian on her not exert any strength Sprained ankle, so when went out, almost half of her was leaning against Cars Dody ont Carson originally nned to drive to Justin''s hospital, but on the way thought about it and decided drive belongs to another hospital. Conte After all, Vivian might not have given up on Justin. After a checkup, the doctor said that she would be hospitalized for a few days for observation, so Carson went to pay for her first. ***** At Francis Group, Grace''s phone dinged, she looked away from theputer screen and nced at the phone screen. It was a text message. [I know who your parents are.] Grace widened her eyes and replied almost immediately: [Who are you?] As expected, the other party did not reply. Grace waited for two minutes. She then asked: [Are you Louise?] She immediately deleted it as soon as she typed. She couldn''t say that. It would expose too many things. She thought about it and made a call. The other party hung up on her.N?velDrama.Org (C) content. Soon, another message came in. [By the rockery in the East District of West View Park. If you want to find out about your parents and your background,e right now] Grace looked at the message and fell into hesitation. Chapter 433 Grace thought, ''I can''t go so easily!'' She recalled that Louise had deliberately asked her outst time, only for her to be kidnapped. At the thought of this, she called Carson. At this moment, Carson was paying the bill for Vivian. His phone was in his pocket and he was carrying Austin. He did not have time to answer the call. To be precise, he did not feel the phone in his pocket vibrating. Grace did not know what to do for a moment. She was a little anxious as she thought, ''Will it be Louise again this time? How many secrets does she know?'' As she hesitated, the other party''s message came in again. [I''ll give you fifteen minutes. When it''s over, I''ll leave immediately.] The attitude was very domineering. Grace gritted her teeth and finally sent a message to Carson. She exined the situation concisely and sent him the address. Grace took a car and arrived outside the park. After getting out of the car, she looked around. This ce was rtively remote, and she felt a little afraid. However, since she was already here, she had no choice but to move forward. There was no one in the park. She looked at the sign by the roadside and found the location of the rockery. The closer she got, the faster her heart beat. In the silent air, she could only hear the sound of her feet stepping on the withered leaves. Suddenly, she stepped on something. She looked down and saw that it was a phone. She bent down and picked it up. The lock screen on the screen was a selfie of Ava. This phone belonged to Ava. A bad feeling gradually rose in Grace''s heart. She put the phone into the pocket of her windbreaker and prepared to walk back. At this moment, a sharp pain came. Grace groaned. Just as she wanted to turn around to see who it was, her body could not help but fall to the ground. Louise came out from the corner. Hale threw the wooden stick in his hand to the ground. "Take her away," Louise said coldly. ***** After Carson paid the bill for Vivian and returned to the ward, he took out his phone. When he saw the contents of the message, Carson''s expression changed drastically He immediately called Grace, but her phone was switched off. His instinct told him that something bad was going to happen, so he immediately took Austin out of his sling and handed her to Vivian. "Vivian, I''m going to look for mine! sister. Help me look after Austin. IN?velDrama.Org (C) content. can''t send you back. Call Justin and ask him to pick you up." "Carson! What happened to Grace? I... I''m afraid..." Vivian looked down at Austin. Thest time Austin disappeared in her hands had already traumatized her. "Don''t be afraid. Just carry her. You are in the hospital now. Nothing will happen. Call Justin immediately. Something might have happened to my sister. I have to go find her..." With that, Carson rushed out. As he drove in the direction of West View Park, he suddenly heard the sound of police cars behind him. There seemed to be several of them. He pulled to the side and looked in the direction the police cars were heading. A bad feeling suddenly rose in his heart. He kept stepping harder on the elerator. When Grace woke up, her neck hurt. She rubbed her eyes and felt something wet and sticky on her hand. She moved slowly and opened her eyes. Suddenly she saw that she was holding a bloody dagger. Terrified, she dropped the dagger and sat up abruptly. Ava was lying in front of her. Her chest was still bleeding. Grace was so frightened that her face turned pale. Chapter 434 Grace reached out her hand and slowly approached Ava''s nose. Then she screamed after realizing that Ava was no longer breathing. Grace quickly realized that someone was trying to frame her for murder. She thought, ''Who exactly killed Ava? Is it Louise? Why would she kill Ava?'' At this moment, the sound of a police car sounded outside. Grace was so frightened that her legs went weak. She knew that she could no longer escape. Carson''s car arrived almost at the same time as the superintendent. The police officers got out of the car and rushed in with their guns. Carson immediately followed. "Don''t move!" A few ck muzzles were aimed at Grace. She swallowed nervously and slowly raised her hands. Her voice was weak but firm. "I didn''t kill anyone..." A police officer took out the handcuffs. Cold metal cuffed her wrists. Grace was taken out of the park by several police officers. Carson arrived. When he saw Grace being taken away, his eyes widened in shock. "Grace!" As soon as he shouted, a police officer blocked Carson and prevented him from approaching. He could only watch as Grace was escorted into the police car. Then, Ava''s body was carried out under a white cloth. In the interrogation room of the police station, Grace''s face was deathly pale. She was fixed to the interrogation chair. Her mind was still nk. "Grace, did you kill Ava?" Grace slowly looked up at the police officer who was interrogating her. "I didn''t kill anyone. I was knocked out in the park. It''s been like this since I woke up. I don''t know..." The police officer asked again, "Do you know Ava?"N?velDrama.Org (C) content. Grace nodded. "Yes, but I don''t have any major grudges with her. I''ve never thought of harming her!" At that moment, a police officer came in through the door and whispered something in the ear of the one who was interrogating her. The police officer nced at Grace and nodded. "Grace, on the afternoon of April 2nd, you were kidnapped. Ava was suspected kidnapping you, but it waster found that Ava had nothing to do with the kidnapping case an@was acquitted. You held a grudge against her and wanted to kill her, right?" Grace''s head was in pain. She ced her head on her hand and supported her forehead. "I don''t know why she was killed. Even if she really kidnapped me, I wouldn''t kill her My head hurts..." Her emotions were very unstable now, and her head felt like it was about to explode. The officer pressed a few more questions. The oppressive feeling was giving her a headache. She could barely breathe. Her head wobbled and she fell limply onto the table. ***** In the funeral parlor, Shannon''s cries were heartbreaking. She grabbed a police officer''s hand and asked, "Who killed my daughter? Who exactly did it!" "The suspect''s name is Grace Sherman. Do you know her?" the police officer asked. Shannon''s eyes widened. "It''s Grace! Why did she want to kill my daughter? Is it because she was kidnappedst time? How could she be so vicious! Marshall, our daughter died so tragically!" Grace''s face appeared in Marshall''s mind. He had always felt that this woman did not look dangerous, but he did not expect her to kill his daughter. He clenched his fists tightly. "I will definitely make her pay a painful price!" At this moment, Louise rushed over from outside. When she saw Ava''s body covered with a white cloth, she looked sad. She rushed over and cried, "Ava! Ava! Who harmed you?" An officer stopped her. "I''m sorry. Family members are not allowed near the deceased for the time being. My condolences." Chapter 435 Louise vividly portrayed the pain of losing her sister. It was so real that tears even rolled down her face. Shannon was about to faint. She leaned on Marshall''s shoulder and cried so hard that she could not open her eyes. Louise went forward tofort her. "Dad, Shannon, don''t be too sad. I believe God will give Ava justice." Shannon heard Louise''s voice and slowly opened her eyes.All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. "p!" A crisp p suddenly sounded. Shannon''s hand trembled as she pped Louise hard. Louise tilted her head to the side. Her long hair hid her emotions. She covered her face in disbelief and thought, ''Shannon, this damn old woman! She came to hit me after her daughter died? She simply does not want to live anymore!'' A malevolent killing intent surfaced in her eyes. Shannon pointed at Louise''s nose and scolded, "It''s all your fault, you scourge! If you hadn''t instigated Ava to kidnap Grace, why would Grace bear a grudge and attack Ava? You scourge! Why did youe back?" The more she spoke, the more agitated she became. She felt that Louise was a troublemaker. She rushed up and wanted to hit Louise again. Marshall grabbed her in time. "Shannon, calm down! Don''t go crazy here!" Shannon looked up at the sky and cried, "My Ava. I am sorry for you!" Marshall said, "Louise, are you alright? Shannon is too sad and muddle-headed. Don''t me her, okay?" Louise slowly turned around with a sorrowful expression on her face. "Dad, Shannon, I understand. I know that you can''t ept Ava''s death. What we can do now is to make Grace pay with her life!" Shannon spat at her. "Get lost! I don''t want to see your pretentious actions." Marshall roared, "Alright! Stop venting your anger on Louise. Ava''s death has nothing to do with Louise!" Shannon cried even louder. Marshall asked, "Louise, does Brian know about Ava''s death?" Louise shook her head. She did not tell Brian. Although Brian would find out sooner orter, theter he found out, the better it was for Louise. She was afraid that Brian would rush over to save Grace on impulse. Marshall seemed to have aged ten years in an instant. He sighed and said, "Call him and ask him to help find the bestwyer. This time, I must make Grace, the murderer, pay with her life! Even if she can''t be sentenced to death, I must make her spend the rest of her life in prison!" Louise nodded. Her face was full of sadness. "Okay, I understand." Although she said that, she did not immediately make a call to Brian. ***** Carson followed to the police station. "My sister wouldn''t kill anyone. She wouldn''t even dare to kill a fish! She wouldn''t kill anyone!" The police officer looked at him gravely, still clutching a dossier. "You''re the suspect''s brother? Called Carson Sherman?" Carson answered, "Yes!" The police officer said, "Your sister had a conflict with the victim, Ava Adkins. You were there during the kidnapping. Tell me about what happened then." Carson replied, "My sister was indeed kidnapped by Ava, but my sister wouldn''t kill her! My sister just gave birth and she still has to raise the child. She wouldn''tmita crime and ruin her life because her chite would lose her mother The police officer frowned. ''You don''t need to state your subjective opinion. All you have to do is state the facts of the kidnapping at the time.'' Carson recounted the details of the incident. The officer said coldly, "Your sister has a motive for murder. If you say she didn''t kill anyone, you need to give evidence!" The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 437 After closing his eyes for a while, Brian opened them again. The news was still on the screen. He wished that everything was fake. He thought, ''Why would Grace kill someone? Could it be that she had lost a portion of her memories and even her personality had changed? No, all of this has to be fake, a dream. All I have to do is get some sleep and everything will be back to normal tomorrow. Tomorrow, I will see Gracee to work as usual. All of this will be a dream. It is all fake!'' As if consoling himself, he closed his eyes. But he couldn''t sleep that night. He wanted to get up and rush to Grace''s house to take a look, but he forced himself not to. He thought, ''All of this must be fake. As long as I do not verify it, Grace will not be a murderer.'' Brian closed his eyes as if he was hypnotizing himself. However, it was not until five in the morning that he slowly felt a little sleepy. As soon as he was in a daze, the news appeared in his mind. The face of Grace slowly became clear. He suddenly opened his eyes and realized that his forehead was covered in cold sweat. No longer sleepy, he got up and took a shower. After breakfast, he went to the office early. Just as he reached thepany building, a figure suddenly walked over. "Mr. Francis!" Brian frowned slightly and turned to look at the person. It was Carson. His face was haggard, and his brows were knitted together. The arrogance on his face was gone, and his face was filled with a pleading look. Brian looked straight at him and did not speak. He waited for Carson to speak. Carson said, "You already know about Ava''s murder, right? My sister has been arrested." When he heard the news from Carson, Brian felt as if his brain had exploded. Carson added, "As the Adkins family''s future son-inw, I know you will definitely help them in this matter, but I hope you won''t be ignorant. There must be someone else who killed Ava." Brian narrowed his eyes. To be honest, ever since he heard the newsst night, he had never thought of helping the Adkins family. Brian looked around and lit a cigarette. "Let''s talk in my office." Carson followed him to the office. "My sister received a text message yesterday before she went out." Carson sent Grace''s message to Brian. Brian''s eyes trembled. "Your sister isn''t your parents'' biological daughter?" Carson nodded. "This happened not long ago when my father''s leg was injured She doesn''t even know her background, but someone knows her background. Don''t you think it''s very strange?" en Brian asked, "The person who sent her the message was Ava?" Carson shook his head. "That''s unlikely. My sister''s phone is switched off. I don''t think she has it now. It should be with the murderer." Brian asked, "You mean that the murderer asked Grace to meet up and killed Ava to frame Grace?" Carson nodded. Brian pondered for a while. There was no expression on his face, and Carson could not tell what he was thinking. After a while, Brian looked up at him. "You can go back first. Don''t worry. If Grace is wronged, I''ll find a way to clear her name." Carson was stunned. His purposeProperty ? of N?velDrama.Org. foring here today was actually to hope that he would not blindly help the Adkins family fight awsuit he did because of Louise. However awsuit not expect him to be willing to help his sister. Brian didn''t say anything else, but Carson didn''t leave the office. Brian looked up at him and asked, "Is there anything else?" Chapter 438 Carson said, "My Grace is locked up now. The police won''t let me see her. If you can, I wonder if you can do me a favor. I want to take Austin to see her." Brian agreed without any hesitation. He immediately called Camren and asked him to make the arrangements. Carson was a little surprised. In his eyes, Brian had always been a businessman who only cared about benefits. But today, it seemed that he was also very easy to talk to. Carson stood in his office. After a while, he bowed deeply to Brian and said sincerely, "Thank you." ***** Camren was very efficient. Carson brought Austin into the police station and sessfully met Grace. "Grace!" The moment Grace saw Carson, tears fell. Austin seemed to be able to feel her mother''s emotions and started crying. Grace took the child and coaxed her in a low voice. Carson wanted to ask her some details, but the prison guard on duty next to him did not allow the two of them to discuss matters within the case. Carson could onlyfort her. "Grace, don''t worry. Justin and I will help you find evidence. I went to look for Brian today. He said that if you were wronged, he would help you think of a way." Grace looked at him in surprise. Then, she asked, "Does he believe me?" Carson said, "I don''t know. His expression was very cold. I couldn''t tell what he was thinking." The two of them met for only ten minutes before the prison guard asked Carson to go back. Carson said, "Grace, I''ll take good care of Austin." Grace covered her mouth and nodded. Carson had just carried Austin out when a figure rushed in. Grace had just turned around and walked towards the detention room when she was pushed to the ground by a force. Immediately, her hair was torn. Shannon said, "You vicious bitch! I''m going to kill you. You killed my daughter. I want you to die with her!" Grace''s head hit the ground hard. It was so painful that she could not react in time. She was pped a few times by Shannon. The prison guard immediately stepped forward and pulled her away. "Madam, please calm down. This is the police station!" Grace was helped up and looked straight at Shannon without any fear. "I know you''re very sad that your daughter is dead, but I swear that I didn''t touch your daughter! The murderer is someone else!" Shannon was very agitated. She struggled to go forward while shouting, "How dare you lie! You murderer! The evidence is conclusive! It was you, the vicious daughter!" woman, who killed Cious Grace said, "I said that I''m not the murderer! As her mother, you''d better think about who your daughteroffended! Otherwise, it''s a small matter for me to take the me, but it''s a big matter for the murderer to be atrge and eyeing you covetously!" Shannon could not listen to her at all. She kept roaring and struggling. The prison guard hurriedly brought Grace back to the detention room. Grace sat on the bed and suddenly felt something in her clothes.N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. It was Ava''s phone. She quickly took it out and looked at it. The screen was broken a little. It must have been trampled in the park. She clicked on the screen. The phone was locked. She quickly guessed the number that might unlock the password. She recalled that Ava had mentioned her birthday when she was at home, but she did not know which year Ava was born. She could only roughly estimate the year. She guessed four times in a row, and they were all wrong. Grace calmed down and thought about it. Suddenly, she remembered that Ava liked Brian. Hence, she tried with his birthday. Chapter 439 The phone beeped, and the screen was unlocked. Grace could not suppress her excitement and immediately checked the application that was opened recently. The first was the camera. She clicked on it and saw a video in which Louise and a man appeared. She covered her mouth in surprise. The man in the video had a scar on his forehead. It was the man who had tried to harm her previously, and this man was actually having an affair with Louise. She wondered if Brian would vomit from disgust when he saw the video. Grace thought, ''It turned out that Ava was killed because she discovered Louise''s secret. This video is very important. Even if I can not prove that Ava was not killed by me, I can at least drag Louise down with me.'' She looked at her phone excitedly. At this moment, the phone screen suddenly shed twice. Then, the screen turned ck. Grace pressed the side button twice, but the phone did not respond. At this moment, the door opened and the prison guard threw in a set of clothes. He said coldly, "Change into these clothes!" After Grace changed her clothes, the prison guards came to take away her clothes and phone.N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. She hurriedly grabbed the prison guard''s hand and asked, "What are you going to do with my things?" Seeing her nervous expression, the prison guard thought that she was worried that her things would be stolen, so he exined, "Don''t worry, we won''t take your money. Everything you have will be handed over to your family on your behalf." Grace had no choice but to let the prison guard take the phone away. Now, she could only think of a way to meet Carson and get him to fix the phone. However, she was alone and helpless here. If not for Brian''s help that day, she would not have been able to see anyone. The holding cell was only 45 square feet, with a cot, a small window, and a toilet. Gracey on the bed and heard the conversation of a few prison guards outside. "Prisoner 83 didn''t kill an ordinary person. The Adkins family is very powerful in Capern City Moreover, they are inws with the Francis Group. I''m afraid the Adkins family won''t stop until she''s sentenced to death." A prison guard added, "She kept saying that she was wronged. I don''t think she''s capable of murder. I wonder if there will be any reversals in this case." Someone else said, "Other than turning themselves in, how many murderers don''t cry out injustice? It''s hard to tell what''s going on in people''s hearts. Some people look soft and weak, but they''re ruthless when ites to killing people." Another prison guard said, "That''s true..." Grace listened to their conversation, her heart fluctuating. The next day, the autopsy report of Ava came out. MS Ava''s time of death coincided with Grace''s arrivall to the park. All the evidence pointed to her. During this period, Grace never saw Carson again. She did not know if her things had been handed over to Carson. The trial started a few dayster. Grace was escorted to the defense table by the prison guards. Marshal and Shannon sat beside the prosecutor and red at Grace angrily. They wanted to tear her apart. The judge asked, "Defendant, do you have any objections to the above charges?" Grace said, "I have no conflict with Ava. I have no motive to kill." Shannon was rather agitated. When she heard Grace''s denial, she immediately roared, "You murderer! You have a motive to kill! Thest time my daughter kidnapped you, you had a grudge against her, so you killed her!" "Is that so? But thest time your daughter was acquitted, she didn''t kidnap me." Grace was waiting for them to personally admit that they had kidnapped her. This way, she could buy as much time as possible. The police had to investigate the previous case again. Chapter 440 Marshall and Shannon were furious, especially Shannon. She rushed over like a lunatic. Before anyone could react, she pushed Grace to the ground fast and pressed her head against the table beside her. In the gallery, Brian''s eyes moved slightly when he saw this scene. He clenched his fists under the table. Louise, who was sitting beside him, could clearly feel his stiffness. She thought, ''He must have used a lot of strength to force himself not to rush over, right?'' Louise stared at the two people fighting and narrowed her eyes. She felt that it was not an ideal situation for her even if Grace was sentenced for life in prison. The prison guards quickly pulled Shannon away. Grace''s head was injured, and blood flowed down her forehead. The scene was so chaotic that the trial had to be temporarily adjourned. Grace was detained by the prison guards and brought back to the detention room. When she passed by the gallery, she saw Carson and quickly walked towards him. She said loudly, "Carso! You must help me keep my things. And my phone. You must help me repair it!" Before she could reach Carson, she was pulled back by the prison guard. She stared intently into Carson''s eyes, which seemed to be glowing. Carson frowned slightly. For a moment, he did not understand what Grace meant. He had not received her things yet. He thought, ''Did she not lose her phone? Grace is reminding me that there is something important in her phone! But where is her phone? Where should I find it?'' Grace looked at him until she disappeared around the corner. Brian''s expression was cold as he gradually retracted his gaze. Louise narrowed her eyes. Grace''s actions just now were too abnormal. Her intuition told her that there was something wrong with Grace. She thought, ''Her phone? What was on her phone?'' At the thought of this, Louise immediately became vignt and left the court with Brian. She called Hale and the two of them arranged to meet. This time, the two of them arranged to meet at a hotel. Louise was wearing a mask and sunsses. The moment she entered the hotel room, she fell into a smoky embrace. Hale pressed her against the wall and lowered his head impatiently to kiss her neck.Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Louise rebuked, "Hale... Why are you so anxious!" "Swish!" Louise gasped as her clothes were torn apart. "You tore my clothes! How am I going to get backter?" Hale picked her up horizontally and threw her onto the bed. He said rudely, What are you afraid of? 11 buy you er! I''ve been holding it in for so many days. I''m almost suffocating!" Louisey on the bed and bit her finger. "Is that so? There are so many women around you. I don''t believe you''re going to hold it in for so long!" Hale said vulgar words as he unbuckled his belt. Removing the restraints, he leaned down and went straight to the point. Louise shrunk back, but Hale held her down tightly and did not let her retreat. Louise said, "You... What are you doing?" Hale said, "I can''t help it. What are you afraid of Brian has not been able to make you pregnant for so long. Isn''t it better to take this opportunity to get pregnant and marry him? When the timees, my son will be Francis Group''s sessor!" The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 441 Louise narrowed her eyes. Although Hale''s idea was despicable, it was not a bad idea. She thought, ''Thest time, I thought that I could marry Brian soon after sleeping with him, but Ava had just died, so the marriage had to be postponed. If this dragged on, some changes might indeed happen! However, if the Francis family found out that I am pregnant, my status would be stable!'' At the thought of this, Louise stopped resisting. She punched Hale coquettishly and snuggled into his arms. When it was over, Louise lit a cigarette for him and talked about the trial today. "I suspect that Grace has something on her. We can''t let this woman live!" Hale hugged her and blew smoke at her. He asked, "What do you want to do with her? I''ll help you." Louise said viciously with a smile, "I want her to die in jail! Hale, you know a lot of people in jail. This is not difficult, right?" Hale grabbed her butt hard and grinned, revealing his yellow teeth. "Of course, it''s not difficult. Don''t worry. I''ll arrange it tomorrow." Louise kissed him on the cheek in satisfaction. "Oh right, there''s also her child, that bastard! She looks exactly the same as Brian! How dare Grace lie to me that she''s not Brian''s child! That bastard must die. Otherwise, if Brian finds out in the future, it will be a big problem. Our child won''t be able to inherit the Francis Group." Hale nodded. "Yes, what you said makes sense. We can''t let anyone have the chance topete with my child for the Francis Group!" Louise took the initiative to lean close to him. "Hale, you''re so nice..." Hale pressed her under him again. ***** In jail, Grace was temporarily detained in a six-person jail cell. Everyone here had been sentenced. There were people who hadmitted murder, drug trafficking, and human trafficking. She secretly sized them up. Two female criminals looked ferocious and had tattoos on their arms. It was obvious that they were not to be trifled with. A woman with short hair was silent. She had tanned skin and a hideous scar on her shoulder. There was also a woman who was very talkative and knew how to please the two fierce women. She was also the only one who spoke to Grace. "Hey, what''s your name? What did you do to get here?" Grace said, "I was wronged." The woman clicked her tongue. "Why are you still crying out injustice when you''re already in here? How many injustices can there be in this day and age? I think you''d better confess. You might even be able to reduce your sentence." Grace frowned and was about to say something when the prison guard outside shouted, "Those who want to take a shower can go take a shower now!" Grace hadn''t showered in days. She picked up a basin and walked out.This is from N?velDrama.Org. The silent female criminal also picked up a basin and left. When she reached the bathroom, Grace had just taken off her clothes when she was kicked to the ground. The ground was made of cement, and a bloody mark was left on her delicate skin. She turned around and saw that the person who hit her was the short-haired female criminal. Grace asked, "Why did you hit me?" The female criminal didn''t say a word and didn''t stop hitting her. She kicked her abdomen again. Grace groaned and screamed as she got up from the ground. "Someone! Help!" The guards were guarding outside, but because there were still people taking a shower inside, the noise as was a little loud, and Grace''s shouts could not be heard from outside. Chapter 442 Just as Grace was about to run out, the female criminal grabbed her hair again and pulled her hard. "Bang!" Grace was dragged to the ground again. The criminals who were bathing inside seemed to be used to this situation. They had no intention of helping and turned a blind eye to it. Grace''s heart was cold. At this moment, she could only rely on herself. She caught a glimpse of the basin on the ground and tried her best to reach out to grab it. She threw it towards the door. "ng!" The basin made a heavy sound on the door. The prison guard finally noticed the situation here. The female criminal immediately stopped and picked up her basin to take a shower as if nothing had happened. A guard asked, "What are you doing? Who hit you?" Grace stood up and pointed at the short-haired woman. "It''s her!" The prison guard took a look and frowned slightly, but she had no intention of dealing with the problem. She only said to Grace, "Stay away from her. She''s sentenced to life." Grace pursed her lips and her fingers trembled slightly. It seemed like that woman often hit people here. Grace was afraid that she would attack her again after the prison guard left, so she applied to bathe separately from her. The prison guard did not make things difficult for her and agreed. She dressed and returned to her cell. The four women inside nced at her. Their faces didn''t show much emotion, as if they had expected her to be beaten. The talkative woman pulled her over. "You''re really bold. Can''t you see that we haven''t taken a shower? Let me tell you, she''s the boss of our jail cell. No one dares to provoke her. Whether it''s taking a shower or eating, you''d better walk behind her." Grace pursed her lips and said to her, "Thank you for telling me this." When the short-haired woman came back from the shower, Grace went to take a shower. When she went out, she leaned against the wall and walked as far away from her as possible. When she came out of the shower, a prison guard said that someone hade to see her and asked her to go to the reception room. She thought that it was Carson, but when she arrived at the reception room, she realized that it was Brian. She did not expect him to visit her. Ve She stood still while looking at him~~~ through the ss. He was in high spirits in his suit and stood with a handsome figure. His gazended squarely on her face. There was no additional expression in his eyes. It could even be said to be cold. Grace couldn''t help but lower her head. When she saw the chain on her ankle, the tip of her nose suddenly stung. They had been married for three years. She wondered how he would feel when he saw her now. Grace did not want him to see her most embarrassing side. Grace paused for a long time before walking over to answer the call. She didn''t say anything. She was afraid that if she did, she would choke up. "How are you?" His tone was very calm, but his hand was already clenche into a fist in his pocket. His short and thick nails were almost digging into his palm. Grace secretly took a deep breath. "It''s alright." She thought, ''Does this mean that he still cares about me? Then... will he help me?'' lit up. At the thought of this, her eyes She looked at him and opened her mouth Just as the words reached her throat, she heard him say "Actually, you''ve already regained your memory, right?" Grace was stunned.N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. His tone was so cold that she didn''t have the courage to exin anything. He let out a mocking chuckle. "No. Perhaps you haven''t lost your memory after all. You''ve pretended you didn''t know me since you woke up." Chapter 443 Grace had nothing to say in the face of his questioning. Brian looked at her silently lowering her head and a faint anger rose in his heart. He thought, ''She wants to draw a clear line with me! I guess she wants to not be affiliated with me at all. In order to avoid me, she actually pretended to lose her memory!'' Thinking of this, Brian wanted to strangle her to death. Now that she was thrown into jail and was charged with murder, he felt very difficult to help her. There was a long silence. Brian thought that Grace would say something. He thought that she would beg him to think of a way to save her. If she begged him, he would do everything he could to save her. However, Grace only lowered her head slightly and her eyes were slightly lowered. She did not even look at him. The anger in his heart instantly surged. After waiting for a long time, she still did not speak. His voice was cold as he said, "The Adkins family is pressuring the police now. They want to sentence you to death. We were once married. I can only protect you and try to sentence you based on the facts. Since you made a mistake, you should be punished." Grace''s tears fell. She looked up at him hurriedly and wiped the tears from her eyes. She broke into a smile, but it was uglier than crying. With a trembling voice, she said, "Thank you." Brian clenched his fists tightly and gritted his teeth. "This is thest time I''ll help you. From now on... we are not associated anymore." With that, he hung up the phone and left without looking back.This is from N?velDrama.Org. Grace raised her head and looked at him. Her eyes were blurred with tears. She wiped the tears from her eyes forcefully, but what she saw was his heartless back. She thought, ''We are not associated anymore. This was what I had once hoped for. He has done as I wished, but why does my heart hurt so much as if it has been torn aparte Grace slipped from her seat and fell to the ground. She clutched her heart and curled up into a ball in pain. She thought, ''Brian, if I have to do it again, I will definitely not choose to marry you for 600 thousand dors! However, I have alreadye this far in this life... In my next life, I will not want to see him again. Grace could not remember how she returned to the prison cell. When she woke up, it was already the next day. A prison guard sent her to the cafeteria to cook for the prisoners. Most of the people who cooked were male prisoners. There were only two female prisoners, and Grace was one of them. The pan for cooking was very big. Grace did not have the strength to pick it up. She went in and chose a lighter job. She was sitting there picking vegetables when a man suddenly walked over and kicked her. "Get lost! I''ll do this. You, go and help move things." Grace knew that the criminals here were not to be trifled with, so she could only ept it. She dragged her thin body and carried bags of potatoes. After carrying the items, someone instructed her to serve the iron pot and stir fry the vegetables. She looked at the iron pot that was heavier than her and hesitated. en The man kicked her again. "What are you looking at? Don''t you want to do it? Cooking is a woman''s job! Hurry up!" Grace had no choice but to cook. There was another pot beside her. A man was pouring oil into the pot. Just as Grace was cooking, a spoonful of boiling oil was suddenly sshed at her. Her arm instantly turned red as she screamed. The man standing beside her apologized with a fake attitude, "I''m sorry. I didn''t hold the spoon properly." Grace gritted her teeth and turned on the tap. She stretched her arm under the tap and rinsed for a while. Chapter 444 However, Grace''s arm was still covered in blisters. A few men stood at the back and smiled sinisterly at her. Grace came back after running cold water on her arm. She endured the pain and finished cooking. She did not eat lunch because she had no appetite. For a few days in a row, she ran into all kinds of idents, or she had been beaten up because of all kinds of premeditated setups. Her entire body was injured. She gradually understood that someone was deliberately messing with her. She felt that it must be Louise. There were still a few days before the second trial. Louise calcted the time and asked Hale to find out the whereabouts of Grace. In the end, she found out that Grace was still alive after being beaten up. This made Louise grit her teeth in anger. ***** One day, a prison guard told Grace that someone hade to see her. When she reached the reception room, she saw Louise sitting behind the ss with a smile on her face. Grace gritted her teeth and walked over to answer the call. "Long time no see, Miss Sherman. No, I should call you a murderer." As she spoke, Louise covered her mouth andughed. "You don''t look like you''re having a good time. Did you get beaten up because you''re too bitchy and others can''t stand you?" Louiseughed out loud again. Grace asked, "Didn''t you have any nightmares these few days? Didn''t Ava''s vengeful spirite to look for you?" Louise''s expression turned cold as she looked at her. "You''re still being stubborn even when you''re about to die? You''re the one who should be having nightmares! My father will definitely make sure you are sentenced to death. It doesn''t feel good to know that you don''t have much time left, right? Look at how much weight you''ve lost. Are you worried that you''ll die? You should be worried. After all, you still have a bastard in this world. If you die, that bastard will be an orphan." Grace shouted, "Shut up!"N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. "What''s wrong? Is talking about your sore spot making you unhappy? You can''t take it anymore? I brought you a big gift today!" As she spoke Louise took out a few things from her bag. en Grace stared at her coldly. Then, she saw her ce a diagnosis report on the ss. When she saw the contents, Grace''s face suddenly turned pale. That was Carson''s diagnostic report. Grace thought, ''His leukemia has rpsed?'' Louise enjoyed the change in Grace''s expression. She put down the diagnostic report in a good mood and ced another photo in front of her. It was a photo of Carson lying on the ground with a pale face. Grace thought, ''How can Louise have these photos? How is Carson now? His leukemia has rpsed, but what about Austin? Who is taking care of Austin?'' Just as she was thinking about this, Louise showed another photo to Grace. It was a photo of Louise carrying Austin. Grace''s scalp suddenly went numb She screamed, "Louise! What exactly do you want? You lunatic! If you dare to touch my daughter, I''ll definitely kill you!" She pped the ss crazily, wishing she could tear Louise apart on the spot. Louise listened to her crazy voice and felt an unprecedented sense of pleasure in her heart. Grace suddenly kowtowed heavily to her. "I beg you! Please let my daughter go. I''ll do anything you want!" Louise narrowed her eyes at Grace and said viciously, "Your daughter is a bastard! She shouldn''t still be alive in this world. Her mom is a l.ne murderer, and her Uncle is terminally ill. What''s the point of her living? She might as well be dead!" The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 445 Grace hit the ss in despair and shouted hoarsely, "No! Don''t touch my daughter! Louise, I beg you, don''t touch her..." Louise''s eyes shed with joy. She ced thest photo in front of her. "Did you see that? I''ve already thrown her into the sea. You should thank me for helping her end her future pain." Grace wentpletely crazy. In the photo, Austin was about to be submerged by the sea. She seemed to be in a daze. Only tears kept flowing out of her eyes. The phone in her hand dropped. Louise looked at her andughed out loud. She hung up the phone, turned around proudly, and left. After being dragged into the prison cell by the prison guards, shey on the ground weakly. The talkative woman stepped forward and looked at her. Then, she reached out and touched her arm. "Hey... what''s wrong?" Grace''s eyes were dull and unresponsive, and her face was ashen. At this moment, the short-haired woman was about to get up and go to the toilet. When she saw Grace fall in the middle of the road, she raised her leg and kicked her. "Get up!" Grace rolled her eyes but did not move. The short-haired woman was instantly enraged. She kicked Grace''s abdomen fiercely. Grace frowned and suddenly stood up. With lightning speed, she pounced on the short-haired woman. The short-haired woman was tall and strong. Previously, she was an ouw and was terrifyingly strong. Soon, she pressed Grace under her and punched her ruthlessly. Grace was punched a few times in a row, and blood flowed out of her nose. Her brain also felt a little short of oxygen. The other women in the cell were so frightened that they didn''t even dare to breathe loudly. Grace grabbed the short-haired woman''s hand and bit down hard. She bit down on it fiercely, and the taste of blood quickly spread in her mouth. The short-haired woman hissed, but she could not break free no matter how hard she tried. She even felt that the piece of flesh that was bitten had gradually separated from her hand. en Tears slid into Grace''s mouth, mixed with the taste of blood, and stimted the hatred in her heart. She thought, ''Why? Why do I have to be hurt like this when I didn''t do anything? I tried my best to stay safe and protect everything, but in the end, I still lost everything. Austin was I my only hope of survival. With the chile gone, what is the point of living in this world?'' Grace''s heart ached so much that she was about to suffocate. The strength in her teeth loosened slightly. At this moment, the short-haired woman suddenly threw her away. "Bang!" There was a loud bang as Grace''s head hit the wall. Apanied by a sharp pain, her vision turned ck and she fainted. Just as the short-haired woman was about to continue to beat her up, the prison guards rushed over. ***** When Grace woke up, she was in a hospital bed. Her head hurt. When she opened her eyes, memories flooded back. She closed her eyes, but tears continued to flow from the corners of her eyes. The door opened and a woman in a white coat came in. Grace opened her eyes and nced at her. Then, she turned around and looked at the ceiling like a zombie. The woman greeted her and said gently, "You''re awake. Your head is injured and you''ve already been stitched up while you were unconscious. Don''t move too much. Be careful not to pull your wound. My name is Maia Castillo." As she spoke, she gave Grace an IV drip. an?VBelonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. Looking at Grace''s puppet-like appearance, Maia did not know if Grace had taken her words to heart. Chapter 446 Only Maia and Grace were left in the room. Maia lowered her head and said to her, "Don''t worry, Justin will do his best to save your brother." Upon hearing Carson, Grace''s eyes finally moved. She slowly turned to look at her. She thought, ''So this person is arranged by Justin. But it is toote now. My child is gone, and my heart has died with her.'' For a moment, she really wanted to ask about Carson''s condition or her daughter''s corpse. However, when she thought of the scene of Austin being submerged in the sea, she felt so much pain that she couldn''t breathe. She couldn''t even open her mouth. She closed her eyes and could no longer hear what Maia was saying.Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. Maia looked at her disheartened face and said a lot offorting and encouraging words, but Grace did not react at all. After applying the medicine and injecting her, the prison guard let Maia leave. She looked at Grace and sighed deeply. In the following days, Grace was like a soulless puppet. Every day, shey in bed and looked at the ceiling. When her eyes were tired, she would sleep. When she woke up, she would continue to daydream. Soon, it was time for the second trial. Grace was chained up and brought out by the prison guards to wait outside the jail. A prison van drove over. Grace lowered her head and was pushed by the prison guard. She staggered and got into the car without looking up. Grace sat in thest row with two men in uniform on either side. She stared nkly at the ground. She wanted to expose Louise during the second trial. Even if she could not find any evidence for the time being, she had to have Louise be investigated by the police. If Louise was at the trial, she would definitely kill her at all costs. Suddenly, there was an urgent, sharp honk from the front of the car. Grace looked ahead and saw a dark red truck crash into her car. Her eyes widened and her body suddenly left the seat. "Bang!" A violent collision sounded. Grace''s entire body was in pain as if it had been torn apart. At this moment, she seemed very sober. The scene of her meeting Brian for the first time shed through her mind. His expression was cold. When he saw her, his cold and handsome eyes narrowed slightly, and he seemed to be surprised. That day, she had believed in love at first sight. When he said that he wanted to marry her, she hadpletely fallen for him. Even though she found outter that he only treated her as a substitute, she would dly ept it. Like a movie rey, every detail of the past three years shed through her mind. Brian, then There was the gentle Brian, the cold angry Brian, and the affectionate Brian. However, his love had never belonged to her. The Grace smiled slowly. She thought, ''Brian... This is all because of you. Without you, I wouldn''t have crossed paths with Louise. Without you, I wouldn''t have any weaknesses, Now, everything is over. My eyelids are so heavy. I feel so tired. This is good. This is finallying to an end. I can finally be free. ***** Grace slowly closed her eyes, as if she no longer missed anything in this world. Brian was driving to the courthouse. While waiting for the traffic lights, he lit a cigarette. It was June, and the air seemed to be a little stuffy. He loosened his tie and rolled down the car window. The slightly hot wind outside blew against his face, but he felt even more vexed. He felt restless as if something was about to happen. Chapter 447 For some reason, the road was blocked today. At that moment, Brian''s phone suddenly rang. It was Camren. Brian picked up the phone. The voice on the other end paused for a long time before saying solemnly, "Mr. Francis, Miss Sherman was in a car ident on the way to the court. I heard that it was a collision with arge truck. No one survived." Brian felt as if a muffled thunder had exploded in his head. After a long time, he was able to ask unsteadily, "Say that again." Camren repeated clearly, word by word, "Miss Sherman had a car ident on the way to the court. She collided with arge truck. No one in the car survived." Brian''s fingers gripped the phone tightly. The edge of the metal seemed to be bent by his grip. Veins bulged on his well-defined fingers. He slowly lowered his arm. The traffic was moving forward slowly. The navigation system was reminding him, "Two miles ahead, there''s a major traffic ident on Third Ring Road South. We''ve redirected a route for you." Brian opened the car door and sprinted down the road. It took him 13 minutes to cover a distance of two miles. The scene was cordoned off. He watched as the ambnce pulled up alongside and the paramedics carried out thest body covered in a white sheet. The corpse was wearing a prison uniform. The ground was covered in blood and the air was filled with the foul smell of blood. He staggered and almost fell. He hurriedly held onto the guardrail beside him. He stumbled and wanted to rush over. He did not believe it. Brian thought, ''How could Grace die? How could such a carefree person die?'' He had taken only two steps when he was stopped by the police, who forcibly led him to the non-motorizedne. The ambnce left, leaving only blood and mess on the ground. Brian looked at the ground with a pale face. He stood by the roadside as if his soul had been extracted. After an unknown period of time, Camren came and brought him away from the scene. After Brian returned home, he locked himself in his room. He sat on the ground in a daze for a few hours. His mind was filled with Grace''s face. Closing his eyes, he seemed to be able to see Grace smiling in this bedroom. Outside the door, Melvin Duncan knocked on the door and asked him to eat. Brian''s body, which had been stiff for a long time, slowly moved. His bones made a crisp sound. He seemed to have thought of something and stood up abruptly to rummage through the drawers and cabs in the bedroom. After looking around, he didn''t seem to find what he was looking for. He sat on the ground dispiritedly. He thought, ''Nothing... She had left nothing behind in this house." "Mr. Brian, it''s time to eat," Melvin shouted from outside. Brian suddenly got up and opened the door. He rushed into the study and opened a drawer. He found a marriage certificate and a divorce certificate. §¿§Ý§Ö He slowly flipped it open and saw the photo of the two of them. He et stretched out his finger and gently stroked it. Suddenly, heughed self-deprecatingly. As heughed, a drop of liquid fell from the corner of his eye without warning. Brian thought, ''How ironic. The only photo of us together, the only wedding photo, was photoshopped.''N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. There was a sudden sharp pain in his heart. He clutched his heart, which was empty and painful. He thought, ''Why is it so empty and painful?'' Brian btedly realized that because Grace once moved in and left. Even his heart was taken away after she left. Chapter 448 Melvin was very worried about Brian. He called Camren and learned that Grace had died in a car ident. He opened his mouth in shock and did note back to his senses for a long time. After hanging up the phone, he went to the door of the study and saw Brian sitting in a chair, holding the marriage certificate in his hand. It was as if all his soul had been sucked out of him as he stared at the ceiling motionlessly. Melvin walked in and stood respectfully beside him. He said, "Mr. Brian, the dead can''t be revived. My condolences!" Brian did not respond. Melvin sighed, and moisture seeped out of the corners of his eyes. He said again, "If Miss Sherman is in heaven and sees you like this, she will also be sad." Brian suddenly pursed his lips sarcastically. He raised his hand and pinched the tears at the corners of his eyes. "Why would she be sad? In order to avoid me, she pretended to have lost her memory. Now, she''s avoiding me forever. Why would she be sad because of me?" Melvin frowned. "Mr. Brian, how can you say that? Miss Sherman cares about you. I can see it clearly. There are many things. The onlooker can see clearly. Miss Sherman definitely loves you. She definitely doesn''t want you to be sad for her." Brian thought, ''She probably has once loved me. Unfortunately, I did not realize it in time. Perhaps after I brought Louise back, she gradually stopped loving me. Otherwise, how could she have given birth to Justin''s child...'' Brian clutched his heart. The more he thought about the past, the more his heart ached. Actually, he had fallen in love with Grace a long time ago. It was just that he was unwilling to admit it. Brian didn''t know when he started loving her, Perhaps it was after the divorce, or perhaps it was before Louise returned. After spending so much time with Grace, he was used to her cooking for him. He was used to her weing him as soon as he came back from work and helping him take off his shoes and tie. She was like a slow-acting poison, slowly sinking into his bones. He had always lied to himself that he was not poisoned, but in fact, the poison had already entered his heart. The first time he thought that Grace was involved in a ne crash, he felt that he had lost the entire world. At that time, he should have realized his feelings for her. However, he was blinded by the fact that Louise had saved his life. He thought that he was in love with Louise and only had a little attachment to Grace. As a result, he missed too much. Brian thought, ''If I had admitted my love for Grace back then, would she still end up dead right now? It is toote. Everything is toote...'' At night, Brian walked around the vi like a lonely ghost. He went to the bedroom she used to live in, the servants'' room on the first floor, and the wine cer she used to live in. en Sitting on the floor of the wine cer, he casually picked up a bottle of red wine and drank it in one go. The stimting alcohol stung his stomach as if it could reduce the pain in his heart. Melvin found that Brian was not in the bedroom in the middle of the night. He searched around and found Brian in the wine cer. He immediately called for a doctor. The doctor said, "He''s too sad and has drunk so much alcohol. His heart muscles don''t have enough blood for now. After the infusion, prescribe some medicine. When he wakes up, tell him not to drink like this anymore. Make sure he can stay calm and not be too sad Melvin noted them down one by one. "Thank you. Sorry to trouble you." After sending the doctor off, it was almost dawn.Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. Melvin thought for a moment and called Camren over. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 449 Camren could not help but sigh as he looked at Brian, the former genius of the business world, lying on the bed with no color on his face. He had noticed Brian''s feelings for Grace. Back when Brian was searching for Grace all over the world, he knew that Grace was very important to Brian. Actually, he didn''t even feel sorry for Brian. On one hand, Brian couldn''t let go of Grace, and on the other hand, he wanted to marry Louise. It was no way he could be with two women at the same time. Now that things hade to this, Camren could only shake his head. He then stayed with Brian in the room and waited for him to wake up. Brian had a dream. In the dream, Grace smiled gently at him. The dream was very real as if he had returned to the days before Louise returned. When he woke up, his expression was very calm. Other than his face being a little pale, there was no emotion in his eyes. Camren asked worriedly, "Mr. Francis, how do you feel?" Brian sat up and said hoarsely, "I''m fine." He got up and calmly washed up. Then, he changed into clean clothes and called Camren to his study. "Ava was killed. I don''t believe Grace did it. Find out who Ava saw before she went to the park. There must be more to this than meets the eye. There might be a bigger secret behind it.'' Camren did not expect Brian to pull himself together so quickly. He was slightly surprised for a moment before nodding. "Alright, Mr. Francis. I''ll check it out now." Brian added, "Also, don''t alert the enemy." ***** At the Adkins family, Shannon sat in Ava''s room and looked at the photos on the table. Tears kept pouring out like a flood breaking a dam. She hugged the photo of Ava and cried her heart out. A servant knocked on the door. Shannon wiped her tears and said, "Come in." The servant came in with a cardboard box. "Madam, this is the box you wanted." "Leave it there. Get out." Shannon reluctantly put down Ava''s photo Then, she opened the drawer, took out her things one by one, and ced them in the box. After packing up the things on the table, she went to Ava''s bed. There were still dolls on the bed that Ava liked to hug when she slept. She ced the dolls in the box Just as she removed the doll, she saw the corner of a letter peeking out from under the pillow. Shannon removed the pillow and took out the letter. There was nothing written on the envelope. Doubts shed through Shannon''s mind. She was about to open it when the doorknob suddenly turned. Shannon instinctively put the letter back. She looked up and saw Louise standing at the door. With a smile on her face, she walked towards Shannon. Shannon''s gaze turned cold. "What are you doing here?" Louise was stunned for a moment before she smiled. "Shannon, I know you''re sad, but we''re family after all. Do you have to shout at me like that?" Shannon knew that she was threatening her. Now that Ava was dead, Louise naturally became the Adkins family''s only heir. In this family, Shannon''s status had be less significant. She took a deep breath and softened her tone. "I overreacted. Why did youe in?" YeContent from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. Her attitude made Louise smile in satisfaction. She lowered her head and nced at Ava''s belongings in ? the box. In a few days, I''ll have to discuss my marriage with Brian''s mother. Previously, because Ava suddenly passed away, the wedding had to be postponed. Now, the matter shoulde to an end." Chapter 450 Louise said, "My mother died young. You''re my mother now. You have to attend when the timees." Shannon gritted her teeth. She thought, ''Ava has only been dead for less than a month and Louise is already eager to get married. She does not care about my feelings at all!'' Although Shannon was angry and hated Louise, she did not dare to fall out with Louise. She could only suppress the anger in her heart and say calmly, "I understand." Louise nodded and looked around the room again. "Shannon, are you packing up Ava''s belongings? Let me help you pack them up." Shannon said, "There''s no need. You can leave first." Louise refused and insisted on going through Ava''s wardrobe. She came to Ava''s room to see if there was anything that would influence her in an negative way. She was afraid that Ava would know something. She felt uneasy. Shannon was very unhappy. She suppressed the anger in her heart and said, "I''ve collected most of her things. Let''s go out and eat first." Louise was pushed out by Shannon. The meal with the Francis family was at the Caper Grand Hotel. Louise sat beside Brian obediently and picked up food for Jasmine Francis and Brian. She looked like an obedient wife. Jasmine said, "Marshall and Shannon, I''ve heard about your daughter. The most painful thing in the world is to send your children off. You have to take care of yourselves!" Shannon lowered her head. Her face was haggard as if she had aged more than ten years overnight. She could not speak in the face of Jasmine''sfort. Marshall and sighed. "Thank you for your concern, Jasmine. My youngest daughter is not blessed. Fortunately, Louise was found. Otherwise, I don''t know how to live the rest of my life!" Jasmineforted the two of them again. The two families gradually changed the topic to Louise and Brian. However, after a while, Louise felt that something was wrong. Although the topic was about her and Brian, Jasmine did not mention anything about the wedding.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. at Bri She looked at Brian beside her. His expression was indifferent, and he seemed distant and indifferent. Louise felt that there was nothing different about him, but she also felt that he had changed. He seemed to be very distant from her. He had not mentioned anything about their wedding at all. To be precise, Brian had barely said a word tonight. Louise began to feel a little worried. She used the excuse of going to the washroom. When she was outside, she sent a message to Marshall to ask him toe out. "Dad, why didn''t Jasmine mention my wedding?" Louise asked anxiously. Marshall also realized this. "I don''t know, but if we take the initiative to mention the wedding, it will seem like we''re in a hurry. That''s not appropriate." Louise became even more anxious. "Dad, what''s wrong with that? Aren''t you afraid that something will happen ifthis drags on? Brian and have already slept with each other. Maybe... maybe I am already pregnant. Aren''t you worried at all?" When she said that, Marshall became anxious. Thinking back to thest time they had dinner, Jasmine was anxious to get the two of them to hold the wedding as soon possible. This time, her attitude was so different that he felt a little flustered. "Alright, Dad will go and test it outter." as A smile appeared on Louise''s face. "Alright, go in first. I''lle inter." Back at the dining table, Marshall drank a ss of wine and spoke to Jasmine. Chapter 451 Marshall said, "Jasmine, so our children..." However, Jasmine cut him off. "Marshall, how''s the project I asked Brian to introduce to you recently?" Marshall choked and nced at Louise. He squeezed out a smile and said, "You''re talking about the project in Petanic. You have a good intuition. The project is about to start construction. The estimated profit is above 30%." Jasmine smiled. "That''s good. In the future, let Brian introduce a few more projects to you." Marshall nodded and said, "It''s my blessing to have a son-inw like Brian." Jasmine subtly changed the topic. "This is what I should do. By the way, the Francis Group is currently preparing to enter the clothing industry. Is Adkins Group interested?" Marshall paused awkwardly for a moment before returning to normal. He smiled and said, "The Adkins family has no experience in this field. We don''t want to be in a hurry to do it for the time being. We''ll be rted in the future. We''ll deal with the clothing industry after Louise has some experience." Jasmine took a sip of coffee and said with a smile, "You''re so thoughtful. The food is getting cold. Hurry up and eat."Original content from N?velDrama.Org. Louise''s expression was a little ugly. She ced her fingers under the table and twisted them into a ball. She saw clearly that Jasmine was deliberately avoiding talking about her marriage. Marshall had hinted so many times. Jasmine was a smart person. She obviously knew what Marshall was trying to do. Jasmine wondered if the Francis family had found out about something. The more Louise thought about it, the more uneasy she felt. She thought, ''This Jasmine is too cunning. She is too good at pretending. She perfectly hid the fact that she was avoiding the topic of my marriage with Brian. What exactly went wrong?'' Marshall had mentioned it two or three times in a row, but Jasmine had diverted the topic over and over again. Marshallwas too embarrassed to mention it again. If he did, it would seem like the Adkins family was cheap. After the meal, the driver drove Jasmine home. Marshall and Shannon took the car back together, leaving Louise and Brian alone. After Louise waved goodbye to the parents of the two families, she turned to look at Brian and asked directly, "Brian, when are we holding our wedding?" She held his hand and smiled at him. en There was no expression on Brian''s face. His gaze did not even linger on her face for more than two seconds. Louise watched as he lowered his head and pried open her fingers one by one. Then, he said, "I''m sorry, the wedding might be dyed. I still have some things to deal with, so I can''t send you back. A driver will be here for youter. I''ll leave first." With that, he got into a car and drove away quickly without even looking at her. Louise widened her eyes in disbelief. Her face was covered in mixed emotions. Brian had never been so cold to her. No matter how busy he was, he would try his best to send her home. Even if he could not send her home, he would only leave after the driver came to pick her up. Louise thought, ''He pretty much just abandoned me by the road.'' Louise was so angry that her face turned pale. She gritted her teeth. After Brian got into the car, he turned on his phone and saw that Camren had sent him a video. It was a clip from a surveince video. On the surveince video, Ava was in a car. The car was parked in front of Francis Group. She seemed to have seen someone and hurriedly asked the driver to follow, and the person she was following was actually Louise. The time on the surveince camera showed that it was exactly three hours before Ava died. Chapter 452 Brian frowned and called Camren. "Other than this video, did you find anything else?" Camren said, "Not at the moment. Juding from the video, Ava did follow Miss Adkins, but the surveince cameras did not capture where Miss Adkins went."Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. Camren tried his best not to suspect Louise. After all, she was Brian''s fianc¨¦e. If he said that Louise was rted to this matter, he was worried that Brian would be angry. Brian was silent for a moment, then said, "I see." After that, they did not continue the topic. Coincidentally, Jasmine called. Brian answered Jasmine''s call. "Brian, Mom didn''t mention your marriage today. Don''t take it to heart. Their family has just finished their funeral and it''s only been a month. Marriage at this time is a big taboo. Your wedding probably has to wait at least three months." Brian did not want to get married. Even if Jasmine did not refuse to talk about it today, he would take the initiative to dy the wedding anyway. He said lightly, "That''s okay." Jasmine added, "By the way, you''ve been busy the past few days, so I forgot to tell you. That woman''s bastard child called me. Your father left him so much money before he died. Now, he still wants to covet the Francis Group. He''s simply shameless! You have to pay more attention to thepany recently, just in case if anything will happen." Brian frowned. The person his mother was talking about was his half-brother, his father''s illegitimate son. His name was Nelson Perry. He had changed his name to Nelson Francister. Brian had never taken his half-brother seriously. Back then, his father had left Nelson a lot of funds before he passed away. The Francis family did not owe him anything. There was no way Brian would allow Nelson to mess with the Francis Group. Brian scoffed. "An inconspicuous illegitimate child is nothing to worry about." ***** In a ward, Vivian looked at Carson''s pale face and shed tears of worry. Carson''s parents were in the ward. Daisy Sherman was lying in front of the hospital bed with tears streaming down her face. "Miss, quickly contact Justin and ask him to think of a way!" Vivian was very helpless. Since Grace was dead, Justin was very depressed. It had been many days since he came to the hospital, and even when she called him, she never got through. Carson''s condition was still worsening. If this continued, he would die. Vivian did not know what to do. She could only cry in front of the bed. She found a way to find the doctor who operated on Carson in the past. The doctor was also very surprised that Carson''s condition had worsened. After hearing Vivian''s exnation of the various changes in his family, the doctor sighed, "He''s so tired. It would be strange if his condition didn''t worsen!" Daisy knelt down with a thud. "Doctor! You have to save my son this time! You were the one who performed the surgeryst time. You can definitely save my son this time!" The doctor said awkwardly, "Well... Your son''s condition is indeed a little tricky at the moment. I''m not sure if I can operate on him. Why don''t you contact Mr. Brian?" Daisy was stunned. "Mr. Brian?" The doctor hesitated for a while and finally said, "To be honest with you, when I operated on your son for free back then, it wasn''t because his condition was special, but because everything was arranged by Mr. Brian. The surgery fees were also paid by Mr. Brian." Daisy and Frederick Sherman widened their eyes in surprise. Vivian asked, "The Mr. Brian you mentioned is Brian Francis?" The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 453 Vivian had already felt that Brian treated Grace differently. Now that she thought about it, she felt that her intuition was right. He could pay for Carson''s treatment secretly because he cared about Grace. Vivian immediately called Brian and asked for his help. When Brian received the call, he was in a meeting with Camren. When he heard that Carson''s condition had worsened, he immediately rushed over. Camren followed him to the ward. Daisy sobbed and said, "Mr. Francis! Please save Carson! You''re a good person. I''ve offended you in the past. From now on, I won''t dare to offend you again. I won''t ask you for money anymore. Please save my son..." Brian frowned slightly and said in a deep voice, "I''ll think of a way to save him." Daisy quickly thanked him. "Thank you! Thank you! I heard that you were the one who paid for Carson''s surgeryst time. Grace was really lucky to be able to marry you back then..." At the mention of Grace, Brian''s eyes darkened. Daisy realized that she had mentioned something she shouldn''t have. She quickly apologized, "I''m sorry, I''m sorry. I am stupid..." Without saying anything, Brian took out his phone and made a call. He arranged the best doctor for Carson. After arranging everything, he left the ward. When he reached the elevator door, Vivian suddenly ran out and stopped him. "Mr. Francis!" Brian nced at her. "What can I do for you?" Vivian said, "I can see that you care a lot about Grace. Otherwise, you wouldn''t be here." Pain shed across his eyes. Vivian had been watching his face as she spoke. Sensing the change in his mood, she said, "I''m sorry. I didn''t mean to." Vivian added, "I used to think that Justin loved Grace the most, but now I realize that I was wrong. After Grace left, Justin couldn''t recover. He didn''t even have the mood to care about her brother''s illness. Actually, he should know in his heart that if Grace was in heaven, she would definitely hope that he could treat her brother well." Brianughed self-deprecatingly. "It''s meaningless to talk about this now."This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. Vivian looked at him and asked, "Since you care about her so much, why... why are you with Louise again?" Brian shook his head. Every time these things were mentioned, his heart would ache even more. When he spoke, his voice was a little heavy. "I''m leaving. Take good care of Carson." Vivian eximed, "Wait!" Brian asked, "Is something wrong?" Vivian hesitated for a moment and. said, "Las time, the police gave Grace''s things to Carson. don''t... I give them to you? et She felt it would be good for Brian to have the belongings of Grace. Brian''s eyes lit up a little. He nodded. "Okay." He followed her back to the ward. Daisy saw him return and asked in confusion, "Mr. Francis, why are you back again?" Vivian said, "I want to give Grace''s belongings to Mr. Francis. Daisy, do you think it''s okay?" Daisy wasn''t interested in Grace''s stuff, so she naturally didn''t have any objections. Vivian took out Grace''s clothes and a phone from the drawer and handed them to Brian. He took the clothes and rubbed his fingers on it unconsciously. Suddenly, his gaze stopped on the phone. He took it out and looked at it, frowning slightly. This was not Grace''s phone. He was very sure because the phone case was more fancy. It was also embedded with shiny diamonds. Grace would not use such a phone case. Chapter 454 Brian looked at the phone several times and finally stared at the phone cover for a long time. This phone case looked very familiar. He seemed to have seen it somewhere before. Suddenly, an idea shed through his mind. He remembered that the phone belonged to Ava. Brian then started to wonder why it was in Grace''s hands. Questions shed through Brian''s mind. He suddenly recalled what Grace had said to Carson at the trial that day. Vivian saw that he was staring at his phone and asked curiously, "Mr. Francis, what''s wrong?" Brian asked, "Did the police give these things to Carson?" Vivian answered, "That''s right! These are all Grace''s things. Is there a problem with handing them over to her family for safekeeping?" Brian narrowed his eyes and pressed the power button. However, he realized that the phone was broken. He said in a low voice, "I still have something on. I''ll take my leave first." Camren also recognized that it was not Grace''s phone. After entering the elevator, Brian handed the phone to Camren. "Find a nearby phone shop and repair the phone. Give me the car keys. I''ll go to the meeting alone." Camren took the phone and gave the car keys to Brian. "Okay, Mr. Francis." Brian went straight to the underground parking lot and left. When Camren walked out of the inpatient department, he bumped into a familiar figure. It was Louise. Louise immediately saw the shiny phone in his hand. She and Ava lived under the same roof every day. She knew it was Ava''s phone. She narrowed her eyes and thought, ''How could Ava''s phone be in Camren''s hands? Oh no! Ava even recorded me being with Hale back then!'' At the thought of this, Louise''s heart skipped a beat. She wondered if Camren had discovered the contents of the phone. Then she thought, ''No, the phone is protected by a password. He would not crack the password yet.'' Louise patted her chest to calm herself down. She walked forward and shouted in surprise, "Camren, whata coincidence! Why are you in the hospital too?" Camren looked at her and subconsciously put the phone behind his back. He replied respectfully, "Hello, Miss Adkins. I''m here to see a friend." She gave him an appraising look. "Really? I thought you were at work today since you''re still wearing your work clothes!" Camren said, ''Mr. Francis is nice enough to let me have a break ande to visit my friend.'' After saying that, he looked like he was about to leave. Louise quickly tried to find a topic to talk about. "Is your friend feeling better?" Camren said, "Yes." Louise smiled. Out of the corner of her eye, she suddenly saw the fountain beside the hospital. She smiled and said, "Camren,e over here. I have something to ask yout." Camren nodded, "Will do." Louise brought him to the fountain and said, Brian seems to be very busy recently. When I call him, he often doesn''t answer. He wasn''t like this before. Is he busy with O something recently?" Camren replied calmly, "Mr. Francis is busy with work."This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. He obviously did not want to reveal too much information. Louise''s eyes were cold, but she still had a faint smile on her face. Out of the corner of her eye, she nced at his hands behind his back. Her eyes turned slightly, and she walked to the edge of the fountain. Suddenly, she let out a low cry and leaned back. "Camren, save me!" Camren turned around and saw that she was about to fall into the fountain. He quickly reached out to pull her. Louise seized the opportunity to grab his arm that was holding the phone and flung it hard. The phone drew in the air and fell right into the fountain. Camren''s eyes widened. Just as he was about to pick it up, Louise pushed him to the ground. Chapter 455 Justin walked into the hospital with a face full of stubble. When he passed by the hot spring, he caught a glimpse of the two people. When the phone fell into the water, he walked silently to the edge of the fountain. He reached out with his long arm, picked it up, and put it in his bag. Justin thought, ''They are most likely here for Carson. Grace has already passed away, and these people still want the people around her to not be at peace.'' He took two steps, wanting to say something to them, but then he realized that there was no point, so he stopped. At this moment, Camren got up from the ground and anxiously went to look for the phone. He looked around the fountain but did not find it. He was very anxious, but Louise was very happy when she saw this scene. Camren could not find it and jumped into the fountain to search. From the looks of it, Louise knew how important the phone was to him and Brian. Camren''s entire body was wet, but he still could not find the phone. Louise pretended to help him find the phone. She stood on the shore and stared at the water. However, she thought, ''After such a long time, the motherboard of the phone has long been broken. As long as the motherboard is broken, the things inside will not be able to recover!'' She was secretly happy. Camren searched the fountain but could not find the phone. He was so angry that he punched the water hard. Louise asked hypocritically, "Camren, is the phone yours? Why don''t Ipensate you with one? I''m sorry, I didn''t do it on purpose." He looked back at her and came back. "Forget it. There''s no need. You came to the hospital for something, right? Don''t worry about me. You can go in first." Louise nodded. "Alright, I''m really sorry." Camren''s head was about to explode. He had a feeling that he might not even be able to keep his job this time. Louise, who was on the shore, saw that he did not speak, so she turned around and left. She originally wanted to see if Carson was dead, but it was not bad that there was an unexpected gain. Camren searched for a long time. He even asked the property management to turn off the fountain and search inside, but he could rContent bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. not find the phone. It was as if it had disappeared. Camren thought, ''Could it have been taken by Louise? That shouldn''t be the inse. Lu Louise didn''t evere leer into the fountain.'' Camren had no choice but to go back and honestly exin the matter to Brian. After hearing this, Brian''s voice suddenly rose. "What did you say? The phone is missing?" Camren lowered his head. "I''m sorry, Mr. Francis. You can punish me however you want. It''s my fault this time." Brian exhaled heavily and massaged his aching temples. After a while, he asked, "You said that you met Louise in the hospital today. Did you drop her phone while saving her?" Camren nodded. Actually, he suspected that Louise did it on purpose. However, he did not dare to say it in front of Brian. He recalled Louise''s actions. He had already reached out his right hand to grab her, but she insisted on holding his left hand. Moreover, when she pulled his left hand, she used a lot of strength. Seeing that Brian did not speak for a long time, Camren asked tentatively, "Mr. Francis, whose phone is that?" Brian looked at him deeply and said irritably, "It belongs to Ava." Camren thought, ''Since it belongs to Ava, as her sister, Louise probably recognized that phone.'' He increasingly suspected that Louise did it on purpose. After a long silence, Brian loosened his tie in frustration. "You can go back first." Chapter 456 Camren looked at Brian in surprise, then immediately lowered his head as if he was afraid that Brian would go back on his word. He quickly walked out of the office. When Brian returned home, he received a call from Louise. "Brian. My birthday is being held at the Four Seasons Hotel this year. Will Jasminee with you then?" Brian answered faintly, indicating that he understood, and did not say anything else. Louise made this call to test Brian''s reaction. However, Brian did not mention anything about the phone. Of course, he would not mention it to Louise. Soon, it was Louise''s birthday. Louise was wearing a backless gown. Her figure was curvaceous and she was very eye-catching in the crowd. She held Marshall''s hand and passed through the crowd, enjoying the praises andpliments from the guests. After toasting, Marshall did not see Brian. He asked curiously, "Louise, why don''t I see Brian?" Louise pursed her lips. Brian had given her a gift when he arrived, but then he disappeared. She was very frustrated about that. Marshall saw that her expression was not right and asked worriedly, "Louise, did something happen between you and Brian? Today is your birthday. Logically speaking, as your fianc¨¦, he should be toasting with you. But it''s been two hours and there''s no sign of him." Louise''s expression became uglier and uglier. She secretly clenched her fists. Marshall added, "Thest time we had dinner, Jasmine had been avoiding talking about your marriage. Louise, you have to be careful." Louise nodded obediently. "I know, Dad, but don''t worry. Grace is already dead. What problems can there be between me and Brian?" As long as Grace was gone, Louise was not afraid of anything. She was confident that she could get Brian. Louise saw Brian on the sofa in the corner of the hall. There was a ss and a bottle of vodka in front of him. However, the ss was obviously not being used. He drank directly from the bottle. He had already drunk two-thirds of the bottle of vodka. His face was hidden in the shadow, but Louise could feel the boundless loneliness emanating from him. She thought, ''What is he thinking? Is he thinking about Grace?'' velinee Louise narrowed her eyes. A trace of ruthlessness shed across her eyes. She took a deep breath, collected her thoughts, and walked towards Brian with a smile She called out softly, "Brian." Brian turned his head to look at her and twitched his lips in response.Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. Louise asked, "Why are you drinking alone here? Did you encounter something unhappy?" Brian did not answer her, but the expression on his face turned cold. He poured himself a ss of alcohol. Louise continued, "Is it about work? If there''s anything upsetting you, you can tell me. I can help you..." "Are you happy?" he interrupted suddenly, his voice t as he asked. Louise asked, "What?" "Your sister is dead, but you don''t seem too sad. You seem to enjoy your birthday party just fine," he said coldly. Louise was stunned for a moment. She panicked for no reason and instantly thought of the nightmares that she had been having recently. She often dreamed that Ava woulde looking for her, covered in blood. Louise''s face turned pale. Brian asked, "What''s wrong?" The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 457 Louise swallowed subconsciously and looked at Brian with a trace of sadness in her eyes. "Everyone knows that the dead can''t be revived. Of course, I''m sad that Ava died an unnatural death. Could it be that because of this, I can''t even celebrate my birthday? Besides, Ava didn''t like me when she was alive. She felt that I was the one who returned to the Adkins family and stole our father''s love from her. Even if I''m sad for her, she might not appreciate it in the underworld, right?" Brian nced sideways at her, making Louise''s heart skip a beat. He stopped talking, but Louise felt that the atmosphere was terrifyingly oppressive. She could not stay for another minute. "I''ll talk to the guests over there." After leaving, she patted her chest nervously. Brian''s words just now seemed to indicate that he was suspecting her. It was too scary. Brian was already a little drunk, so when Louise came over, he really didn''t even want to talk to her. If Louise hadn''t saved him when he was little, he wouldn''t have been with her at all. Brian finished thest mouthful of alcohol in the bottle, but his mind was terrifyingly clear. His mind was filled with Grace''s face, and he could not get rid of it. He simply asked the waiter to bring another bottle of strong alcohol. After the banquet ended, Louise saw that Brian was drunk and seemed to have fallen asleep on the table. She narrowed her eyes and slowly walked over to call him, "Brian?" There was no reaction from Brian. Louise was secretly delighted. Since she had faked the matter of having sex with Brian before, she wanted to do it again. Louise went forward to help him up and said gently, "Brian, you''re drunk. I''ll send you up to rest, okay?" Brian looked down at her. At first, he saw a blurry shadow, but it gradually became clearer and he saw Grace. He smiled slowly and said with drunken eyes, "You''re back." Louise was stunned for a moment before she smiled and nodded. "Yes, I''m back. Brian, let''s go up and sleep." Brian said, "Okay." With most of his weight on her, Louise led him into the elevator. He looked deeply at the face in front of him that he had missed day and night. Suddenly, he leaned over and hugged her. "I miss you so much..." Louise was stunned for a moment before she was overjoyed. "I know you miss me, so I came to look for you."C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. When they reached the fifth floor, she helped him open the door and eagerlyid him down on the bed. "Grace..." His hoarse voice made Louise''s hand that was taking off her clothes suddenly stop. She thought, ''He is calling Grace''s name! Therefore, those sweet words were meant for Grace!'' Louise''s heart was filled with endless hatred. She thought, ''This ed Grace is still haunting me after she died!'' She took a deep breath and thought, ''It doesn''t matter. If he treats meas Grace, so be it. As long as I can make this happen, I am fine with it.'' She stripped off her clothes and climbed into bed. As she unbuckled his belt, she leaned over and kissed him. As the pungent fragrance approached, Brian''s mind instantly cleared up. He thought, ''Grace would not use such pungent perfume!'' He suddenly opened his eyes and met Louise''s gaze. Louise''s heart sank when she saw his eyes suddenly be clear. The next second, as if he''d been infected with some gue, he jerked her away and said, "I''m sorry." He got up quickly, buckled his belt, and strode out of the room. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 458 Louise gripped the bedsheets under her so tightly that it seemed like she could tear the bedsheets apart. After a moment, she burst outughing. She thought, ''It''s okay. Grace is already dead. Brian will be mine sooner orter!'' ***** Five yearster, in the financial channel''s live broadcast room, a woman in a slim satin dress sat on the sofa. Her long and attractive legs were elegantly crossed, and her ck hair hung over her shoulders. She exuded a strong sexiness and charm. Her face was covered in exquisite makeup, and her pretty eyes were slightly upturned. Her expressions were soul-stirring. A tall man sat beside her. He had straight eyebrows and a high nose bridge. The two of them sitting together looked very pleasing to the eye. This interview on the financial channel attracted tens of thousands of audience members. Brian stared at the woman on the screen and narrowed his eyes slightly. "She''s the internationally renowned IT master, Nova. I didn''t expect her to have been working under Nelson Perry to help him expand his overseas business. This woman''s ability can''t be underestimated. Now that she''s back in the country, she might be the Francis Group''s opponent." Brian stared at theputer screen without saying anything. Camren continued, "Mr. Francis, I think maybe we can poach her over for the Francis Group''s use." On theputer, the reporter asked, "Miss Nova, do you have any new ns for your career after returning to the country this time?" Nova smiled enchantingly at the camera. Her pretty eyes sparkled with confidence and charm. "Of course. I came back this time to set up my ownpany." The reporter looked at her in surprise and then at the man beside her. He said half-jokingly, "Miss Nova, I wonder if Mr. Francis is okay with losing an IT master like you to start your own business."C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. Nelson raised his eyebrows and turned his head to look at Nova affectionately. He smiled and said, "Even if Miss Nova establishes her ownpany, we will work together and coborate in the future There''s nothing to be reluctant about." Nova looked at him and smiled faintly. The reporter said a few words of blessing. The interview wasing to an end. The reporter asked a few questions about gossip. "Miss Nova and Mr. Francis have worked side by side for so many years. The two of you seem to have quite a tacit understanding of your work. T wonder if it''s possible for you to be partners in romance in the future?" Nova did not feel awkward at all when faced with the reporter''s question. She turned her head to look at Nelson and said, "Mr. Francis is such an outstanding man. He has always been my ideal type." Her words were ambiguous. She did not admit anything, but it made one''s imagination run wild. Brian suddenly felt that this woman was brainless. He knew Nelson well. He always liked to pretend to be a gentle and kind man on the surface, but he had harmed countless women in secret. Nelson also looked at Nova and smiled. The two of them looked sopatible. Brian nced up at Camren and asked, "Does this woman look familiar to you?" Camren was stunned. He thought, ''So Mr. Francis was distracted just now because he has been paying attention to her appearance?'' Camren examined Nova and nodded kamined in agreement. "Beautiful women have a lot inmon. Mr. Francis Perhaps this is why she looks familiar. Miss Nova is so beautiful. There shouldn''t be many men who wouldn''t be tempted!" Brian looked at him coldly and Camren shivered. Camren immediately cleared his throat and his expression turned serious. He exined his analysis to Brian again. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 459 Coincidentally, the interview ended. Brian turned off theputer and sneered. "I thought Nelson was a capable man until I realized that he has relied on a woman to make thepany improve a little. He is no threat to the Francis Group." Seeing that Brian did not care about Nova''s existence, Camren did not say anything else. "Mr. Francis, you have a dinner arrangement with Mr. Langley tonight at the Haven Club." Brian nodded, indicating that he understood. ***** During the meal, Brian''s phone kept ringing. He looked at the caller ID and saw that it was Louise. He frowned, muted his phone, and put it back in his bag. He ignored it. When she called for the fourth time, Brian gradually lost his patience. He apologized to Mr. Langley and walked out of the private room to answer the call. He did not waste any time and asked her coldly, "What''s the matter?" He was not in a good mood today. It seemed that after watching the interview this afternoon, he had a sense of frustration for no reason. That was why he almost lost his temper after Louise kept calling him. For the past five years, Brian''s attitude towards her had always been neutral. Louise had long been used to it, but his cold attitude today still made her feel a little abnormal. She said gently, "Brian, I''m downstairs at Haven Club. I''ll send you back when you are done." Brian frowned. "Camren didn''t drink. He''ll drive me backter. It might be veryte when I am done. You go back and rest first." Louise insisted on waiting for him. Brian said, "Whatever." Then, he hung up. He loosened his tie and looked up to the bathroom to wash his face in cold water. When he came out of the washroom, he saw a familiar figure. A woman was wearing a pair of high heels and her hair was tied into a low ponytail behind her head. Brian thought, ''That is Grace Sherman! I can recognize her even if she turns into ashes!'' Brian''s eyes widened in surprise. He strode over. Due to his excitement, he subconsciously increased his strength and grabbed her arm. "Grace Sherman!" The woman paused for a moment, then slowly turned around. She looked at Brian with her eyes widened. When he saw her face, a profound surprise shed across his eyes, and then something seemed to be extinguishing bit by bit. Brian thought, ''She is not Grace.'' Brian narrowed his eyes slightly and thought, ''She looks like Nova.'' Nova tilted her head slightly and the corners of her mouth curled into a charming arc. Her pretty eyes seemed to be smiling. With a lighte blink, she revealed a myriad of charms. "If that''s your way of hitting on me, sir, I''ll take it. After all, it''s hard not to be tempted by someone so handsome." Her voice was different from Grace''s. Grace''s voice was clear, but this woman''s voice had a trace of maism. It was unbelievably sexy. When Brian heard her frivolousC0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. words, he frowned fiercely. He instantly thought of what she had, said in the live broadcast in the afternoon and thought, ''How can sw novel there be such a flirty woman He suddenly let go of her hand and said coldly, "I''m sorry, I mistook you for someone else. Don''t misunderstand. I''m not interested in a woman like you." Her beautiful eyebrows furrowed slightly. She stopped in front of him and asked charmingly, "Sir, what da you mean by that? What do you mean by a woman like me? What''s wrong with a woman like me? You were the one who grabbed me with a Bossy attitude." Chapter 460 Brian was very annoyed by her charming smile. "I just recognized you as an old friend. You don''t have to think too much. I still have something on. I''ll take my leave first." With that, he turned around and left mercilessly. Nova looked at his back and the smile on her face froze bit by bit. She thought, ''It''s been five years, Brian. Long time no see!'' She clenched her fists tightly and took a deep breath, trying her best to control her wildly beating heart. The former Grace was already dead. The current Nova only had hatred in her eyes. She wanted to repay the hurt she had suffered twice as much. She wanted to avenge her child and kill Louise. Since Louise cared about Brian the most, the first step of revenge was to start with Brian. Brian returned to the dinner. He no longer had the mood to discuss business. He found a perfunctory excuse and left early. When he reached downstairs, Louise immediately ran out of the car. "Brian, are you done eating already?" Brian looked down at her and suddenly pushed her away. "There''s something urgent in thepany." With that, he got into the Camren car. Louise stood rooted to the ground and bit her lip. She thought, ''Why is Brian so abnormal today? In the past five years, he has never been so emotional. What has happened?'' ***** Nova''spany was established very quickly. On the day of the opening ceremony, people who were able to see its value in the industry went to congratte her. The venue was extremely lively. Many media outlets even reported on the grand opening ceremony. It could be said to be the center of attention. When Brian saw this video, his gaze stopped on the phone screen. Nova was cutting the ribbon with her head lowered. Her long hair was tucked behind her ear, and the outline of her side profile was perfect. For some reason, whenever Brian saw this woman, he would think of Grace. Nova was very high-profile, while Grace had always kept a low profile. Their styles of doing things werepletely opposite. It was strange that he would associate these two women together. He scrolled through the video, and after a while, a video of the same thing from a different angle popped up. Brian decided to stop scrolling. There was a knock on the door and Camren walked in with his tablet. "Mr. Francis, take a look at this." Camren ced the tablet in front of him. "This woman is indeed fast. Thepany has just been established, but she can''t wait to expand its territory."Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Brian browsed through the content and smirked sarcastically. "What a coincidence. Not long ago, we said that we were going to do business in cosmetology. As soon as she came back she wanted topete with us in this field." Brian felt that this was intentional. Camren seemed to have thought of something and his eyes lit up. "Mr. Francis, maybe we can work with her. Miss Nova is a strong opponent, but if we use her for the Francis Group, wouldn''t it be a win-win situation?" Brian frowned and thought, ''Coborate with that woman? I don''t feel like it.'' Camren analyzed, "Her management ability is top-notch, and the search engine developed by the Francis Group is the most used in the world. If we work with her on this project, we will definitely make a profit!" Brian pondered for a moment. What Camren said did make sense. Actually, he could choose not to cooperate with her, but he would have an enemy out of her instead in the future. It was not wise to have an enemy instead of a friend in business. No one would go against money. Besides, he didn''t have to discuss such a project with Nova personally. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 461 Hence, Brian instructed Camren to contact her. Nova was not surprised when she received the call. When she was overseas, she learned that the Francis Group was preparing to do business in cosmetology, so her first project after thepany was established was in that field. She had spread the news on purpose. She did not believe that Brian would remain quiet when he found out that she was going topete with him. She guessed that either Brian would suppress her or choose to cooperate with her. It was as she had expected. She slowly said to Camren, "Are you the CEO of Francis Group?" Camren hesitated. "I''m not. Mr. Francis is usually busy, so he asked me to talk to you first." Nova said with a smile, "I''ve long heard of the Francis Group. It''s naturally a good thing to be able to coborate with you. However, what does Mr. Francis mean by sending an assistant to negotiate with me? Business is about integrity. Please go back and inform your boss that Nova only negotiates with entrepreneurs, not their assistants."Content held by N?velDrama.Org. Cold sweat broke out on Camren''s forehead. He thought, ''This is a bold woman!" Camren ryed her exact words to Brian. Brian was silent for a moment before nodding. "Go and make an appointment." The two of them agreed to meet at five in the afternoon the next day. When Brian arrived, Nova had not arrived yet. He had never liked to wait for anyone and would never bete. He arrived at 4:55. After waiting for five minutes, it was five o''clock sharp. Seeing that Nova was still not here, he felt a little frustrated. When he looked at his watch again, he realized that almost ten minutes had passed. Just as he was getting impatient, Nova arrived. "Hi, we meet again." She smiled charmingly at him, not feeling guilty at all for beingte. Brian frowned slightly, feeling a little displeased. Nova sat elegantly across from him and ran her fingers through her long hair. A fragrant scent wafted over. Brian didn''t know which perfume she was using, but it smelled fresh, elegant, and sexy. It matched her temperament very well. A waiter brought the menu over. She flipped through it and casually named a few dishes. They all happened to be his favorites. Brian looked up at her in surprise. Nova blinked at him after noticing it. "Mr. Francis, why are you looking at me? Do I really look like your old friend?" He looked away ufortably and took a sip of the coffee on the table. He said calmly, "You''repletely different from her." Nova sized him up boldly, her slender and fair long legs swaying slowly under the table. She changed the topic quickly. "Mr. Francis, are you married? Do you have children?" Brian frowned and looked at her. "Why?" Nova rested her chin on her hand and said with a smile, "If you get married and have a family, and you still can''t forget an old friend, m afraid your wife will be sad if she finds out." Brian said coldly, "It''s up to me to decide. I''m sorry, Miss Nova. Forgive me for not being able toment." Nova shrugged as if it didn''t matter whether hemented or not. "Alright, since Mr. Francis isn''t. willing to talk about this, let''s talk about our coboration. Tell me your opinion." Brian went straight to the point. "You''ll be in charge of operating the tform and collecting leads. I''ll be in charge of providing traffic and publicity. I won''t disappoint you on the profits. We will split fifty-fifty. What do you think?" Chapter 462 Nova was a little surprised that Brian was willing to be evenly matched with her. It seemed that he was very sincere. "Mr. Francis is indeed straightforward. I believe our future coboration will be very pleasant. Since you''re so sincere, I''ll treat you to this meal." He looked at her steadily. He felt that the woman in front of him was a little unreal. She was like wearing an invisible veil that made him want to explore what was behind it. During the meal, they talked about the details of the project. Nova was very serious and had her own ideas. She would also innovate and dare to try some new models. After the meal, Brian looked at her in a new light. After dinner, the two of them signed the contract. Nova made her request. "Mr. Francis. As the person in charge of the project, in order to do better, I hope the office location will be the Francis Group. After all, mypany has just been established and might not have enough manpower. Francis Group has many outstanding employees and enough office space. You won''t be stingy with this, right?" Brian agreed readily. "Of course, anything for the sake of the project." Nova continued, "Then I''ll pick a few people from Francis Group to join the project. Mr. Francis. Please give me a list of your staff."This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. Brian got someone to type up a list for her and handed it to her to choose from. Nova flipped through the names on the form, but she did not see Louise. The corners of her lips curled up into a mocking smile. She thought, ''Is he afraid that Louise will work too hard under my leadership? Brian is really protective of Louise!'' She raised her eyebrows disinterestedly and handed the phone back to him. "Forget it. I''ll pick the staff personally when I go to the Francis Group another day." After discussing the details of the project, Nova prepared to go back. "Let me send you back," Brian suggested. Nova looked at him and smiled charmingly. "Thank you, Mr. Francis. Actually, I drove here. If you would like to have more alone time with me can get someone to help me drive my car back." Brian frowned and his expression darkened. The good impression he had just had of Nova copsed again. "Since you drove here, I won''t send you off. Be careful on the way." With that, he walked towards his car. After taking two steps, he stopped and turned to look at her. "I wanted to remind you that Nelson is not a good person, but you seem to be very experienced. You should beparable to a fuckboydike him. You two are quitepatible." He expected to see something off in her expression. Unexpectedly, her smile deepened. "Really? Mr. Francis, did you see my interview with him? Mr. Francis, you''re paying attention to me." Brian frowned even more. Only then. did he realize that he had let it slip. He said with a cold expression, & "Miss Nova, you''re thinking too much. Francis Group broadcasts the financial channel''s program every day I just happened to see it." Nova smiled and didn''t say anything. She knew that Brian had already exposed his thoughts unintentionally. He turned around and left with a dark expression, his attitude more or less flustered and exasperated. It wasn''t until his car left that Nova''s expression turned cold. She looked at the contract in her hand and her lips curled into a cold smile. Nova said coldly, "Louise, it''s been five years. It''s time for you to return what you owe me!" Chapter 463 The next day, A white Bentley stopped steadily below Francis Group. Nova got out of the driver''s seat in a pair of pink high heels. Her slim half-skirt entuated her curvaceous figure. She took off her sunsses and nced at the building. Her heart beat slightly faster. She took a deep breath and walked through the door. The receptionist stopped her. "Miss, may I ask who you are?" Nova handed her a business card. When the receptionist saw it, she immediately swiped her staff card respectfully and opened the door for Nova. She personally led Nova to the elevator. Standing in the elevator, Nova looked at the numbers on the elevator. Everything was so familiar. On the top floor, Nova walked elegantly into the CEO''s office. She left the door open and walked straight into the office. Louise stood in front of Brian. No one knew what they were talking about. The sound of high heels interrupted Louise. She frowned and looked back. A woman in exquisite and elegant clothes walked straight to Brian''s room. She did not even look at Louise. Shepletely ignored Louise. Louise felt an inexplicable hostility towards this woman. Nova was too beautiful. She was so beautiful that she was ostentatious and aggressive. Any woman would be pressured by her beauty. "Mr. Francis, good morning. Where''s my office?" With a smile on her face, Nova sat down on a chair confidently.N?velDrama.Org owns this text. Brian stood up and briefly introduced her to Louise. "She''s the manager of the Cosmetology Department, Nova." Nova seemed to suddenly realize that there was another person in the office. She smiled apologetically. "Sorry, I didn''t notice that there was another person in Mr. Francis''s office. Hello, I''m Nova." Nova generously stretched out a hand to her and tilted her head slightly to smile at her. Louise hesitated for a moment and thought, ''his woman is a bitch! She actually dared to say that she did not see me! She is clearly saying that I don''t look important!'' However, Brian was here, so she could not lose herposure. She could only grit her teeth and shake her hand. As soon as they touched, she could not wait to withdraw her hand. en Nova deliberately paused with a stiff expression, thenughed and didn''t say anything. However, her behavior made Louise appear impolite. Brian immediately gave her a warning look. Louise pursed her lips and became even more hostile to Nova. Nova asked curiously, "Mr. Francis, who is this beautiful woman?" Brian was about to say something when Louise interrupted, "I''m his wife. My name is Louise Adkins. You can call me Louise." Nova made Louise feel danger, so she could not wait to dere her identity. Beside him, Brian frowned imperceptibly, but he did not say anything in the end. Nova looked surprised. "Really? Then Miss Adkins is also working in thepany?" Nova''s words made Louise grit her teeth in anger. She had already said that she was Brian''s wife, but Nova didn''t change the way she addressed Louise. This made Louise furious. en Of course, Nova knew what Louise cared about the most, but she didn''t want it to go as she wished. Brian said, "She''s from the Development Department." Nova said in surprise, "Then Miss Adkins must be outstanding. Mr. Francis wonder if I can get Miss Adkins to participate in my project?" Nova had a bright smile on her face as she asked Brian. Louise looked at Brian. She thought that he would not agree because Nova was just a project manager. Louise didn''t think Nova was qualified to tell her what to do. Chapter 464 However, what made Louise''s jaw drop was that Brian actually agreed without any hesitation. "Of course." Louise''s face was pale, but she was at thepany after all. She did not dare to reject him on the spot. On second thought, Brian lowered his head and said to Louise, "Miss Nova is an internationally renowned IT master. You can learn a lot from her." Louise tried her best to smile, but that smile was uglier than crying. She nodded. "Alright. Miss Nova, I look forward to your leadership and guidance in the future." Nova was a little surprised. Then, the smile on her face widened. She looked at Louise and said, "Miss Adkins, I''m very strict. You have to be mentally prepared! Thank you, Mr. Francis. By the way, where is my office?" Brian asked the property management to divide the free area and let Nova choose. Nova chose the floor furthest from the CEO''s office. Louise gritted her teeth in anger. However, she had no choice but to follow Nova to their department. After tidying up the office area, Louise sat at her desk, feeling very upset. Louise nced at Nova in her office. She was crossing her legs elegantly, her long fingers gently tapping on the keyboard. She looked like the owner of this ce. Louise looked at herself again. She was in the cubical area with so many employees, which did not suit her identity as the fianc¨¦e of the CEO. At the thought of this, Louise gritted her teeth in anger. At that moment, Nova called her into the office. Louise took a deep breath and adjusted her emotions. She walked up to Nova and smiled, maintaining her most elegant and appropriate expression. "Miss Nova, why are you looking for me?" Nova frowned slightly. "Miss Adkins, I''m your superior. Remember to be respectful to me in the future and address me ordingly." When she said this, there was a smile on her face. Nova was clearly criticizing Louise, but she was perfect with her manners. Louise had to admit her mistake openly. "Alright, I''m sorry, Miss Nova Why are you looking for me?" Nova thought, ''Louise, I didn''t expect that you would have to be so respectful to someone one day.''This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. "Louise, I''ve just learned about your work in the Development Department. I think very highly of you. I hope to be able to guide you t as your mentor in the future. I wonder if you''re willing?" Nova and folded her hands on the gentle looked up at Louise with a gentle and charming smile. Louise pursed her lips. She did not know what Nova was up to. Before she could figure it out, Louise did not dare to fall out with Nova because it would make her look petty. She said, "Of course, I appreciate that you think highly of me." Nova nodded in satisfaction. "That''s good. Go get me a cup of coffee first." Her tone was natural as if she was ordering her maid around. Louise secretly took a deep breath and said with a smile, "Okay." Turning around, Louise''s face darkened. She walked to the coffee room and fetched Nova a disposable cup. Because she was too angry, she did not notice the water flow when she fetched the water. Hot water poured out of the cup. en Louise instinctively threw the cup to the ground and screamed. The back of her pretty hand instantly turned red. She couldn''t help but curse, "This damn woman! Why is she putting on airs? Doesn''t she know how to make coffee?" Although she was angry, she still had to get coffee for Nova after cursing her in secret. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 465 Louise looked at the cup on the ground and sneered. She picked it up and filled it up. In order not to let Nova see that the cup was dirty, she ced it inside another cup. She walked into the office with a paper cup and ced it in front of Nova respectfully. "Miss Nova, your water." Nova shifted her gaze from theputer screen and nced at it indifferently. She said, "I just said coffee, not in water. Louise. You can''t misunderstand or hear anything wrong at work. A small mistake can bring huge losses to thepany." Her lecture was well-organized, leaving Louise with no room to refute. Her face was red. She gritted her teeth and pretended to be humble. "I''m sorry, Miss Nova. I''ll get you coffee now." When she turned around, Louise''s expression was terrible. The corners of her mouth drooped down to her chin.Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. She had actually heard her say coffee just now, but she did not take it seriously. She did not want to go through so much trouble to make coffee for her. Louise thought, ''Isn''t in water supposed to be fine? What is there to be picky about? This woman i the first person who dares to order me around in Francis Group.'' Louise opened the coffee ground jar. There was a spoon in it, but she did not use it and grabbed some with her hand. She put a lot of coffee ground in the cup and cursed softly, "Bitch, since you like coffee, I will give you lots of it!" After Louise made coffee, she walked into the office with a respectful smile on her face. She gently ced the paper cup in front of Nova. "Miss Nova, your coffee." Louise put it down and turned to leave, not wanting to see Nova''s face for a moment longer. "Louise," Nova called out to her again in a calm tone. Louise took a deep breath, smiled, and turned around. "Miss Nova, do you have any other instructions?" Nova crossed her arms and leisurely leaned back in her chair. She used her chin to point at the unused mug on her table. The meaning was obvious. She didn''t want to use a disposable paper cup for coffee. The expression on Louise''s face was a little unbearable. She retorted, "Miss Nova, you didn''t ask me to use this cup to get coffee just now." Nova smiled at her. "Did I not tell you? Let me ask you, when you go to the mall and say that you want to buy a dress, what will the salesperson ask first? Will she ask you what size you''re wearing? Will she ask you what style or color you like?" Louise was rendered speechless. Nova continued, "Simrly, during work, when you go to discuss a project with your partner and the other party wants a proposal, shouldn''t you rify some details with them?" en Louise waspletely speechless. Looking at her defeated expression, Nova couldn''t help but sneer in her heart. She put on a sincere expression and said to her, "Louise it seems like I''m asking you to run errands for me, but I''m actually teaching you to pay attention to detail. When you go to negotiate a coboration in the future, perhaps a small detail of yours can move the other party and facilitate the coboration." After saying that, she smiled again. "I hope that you can do better." She seemed to be teaching Louise valuable principles, but she was insulting Louise. Louise could only suffer in silence. She could only respectfully pick up the mug on the table. This time, she asked, "Miss Nova, what kind of coffee would you like?" Chapter 466 Nova raised her eyebrows and praised Louise, "Not bad, you''ve learned a lot. I''m not very picky about coffee. As long as it''s coffee, it''s fine." Louise carried her mug out. Nova said from behind, "Remember to wash the cup first!" Louise walked to the coffee room angrily. She thought, ''Is she saying that I don''t even have the most basic work ethic after working in the Francis Group for five years? Who does she think she is? What right does she have to lecture me like this?'' The more she thought about it, the angrier Louise became. She turned on the tap and rinsed the mug in her hand. As she washed it, she paused and narrowed her eyes. She had an idea. She took the mug and went to the bathroom. She opened the bathroom and used the cup to scoop a cup of water from the toilet bowl. After rolling the mug repeatedly in the toilet bowl, she picked up the cup in satisfaction and returned to the coffee room. Louise imagined Nova using this cup to drink coffee, and the gloominess from before disappeared. She brewed coffee and eagerly brought the cup over. This time, a bright smile appeared on her face. She ced the cup beside Nova and generously apologized for her mistake. "Miss Nova, when I was making coffee just now, I thought about my actions carefully. I think what you said makes sense. I have to do a good job. This is the most basic work attitude. I apologize for my actions just now. It''s my fault. I hope you won''t hold it against me." Nova looked up at Louise and saw her sincere eyes. She thought, ''Is it possible that Louise admits her mistake? If I didn''t know her too well and know what a vicious woman she was, I might really believe it.'' Nova nodded. "I''m d you think so." Louise smiled. She looked at the cup and said, "I made you atte. How about you take a sip and try it? If you don''t like it, I can ask Mr. Francis to give you a jar of his precious top-notch coffee." Louise stared at Nova with bright eyes, which were shining with excitement. Nova nced down at the coffee cup. She opened the lid and gently stirred the coffee. Louise was waiting for her to drink. Nova suddenlyughed and put the lid back on. "Louise, it seems like you know a lot about coffee?" Louise smiled and said, "I just know a little." Nova smiled and said, "Louise, you''re very considerate. This Yixing y cup of mine was made by the national artisan Harley Bird. Coffee in this mug will taste better than in other cups. I bought it for more than a thousand dors. I want you to have it." Louise was stunned. "What?" Nova said, have seen how hard you have been working. Actually, this mug was originally meant for you. Since you know coffee, try and see if there''s anything different about thette in this mug." As she spoke, Nova stood up and handed the cup oftte to Louise. She even opened the lid for her. Louise stepped back instinctively and subconsciously wanted to cover her mouth and nose. There was feces and urine in that mug. She felt disgusted by it.Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. Nova frowned slightly and asked in confusion, "What''s wrong, Louise?" Louise quickly made up an excuse. "How can you give away such an expensive mug? If I want it, Brian will buy it for me. You should keep this for yourself." Nova pulled Louise''s hand and let her hold the mug. "Louise, don''t be polite with me." Chapter 467 Louise widened her eyes and quickly let go.Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. The cup fell to the ground and coffee was sshed on the floor. "Oh my!" Nora eximed, "My mug..." Louise gritted her teeth in anger, but she still had to apologize to Nova. "I''m sorry. I didn''t do it on purpose." Nora stared at the ground for a moment and muttered to herself, "What a pity." She looked up at Louise and said with a smile, "It''s okay. Let the cleaningdye in and clean up. Louise, go buy some fruits." Louise thought that she had misheard. She asked her, "What? Buy fruits?" Nora nodded. "Yes, it''s my first day at thepany today. I didn''t prepare anything. Go buy some cherries, bananas, and ck currants. By the way, it''s almost noon. Get me some food. I want a pork sandwich." As she instructed, Nova sat back in her seat and went about her business. Louise stood rooted to the ground for a long time. Nora looked up at her in confusion. "Louise. What''s wrong?" Louise took a deep breath and thought for a moment before saying, "Miss Nova, I shouldn''t be the one doing these things, right?" Nora frowned slightly and tilted her head to ask her, "What''s wrong? Aren''t you an employee of the Francis Group?" "Should I do something like running errands because I''m an employee of the Francis Group?" Louise''s face revealed a hint of anger. Nora looked at her and smiled. She thought, ''Louise already can''t take it anymore? I haven''t started messing with her yet. She had ordered me to get coffee and fruits for her when was pregnant. She even asked me to hold a spotlight for her under the Scorching sun. I have only asked her to make me coffee, and she is already upset about it. Does she really think she is someone with a noble status?'' Nora crossed her arms and looked at Louise. "Miss Adkins, as an employee of Francis Group, isn''t it natural for you to buy fruits for thepany''s coborators? Or can''t the employees of Francis Group do such a small thing?" Louise took a deep breath and thought, ''Has this woman never taken my status as the CEO''s wife seriously? I am infuriated that she always addresses me as an employee of thepany.'' She tried her best to maintain a smile and said, "Of course not. It''s just that you can arrange for a cleaningdy to do these things too, right? Why must I go?" Nora''s lips curled up slightly. "Ask a cleaningdy to do it? Is this your work attitude? If you''re so perfunctory when discussing business with others, what do you think the other party will think?" Louise gritted her teeth. "Alright, I''ll go buy it!" Nora smiled. "Be careful on your way." Louise left angrily. Nora looked at the broken coffee mug on the ground and smiled coldly. She had never thought of drinking the coffee that Louise had made for her. She knew that Louise would definitely tamper with it. Since Louise was asked to buy food, she would definitely tamper with the food as well. After ordering takeout, Nova began to work leisurely. She sat back in her chair, took out her phone, and ordered takeout. The weather in August was very hot. Louise drove to a fruit shop. The moment she got out of the car, the heat enveloped her. She fanned herself with her hand in frustration. When she was buying fruits, her tone was rather unfriendly. After buying the fruits, she went to a restaurant. After ordering the food, Louise looked at the time on her watch. "Bitch, you want to eat the food I bought? You can enjoy your time waiting for it!" She sat on a ona chair, ordered a meal, and ate slowly. Chapter 468 After fininshing the food, Louise looked at her watch. It was one o''clock. She wanted to make Nova wait for another hour. Hence, Louise ordered a cup of coffee and sat in the restaurant, drinking coffee while ying games on her phone. When it was two o''clock, she walked out of the restaurant with her takeaway box. The hot air in the car made her furious again. After driving back to the garage of Francis Group, she opened the takeaway box and spat into it. Her lips curled into a sinister smile. Satisfied, she carried her things into the elevator. She pretended to be very tired and ran into the office, panting. The moment she entered, she saw Nova distributing fruits to everyone.Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. She looked at the things in her hand and was furious. She suppressed her temper and walked forward. "Miss Nova, I''ve traveled a long way to buy these fruits. Where did you get so many fruits?" Nova turned to look at her and gently took the things from her hand. "Miss Adkins, thank you. I saw that you hadn''t bought the things back for more than two hours, so I went down to buy some myself." Louise''s expression changed. She realized that Nova was implying that she was inefficient again. Her confidence from before instantly wilted. She pursed her lips and exined, "I drove out to buy fruits. There was too much traffic on the road. I think there was a rear-end collision somewhere. That''s why I took so long." Nova smiled. "I see. Then you must be exhausted. You probably haven''t eaten." Louise nodded. "Yes, I didn''t even have time to eat." Nova said, "Then you can have the food you bought for me. I had some noodles when I went downstairs to buy fruits." Louise fell speechless. She felt as if she were on the verge of exploding. Louise thought, ''This bitch asked me to get her coffee and food, but in the end, she didn''t want any of them. This is too much. I have never been bullied like this in thepany.'' However, she still tried her best to hold back up. She lowered her tone and put an aggrieved expression. "Alright thank yanger and did not act Miss Nova. However, I''m not used to fatty meat, so I won''t eat it. leave it for you to eat tonight." She handed the box to Nova. Nova reached out to take it and couldn''t help but thought, ''Is she preparing to act pitifully now?'' She said, "Then go rest for a while and have foodter. Thank you for your hard work." However, Louise said pitifully, "No, it''s already two o''clock. It''s working hours now. I missed my lunch break because I was slow in handling my matters. I won''t rest anymore. I''ll go straight to work!" en Nova raised her eyebrows and a sarcastic smile appeared on her lips. She decided to ignore Louise and entered her office. Louise put on a pitiful look and distributed the fruits to everyone. "I''m sorry, everyone. I''ve wasted so much time. These fruits are on me." Louise had never done such a thing in thepany. Seeing how pitiful Louise was, everyone felt that the new leader was cruel and not to be trifled with. Everyone looked at the fruits that Nova had given them just now and did not dare to eat them. A colleague said to Louise, "Miss Adkins, you should hurry up and have some food. Don''t starve yourself." Louise looked at everyone with tears in her eyes. "Thank you, but forget it. I''m afraid that Miss Nova will think badly of me if I''m not around when she asks me to do somethingter. As a member of the Francis Group, my identity is rather special can''t give her a bad impression The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 469 Louise''s words vividly disyed her conscientious spirit of sacrificing herself for others. Everyone was even more dissatisfied with Nova. A woman said, "No matter what, you''re Mr. Francis''s fianc¨¦e. Even if she''s the leader of this project, it''s too much to order you around like this!" Another person added, "I think she''s deliberately targeting you because you''re Mr. Francis''s fianc¨¦e. If she suppresses you, she''ll be able to do whatever she wants in thepany in the future." Someone elsemented, "Miss Adkins, don''t let her bully you." Louise looked at them thankfully. "Thank you, but work is work. I''d better do my job well. After all, she''s the leader." Everyone was furious on behalf of Louise. Nova was in the office and had no idea what was going on outside. When the project first started, it was the busiest. A week had passed, and Nova was extremely busy. She had often worked till the middle of the night. Louise was addicted to acting pitiful every day. Nova went along with her and tormented her in various ways every day. The employees in thepany were increasingly dissatisfied with Nova. One day, Nova looked at the data on theputer and felt that some parts of CRM were not good enough. She walked out of the office and called the two employees who sat closest to her into the office. She guessed theputer screen in front of them and said, "There''s a problem with this CRM. There''s a loophole in protecting the privacy of the customers. I''ll grant you ess to itter. Go and fix it." The two employees looked at each other and frowned. They were a little dissatisfied, but they did not dare to object to her. They nodded and walked out of the office. Louise had been observing them. When she saw theme out, she leaned forward and asked, "Why did she call you in?"T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. A female colleague pouted and said, "She wants me to fix the CRM system. It''s so annoying." The other male colleague alsoined, "That''s right, there''s so much work to be done yet she still wants us to do more work." Louise pursed her lips and rolled her eyes. She said to the two of them, "This CRM problem is her own issue. It happened because of herck of ability, why should you guys do it? I think she doesn''t know how to do it herself, so she deliberately let you guys do it. If you guys don''t get it right, she might take the opportunity to punish you!" The female colleague''s face turned pale. "How can she be so vicious!" The male colleague''s expression turned sour. Louise continued, "I don''t think we can continue to be suppressed by her, especially this matter. She should bear the responsibility for it." The two colleagues felt that what she said made sense, so they got up together and walked into Nova''s office. Compared to before, this time, they looked at Nova with confidence. The male employee took the lead and said, "Miss Nova, it doesn''t seem appropriate for you to ask us to fix this problem. To put it bluntly, this problem happened because of yourck of ability. Why do you want me to fix this problem?" Nova frowned slightly and looked at the two of them for a while. "You didn''t listen to me seriously just now, right? The problem is on the web page. The entire web page tform is provided by the Francis Group. Do you have a problem with the Francis Group?" The two of them were speechless. Nova continued, "How about this? Let me handle this problem. We''ll change jobs." She dropped a file on the table. "This is a list of all the cosmetology agencies in the country. Contact them and talk about coborating with them. It might take me forty minutes to an hour to fix this. technical problem. How many agencies do you think you can sessfully take down in an hour?" Chapter 470 The two employees were a little embarrassed. After hesitating for a moment, the female employee said, "Three." The male employee said, "Four." They were being conservative with their answer. They thought that it was easy to get an agency to work with them in twenty minutes. Nova confirmed with them again if they had any objections to the job exchange. The two of them kept shaking their heads. "Of course not." As long as each of them could take down more than three agencies within an hour, they could make Nova apologize to them. The two of them took the list out of the office confidently. Half an hourter, Nova had finished dealing with all the problems. She leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes to rest. Meanwhile, the two employees who were on the phone outside were about to cry. They had already contacted more than 30 agencies and achieved nothing. The only client who listened to them seriously thought they were scammers. After more than half an hour, they didn''t even get one agency to work with them. An hour passed. They carried the folders back to the office and stared awkwardly at Nova. Nova smiled and asked, "How is it?" The female employee ced the items on the table and said in embarrassment, "I''m sorry, I didn''t find anyone who want to work with us." The male employee also looked very embarrassed. Nova was not surprised and smiled. "So, I''ve done what I instructed you to do, and you haven''t contributed anything to the project in the past hour." The male employee lowered his head and thought about what Louise had said to them. He suddenly understood that Louise had deliberately instructed them to challenge Nova. The male employee lowered his head. "I''m sorry. I was full of myself. Actually..." Nova asked, "Actually what?" He replied, "Actually, I was used by Louise." His words did not surprise Nova at all. She smiled and asked, "How long have you been working at the Francis Group?" The male employee said, "Five years." The female employee answered, "It''s been four years. I''ve been here since I graduated and started my internship." Nova nodded. "Four years is a long time. I think you should have your own judgment and opinions. The boss doesn''t like people who don''t have their own opinions and are easily persuaded by others. Of course, I don''t want you to suffer. There are some things that you shouldn''t do. It''s normal to have objections." Nova''s words were very gentle, and there was a gentle smile on her face.T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. The two staff looked at each other and nodded. They said from the bottom of their hearts, "Thank you, Miss Nova." Nova said, "Don''t worry about it. Go back to work." The two of them walked out of the office and realized that Louise was not at her desk. Many employees knew that Louise had this problem. She liked to ck off and often went to the CEO''s office to hang out. However, because she was Brian''s fianc¨¦e, no one dared to say anything about her. On the contrary, they had to kiss her ass from time to time. After this lesson, the two staff''s attitudes towards Louise changed drastically. The news of Louise instigating them to mess with Nova quickly spread among the staff members. In addition, Nova was a kind person. She was serious about her work and others were impressed by it. Therefore, everyone respected Nova even more. At about four in the afternoon, Louise could not sit still and wanted to ck off again. She said to the male colleague from that day, "Dean, help me analyze today''s data?" MS It wasmon for Louise to ask male colleagues for help. She felt that no one would refuse her since she was pretty and also was the CEO''s fianc¨¦e. Unexpectedly, Dean Baxter turned to look at her and said coldly, "Miss Adkins, I have a lot of work to do myself." Chapter 471 Dean felt that what Nova said to him made sense. There were somethings that he needed to refuse to do. He had helped Louise a lot before. He thought that she could put in a good word for him in front of Brian and he could get a promotion and a raise. However, a few years had passed, and he had not gained anything. Moreover, many employees knew that Louise and Brian had been together for more than five years. They were already engaged five years ago, but they were still not married. asionally, people would gossip about it in private. The employees who worked here for a long time knew that Brian and Grace had been married before. It was said that he nned to marry Louise after divorcing Grace. However, ever since Grace died five years ago, Brian and Louise never talked about holding their wedding. Therefore, there were rumors in thepany that Brian didn''t get married because he couldn''t forget Grace. People suspected that Louise might never have the chance to be the real Mrs. Francis. Louise widened her eyes in surprise. She could not believe that Dean would reject her. She was stunned for a long time. Louise walked away resentfully and went to find another colleague for help.N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. However, that person also turned her down on the grounds that he had other work to do. Louise gritted her teeth and thought, ''No wonder I feel that the atmosphere in the office has been a little off recently. No one has talked to me much.'' She thought about it carefully. It seemed to have slowly changed after the two colleagues came out of the office the day before yesterday. Louise thought, ''Nova must have bewitched them! This damn woman is clearly going against me.'' In order not to give Nova leverage, she could only calm down and sit in her seat to finish her work. Brian came to pick her up from work as usual. Seeing that she had not finished her work, he asked, "Do you need to work overtime today?" Louise turned her head and nced at Nova, who had yet to leave the office. She wanted to take the opportunity toin about Nova. "Yes, Miss Nova only asked me to stay behind to work overtime" Brian looked up at Nova. Through the ss window, he saw her working with her head lowered. This was the first time Brian had seen Nova working. She was very serious when she worked, and she was apletely different person from her usual enchanting self. Brian suddenly thought of Grace. Grace was also so serious when she was working. Louise''s heart sank when she saw him looking at Nova in a daze. "Brian, what are you looking at?" Louise drooped her shoulders tiredly andined, "Brian, do you think Miss Nova is deliberately targeting me? Everyone is off work and she only asked me to stay behind" Brian came back to his senses and said calmly, "Isn''t she working overtime too?" His words rendered her speechless. Brian added, "She''s a responsible person at work. She asked you to stay and work overtime for your own good." Louise gritted her teeth in anger. She pursed her lips and squeezed out a smile. "Is that so? Then she must think highly of me." Louise quickly finished her work and left with Brian. For some reason, she had a feeling that Nova was a very dangerous person. She was afraid that Nova would be the second Grace. Louise originally wanted to mention to Brian that she wanted to transfer to another department, but Brian was impressed by Nova''s ability.et she mentioned it in front of him now, it would only make Brian feel that she could not take on difficult tasks. Chapter 472 Louise could only continue to stay on the project. At noon, Louise received a call from an unknown number. "Louise! Have you blocked my number?" A rough male voice came from the receiver. Louise''s heart skipped a beat. She lowered her voice and said, "I didn''t. What do you want?" She got up and went to the stairwell to talk. The man opposite him was Hale Burns. Previously, they had discussed that if she was pregnant, she could marry Brian sessfully. However, during that period of time, she did not get pregnant with Hale. Brian never touched her either. If she got pregnantter, she would be exposed. Therefore, she could only give up on this n. Since she could not get married, she had no reason to ask Brian for money. Hale had spent a lot of money on food and gambling for the past few years. He often asked her for money to pay off his debts. She regretted being involved with this disgusting man. However, she could not get rid of him no matter what. This time, she knew that he probably called her to ask for money again. As expected, Louise was right. Hale said, "I''m out of money. I owe the casino hundreds of thousands of dors. Hurry up and give me some money to repay the debt!" Louise took a deep breath and said coldly, "I''ve already given you enough money. I don''t have any money on hand now. Think of a way yourself!" With that, she hung up and blocked this number. Nova had already given her a headache, and Hale was still pestering her. She was about to die of anger. When she went back to work, she was not in a good mood. Later, Nova even seized an opportunity to scold her. Nova patted Louise''s shoulder lightly. "Miss Adkins, although your identity is special, it''s still working hours. Please don''t ck off!" Louise was furious at being lectured in front of so many colleagues. She stood up and asked Nova, "Miss Nova, so you know that my identity is special. I don''t think you care about my identity at all, right?" OUMSN?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. Nova smiled calmly. "Louise, don''t be anxious. I''m just reminding you. A few days ago, I saw that the other colleagues had already gotten off work and you hadn''t finished your work. I''m just worried about you. You don''t want to work overtime, right?" She smiled gently. Her words made Louise look ipetent and petty. Louise was so angry that her face turned green, and she was even less in the mood to go to work. As expected, she stayed behind to work overtime again that night. As for Brian, he had already left because he had a dinner party that night. Louise turned off theputer, lowered her shoulders, and nced at Nova, who was still sitting in the office. She said disdainfully, "Why are you pretending to be so hardworking? I know you sit in the office every night to put on a show for everyone." After packing her things, Louise left and went to the garage for her car. It was Hale. Just as she took a few steps out of the elevator, a figure suddenly rushed out from behind a pir and hugged her, covering her mouth. She didn''t know how many days he hadn''t showered after being chased by debt collectors, but he smelled so sour and pungent that she almost vomited. Louise was forcefully dragged into his car. She frowned in disgust and leaned against the door to distance herself from him. "Hale, I really don''t have any money with me," she said as gently as she could. Hale spat. "Louise, do you think I''m a fool? You''re the eldest daughter of Adkins Group and Brian''s girlfriend How can you not have money?! Aren''t you very good in bed? Would Brian not give you money if you satisfied him in bed? I the fallen apart with me and rid of me!" to get The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 473 Louise massaged her temples and said helplessly, "You also know that I''m only his girlfriend. It''s been five years, but he''s still not married to me. What can I do? He''s not a fool. Will he give me the money if I ask him for it?" Hale pinched her cheek angrily. "I think you''re the one who fucking treats me like a fool! You can just find an excuse to ask Brian for money. I think you just don''t want to give it to me! Louise, let me tell you, don''t even think about getting rid of me. If you push me too far, I''ll tell everyone about us. If Brian finds out that you have been with me before, what do you think he''ll do?" Louise''s heart turned cold. She looked at him and tried to soften her tone. "Hale, what good will it do you to tell others about us? Although Brian is not married to me yet, Grace is already dead. He will marry me sooner orter. Can you wait?" Hale sneered. "Don''t try to fool me. Hurry up and give me the money!" Louise secretly clenched her fists. "How much do you owe?" Hale said, "The interest is about a hundred and twenty thousand dors. Give me two hundred thousand dors, so that I won''t have to look for you again in a while."C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. Louise widened her eyes in surprise. "Two hundred thousand dors?" Hale said matter-of-factly, "Yes!" Louise said, "I... I don''t have that much money!" Hale said, "I don''t care how much you have! Are you going to give it to me or not?" Louise pleaded, "Two hundred thousand dors is a lot. Hale, I''m indeed a little tight on money now. I''ll pay the loan for you first. Can you wait for me to pay for your interestter? It''s Valentine''s Day soon. Brian will definitely give me a gift. Then, I''ll have the money to give you." Hale snorted coldly. "Don''t try to brush me off! I need two hundred thousand dors right away. There''s no room for negotiation!" Louise said, "I..." Hale said, "If you don''t give it to me, I''ll tell everyone about you killing Ava Adkins and that child. We''ll die together!" Louise gasped. "Don''t be rash! Let''s talk swegs out. Neither of us wante c Boney t jail, right? I''ll get the to you as soon as possible Hale asked, "How long do you need?" Louise said, "A week." Hale warned, "You''d better not y any tricks on me. Otherwise, you know the consequences!" Louise nodded. "Can I go down now?" Only then did Hale put her down. She walked to her car. She had only taken two steps when she saw Nova leaning against the white Bentley turning the car key in her hand and looking at her with a faint smile. Louise gasped and thought, ''When did she get here? What did she see? Nova had not gotten off work when I left. She should have just arrived.'' Louise swallowed her saliva to calm herself down. She walked over and greeted her. "Miss Nova, what a coincidence. Did you just get off work?" The smile on Nova''s face rose as she raised her eyebrows slightly. "Miss Adkins, didn''t Mr. Francis pick you up from work today?" Louise said, "Mr. Francis has a dinner party today. I just met an old friend in the garage and chatted with him." "Oh, really?" Nova smiled and said lightly, "It''s gettingte. Be careful on your way home." With that, she opened the car door, started the engine, and drove away. Louise swallowed hard and thought, ''Why did she seem so calm?'' If she wasn''t interested in what had just happened, she definitely wouldn''t have leaned against the car door and waited for him to get out. Chapter 474 The more Louise thought about it, the more afraid she became. She thought, ''Nova is really a terrifying woman.'' After Nova got into the car, she took out her phone and called Nelson. "Mr. Francis, it''s me. Please help me check if there''s a hooligan in Capern City called Hale Burns with a scar on his forehead." Nova thought, ''That man has hurt me time and time again. He was also the murderer who killed Ava. Austin''s death was most likely rted to him. I will not let go of anyone who has hurt me and my daughter!'' After she went to work the next day, Louise had been worried about what Nova would say to Brian. Even when Nova went to the CEO''s office to look for Brian to talk about work, Louise was frightened and found an excuse to follow her.N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. However, after observing for a day and seeing that Nova did not show any abnormal signs, she gradually heaved a sigh of relief. The next day was the weekend. Nova had been busy for the entire weekst week. It was not easy for her to be free. She wanted to visit Daisy and Frederick Sherman, but she did not know if Daisy had moved away after five years. When she drove to their house, she saw that the courtyard door was tightly shut and weeds were growing everywhere. It was obvious that no one had lived there for many years. Nova asked the neighbors around and found out that they had moved to the city. Carson had bought a house. Nova''s eyes widened in surprise. She thought, ''Does this mean that Carson has recovered?'' Nova hurriedly looked for Nelson to help investigate Carson''s current residence. Soon, she found out that he lived in River City. She rushed over and touched her face. Thinking of her current identity, she could only sit in the car. She waited outside the neighborhood for a long time. Finally, at around five in the afternoon, she saw Daisy leave the neighborhood and turn into a supermarket to buy groceries. Daisy didn''t seem to have changed much. She must have been living well in the past few years. She would smile when she met someone she knew. At about seven o''clock in the evening, Nova saw Frederick return. He was shirtless and had a towel draped over his shoulders. His skin was tanned, and he obviously grew more white hair. He looked like he had a hunched back. Nova got out of the car and stood by the door, looking at him. He seemed to sense her gaze on him. Frederick turned his head to look at her, smiled politely at her, and walked into the neighborhood. Nova''s eyes were a little moist. She waited outside for a long time again, but she didn''t see Carson even when it was dark. At that moment, her phone rang. It was her assistant. Her assistant had been overseas with her previously He had just finished dealing with matters overseas recently and had just returned to this country today. Nova looked at the time. Just as she was about to go back, she suddenly saw Carson walking out of the neighborhood. He was on the phone with a smile on his face and a glint in his eyes Nova couldn''t help butugh. She could guess that the person on the other end must be a girl. Carson seemed to be fine and looked good. He seemed to have matured a lot. As he made the call, he walked along the pedestrian walkway outside the neighborhood. A smile appeared on Nova''s face. She had seen everyone she needed to see and was relieved. She then drove away. The person who called Carson was Vivian Greene. Vivian had been in contact with Carson for the past few years. When Carson was sick, Vivian had never left him. Carson still liked Vivian. However, he felt that he had not saved enough money in the past few years and was worried that he would not be able to give her a stable life. Chapter 475 In the past few years, the two of them had always just stayed as friends. Carson cleared his throat and asked, "Tomorrow is the weekend. Do you have time for lunch?" "Sure!" Vivian agreed immediately. Carson was secretly excited. "Alright, I''ll pick you up tomorrow. It''s gettingte. Good night." Vivian said, "Good night."C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. The next day, Carson woke up early and said to Daisy, "Mom, you don''t have to count me for lunch." Daisy asked, "Where are you going? Are you dating some girl?" Carson said as he ate his breakfast, "It''s Vivian." As soon as he finished speaking, Daisy frowned. "It''s Vivian again." Carson frowned slightly and looked at her. "Mom, what do you mean?" Daisy pursed her lips and continued, "Vivian is good-looking, but she''s a little pretentious. Are all girls who are teachers so pretentious? In my opinion, you should either find someone from the countryside who can do all kinds of work and help me with housework in the future, or we can find someone with a rich family who can afford to hire a nanny even if they don''t do any work. There are so many rich families in Capern City. You have a lot of options." Carson''s expression soured. Frederick shouted in a low voice, "Are you done talking? Your son has his own opinions. You don''t have to worry about him!" Daisy said, "Am I wrong? I''ve worked hard for most of my life because I want to enjoy life when I''m old!" Carson put the fork aside. "Mother, don''t let me hear such words again. Vivian took care of me for so long back then. I am the one who does not deserve her." Daisy was stunned and pouted. "Alright. I won''t say it anymore." Carson pursed his lips and seemed to have thought of something. His eyes were slightly downcast. "Also, don''t think too highly of your son. Vivian has someone she likes. I won''t be able to woo her." With that, he got up and walked into his room. Daisy looked at Frederick and was red at by him. "You''re the only one who talks nonsense all day long! You''ve touched a sore spot!" Carson returned to his room andy on the bed, staring at the ceiling in a daze. He had always known that Vivian liked Justin. Previously, Justin liked Grace. So Carson had the courage to try pursuing Vivian. However, after Grace was gone, it was possible again for Vivian to be with Justine. Therefore, Carson did not even have the thought of confessing his feelings to Vivian. He looked at the time. It was almost time to pick up Vivian. He changed his clothes and drove to pick up Vivian. Vivian came down from upstairs, got into the car, and took out a gift box from her bag. Carson was stunned. "What is this?" Vivian seemed to be in a good mood. She smiled and said, "Of course it''s for you." "Did something good happen? Are you dating Justin now?" Carson took the gift box and suppressed the joy in his heart as he asked half-jokingly. As Vivian fastened her seatbelt, she said, "Can''t I give you something for no reason?bought it for you becaused smelled a perfume that suits you when I went shopping with my colleaguesst time. Also, don''t n to pursue Justin. I don''t like him anymore. I want to focus on my career." bout Vivian sighed. After Grace left, it was not that she had not thought of pursuing Justin again. However, she gradually realized that she didn''t like Justin that much anymore. Chapter 476 Carson was going to start the car. After hearing that, he was stunned and paused his actions. He thought, ''She doesn''t like Justin anymore and doesn''t n to pursue him anymore? Does that mean I will have a chance?'' Carson subconsciously swallowed a mouthful of saliva. However, when he thought about how Justin was so outstanding and rich, he didn''t think he was able to pursue Vivian since he could notpare to Justin in anything. Vivian said, "Carson? What''s wrong? What are you waiting for? Hurry up and drive. Aren''t you hungry? I''m hungry." Carson smiled foolishly. "Alright!" After lunch, the two of them sat in the restaurant and chatted for a while. Vivian talked about her work n and then asked Carson, "I heard that you were going to change jobs some time ago. Where are you nning to go?" Carson said, "Not long ago, the international IT master Nova opened apany called Top Group in Capern City. I n to apply for a job there." Vivian did not understand the IT industry. "Is the newpany reliable?" Carson answered, "I''ve been paying attention to her for the past two years. She used to work for Nelson Group, and in just four years, she opened up an overseas market for Nelson Group. She increased the market value of thepany from four hundred million dors to two billion dors in four years, so I believe that the prospects for herpany''s development will definitely be good." Vivian nodded. "By the way, how''s your recovery? The doctor said that you can''t work too hard. If you have to work overtime in thatpany, it''s best to change to something more rxed." Carson smiled. "Are you worried about me?" Vivian rolled her eyes at him. Carson smiled and said, "My illness has long been cured. It shouldn''t rpse in the future." "That''s good... My stomach hurts a little. I''m going to the bathroom." Vivian held her stomach and stood up. After taking a few steps, she was suddenly stopped by Carson. "Vivian!" Vivian turned around and looked at him. "What''s wrong?" Carson said, "I think your... is here." Vivian did not understand for a moment. "What?" Carson held it in for a long time before saying, "Look at your skirt." Vivian was stunned for a moment before she suddenly reacted. She suddenly covered her butt with her hand and turned around. The skin on her face turned red at a speed visible to the naked eye. en She was so embarrassed that she wanted to die on the spot. She red at him anxiously. "You... Why did you say that!" Carson asked, "Do you want me to let you go to the washroom and be stared at by others instead?" Vivian bit her lip and sat down on the chair angrily. "Hurry up and think of a way!" It was summer now. They were all wearing short sleeves and did not have an extra jacket to cover her up. Carson thought for a moment and said to her, "Wait for me." He quickly returned to the car and found a jacket for her to put on. Vivian was embarrassed. When she returned to the car, she didn''t say a word. When Carson passed by a convenience store, he got out of the car and bought her a pack of tampons. Then, he drove the car to the entrance of a mall. "Let''s go. I''ll take you to the bathroom." Vivian looked at the tampon he gave her and felt warmth in her heart. "Carson, thank you." Carson unconsciously raised his hand and stroked her hair. "Why are you thanking me? Compared to you taking care of me when I wasText content ? N?velDrama.Org. hospitalized, these are insignificant." Vivian''s heart suddenly beat faster. She hugged her tampons and ran into the bathroom. ***** Nova had to go back to Top Group on Monday for a routine meeting. Thepany happened to be interviewing new employees today. After the meeting, Nova remembered that this was the first batch of employees recruited by thepany, so she nned to check them out. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 477 When the HR manager, who was in the midst of an interview, saw Novaing over, he immediately stood up and asked respectfully, "Miss Nova, are you nning to hold the interview?" Nova shook her head. "You can just do your interview as usual. I''m just here to take a look." The HR manager nodded. "Alright, please take a seat."Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Nova found a stool and sat down, her assistant Karen Wilcher stood beside her. The HR manager was especially serious during the interview since Nova was watching. At this moment, Nova suddenly saw a staff member from the HR department shouting at the door, "Next person, Carson Sherman." Nova''s eyes lit up as she stared at the door. Sure enough, after a few seconds, she saw Carson walk in. Carson walked over in a suit and sat upright on a chair. The HR manager followed the rules and said, "Hello, Carson. Please introduce yourself briefly." Carson began to introduce himself. The HR manager asked him again, "Why did you choose ourpany?" Carson revealed his true thoughts. The HR manager gave a simple introduction to thepany and some basic introductions of the work Carson had applied. In the end, he asked him about his work ethic. They were basically the same questions, so he nned to ask him to go back and wait for further notice. At this moment, Nova suddenly stood up. "Wait." Carson looked up and quickly recognized her. He nodded at her respectfully and politely. "Hello, Miss Nova." She looked at him in surprise. "You know me?" Carson smiled and said, "Yes, I''ve been following your news online for the past two years. I''ve also seen your interview when you returned to this country." A smile appeared on Nova''s face as she walked to the HR manager and sat down. "heard your introduction just now you used to develop programs for games and your achievements in the game are not small. After all, you''re still so young. Why did you give up the gaming industry and choose IT?" Carson''s eyes dimmed. "Because the IT industry is myte sister''s favorite industry. I want to fulfill her dream for her." The tip of Nova''s nose suddenly turned sour, and tears almost flowed out of her eyes. She calmed herself and said, "Sorry... It seems that you and your sister must have a good rtionship. However, your interest was originally in games. Suddenly, you are switching to IT. Do you think you''re confident that you can do it well?" Carson said, "Don''t worry, Miss Nova. I won''t embarrass my sister. IT isn''t difficult for me." Nova smiled at him and asked him a few questions. Carson was able to answer all of them. Carson could tell that her standards were very high, so he took the initiative to suggest, "Miss Nova, why don''t you test me on a few practical questions?" Nova nodded and used aputer to set up a few problems for him on the spot. Carson easily solved them in just ten minutes. Nova looked at him in shock. She thought, ''Five years ago, he was still seriously ill. Even though he recovered a yearter, how did he be so good at this? Moreover, his illness did not allow him to use theputer often because of the radiation. It was not good for his condition, but he worked so hard to fulfill my dream.'' Nova felt a lump in her throat. She took a deep breath and smiled at him. "You don''t have to go back and wait for the notice. Come straight to work tomorrow." Carson Sherman''s eyes lit up. "Thank you, Miss Nova!" Nova said, "Actually, I''m not much older than you. You can call me Nova from now on." Chapter 478 Carson was ttered. "Thank you, Nova." A gratified smile appeared on Nova''s face. Karen Wilcher looked at Nova in surprise. She thought, ''Miss Nova actually asked an employee who has just been interviewed to call her by her name. It seems that she likes this man very much!! Carson walked out of the office and texted Vivian to tell her the good news. Just as he reached the elevator door, a voice suddenly stopped him. "Carson!" Carson''s body shook violently. He thought, ''This tone sounds just like Grace.'' He suddenly turned around and saw Nova. His heart seemed to have fallen to the bottom. A smile appeared on his face. "Miss Nova... no, Nova." Nova walked closer and stood about six feet away from him. She looked at him carefully for a while and organized her words in her mind before asking, "I''m sorry. How many years has your sister been gone?" Carson lowered his eyes. "Five years." Nova said, "Five years is not a short period of time. You should not let the past haunt you. Actually, if your sister knew, she definitely wouldn''t want you to give up on game production. After all, that''s your dream. Your sister will want you to fulfill your dream." Carson looked at her with a faint doubt in his eyes. He did not understand why she suddenly told him this. Nova could not help butugh. "Sorry, I''m just thinking as an outsider. Are you really not considering continuing working in the game production industry?" Carson smiled and asked half-jokingly, "What''s wrong? Nova, don''t tell me you regret recruiting me into Top Group.?" Nova said, "Of course not. I think very highly of you. If you like game production, Top Group can also develop this section in the future." Carson smiled and said, "Then I hope that I can develop games at Top Group in the future. Alright, I''ll work hard. Goodbye." Carson said goodbye to her and walked into the elevator. He watched as her face slowly disappeared through the gap in the door. His heart suddenly skipped a beat. Nova gave him an inexplicable sense of familiarity. It was too strange. When he spoke to her, he would always inexplicably think of Grace. He thought, ''Perhaps this is fate. Grace likes IT, and Nova also likes IT. That is why they shared something inmon...'' After the interview, Nova set off for the Francis Group with Karen. On the way, Karen asked, "Miss Nova, does Carson need some special arrangements?" Nova''s brows furrowed fiercely. "Karen, what are you talking about?" Seeing her reaction, Karen knew that she had said something wrong. She immediately said, "I''m sorry, Miss Nova. I think you seem to like that new employee very much. I thought you were going to arrange some special positions for him." Nova pressed between her eyebrows. "With his ability, do you think he needs special arrangements? Thepany has a well-structured promotion system. Any employee will be treated equally."N?velDrama.Org is the owner. Karen pped herself. "Alright, I am sorry. Miss Nova, you have a business meeting with Mr. Grey of Grand Group in the afternoon to discuss the authorization for the use of Glimmery. Do you want to go?" Nova thought for a moment. Two days ago, Karen had briefly told her about Craig Gray''s information. If she remembered correctly, Craig was a little lecherous. She tilted her head and nced at Karen. "Of course, I''m going. I don''t have to put on air since I have just returned to the country. Prepare the rmation and hand it to me before four. You don''t have to go. Chapter 479 Karen looked at her gratefully. Two days ago, when she went to find out more about Craig, she realized that this person was very lecherous. In the past, he had groped some of the female assistants and secretaries who had apanied him to meetings. She had told Nova all this before. However, in order to protect Karen, Nova chose to go alone. As an assistant, she did not even need to help Nova with anything. Karen felt a little ashamed when she thought of this. She turned her head to look at Nova. "Miss Nova, I''d better go with you. Mr. Gray is a shady person. If the two of us go, we can take care of each other." Nova said without any hesitation, "No need. He won''t dare to do anything to me." Nova insisted on going alone. Karen bit her lip and did not say anything else. At six o''clock in the evening, Nova drove to the restaurant. Craig was already waiting there. A professional smile appeared on Nova''s face. "Hello, Mr. Gray." Craig was wearing a pair of sses. Behind the sses, his eyes were slightly swollen. When he smiled, his eyes narrowed into slits. His eyes studied her face before slowly moving down to admire her curvaceous figure. Nova deliberately went back to change into something that covered most of her skin, but even so, Craig''s malicious gaze still made her feel a little disgusted. She suppressed the disgust in her heart and sat down opposite him. "I''m sorry to have kept you waiting. There was a traffic jam on the way."N?velDrama.Org is the owner. Craig smiled lecherously and said, "Waiting for a beauty like you is worth it no matter how long it takes." Nova maintained a smile on her face, but she was secretly despising him in her heart. Craig pushed the menu to Nova and asked her to order. Nova casually ordered a few dishes and started talking to him about work. At this moment, Craig said, "Miss Nova, why are you in such a hurry? It''s only six o''clock. It''s boring to keep talking about work at this hour. Let''s chat first..." Nova smiled and asked, "Mr. Grey, what do you want to talk about?" Craig said, "You are even more beautiful than you look on television. It''s a pity that a sessful and beautiful beauty like you isn''t married yet!" Nova said, "Mr. Grey, you tter me. I am nothing like that." Craig asked with a smile, "I feel like we hit it off at first sight. I feel that you are like my little sister. You can also treat me as your brother swnov Nova was so disgusted by his lecherous smile that she almost vomited. She maintained a calm smile on her face. "No problem, but I think calling you Mr. Gray is the only way to show my respect for you." Craig suggested, "Alright! How about we have a few drinks?" Drinking was unavoidable on such asions, and Nova readily agreed. Craig asked the waiter to bring over wine and personally poured her a full ss. Nova looked at the ss of white wine and could not help but curl her fingers. She usually drank beere overseas, but she rarely drank such arge ss of white wine. Craig raised his ss to toast her. Nova had no choice but to down one ss. Her stomach instantly burned, but she remained unfazed. Craigughed. "I like people like you who drink boldly. Come on. Another one!" As he spoke, he poured another cup for her. Nova gritted her teeth and drank it all. When the food was served, Craig chatted with her while eating and drinking with her. After a few sses of wine, Nova''s face was already slightly red. Craig''s malicious gaze lingered on her chest. Nova felt a little ufortable and tried to talk to him about work with a smile. Chapter 480 Because Nova was going to meet Craig, Karen returned to Francis Group and worked overtime to deal with Nova''s work. When it was past nine in the evening, she suddenly saw Brian appear in the office. Karen immediately walked out. "Mr. Francis." Brian looked at her and asked, "Are you working overtime here alone?" Karen nodded. "Miss Nova is meeting with someone for work." Brian asked, "Why didn''t you go with her?" Karen lowered her head. "Miss Nova doesn''t want me to go." Brian did not ask further. He nodded and prepared to leave. "Mr. Francis, wait!" He had just reached the elevator when Karen stopped him. Brian turned around and looked at her. "What''s the matter?" Karen walked forward and hesitated for a moment before asking awkwardly, "I''m a little worried about Miss Nova. Mr. Grey is the one who is having dinner with her today. He seems to be a lecherous person. Miss Nova was worried that I would be taken advantage of if I went, so she went alone. Can you... help me check on her?" Brian frowned slightly. After a moment, his eyes dimmed. "Where are they having dinner?" Karen''s eyes lit up. "At Capern Hotel." Brian hesitated for a moment and suddenly snorted. "Miss Nova should be more than capable of handling such an asion." After saying this coldly, he left. Karen sighed dejectedly. After thinking for a while, she took out her phone and called Nova, but she did not answer. ***** Nova''s head was a little dizzy, but she was not drunk. Her vision was a little blurry. Her look made Craig''s heart race. He was not in the mood to talk to her about work. As soon as Nova spoke, he interrupted her. "Nova, I''m very confident to work with you. Wett work together for a long time in the future. We''ll be friends from now on. As friends, we have to know each other better." As Craig spoke, he got up and sat beside her. Nova subconsciously moved her body to the side. He ced her hands on his waist. "Nova, admire you very et of you very much. I , you will be the clot of Grand Group!" Content Nova''s body stiffened. "Thank you, Mr. Grey. I''m going to the washroom." tally She stood up and was about to walk out when he hugged her. "Nova, it''s so troublesome to go outside. Isn''t therea washroom in our private room?" Nova frowned and struggled. "Mr. Grey, please get off me!"Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. Craig grabbed her waist tightly and refused to let go. "What''s wrong? I didn''t do anything. Just rx..." He drank a little too much and became bolder. Hisrge hands kept moving around her body. Nova felt nauseous. "Craig! Please get away!" The flesh on Craig''s face squeezed together as he smiled. "Nova, don''t be so fierce." It seemed that he hadpletely lost his mind. Nova struggled violently. "Let go of me!" The more she struggled, the more force Craig used. His big hands were about to tug at her clothes. As he pulled, heined, "These clothes are really in the way!" Nova gasped and warned coldly, "Craig Grey, take your dirty hands away! Otherwise, I''ll make you regret it!" Her warning didn''t have any effect. Instead, it aroused his desire to conquer. "Swoosh!" The sound of fabric being torn was especially ear-piercing. Nova screamed and covered her chest. "Bang!" With a loud bang, the door was suddenly opened, sobering the drunk Craig up. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 481 Nova looked at Brian at the door and pushed Craig away forcefully. She ran behind Brian in a panic. Brian shielded her behind him. Sensing her fear, he nced at Craig gloomily. Craig rubbed his eyes. "Mr. Francis? Why... Why are you here?"This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Nova held Brian''s arm with trembling hands and whispered, "Mr. Francis... Help me, I''m so scared..." Brian patted her shoulder. His voice involuntarily softened. "Don''t be afraid. I''m here." Nova lowered her head. She was weak and helpless, but no one saw the indifferent expression on her face. Craig suddenly had a bad feeling. She didn''t know when Nova became so close to Brian. Brian looked at him coldly. "Which hand of yours touched her?" Craigughed awkwardly. "Mr. Francis, it''s a misunderstanding, it''s all a misunderstanding..." Brian narrowed his eyes as if he had run out of patience. "Then both hands have touched her." As soon as he finished speaking, he raised his leg and kicked Craig in the arm, knocking him to the ground. Craig groaned in embarrassment. "Mr. Francis, I am sorry! I shouldn''t have touched Miss Nova! Please spare me." "Bang!" Another kick sent him rolling several times on the ground. A leather shoe was firmly pressed against his fingers. Craig screamed in pain, "Mr. Francis, please spare me!" Brian said, "It''s not up to me to decide if I''ll spare you or not." Craig hurriedly corrected himself. "Miss Nova, I am sorry... I won''t dare to do it again... Please spare me!" Nova walked up to him and looked down at him Mr. Grey, we were supposed to discuss business. I hate men who use business to take advantage ofdies. It''s not impossible for me to spare you! Can you guarantee that you won''t make the same mistake to otherdies in the future?" Brian looked at her in surprise. Craig did not dare to think of doing that again. He hurriedly admitted his mistake. "You''re right! I won''t dare to do it won''t dare to touch a woman in this lifetime!" Nova said, "Alright, I''ll believe you for now! I know a lot of people in this industry. You''d better not let me hear you doing this kind of thing again!" Craig said, "Definitely not! Don''t worry, Miss Nova!" Seeing this, Brian took his foot away. Craig immediately got up and ran out of the private room after regaining his freedom. Nova massaged her temples and looked at Brian with a smile. "Thank you, Mr. Francis." Brian looked at her tattered clothes. Fortunately, the cor of her clothes was high enough. She did not look miserable even if it was a little torn. "I''ll send you back," Brian said solemnly. Nova nodded, and her enchanting smile carried a bit of naivety. "Okay!" She followed behind Brian, her footsteps a little unsteady. He walked much faster than she did. There was quickly a gap between them. Brian looked back at her and realized that she had fallen far away. He frowned and stood still, waiting for her. Nova slowly walked to his side and the two of them took the elevator downstairs. After getting into the car, Nova felt a little cold and shrunk her neck. Brian took out a jacket from the backseat and handed it to her. "Put it on." Nova smiled and reached out to take it. "Thank you." Chapter 482 In front of Brian, Noca picked up the clothes and sniffed them gently. Her attractive eyes blinked at him seductively. "It smells good. It smells like you." Brian gulped and frowned. Nova stopped smiling and closed her eyes. She covered her body with her coat and closed her eyes.C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org "Address," he asked in a dry voice. Nova said, "Outer Banks 1." Brian started the car and drove all the way to her apartment building. He nced sideways at her. She seemed to be asleep, her breathing steady. He stopped the car very steadily and slowly. When he stopped, he looked sideways at her profile. "We''re here." Nova slowly opened her eyes. Her eyelids seemed to be very heavy and she could not open them. "Are we here? Thank you..." She opened the door and staggered out of the car. Brian frowned. He quickly got out of the car and grabbed her arm. "Be careful!" Nova looked at him innocently. Her cheeks were slightly red, and her body involuntarily leaned against him. His voice was hoarse. "I''ll send you up. Which building and floor are you staying at?" Nova leaned against him with all the strength in her body and vaguely said her room number. Her body was so soft. Brian''s thoughts were a little chaotic. For some reason, when she leaned against him, Grace''s face would involuntarily appear in his mind. Even if he closed his eyes, he would have the illusion that the woman in front of him was Grace. He took a deep breath and secretly collected his thoughts. "Which floor?" She rested her head on his shoulder and exhaled. "Eighteen..." The time in the elevator was extremely torturous. When they finally reached the door, Nova raised her hand weakly and looked at Brian innocently and pitifully. She said coquettishly, "I can''t lift it..." Brian''s heart felt like it had been hit by something. His throat rolled up and down as he took her hand and ced it on the fingerprint lock. The door opened and he helped her into the room. Turning on the lights, the room was decorated with a refreshing wood style. It was warm and elegant. He looked at the ornaments on the table and the hangings on the wall. Everything seemed so familiar. This style was too simr to Grace''s. He stood rooted to the ground in a daze. Nova leaned against him and lowered her head. Her eyes were clear. She had long sobered up. Seeing the was in a daze, she hugged his shoulder softly and. said weakly, "Brian... Hold me... I''m going swho? to fall." Brian''s groin tightened when he heard her soft voice. His voice was hoarse as he asked, "Who allowed you to call me by my name?" Nova looked at him with hazy eyes and smiled. "I like to call you that." He narrowed his eyes. "You tter me. Your liking is too cheap!" Nova pouted her tender lips and looked at him. Her watery eyes seemed to be using him. "How is it cheap? I like to call you that What''s wrong? Can''t I like you?" Brian took a deep breath and asked stiffly, "You''re drunk. Where''s the bedroom?" Nova raised her hand and pointed at a door. Brian simply carried her horizontally and walked to the bedroom. Nova hooked her arms around his neck and smiled at him. He ced her on the bed, but she still hooked her arms around his neck and refused to let go. She exerted a little force, and they got instantly closer. He seemed to be possessed and forgot to resist for a moment. She curled her lips slightly and breathed into his mouth. "Brian, I like you." Chapter 483 Brian''s body trembled on the spot as if he had forgotten to think. He allowed Nova''s lips to get closer and closer to him. Her scent washed over him, a sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu that was enough to make him sink. Brian gulped and closed his eyes subconsciously as if the woman under him was Grace. Seeing that he did not refuse, Nova''s lips curled into a cold smile. The wet and hot kissnded on his lips. Brian''s eyshes trembled. Almost instinctively, he opened his mouth and sucked on her lips. Nova hugged him even tighter. At this moment, Grace''s face shed across his mind. He suddenly sobered up and pushed her away. Nova looked at him with misty eyes and asked in a low voice, "Brian, what''s wrong?" He stood stiffly in front of the bed and looked at her. He said coldly, "I''m sorry, I have someone I like." With that, he turned around and almost fled. Nova''s eyes turned cold inch by inch. She thought, ''He likes someone. What a joke. He is being so loyal to Louise.'' Brian left very quickly, as if there was a ferocious beast behind him. It wasn''t until he was in the car that he took deep breaths. He pounded the steering wheel in frustration and thought, ''What is wrong with me? In the past five years, there have been countless women who have seduced me as Nova did, but none of them has had a chance to get close to me. But today, I actually kissed her! I have only known her for less than twenty days.'' He loosened his tie in frustration and turned the air conditioner to the lowest level before his brain gradually calmed down. He received a message on her phone. It was from Brian''s mother. [Son, I''ll be back next Tuesday.] The attached photo was a ne ticket.This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Brian took a look at the message and replied: [Okay.] Then, he started the car and drove back. The next day, Nova received a delivery not long after she went to work. It was filled with some fruits and nutritional supplements. Not long after, she received a call from Craig. His attitude waspletely different from yesterday. Today, his tone was respectful and he even addressed her as Miss Nova. "Miss Nova, Hreally drank too muchst night didn''t mean to harass you. I specially bought you some fruits and supplements. I hope you don''t mind." Nova nced at the things on the table and smiled. "Don''t worry, Mr. Grey. I''m not a petty person. It''s fine as long as you don''t make such mistakes again in the future." Even if he had guts, he wouldn''t dare to make such a mistake. If he had known that, Nova was Brian''s woman, Craig would definitely have behaved himself. "I definitely won''t. You are right! Then... about our coboration..." Nova said indifferently, "I''ll get my assistant to contact you and she''ll sign the contract on my behalf." Craig chuckled and said, "Alright! Thank you, Miss Nova. I''ll treat you to a meal another day to apologize to you!" Nova knew that he was just being polite. He probably hated Nova to death. If it weren''t for the fact that he was afraid of Brian, he might not even want to sign the contract. She said calmly, "Mr. Gray, you''re too kind. There''s no need for a meal. I look forward to working with you in the future." After hanging up, she received a message. Craig had sent her a location. Nova looked at the message and smiled. It was an address that couldn''t be more familiar. ***** When Louise heard that Jasmine Francis wasing back on Tuesday, she pestered Brian to bring her along to pick Jasmine up at the airport. For the past few days, Brian''s mind had been filled with Nova and Grace. He was very frustrated. Chapter 484 Brian was not in the mood to pay attention to Louise and agreed casually. On Tuesday morning, Louise and Brian went to pick up Jasmine. Jasmine came out of the lobby wearing sunsses, followed by two bodyguards. In the past few years, she had often traveled abroad. Two years ago, she was almost kidnapped overseas. Since then, Brian had arranged two bodyguards for her. They followed her everywhere. When Jasmine saw that Louise was also there, her smile froze for a moment. Louise smiled obediently. "Jasmine, how was the flight?" Jasmine smiled and said, "It''s alright. I''m already used to it. Oh right, Louise,e to our house for a meal tomorrow." Louise nodded obediently. "Okay." Jasmine went back to rest for a day. After she was settled, she personally went to the supermarket to buy groceries. Around 6 pm, Brian and Louise returned home together. Brian''s expression was indifferent. Louise tilted her head and nced at him. She thought, ''It is not easy for Jasmine toe back. This time, I have to think of a way to make Jasmine talk to me about my wedding with Brian.'' She took Brian''s arm and walked into the living room. Jasmine looked at her with a smile. "You''re back. Louise, take a seat." Louise took out the gift she had prepared for Jasmine and said shyly, "Jasmine, it''s rare for you toe back. This is a gift I specially prepared for you." Jasmine nced at Brian. Seeing that he had no expression, she epted the gift and said politely, "Look at you, girl. I asked you toe for a casual meal. Why did you bring a gift?" She opened it and saw that it was a limited edition bracelet. Jewelry was not rare for Jasmine. Her dressing room was filled with jewelry. She put it away with a smile on her face. "Louise, you don''t have to spend so much money on me." At this moment, a tall and slender figure carrying bags of things entered from outside. Jasmine immediately put down the gift that Louise had just given her and went to wee her. Louise was stunned. When she took a closer look, her eyes widened in shock. She thought, ''Nova! What is she doing here?'' Louise subconsciously looked at Brian, thinking that Brian had called her over. Obviously, Brian was also very surprised. He frowned and looked at the person at the door. Nova changed her usual frivolous and charming image and said to Jasmine elegantly, "Jasmine, long time no see." Jasmine took the things from her as if she was greeting an old friend. "Did you buy these for me?" Nova nodded. "That''s right!" Jasmine said, "I would wee you even if you came empty-handed. Why did you buy them for me, silly child?" Jasmine''s intimate attitude shocked Louise even more. Jasmine said, "Come in and talk. The sun is hot outside. I don''t want you to get sunburned!" Nova took Jasmine''s hand and walked into the living room. Jasmine said to Brian, "Brian, this is the Nova told you about. She saved me two years ago overseas. Nova, this is my son. His na "Mr. Francis, hello. We keep meeting!" A bright smile appeared on Nova''s face as she looked at Brian. Jasmine was stunned for a moment. "You... you know each other?" Nova tilted her head and looked atThis content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Jasmine. Her eyes curved up. "Jasmine, I am coborating with Mr. Francis on my first project after I came back to this country. We... are friends, right, Mr. Francis?" evel With that, she smiled at him and winked, as if silently reminding of their ambiguous incident happened that night. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 485 Louise was about to explode in anger. She thought, ''What does Nova mean? She actually dares to flirt with my man in front of me! How Shameless!'' Brian''s expression was a little stiff. He actually did not dare to meet Nova''s eyes for a moment. Nova took out the things she had bought for Jasmine. "Jasmine, this is for treating arthritis. Last time when I was overseas, I heard you say that your knee hurts, so I guessed that you must have rheumatism. Your joints hurt when the weather changes. This instrument is the most advanced in the world. If you keep using it for an hour every night, your joints won''t hurt in a month." She carefully exined the instructions to Jasmine. Jasmine was very touched. "Nova, you''re really likable. I just said that one time and you remembered it for more than two years." Nova looked at her with a smile and introduced other things to her. Jasmine liked everything that Nova bought. Moreover, they were all very practical things. Everything added up was not as expensive as the bracelet given by Louise, but it showed that Nova was being considerate. Jasmine was very satisfied with what Nova had given her. She smiled so much that the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes were showing. Louise looked at the limited edition bracelet in her hand. It suddenly looked so tacky. Brian looked at the two of them chatting andughing. He frowned slightly, but the corners of his mouth had unknowingly curled. Jasmine said, "Nova, actually, I came back this time because I knew that you were back! Otherwise, I might still be in Horands watching the aurora!" When Louise heard Jasmine''s words, she clenched her fists in anger. Jasmine added, "Nova, it''s rare to see you. What do you like to eat? I will make it for you." Louise was so shocked that her eyeballs were about to fall out. She thought, ''Even I have never had the dishes personally cooked by Jasmine. What right does Nova have to have that? I''m so angry! Why is Nova always so irritating?'' Nova said with a smile, "I didn''t expect you to know how to cook! I wonder if I can learn a thing or two from you?" Jasmine smiled. "Of course. Come. Let me teach you."Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. Louise watched them walk into the kitchen hand in hand. She was anxious and angry. She looked at Brian, bit her lip, and asked, "How did Miss Nova know Jasmine?" Brian answered, "Didn''t she just say that she was almost kidnapped in Aunor two years ago? It was Nova who saved her." Louise gritted her teeth in anger. The sense of danger in her heart grew stronger and stronger. She didn''t think there would be such a coincidence. It was indeed impossible for such a coincidence to happen. The kidnapping of Jasmine was actually nned by Nelson Francis. It seemed like they were going for money, but in fact, they were going for the entire Francis Group. However, his n was overheard by Nova. Nova beat him at his own game and saved Jasmine''s life to gain a favor. She wanted Jasmine to be grateful to her for the rest of her life, which would be very helpful for her revenge in the future. When she saw Louise''s expression, she was overjoyed. Nova knew how to cook, but she pretended that she didn''t know anything. Jasmine felt a sense of aplishment when she saw that Nova learned very quickly. She kept praising Nova for being smart. Louise could not sit still when she heard theirughtering from the kitchen. She stood up and walked to the kitchen, interrupting the two of them. "Jasmine, let me help you wash the vegetables!" The smile on Jasmine''s face disappeared. She turned around to look at Jasmine and said politely, "It''s fine, Louise. Go and sit down." Chapter 486 Louise had already taken the initiative to pick up the peeled potatoes. "It''s fine. After all, Miss Nova is a guest. She should rest." As soon as she finished speaking, Nova said, "There''s a free opportunity to learn cooking. Of course I don''t want to let it go. As long as you don''t mind that I''m stupid, Jasmine." Jasmine was all smiles. "I can''t be happier to have such a smart disciple like you!" Louise listened to their conversation and could not interrupt at all. She was so angry that she took a knife and cut the potatoes forcefully. "I''m nning to boil these potatoes. I want them to be cut into chunks!" Jasmine quickly said when she saw Louise cutting the potato slices. Louise bit her lip in embarrassment. "I''m sorry, Jasmine..." "It''s alright. Just go hang out with Brian. Leave this to me," Jasmine said.Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Louise was afraid that Nova would say anything bad about her in front of Jasmine. She refused to leave and tried to take Nova''s work. Seeing that Nova was about to cut the ginger, she snatched it over. "Miss Nova, you don''t have to do this. Let me cut it!" Nova was stunned and looked at Jasmine with an awkward expression. As a woman, Jasmine could feel Louise''s wariness and hostility towards Nova. Nova saved her life. Compared to Louise, she was more willing to take Nova''s side. Moreover, in the past five years, she could tell that her son did not like Louise much. Otherwise, they would have gotten married long ago. Since Louise insisted on helping, Jasmine could not say anything else and let her go. She went to Nova and asked her how she liked to have the beef cooked. Nova smiled and said, "Jasmine, as long as it''s made by you, I like it!" Jasmine said, "Then let''s make some beef brisket. Brian likes it too." Louise was holding back her anger, but she had nowhere to vent it. She could only cut the ginger slices forcefully as if Nova was under her knife. Louise was distracted for a moment and the dended on her finger. She screamed and dropped the knife. Nova and Jasmine turned around at the same time. Nova asked, "What''s wrong?" Louise put her hand under the running water and did not answer her. Jasmine noticed this and felt a little dissatisfied. Nova was her esteemed guest. She didn''t like, nee fact that Louise was ignoring her. She shouted outside, "Brian! Come in and bring Louise to put on a Band-Aid. She cut her hand!" Brian came over after a while. Louise looked at him pitifully. She looked like she was about to cry. He took another look at her finger. The injury was not that serious. The bleeding was almost stopped. His expression was indifferent. "Come out." Louise followed behind him with mixed feelings. She thought, ''I am already injured, but he did not show any concerns. Does he really not care about me anymore?'' Brian went to get a band-aid and put it on her. Then, hey on the sofa and watched television. Louise sat beside him, but she could not help but pay attention to the sounds in the kitchen. Due to the distance, she could not hear clearly. She only heard the asionalughter of Nova and Jasmine. After Nova saw that Jasmine had made a dish, she took the initiative to make the next dish herself. Jasmine guided her from the side. When she saw that Nova was learning well, she could not help but praise, "Nova, you are really smart." Chapter 487 Jasmine sighed. "You are already so beautiful, and you know how to earn money. You are also kind-hearted. If only I had such a good daughter like you!" Nova said jokingly, "If you don''t mind, I can call you Mommy!" Her tone changed and her voice became low. She sighed. "I''ve never had a mother since I was young. I dreamed of having a mother." Jasmine''s expression froze, and her eyes revealed her heartache. "Of course, you can do that. I''ve always dreamed of having a daughter like you!" Nova looked at her and smiled. After a while, she called out to her, "Mom!" Jasmine was overjoyed. "Yes, my daughter!" Nova''s eyes curved. She was obedient and generous. Jasmine was overjoyed. Thest few dishes were all guided by Jasmine. Then, Novapleted them alone. The two of them came out of the kitchen with their food, chatting andughing. Jasmine shouted, "Brian,e and eat!" She called Brian, but not Louise. Louise felt very upset. Brian was clearly sitting beside her, but he did not lead her over. Instead, he walked towards the dining room alone. Louise was even more furious. She could only get up and walk over. Looking at the table full of dishes, Louise had no appetite at all. Since she was in the mood, Jasmine asked Melvin Duncan to bring a bottle of red wine over. Jasmine personally poured Nova a ss. "Nova, let''s have a drink to celebrate our rtionship as mother and daughter!" Louise thought that she had misheard. She wondered, ''What is Jasmine talking about? Does she have dementia?'' The next second, she heard Nova clink sses with Jasmine obediently. "Thank you, Mom." Louise''s eyes almost popped out.N?velDrama.Org owns this. She was at a loss for words. "Jasmine, you two..." Brian frowned and looked at Nova with a probing gaze. Jasmine exined with a smile, "Louise, Brian, I forgot to tell you. I want to take Nova as my goddaughter." Louise was frustrated. She had never called Jasmine mom in the past five years. Today was Nova''s first timeing to the Francis family, yet she achieved what Louise sw novel was never able to soo Louise felt that she had gone too far. Nova nced at Louise and thought, ''She is not calling Jasmine mom. Does that mean she is not married to Brian? Then it will be interesting to know what Louise is thinking right now. She probably wants to kill me right now.'' Looking at Louise suppressing her anger, Nova was in a good mood. She raised her ss and said, "Let me toas everyone. I wish Brian, who is my new brother, have a long and sessful career. I wish Mom eternal youth. I wish Miss Adkins happiness every day." Louise thought, ''Do I look like I am fucking happy? This bitch did it on purpose. She called Brian brother, but she called me Miss Adkins. She must have done it on purpose!'' Louise was so angry that her facial features were about to contort, but she still had to raise her ss and smile to maintain her manners. Nova put down the wine ss and picked up a piece of pork rib that she had made for Jasmine. "Mom, try it." Jasmine tasted a piece and gave her a thumbs up. "As expected of my daughter. This tastes even better than the food in a fancy restaurant!" Nova''s eyes curved as she picked up another piece and ced it on Brian''s te. She called out softly, "Brother, Mommy said that you like beef brisket the most." Brian''s fingers clenched slightly. The way she called him brother made his heart tremble involuntarily. Chapter 488 Louise could not take it anymore. She picked up a piece of fish for Brian and said gently, "Brian, have some fish." The atmosphere became a little strange because of Louise''s actions. Nova picked up a piece of meat and ced it on Louise''s te. "I haven''t asked you if you are older or younger than me. Should I call you elder sister or younger sister in the future?" She looked at Louise with a smile. She wanted to see if Louise had the audacity to ask her to call her "Mrs. Francis". Louise''s expression stiffened. She tried her best to maintain her smile. "I was born in 1993." Nova said, "What a coincidence. We were born in the same year. What month were you born?" Louise said, "July." Nova said, "I''m three months younger than you! I was born in October. If you don''t mind, I can treat you as my older sister." Louise paused for a moment. She thought, ''Of course, I do mind! This bitch.'' After holding it in for a long time, she still did not say that she did not mind. She only forced a smile at Nova and lowered her head to eat. She did not eat the piece that Nova had given her. Brian was sitting on the right side of Nova. During the meal, her legs were swaying under the table. asionally, she would rub against his thigh, causing his body to stiffen. However, Nova chatted with Jasmine as if nothing had happened. It was as if she didn''t know that she had rubbed against him at all and he was thinking too much. During dinner, Jasmine asked her, "Nova, did you drive here?" Nova nodded. "Yes." Jasmine said, "Then don''t go back tonight. Just sleep here. You won''t be able to drive after drinking for a while." Louise was unhappy when she heard that. Without waiting for Nova to reply, she said, "My driver ising to pick me upter. You cane with me. My driver will send you back." Jasmine''s expression soured. She felt that Louise was not sensible at all. It was obvious that she wanted Nova to stay here for the night, but Louise was trying to mess up her n. en Of course, Nova would not go along with Louise''s wishes. She said, "Thank you, Louise, but I haven''t seen my mother in a long time. I have ajot to talk to her about. It will bete after we are done. I wonder when your driver will pick you up?" Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. before This time, before Louise could say anything, Jasmine replied tacitly, "Why do you need to go back if it will take a long time? Don''t go back. have new clothes for you here as long as you don''t mind that they are the clothes of an olddy." Nova said, "My mother is so young and has good taste. How can you call yourself an olddy?" Jasmine said, "That''s because my daughter has a good figure. You look good in anything." The two of them happily decided for Nova to spend the night here. Louise was so angry that her face was distorted. She could not even take another bite of the food on her te. She put down her fork. "Jasmine, I''m full." Jasmine was already dissatisfied with Louise today, so even though she could tell that Louise was a little unhappy, she did not take it to heart. She said perfunctorily, "Then go watch TV." Louise took a deep breath, turned around, and walked out of the dining room. Sitting in the living room, she could still hear voices andughtering from the dining room as if Nova and Jasmine had be even more cheerful since she''d left. She sat alone in the living room like an outsider. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 489 Louise thought, ''I am the future wife of Brian. However, the three people in the dining room are as harmonious as a family of three...''Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. The image of Nova and Brian together instantly appeared in Louise''s mind. Her back was covered in ayer of cold sweat. She thought, ''What if Nova made Jasmine happy and Jasmine wanted to matchmake her and Brian on a whim?'' At the thought of this, Louise was afraid. She thought, ''Nova still has to stay here for the night. I do not know what she is up to. What if she deliberately seduced Brian? Damn it. If I had known earlier, I wouldn''t have said that my driver wasing to pick me up. Now, I can''t find an excuse to stay. I have really shot myself in the foot!'' Louise could not sit still. She could onlyfort herself that Brian still had Grace in his heart and was not interested in any woman. As she thought about it, Louise felt very sad. She did not expect that one day, she would have to thank Grace for being on Brian''s mind all the time. After the three of them finished eating, Nova and Jasmine went to the kitchen to clean up the dishes. Nova rolled up her sleeves and washed the dishes. Jasmine stopped her. "Nova, just let the servants wash the silverwareter. Don''t touch the detergent with your delicate hands." "It''s fine, Mom. It''s just washing a few tes. Since you want me to stay over, I have to do things to appreciate you," Nova said half-jokingly and pushed Jasmine into the living room. Nova tidied up the kitchen in no time. She was all too familiar with everything here. She had used this kitchen countless times. Standing here again, the scenes of the past seemed like they only happened yesterday. After washing the tes, she skillfully opened the refrigerator with fruits. She took out some fruits, washed them, cut them, and ced them. en a te before bringing them to the living room. "Mom, having some fruit after dinner is good for digestion." Brian looked at the fruit tter in her hand and frowned slightly. This was the fruit tter that Grace had bought. Jasmine took her hand and sat down beside her. "I wonder which man will be lucky enough to marry you in the future." Louise gritted her teeth in anger. Nova smiled shyly. "There''s no hurry. It''s not easy to pick a good man these days." She continued, "To be honest, I haven''t met a satisfactory man in so many years. Mom, if you have a good candidate, you can introduce him to me!" Nova winked yfully. People at Jasmine''s age were always especially interested in matchmaking. She immediately said, "Sure! I know most of the qualified men in Capern City. Nova, ? tell me, what kind of men do you like? I will find one for you." Nova pretended to think seriously and said, "I like people who are more than five feet nine. They can''t be too fat or too thin. They have to be self-disciplined and have abs. Otherwise, they won''t be able to protect me when I''m in danger They need to have an angr face deep eyebrows, and a high nose bridge. They don''t have to be rich, but they have to be capable and motivated. They need to be outgoing, calm, and charismatic. Mom, do you have anyone suitable?" Nova looked at Jasmine with bright eyes. Louise''s face dropped when she heard this. Her standards were clearly based on Brian. Jasmine thought about it and her face was solemn. It seemed that she could not find such an outstanding person in Capern City. A momentter, her gaze slowly fell on Brian. Chapter 490 Then, Jasmine nced at Louise and looked away. Nova smiled and asked, "Am I asking too much?" Jasmine said, "My daughter is so outstanding. You deserve such a man." "If only all the men in this world were as outstanding as my brother." She nced at him faintly. Brian suddenly understood that she had done it on purpose just now. He narrowed his eyes and met her gaze. He suddenly felt his mouth go dry. He picked a grape and put it in his mouth. It was so sweet that it was cloying. Jasmine also felt that her son was quitepatible with Nova and felt that it was a pity. She smiled and said, "Although he looks outstanding on the outside, he''s actually a one-track-minded person with many ws." Nova said, "Mom, I was just joking. Louise, you''re not angry, are you?" It would be strange if she wasn''t angry. Louise was pissed at the moment. At this moment, Louise''s driver came to pick her up. Nova suggested sending her off, so she and Brian sent her to her door together. This scene was too strange. Nova and Brian stood side by side and waved goodbye to Louise. Nova said, "Louise, be careful on the road. Remember to send my brother a message when you get home." Louise could not pretend anymore. She rolled her eyes at her with a sour expression and looked at Brian. She bid him farewell gently. "Goodbye, Brian." After watching the car disappear into the distance, Brian turned to look at Nova. "You did it on purpose." Nova blinked and looked at him in confusion. "What did I do on purpose?" Brian stared at her face with a scrutinizing gaze as if he wanted to see through her. Nova was still smiling. He did not believe the confession that night at all. He even felt that Nova did not have a heart and would not like anyone at all. It was strange. He clearly knew that Nova might have ill intentions, but he could not say anything harsh in front of her face. "Behave yourself," Brian warned calmly and took the lead to walk home. Back in the living room, Brian was not in a hurry to go upstairs. He sat on the sofa and read a book. Nova and Jasmine were chatting. Nova thought of Louise and asked tentatively, "By the way, when I first met Louise, she said that she and my brother were a couple. Are they going to marry soon?" Jasmine''s smile faded. She nced at Brian. "Ask him."N?velDrama.Org content. Brian obviously did not want to answer this question. He also knew that Nova was deliberately trying to get information out of him. Shel wanted to figure out his rtionship with Louise. en He pursed his lips lightly. "Why? Do you want to give me a big gift?" Nova smiled brightly. "If good things are reallying, I naturally have to prepare a big gift for you." Brian''s eyes were cold. "Although you are very close to my mother, our rtionship is not so close that I have to tell you personal information." Jasmine looked at him unhappily. Nova felt a little regretful. "You saved mest time. I thought we could be friends. If you don''t like me asking you personal questions, I won''t ask." Her pink lips were slightly pouted, and her attractive skin made her look pitiful. There weren''t many men who wouldn''t be tempted by this look. If she hadn''t seduced him that night despite knowing that he had a girlfriend, Brian would really have thought that she was just an innocent girl. Jasmine asked curiously, "Nova, you said Brian saved you? When did that happen?" Chapter 491 Nova replied, "Thest time I talked to someone about a coboration, I was almost vited. Fortunately, Brian arrived in time and beat up Mr. Grey in a few moves. Mom, you don''t know how scared I was at that time. If he hadn''t arrived in time, I''m afraid I would have..." She pinched her clothes, feeling a lingering fear. Jasmine held her hand andforted her. "Don''t worry. If you have any meetings like this in the future, don''t go alone. Let Brian apany you." "I don''t think that''s a good idea," Nova said, "Brian is very busy too." Jasmine thought for a moment and suddenly asked, "By the way, Nova, do you live alone?"N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. Nova nodded. "That''s right. I grew up with my rtives. Ever since my grandfather, who took care of me, had passed, I do not have any other rtives." Jasmine stroked her hair with heartache. "In this day and age, it''s dangerous for a girl to be alone. Why don''t we do this? Brian''s house has many empty rooms. You can move here and be mypanion, okay?" Jasmine looked at her expectantly. Nova blinked and looked at Brian again. "This... isn''t too good. Brian has a fianc¨¦e." Jasmine was not worried about this problem at all. In the past, she felt that Louise was quite suitable for Brian, but now, she felt that Nova was more suitable for her son. Her looks, figure, and ability were all better than Louise''s. Moreover, she could tell that Brian was no longer obsessed with Louise. It would be great if she could use this opportunity to matchmaker Nova and Brian. "Don''t worry about him. You''re just apanying me. It won''t hinder him." Jasmine''s attitude was very firm. She insisted that Nova stay here. Brian''s expression was not good, but he did not say anything to object. He extinguished the cigarette in his hand. "Mom, I''ll go up first." Nova looked at his cold back and asked in a low voice, "Mom, is he angry? If I move in, Louise will definitely be unhappy..." Jasmine pursed her lips. "Don''t worry about him. He''s always like this. He doesn''t say much. He''s always pulling a long face. Nova, to be honest, Brian and Louise have been engaged for more than five years." Nova''s eyes widened in surprise. "Then why aren''t they married?" fet Jasmine thought about what had happened in the past. Too many people and things were involved. She summarized it simply, "Something happened when their wedding was approaching. Later, I felt that he seemed to have be a different person and never mentioned the wedding again. Moreover, I feel that Brian doesn''t seem to like Louise that much anymore. It''s still a question if they can get together." Nova nodded thoughtfully and asked, "Mom, I think Louise is quite good. She''s understanding and good-looking. You must like her very much, right?" Jasmine forced a smile. "She is alright." Nova secretly curled her lips and thought, ''Louise, it looks like your luck is really running out this time.'' At 10 pm, Nova returned to her room to rest. The room that Jasmine had arranged for her was next to Brian''s. Jasmine said, "I''ll sleep in the innermost room. If you need anything at night, just knock on Brian''s door and look for him" Nova nodded. "I understand. Good night, Mom." Walking into the room, Nova looked at the furnishings in the room. Louise had slept in this room before. Although everything had been changed, she still felt a little disgusted. Jasmine said, "Good night." Chapter 492 Nova thought, ''Forget it, I will make do with it tonight. When I move in, I want to stay in the room I used to live in.'' After taking a shower, Nova realized that there was no hairdryer in the bathroom. She wiped her hair with a towel and went downstairs. She went to the bathroom on the first floor to get a hairdryer and went to the cab on the counter to find a disposable cup to drink. After drinking, she took another full cup and was about to bring it back to her room when she bumped into a familiar figure. Brian stood in the living room in his pajamas and looked at her coldly. Nova jumped, spilling the water from her cup. She patted her chest. "You scared the hell out of me." Then, she walked towards him and looked at him with a smile. She called out to him in a soft voice, "Why are you up? Did you lose sleep because I slept next door to you?" He narrowed his eyes at her. "You seem familiar with my home." Nova''s heart skipped a beat, but she smiled without changing her expression. "I''m going to live under the same roof as you soon. Of course, I have to familiarize myself with it in advance." Brian examined her. Her movements were too smooth just now as if she had lived in this house for a long time. There were so many cabs at the bar, but she could urately open the cabs with disposable cups. Also, when she brought out the fruits today, it took less than two minutes from the time she ced the tes to the time she came out of the kitchen. This meant that she did not take much time to look for them when she searched for the fruit te. There were so many cabs in the kitchen, and she was the only one there. Brian wondered how Nova was able to locate the te urately. The vi was so big and there were so many rooms. It was impossible for any person to remember everything in every cab so clearly when they were in such a big house for the first time. Seeing that he seemed to be suspicious of her, Nova exined, "When I went to the toilet on the first floor tonight, I saw a hairdryer inside. Mom told me that there were disposable cups in the cab." Brian stared into her eyes as if trying to guess the truth of her words. Nova smiled at him and stepped forward. She tiptoed and whispered in his ear, "I''m looking forward to living with you." Brian frowned. She gave him a cheeky wink and reached the top of the stairs. She stopped abruptly and turned to blow him a kiss. "Good night, Brian." Brian''s breathing became chaotic. She thought, ''There must be something wrong with Nova! Although her exnation sounded reasonable, I still feel that she is a little too familiar with this house.'' Nova did not sleep on the bed. She found the bed that Louise had slept on dirty. She made do on the sofa for the entire night. The next day, she woke up very early. She had wanted to get up to make breakfast, but when she went downstairs, she found Melvin busy in the kitchen. She looked at him in a daze for a while. In the past, in this family, Melvin treated her sincerely. Now that she saw him again, she still respected him. She collected herself and went into the kitchen. "Good morning, Melvin." When Melvin heard the voice, he stopped what he was doing and bowed respectfully to her. "Morning, Miss Nova." Nova smiled. "Are you making breakfast? What are we having this morning?" Melvin said, "Yes, Miss Nova. Mr. Brian likes sandwiches. Peanut butter sandwiches will be our breakfast this morning." Brian only started to like sandwiches after she married him.N?velDrama.Org content. Because Nova''s sandwiches were very different from the ones sold outside. She remembered that he looked disgusted when she made him sandwiches the first time. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 493 At that time, Nova persuaded Brian to take a bite before his brows gradually rxed. From then on, he fell in love with sandwiches for breakfast. What Melvin did was also done ording to what she had done in the past. "Miss Nova, what do you like to eat? I''ll make it for you." Melvin''s words pulled her back from her memories. Nova smiled. "I''ll eat anything. Just like everyone else." Melvin said, "Will do." Nova stared at his white hair for a while. He had aged a lot in the past five years. She suddenly said, "Melvin." Melvin was stunned. He turned around and looked at her. The way she addressed him sounded familiar to him.N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. Nova smiled and said, "Can I call you that?" Melvin nodded. "Of course, Miss Nova." Although it was Nova''s first time being in the Francis family, Melvin had already found her very likable. Compared to Louise, Nova was very gentle and polite. As they spoke, Jasmine also came down. She was dressed in sportswear as if she was going for a run. Nova saw that she was not needed in the kitchen, so she followed Jasmine to run. After running a fewps around the vi, the two of them went back for breakfast. Nova went back to take a shower. When she came out, she bumped into Brianing out of the bedroom. He was not in a good mood. Last night, Louise had called him the moment she got home. She talked to him for ehe entire night and did not allow him to hang up. It made him feel that there was no privacy at all and he was very frustrated. Nova said, "Good morning." She had just taken a shower and the fragrance of the shower gel wafted over. It was veryfortable to smell. She wasn''t wearing any makeup, and the skin on her face was so good that it looked like water could be pinched out of it. She looked pure and harmless. Brian''s throat moved unconsciously as he said in a hoarse voice, "Morning." The two of them went downstairs. Jasmine looked at them and felt that they lookedpatible together. She was full of smiles. During breakfast, Jasmine said, "Nova, I''ll help you move inter." Nova said, "Mom, I''ll move in after get off work today. I don''t have much luggage. I just need to pack some clothes. It''s not good to have this interfere with my work Jasmine thought for a moment and said, "How about this? Get Brian to help you move in after work. Brian, are you free tonight?" Brian seemed to be unwilling. Jasmine clicked her tongue. "Forget it. I''ll pick Nova up after work. I''ll apany her to move in." Brian did not say anything else. Jasmine said, "Nova, take Brian''s car to workter. I''ll drive your car over to pick you up in the afternoon." "Okay." Nova nodded obediently. belongs to en.kikisto AO Because Brian had to pick up Louise, he left early. After breakfast, Nova followed him to the garage. She naturally walked to the car and opened the passenger seat. She remembered the first time she saw Louise''s hair in the passenger seat. Her heart felt like it had fallen into a frozenke. She wondered what kind of expression Louise would have when she saw her sitting in the front passenger seat. Nova looked at Brian with a smile on her face. Brian frowned. "What''s the matter?" Nova said, "Can''t I look at you for no reason? You are so good-looking. I think you should disy yourself for others to look at." Brian lit a cigarette and smiled sarcastically. "Since you like to look velget at men so much, I feel that I shouldn''t have disturbed your business that night." Nova frowned. "Brian, you have a misunderstanding about me. Do you think I like all men? I''ve only confessed my feelings to you." Chapter 494 Brian asked, "You clearly know that I have a fianc¨¦e, but you still approached me and seduced me. You did it in front of Louise and behind her back. Do you think this is appropriate?" Nova smiled. "What''s wrong? If you''re determined enough, how can I seduce you?"N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. Brian turned to look at her. "You are really bold." Nova said, "When I kissed you that day, you didn''t reject me from the start. Instead, you gave me a chance. Now, you''re saying that I shouldn''t have seduced you. Brian, is it appropriate for you to be so upright?" Her words rendered him speechless. Brian thought, ''Yes, I was indeed possessed. What a joke. Why do I feel that this woman is very simr to Grace? Grace would never say such a thing.'' Brian said, "Let''s pretend that nothing happened that day. I''m not interested in you. I''ve said it before. I have someone I like." Nova shrugged. "I know. It doesn''t matter." Brian felt that he could notmunicate with her at all, so he simply shut his mouth. They soon reached the Adkins family. When Louise came out of the house with her bag, she saw Nova roll down the window and greet her with a smile. Her face froze. She thought, ''How can she sit in this spot? Doesn''t she know that the front passenger seat is exclusive to Brian''s girlfriend? This shameless bitch!'' Nova saw that Louise was frozen in ce and deliberately pretended not to understand. "Louise, why don''t you get in?" Louise nced at Brian and realized that he had no intention of asking Nova to move. Louise took a deep breath and thought, ''This woman is so close to Jasmine. I can''t fall out with her yet.'' Suppressing her overwhelming hatred, she walked to the backseat, opened the car door, and got in. Nova pulled out a mirror in the car, took out her lipstick, and applied it in front of the mirror. With the lipstick on her pretty face, she looked even more charming. She looked at the mirror and happened to see Louise''s expression as if she wanted to eat her up. Nova smiled and asked, "Louise, did you sleep wellst night?" Louise gritted her teeth and said, "Thank you for your concern, Miss Nova. I slept quite well." Nova''s smile became even more charming. "I slept very well too. The bed at Brian''s house is soft and big. I did not even have a dreamst night." Louise had already scolded Nova countless times in her heart. She thought, ''This bitch! I have never met someone this bitchy! She must have been a prostitute before.'' The more her expression twisted, the happier Nova was. Nova thought, If Louise knew that I am moving to the Francis family this afternoon, would she explode on the spot? It is really exciting just thinking about it. Forget it. I will give herza chance to calm down and tell her the good news in the afternoon.'' On the way to thepany, they did not say a word. Brian drove in silence as he listened to Nova''s conversation with Louise. He could not help but smile and thought, ''She is so mean, but just can''t hate her for it.'' Louise had been pulling a long face for the entire day. When she saw Nova''s beaming face, she was so angry that she could not even eat. At noon, she went upstairs to look for Brian. She cried and said, "Brian, I don''t want to stay in the Cosmetology Department anymore." Brian frowned and asked, "What''s wrong?" Louise said, "Nova bullied me and tried to find trouble with me in all kinds of ways." Brian didn''t quite believe it. In his impression, Nova was very serious about her work. Chapter 495 Brian asked, "How did she bully you?" Louise said, "On the first day I went to the project, Nova asked me to pour coffee for her. It was just a ss of coffee, however she found all kinds of excuses for me to do it for three times. She ordered me around like a servant and asked me to buy her lunch." The more Louise spoke, the more pitiful he felt. "She could have ordered takeout, but she insisted that I go out under the scorching sun to buy food for her. Isn''t she bullying me by doing that?" In fact, ever since Nova''s assistant returned, she had not ordered Louise to do anything for her. Louise had originally thought that if Nova did not make things difficult for her, the two of them would be fine. Unexpectedly, Nova was getting more and more overboard. Louise could not take it anymore. Louise poured out everything she had suffered during this period of time. As Brian listened to herint, he could not help but think of how Louise had ordered Grace to do things when she first arrived. When they went to check out a house, Louise asked Grace to buy coffee and fruits under the scorching sun, Also, during the wedding photoshoot, Louise asked Grace to act as a lighting technician under the scorching sun. What Louise had done for Nova today was nothingpared to what Grace had done for her. Brian felt that Louise deserved to be treated this way. Louise looked at his expressionless face and asked in surprise, "Brian, she tantly bullied your girlfriend. Aren''t you angry?" Brian frowned. "Louise, Nova is a very capable person. You can learn a lot from her. Actually, you didn''t suffer much from helping her with things." Louise looked at him in disbelief. "Brian, you''ve only known her for less than a month. Do you think you know her very well?" Brian frowned, a hint of impatience appearing on his face. Louise asked, "Brian, are you bewitched by her? You let her bully your girlfriend!" Brian pressed between his eyebrows. There was a hint of anger in his deep voice. "Louise, think about how you treated Grace in the past. You were bullying Grace back them Now that you are treated the same way, you can''t take it?" Louise was stunned. Her face turned pale. "How can this be the same? Back then, I thought that Grace was a servant, so I asked her to work. But what right does Nova have?" Brian''s expression was terrible. He looked at Louise coldly, as if he would fly into a rage if she said another word. Louise knew that he would always be like this when she mentioned Grace all these years. She bit her lip and reminded herself to not mind a dead person. She softened her tone and said, "Actually, I just want to transfer back to my original department." "We''ll talk about it in the future," he said coldly. He closed his eyes and rubbed his temples as if he was very tired. "Did you not rest wellst night?" Louise asked with concern. He lifted his eyelidszily. "Do you think I can sleep well after you kept talking to me?" Louise''s face turned pale. She knew that what she didst night was a little inappropriate, but she was very insecure. Thinking about how Nova was able to seduce him at any time in his house, she was worried Louise held it in for a long time, but she did dare to say what Was She hesitated was thinking. She hesitated forza long time. Then, she apologet andN?velDrama.Org holds this content. left Brian''s office. Brian only opened his eyes when he heard the door close. Chapter 496 Brian felt that he was losing patience with Louise. Without Brian''s permission, Louise was extremely frustrated. When she went down and bumped into Nova, she rolled her eyes at her. Nova smiled without saying anything. In the afternoon, Brian came to the Cosmetology Department to discuss some issues with Nova. Louise saw Nova smiling charmingly at Brian outside the window. She found an excuse to take a document and walked into the office. She stood beside Brian and stared at Nova warily. Coincidentally, the two of them had finished discussing their matters. Brian was about to go out when Nova suddenly stopped him. "Mr. Francis, let''s go back together tonight!" Brian paused and narrowed his eyes at her. As soon as she said that, Louise became concerned. "What do you mean? Where are you going?" Nova eximed, "I forgot. Mom said that she wasing to pick me up today. Forget it, you can send Louise back. I''ll get a ride from you another day. Is that okay?" Brian''s eyes emitted a dangerous light, but Nova was not afraid of him. A bright smile appeared on her face.ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . Louise was so anxious that she stomped her feet. She grabbed Brian''s arm tightly and asked, "Brian, tell me quickly. What does she mean?" Nova said, "Louise, why are you so agitated? Mom has asked me to move in with Brian for a while." Louise waspletely enraged. "What do you mean? Do you want to move in with Brian? What are you thinking?" Nova looked at her innocently. "Louise, what''s wrong? I''m going to apany my mother. Why are you so nervous?" Louise''s voice was very loud. Many employees had already gathered around to watch the drama. Louise said, "You''re still pretending! Do you dare to say that you didn''t move over to seduce Brian?" Nova said, "I don''t know what you''re talking about." Brian looked at Louise and said in a low voice, "Enough!" Louise looked at him in disbelief. "Brian... How dare you shout at me for her!" Brian pinched his temples and stared at Nova. Nova was always able to give him a headache with just a few words. Nova had an expression that indicated that it had nothing to do with her and Louise was simply overthinking. He could only say to Louise, "It was my mother''s idea for her to move in. It has nothing to do with me. You should stop acting up." With that, he strode out of the office, and the surrounding crowd dispersed like a swarm of bees. Louise refused to give up. She stared at Nova and said, "Since Brian has left, there''s no one else here. You don''t have to pretend anymore!" Nova spread her hands. "I really don''t understand what you''re talking about, Miss Adkins, you seem to be very hostile to me. Did I offend you?" Louise was almost driven crazy by her. "Stop pretending! You just like Brian! You want to snatch him away, right?" Nova said, "Miss Adkins, do you have persecutory delusions? Although I''m single now, I don''t fancy just any man. I don''t know much about Mr. Francis, but I know that he once had an ex-wife. This ex-wife seemed to love him very much, but he abandoned his wife for you and did many things to hurt her. In the end, she even died an unnatural death. Until now, the police haven''t found out who the murderer is!" Nova''s voice became colder. She looked at Louise and asked sternly, "Do you think I want to snatch such a man? I have a nice body and am wealthy. Do you think I fancy this type of man?" en Louise was shocked by her words. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 497 Not only was Louise shocked by Nova''s words, but she was also shocked by her sharp gaze. Nova''s lips curled into a cold arc. "Miss Adkins, I advise you not to treat Brian as a treasure. If he can abandon his ex-wife, he will abandon you one day. Moreover, you''re not married to him yet!" For a moment, Louise did not know how to answer Nova. Louise''s hair stood on end as if Nova had told a terrifying story. "No, he won''t. You don''t understand at all! There''s no love between him and his ex-wife. They just had a deal between them! The person he loves has always been me!" Nova covered her mouth andughed softly. "That''s strange. If you''re so confident that he loves you, why are you shouting?" Louise clenched her fists tightly. She hated Nova. Louise had lived her entire life mocking others. It had never been the other way around. She felt like a clown in front of Nova. She had been embarrassed countless times after meeting her. At this moment, an elegant figure suddenly walked in from outside. The employees outside said respectfully, "Hello, Mrs. Francis!" An employee whispered, "This is going to be interesting. Mrs. Francis is here. She will definitely take Louise''s side!" Another person said, "Louise has been arrogant for so long. This is probably the first time she has suffered a loss!" Someone else said, "So what if she suffers a loss from Miss Nova? She is just a manager. Mr. Francis and Mrs. Francis are the ones who own thispany. Mrs. Francis is probably going to teach Miss Nova a lesson." Just as everyone was discussing, Jasmine Francis asked, "Where is Nova''s office?" Everyone was stunned by her words. Jasmine smiled and said, "I am talking about your project manager, Nova." Everyone was stunned. Then, they raised their hands and pointed at the office inside. "Miss Nova''s office is over there!" Jasmine smiled and thanked them before walking in. More than twenty pairs of eyes were looking at Jasmine. Then, Jasmine walked into Nova''s office with a kind smile on her face and shouted, "Nova!" Nova looked at her in surprise. "Mom! Why are you here already?" When Jasmine saw that Louise was also there, she gave her a l.ne perfunctory smile and nodded. Then, she said to Nova, "I''m bored at home so I came out to shop. It''s fine. I wait for you. Go do your work first." When Louise saw how intimate the two of them were, she felt very dejected. The imposing manner she had when she shouted at Nova just now waspletely gone. She bit her lip and interrupted to ask, "Jasmine, is Miss Nova moving to the Francis family?"novelbin Jasmine smiled. "That''s right. Brian works all day long. There''s no one to chat with me at home. I''m quite bored, so I asked Nova toe over and hang out with me." Louise gritted her teeth hard and thought, ''What did she mean by that? Does she not want to hang out with me? This damned old witch liked everyone she saw. She was so enthusiastic about me! i.ne Despite her thoughts, she maintained a gentle smile on her face. "Jasmine, actually, I can hang out with you as well. Miss Nova hasn''t spent much time with you, so she''s not familiar with your habits. I can also take care of your meals and daily life when I go over." Louise could not wait to rmend herself. Her eyes flickered with a pleading light. Jasmine hesitated for a moment and her expression froze. This pause made it obvious that Jasmine did not want Louise to move in. Louise felt extremely awkward. Chapter 498 Louise looked a little pitiful. Nova didn''t say anything and wanted her to be embarrassed. Jasmine said, "Actually, although Nova hasn''t been with me for long, she''s very diligent. Look, two years ago, I said that my knee hurt. She has remembered it ever since. She can take good care of me." Nova lowered her head and could not help but smile. Louise happened to catch a glimpse of her. She wished she could tear her face apart. She thought, ''This scheming bitch!'' Louise was extremely anxious. She quickly said, "Jasmine, we will be a family soon. It''s only right for me to move over to take care of my future mother-inw, right?" Jasmine really did not want Louise to move over. She could tell that Louise was worried that Nova would snatch Brian away. Louise was so hostile to Nova. If she moved over, there would be a lot of trouble. Just as Jasmine was hesitating, Nova suddenly said, "Mom, actually, it''s quite good for Louise to move over. The four of us can go shopping together." Jasmine''s eyes lit up. "Nova, you like to shop as well?" Nova said, "That''s right! Mom, do you like it too?" Nova discovered another hobby of Jasmine, and the two of them chatted happily. Jasmine said, "I do, however, Brian didn''t like shopping with me. I used to shop with him, but I stopped asking him to go with meter." Louise looked at the two of them as if there was an invisible barrier that separated her from them. While the two of them were talking, Louse asked, "Jasmine, should I go back and pack my things tonight?" Jasmine was chatting happily with Nova. She took a nce at her and nodded. It seemed that she didn''t care about Louise at all.novelbin Louise turned around and walked out of the office. She was so angry that her eyes were red. She walked to the bathroom and finally couldn''t hold back her tears. When she was in the office just she felt like a beggar, begging Jasmine for her to move to the Francis family. In the end, Nova gave her this chance. She would never forget this humiliation. Louise wiped away her tears and thought, ''Just you wait! Nova, after I move to the Francis family, I''ll definitely make you pay for this.'' Due to the arrival of Jasmine, Nova soon got off work and went back to her apartment with Jasmine to move things. Jasmine walked into her room and saw that her ce was warm and clean. She liked her even more. Nowadays, many girls would only indulge themselves in entertainment after work. They might not clean their ces often. One could tell a person''s character from their home. Jasmine felt that a girl like Nova was suitable to live with. Jasmine sighed. "Nova, if only I had met you earlier. That way, you would have a chance to be my daughter-inw!" Nova could not help butugh. "Mom, you better not let Louise hear it. She''ll be angry." Jasmine sighed again with a regretful expression. She went in to help Nova pack her clothes. Nova only brought some daily necessities and a few sets of clothes before leaving. As for Louise, she had already run over to tell Brian that she was moving to the Francis family. Brian''s brows were tightly knitted. He could almost foresee how difficult the days ahead would be. He tried to talk Louise out of it. "Louise, you don''t have to do this I''m not interested in Nova. If you move in, it will only cause conflict." Chapter 499 Louise could not believe what she heard. "Brian, what do you mean? Do you think I''ll cause trouble for Nova if I move over?" Brian pressed between his eyebrows. "That''s not what I meant." He just felt that if Nova really wanted to do something, Louise was not her match at all. "Then don''t say anything. If it weren''t for the fact that I haven''t married you for so long, would I be so insecure?" As Louise spoke, tears welled up in her eyes. Brian looked at her and frowned. "Alright, let''s go. I''ll send you back to pack your clothes." Louise had mixed feelings. She was not happy because of his words. He was still avoiding the topic of marriage and would ratherpromise and let her move over. Nova and Jasmine arrived home first. Jasmine said, "Nova, you can stay in the room you stayed inst night." Nova hesitated for a moment and said, "Mom, can I stay in the room across the hall? The one with the door locked." Jasmine paused for a moment. "That room... that''s fine too. Melvin, go get the key and open it for Nova." Melvin did not move. He looked troubled.novelbin Nova asked in confusion, "Melvin, what''s wrong?" Melvin did not know how to answer. After all, Grace was already dead. It was not a good thing to mention. Ever since Grace moved out of this house, no one had stayed in that room. Only Brian would asionally go to that room to sleep after drinking too much. At this moment, a deep voice sounded. "Any room is fine, but not that room!" Nova frowned and the confusion on her face intensified. "Brian, what'' wrong? Why can''t I stay in that room? I just think that room is closer to Mommy." At this moment, Louise''s voice sounded. "That''s the room Grace slept in. Oh, right, you don''t know yet, right? Grace is Brian''s ex-wife." As soon as she said this, the entire living room fell silent. Especially Brian, his entire body seemed to be gradually covered in ayer of cold air. Jasmine looked at Louise coldly. She became even more dissatisfied with Louise. She didn''t want that part of the past to be brought up, however, Louise had to mention it. Louise also realized that she had said something wrong and quickly covered her mouth. At this moment, Jasmine stepped forward to smooth things over. "Nova, I''m sorry to let you hear such a bad thing. Brian''s ex-wife has been gone for many years. She has stayed in that room before. We feel that it''s indeed not a good thing to give you that room. Look, why don''t you stay in the roomst night?" Nova said, "Mom, it''s just a room. Even if there''s a ghost, she will be looking for the perpetrator. She won''t be able to haunt me, right?" "You still can''t. No one can stay in that room!" Brian said coldly. The only memory he had of Grace was that room. If that room was upied by someone else, he would have nothing. Just thinking about it made him feel terrified. The atmosphere was a little tense. Jasmine red at his son. "Brian, why are you shouting? If Nova wants to stay in that room, just let her." Brian refused no matter what. He stared at Nova coldly. "If you have to stay in that room, I will have to kick you out of here." This was the first time he had said such harsh words to Nova. Jasmine was so angry that she stomped her feet and punched him hard. She quicklyforted Nova. "Nova, don''t be angry. How about thu can stay in my room, okay?" The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 500 Nova was suddenly curious about what Brian was thinking. She looked at Brian and suddenly asked, "Brian, you don''t let me stay in that room because you can''t forget Grace. Do you want to keep the room she used to stay in to miss her?" Jasmine was shocked. Although she had guessed the same thing, she had never dared to ask. Grace had always been a restricted topic to talk to Brian about. Brian stared into her eyes. "It''s none of your business." Nova said, "I just feel that it''s not good to live in the past. If it''s not because you can''t forget her, why can''t you give up that room?" Brian was a little frustrated. He frowned at Nova. She was dominant and seemed as if she would not stop until she stayed in that room today. He felt that he could not give in to this woman. Otherwise, she would only push her luck. He crossed to her and lifted her suitcase. "Come with me." Nova followed him upstairs. Brian opened the gym. "You stay here. I''ll get someone to send you a bedter." The gym was very spacious and had panoramic floor-to-ceiling windows. There was plenty of light. However, she remembered that the gym was connected to Brian''s cloakroom. Nova smiled. There were only two of them in the room. She pretended to stroll around and pushed open an invisible door. Then, she pretended to be surprised and said, "Brian, isn''t this ce connected to your cloakroom?" She turned around and blinked at him charmingly. "Will you sleepwalk to my room at night?" Brian''s expression turned terrible. "Nova, if you continue to spout nonsense, I will kick you out." Nova smiled. "Alright. I won''t. Then I''ll tell you a secret. I might sleepwalk at night. You have to lock the door of the cloakroom!" Brian narrowed his eyes. "It''s best for you to not sleepwalk. Otherwise, I''ll chop off your feet." Novaughed heartlessly. "I won''t tease you anymore. So you have ulterior motives for not letting me stay in that room. I like it very much. After all, I can be closer to you." en Brian thought, ''This shameless woman. When the two of us are alone, she is always flirting with me.'' He gritted his teeth, suddenly wanting to tease her and see her reaction. This thought shocked Brian himself. His throat worked as he strode away past her. Melvin quickly arranged for someone to decorate her room. Louise was not as familiar with the house as Nova, so even she did not know that Nova''s room could actually lead to Brian''s room. She had brought a lot of things. It was already veryte when she finished unpacking. When she went downstairs, she found that everyone was still waiting for her to eat. She quickly apologized. "I''m sorry to have kept you waiting." Jasmine was not angry. After all, she had been chatting with Nova. Nova had made her very happy. After dinner, Jasmine originally wanted Nova to y games with her, but when she saw that it was already nine o''clock, she couldn''t bear to keep Nova up. Nova returned to her room and quietly pushed open the invisible door to Brian''s cloakroom. As expected, the door was closed. Nova sneered and cursed silently, "Why are you pretending to be upright?" Just as she was about to go back and take a shower, the cloakroom door suddenly opened. Brian leaned against the wall and looked at her. "What are you doing?" Nova rubbed her hair and said without changing her expression "I''m too far away from the bathroom in the hall. I want to borrow your bathroom to take a shower. Is that okay?" Brian said, "Dream on." The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 501 "How heartless." Nova pursed her lips. Brian warned her coldly again, "Nova, I advise you to stop doing this kind of thing. I''ve already said that I have someone I like. Don''t try to cause drama in this house." Nova frowned and said angrily, "I think your should take care of your fianc¨¦e. It seems that she''s the one whoes to find trouble with me every time!" Brian narrowed his eyes. "If you didn''t provoke her, why would she find trouble with you?" Nova spread her hands innocently. "What''s wrong with me? I didn''t do anything!" She winked at him. "But if you''re willing, I can do some of the things I love to do with you..." She bit her red lips and made a sexy pose. Her chest was faintly discernible, revealing an exquisite pendant. Her sparkling eyes were like a silent temptation. Brian held his breath and thought, ''This damn woman is always flirting with me! I shouldn''t have opened this door.'' He smirked coldly. "How can there be such a flirty woman like you in this world!" Nova pouted her red lips. "I''m innocent. I only treat you this way." Brian was speechless. Although she said flirtatious words, he could clearly see that there was no emotion in her eyes! "Bang!" With the heavy sound of the door closing, Nova''s face turnedpletely cold. She sneered and returned to her room. She picked up her bathrobe and prepared to take a shower. She sat at the dressing table and took off the pendant around her neck. Her fair fingers gently caressed the pendant. The pendant was made of crystal, and there was a very small lock at the bottom. When the lock was opened, A picture of Austin''s chubby little face was inside. Nova''s eyes instantly teared up. She slowly caressed Austin''s photo, her fingertips and eyes filled with longing. Even after five years, when she thought of Austin, her heart still hurt so much that she could not breathe. She would never forget the image of Louise throwing the photo in front of her. "Baby, Mommy will definitely avenge you. I will torture Louise bit by bit! I will make her pay ten times what she owes you!" Her voice was low and hoarse, carrying bone-deep hatred. Nova dried her tears and put the pendant under her pillow. Perhaps it was because she saw Austin''s photo before she went to bed, Nova had a nightmare again. In the dream, she cried at the top of her lungs, but Austin still left her. When she woke up, the pillow was still damp and her eyes were puffy. She had to put on eye makeup for a long time to make her eyes look less swollen. During breakfast in the morning, Jasmine noticed that Nova seemed to be in low spirits. She asked with concern, "Nova, did you not sleep west night? Why are your eyes a little red?" Nova smiled. "Maybe I''m a little excited because I just moved in. I was so happy that I couldn''t sleep at night when I thought I could try the feeling of having a family!" When Jasmine heard her words, her heart ached again. She picked up an extra egg for her. "From now on, treat me as your biological mother. Eat more. You''ll look better with more meat on your face." Nova nodded heavily. "Alright!" Seeing how well Jasmine treated her, she suddenly remembered that when she married Brian, she had gone to the family residence to see Jasmine once, so she knew very little about Jasmine. Nova wondered if Jasmine would hate her when she found out the truth in the future. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 502 Jasmine said, "Brian, drive Nova to the officeter. She didn''t sleep wellst night, so it''s difficult for her to drive." Louise, who had been eating with her head lowered, suddenly looked up. She stared at Nova and recalled the scene of Nova arrogantly sitting in the front passenger seat yesterday morning. She gritted her teeth in hatred. Brian did not refuse. Since they were going to thepany anyway, he did not care. He said calmly, "Okay." Louise gritted her teeth, thinking that she had to take the front passenger seat first, so she quickly finished the food and said, "Brian, I''ll wait for you in the car." Nova lowered her head and smiled. Even without looking at her, she knew what Louise was thinking. Of course, Jasmine knew what Louise was thinking as well. She shook her head with a dark expression and thought, ''Such a petty woman. If she really marries into the Francis family, who knows how much she would embarrass our family.'' Nova slowly finished her breakfast and waited for Brian to finish. Then she walked side by side with him to the garage. When they were almost at the garage door, Nova saw Louise sitting in the front passenger seat, looking at her arrogantly. She smiled and suddenly sprained her ankle. After screaming, her body fell towards Brian as if she had no bones. She pressed against him softly. Brian subconsciously supported her. After helping her up, he regretted it because he knew that Ava did it on purpose. As expected, Louise was so agitated that her eyes turned red. She pushed open the car door and rushed over. Brian had just lifted Nova''s body when Louise rushed over and pointed at Nova''s nose as she cursed. "Nova, you clearly did it on purpose just now! You even said that you didn''t want to seduce Brian. How can you be so shameless!" Nova pretended to be afraid and hid behind Brian. "Brian, your girlfriend is so fierce!" Louise''s eyes widened. She was so angry that she wanted to hit Nova. "You''re still pretending! Stop hiding behind him." Nova was like a frightened rabbit as she pulled Brian''s arm. "Brian, I really didn''t do it on purpose. I just swnovel stepped on a pebble just now... Louise''s face was contorted. She thought, ''This is too much! How can she be so bitchy?'' She could not beat Nova. Louise was so angry that tears fell from her eyes. Her meticulous makeup was ruined. "Brian... She bullied me. Can''t you tell?" Brian''s temples throbbed. He felt that his brain would explode at any moment. He gritted his teeth and looked at Nova. "Get in the car!" Nova snorted. "Your girlfriend is so fierce. I don''t dare to sit in the same car as her." She took her car keys out of her bag, unlocked it, and headed for her Bentley. Louise was so angry that she vomited blood. She wiped her tears and the back of her hand was, covered in blood and makeup. She was even more depressed Nova sat in the car and looked at the two of them. She curled her lips coldly, started the car, and stepped on the elerator. The car was like an arrow that had left the bow. It flew past the two of them at high speed. A cloud of dust rose and sprayed the two of them with exhaust fumes. Brian looked at her car with an ugly expression. Louise fanned the dust in front of her and pointed at Nova. "Brian, look at her!" Louise''s voice attracted Jasmine''s attention. She walked over and saw Louise crying and cursing. Jasmine frowned. "What are you doing? Where''s Nova?" Brian''s face dropped. Without saying anything, he got into the car in frustration. Louise felt wronged but did not dare to tell Jasmine. She held back her anger and said goodbye to Jasmine. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 503 Louise felt that her image in Jasmine could no longer be tarnished. She thought about it and felt that she had to do something. Hence, she got off work early in the afternoon and went home to buy groceries to cook. Jasmine was drinking coffee. Louise walked up to Jasmine with a ttering expression. "Jasmine, what do you want to eat tonight? I''ll cook for you today." Jasmine tilted her head and nced at her. She nced at the food in her hand and smiled perfunctorily. "Anything is fine. Ask Brian what he likes to eat." "I know what he likes. I''ll go cook first!" Louise carried the groceries into the kitchen. In order to show her ability, she did not let the servants help her. She was quite confident in her skills. Although she could not catch up to Grace, she felt that she was definitely more than enough topete with Nova in cooking. Nova and Brian arrived not long after. When Jasmine saw Nova return, she pulled her over to chat. Suddenly, Nova saw Louise being busy in the kitchen. She asked, "Is Louise cooking today?" Jasmine replied, "Yes, she came back early today with the groceries and said that she wanted to cook." Nova thought for a moment and said, "Then I''ll help her. I think she''s alone in the kitchen." Jasmine said, "Ignore her. She didn''t ask the servants for help and insisted on doing it alone. She''s doing it on purpose. You can''t make her happy even if you help her. Have you forgotten that she scolded you again this morning?" Nova smiled awkwardly. "Mom, you already know?" Jasmine shook her head helplessly andined, "I never realized that she was so petty in the past. I wonder what Brian sees in her!" Nova nced at Louise and did not continue this topic. She went to the sofa to chat with Jasmine. Seeing that it was about time, Nova found an excuse to go to the kitchen to check on Louise. Louise was busy cooking thest dish. She was chopping green onions. It seemed that she was about to be finished. Nova looked at the dishes and praised her with a smile, "Louise, I didn''t expect your culinary skills to be so good!" Upon hearing her voice, Louise''s face darkened. She stared at her and asked, "What are you doing here?" Nova rubbed her stomach. "I''m hungry! Usually, we can eat at this time. You''re so slow at cooking. Not only me, but Mommy is also hungry." , Ston Louise looked upset. "How dare you say that I''m slow when you''re enjoying my work?" Nova frowned innocently. "Louise, you were the one who didn''t want the servants to help! Besides, you were the one who took the initiative to cook. Why are you ming me for eating the food you make? I''m not the only one who is having t Louise wished she could disfigure Nova''s face with a kitchen knife. "I''m cooking for Brian and his mother because we''re family! Who do you think you are? Do you really think you are a part of the Francis family after Jasmineplementing you?" Nova chuckled softly. "Louise, don''t be too full of yourself. You have not married Brian yet." Louise gripped the vegetable tightly. She really wanted to cut Nova with the knife. Nova sessfully distracted her. The food on the stove had already been overcooked while the two of them were talking. There was a burnt smell in the air, and Louise realized that the food was burned. She hurriedly went forward to turn off the fire and hurriedly brought the pot to the sink. Nova took the opportunity to quickly grab a handful of salt and sprinkle it into the dishes on the table. Louise looked at the bottom of the pot. The food was already burned ck and was obviously not edible. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 504 Louise red at Nova in exasperation. "You scourge!" Nova said, "Louise, you were clearly the one cooking. Why are you ming me when the food is burnt?" Louise took a few deep breaths and poured all the food in the pot into the trash can. She pushed Nova to the side fiercely. "Get out of the way!" Nova stepped to the side and looked at Louise with her arms crossed. Louise picked up the dishes and walked into the dining room. "Jasmine, Brian, time to eat!" She pretended to be virtuous, expecting Jasmine to praise her. "Jasmine, speaking of which, this seems to be the first time you are having my cooking! My cooking definitely can''tpare to yours, but I have put in great effort Try it. If you like it, I''ll make it for you every day in the future." Nova lowered her head and held a fork in her hand. She looked at the food on her te and could not help but smile. She thought, ''Do it every day? I''m afraid you won''t have the chance anymore!'' Jasmine nodded and picked up a fork to pick up a piece of vegetable. Louise looked at her face and asked expectantly, "How is it, Jasmine?" Jasmine frowned and suddenly covered her mouth. She paused for two seconds as if she really could not swallow it. She got up and quickly ran into the kitchen to spit out the thing in her mouth. Louise was puzzled. She looked at Brian again. He scooped a bowl of soup and took a sip. After a long while, he swallowed it with difficulty. Louise asked, "Brian, what''s wrong? Is there a problem with the dishes?" Jasmine came out of the kitchen with a sour expression and waved her hand. "Don''t cook anymore." Louise thought, ''Howe?'' It was impossible for her dishes to taste so bad. She didn''t believe it and took a bite. After a few seconds, she couldn''t help but spit it out. Nova also tasted some andmented, "Louise, why did you put so much salt?" Louise bit her lip and thought, ''It is over. I wanted to create a good image in Jasmine''s heart, but it is all ruined now.'' She said, "I''m sorry, Jasmine. I didn''t mean to. I''ll just go and redo it, shall I?" Jasmine was already very frustrated. "Forget it. Stop talking. Brian, Nora, let''s go out and eat!" Nova secretly curled her lips. Louise felt as if she was isted. She felt terrible. She had worked so hard to make a meal for the entire night, but not only did she not get any benefits, but she also made Jasmine hate her more. Now Jasmine did not even want to talk to her anymore. Louise didn''t even have the courage to face Jasmine anymore. She didn''t even want to eat with them. However, she realized that if she didn''t go, she would create an opportunity for Nova and Brian to be alone. She could only go with them. On the way to the restaurant, Louise did not dare to speak. asionally, she would join the conversation, but when she spoke, Jasmine would stop talking. This made her feel very awkward. She looked at Brian for help a few times, but Brian did not seem to notice her embarrassment at all and continued driving. During dinner, Jasmine chatted happily with Nova. asionally, Jasmine would talk to Brian, but he never took the initiative to chat with Louise. She found it hard to enjoy dinner. It was not easy for her to finally make it home. On her way home, Louise was thinking about how to please Jasmine. She suddenly remembered that in the office that day, Jasmine said that she liked to y card games. In a sh of inspiration, Louise returned home and said to Jasmine eagerly Jasmine, I heard that you like to y card games. Why don''t we y a few rounds tonight?" Chapter 505 Jasmine''s eyes lit up. However, before Jasmine could speak, Nova said, "Louise, what time is it? Although ying card games is fun, it''s also tiring! Mommy should restter. Otherwise, it won''t be good for her skin." After saying that, she looked at Jasmine and asked her with a smile, "Mom, let''s y during the weekend, okay?" Jasmine smiled brightly. "You know me best! It''s almost ten o''clock. I have to take a shower and do skincare quickly. Otherwise, I''ll have wrinkles!" With that, she went upstairs without even looking at Louise. Louise gritted her teeth and red at Nova. When she heard Jasmine close the door, she asked Nova coldly, "Are you deliberately going against me?" Nova looked at her in confusion. After a while, she looked at Brian and asked, "Brian, why am I going against your girlfriend? I''m trying to take care of our mother. Did I say something wrong?" Brian was drinking water. When he heard her words, he almost choked. He looked at the two of them coldly. He felt that Nova was very dramatic. Louise was so angry by Nova''s words that she was pissed. She walked over and held Brian''s hand to show how intimate they were. "Nova, although you''re Jasmine''s goddaughter, please don''t talk to Brian! Moreover, he''s a married man. Even if you''re siblings, you should keep a distance! Do you understand?" Nova wanted tough when she saw how nervous Louise was. She shook her head. "Brian, you''re so pitiful." With that, she turned around and slowly went upstairs to sleep. Although Brian knew that Nova was deliberately going against Louise, he did not feel that Louise was that pitiful. After all, it was a fact that Louise was petty. He did not take herints to heart at all. It was finally the weekend. The family could finally y games together. Jasmine said excitedly, "Nova, Brian is very good at card games. He is also verypetitive. Please watch out." Nova raised her eyebrows. "Really? Maybe I''ll get lucky." Brian was good at card games because he had a good memory and could memorize the deck. Nova was not inferior to him in terms of memory. Previously, after giving birth to Austin, her ability worsened a bit, but after studying hard, her memory improved again. Actually, she did not know how to y this card game at all. In the first few rounds, she was the one losing money because she did not understand the rules. Cost Louise secretly gave her a mocking look when she saw that Nova did not even manage to win a single round after ying five rounds. After Nova understood the rules, she started to thrive. Moreover, she started picking on Brian. She would refuse to win when she could. Instead, she had to wait until Brian would lose before winning. Additionally, she calcted so that she would always make Brian lose a great deal. After that, she even smiled provocatively at Brian. Jasmine was grinning from ear to ear because Brian had never lost money in this game. Seeing him lose for the first time, Jasmine was very surprised, so he kept praising Nova. Louise did not feel she was included in this interaction at all. Seeing Nova flirting with Brian, she wished she could dig out Nova''s eyeballs. Chapter 506 On the other side, Louise purposely tried to let Nova win. However, Nova seemed to despise her. She ignored Louise''s actions three times in a row and even deliberately refused to win when she could. She would wait until Brian could lose a lot before dering that she had won. Louise felt that Nova was openly provoking her. Just as Jasmine wasughing happily, Louise suddenly could not help but ask, "Nova, why did you insist on going against Brian?" Nova looked at her nkly. "What''s wrong?" Jasmine''s face darkened. She was originally having a good time, however, her mood was ruined by Louise. She pushed the cards away. "Forget it, I''m not ying anymore. I like to see my son lose money. Looks like someone is unhappy. Forget it, forget it..." Louise stood up anxiously. "Jasmine, that''s not what I meant." Jasmine ignored her and said to Nova, "Nova, I''m going to take a nap." Louise looked at Brian pitifully. "Brian, does Jasmine not like me?" Brian sat at the table and lit a cigarette as if everything had nothing to do with him. Louise vented all her anger on Nova again. She looked at her coldly. "Nova, just you wait." Nova looked very innocent and yawnedzily. "I''m afraid I don''t have the patience to wait for you. I''m going up to take a nap." After a while, Brian returned to the bedroom. Louise sat alone in the entertainment room, feeling like a clown. She felt that she had to teach Nova a lesson. Hence, she took out her phone and called Hale Burns, whom she had not contacted for a long time. When Hale received her call, he sounded very unhappy. "Wow, how rare for you to call me out of the blue!" Louise called out to him obsequiously, "Hale, what are you saying? I have never forgotten about you." Hale said, "You can''t wait to get rid of me! Tell me, what do you want from me?" Louise suppressed the anger in her heart and told him that she had bullied by Nova. She wanted en Hale to mess with Nova. Unexpectedly, Hale chuckled coldly. "What? Do you fucking think I''m a tool? You only think of me when you need me. When I asked you to give me money, you blocked my phone number. Now you even want me to help you hit someone?" Louise''s heart turned cold. It §Õ§Ý§ñ seemed that she could not count on Hale anymore. It was already not easy for her to not fall out with Hale. Sheughed perfunctorily andforted Hale before hanging up. It seemed that she had to take her time to deal with Nova. ***** Brian returned to his room and took a shower. When he came out, he suddenly noticed a sneaky figure at the head of the bed. "What are you looking for?" he asked in a low voice. Nova was shocked. She turned around and saw him standing in front of her with a towel wrapped around his waist. She sized up his figure openly and deliberately revealed a stunned expression. "Your body is so good!" Brian frowned and grabbed her wrist with a dark expression. "I''m asking you what you''re looking for!" "You''re hurting me!" She frowned. "I''m looking for the remote. I think the remote in my room is dead!" Chapter 507 Brian did not seem to believe Nova''s words. There was a hint of mockery on his lips as he coldly threw her wrist away. "It better be like this." He took the remote control and walked to her room. He pressed it twice, but there was no response. "The air conditioner is broken," Nova asked, "What were you suspecting me of just now?" Brian nced at her. There was no warmth in his eyes. Even if he had misunderstood her this time, he felt that Nova must be hiding a secret. Nova frowned unhappily. "Why are you looking at me like that? Do I look like a bad person?" "You don''t look like a bad person. You hid your evil intentions perfectly. I''ll have Melvin get someone to fix it," Brian said calmly. Nova took the opportunity to ask, "The air conditioner in my room can''t be used anymore, so I''ll stay in the room your ex-wife used to stay in!" Brian''s figure paused. It was as if his entire body was enveloped in ayer of coldness in an instant. He said, "Impossible." Nova didn''t understand. "Why? Do you want me to die of heat on such a hot day?" Brian looked at her for a while and suddenly said, "Sleep in my room." Nova fell silent. After saying that, Brian took the lead and walked back. Nova was stunned and followed him. After she came over, he went into the cloakroom to get dressed. Nova was covered in sweat. She did not hesitate before taking her clothes and going to his bathroom to take a shower. Brian sat on the chair and read quietly. After a while, the bathroom door opened and Nova came out in her pajamas. He turned around and saw her leaning against the door, looking at him with a faint smile. Nova asked, "Where do I sleep?" Brian looked away from her and remained silent for a long time. Other than Louise who went to his bed that night when he was drunk and unconscious, only Grace had slept in his bed. He was resistant to letting her sleep on his bed. Nova didn''t know what he was thinking. She walked over to him and zily against the table, I''m sure you want me in your bed." Brian looked at her in a low voice. He wanted to call her shameless before he heard her say, "I don''t want to sleep in the bed you slept in with your fianc¨¦e. I''ll sleep on the sofa." en Thinking about how Brian and Louise might have slept together in this bed, she felt extremely disgusted. Novay on the sofa and closed her eyes to rest. Soon, she fell asleep. When he turned his head to look at her, her breathing was shallow and long. She was wearing a short-sleeved shirt, and her smooth arms subconsciously shrank. Brian stood up and picked up the nket on the bed. He walked quietly to her and gently covered her. Even he did not notice that his movements were extremely light as if he was afraid of waking her up. She looked very gentle when she was asleep. She was apletely different person from her usual enchanting and charming appearance. It was as if she was pretending to be enchanting. Only this look was the real her. Brian narrowed his eyes and slowly squatted down in front of the sofa, staring at her face. Suddenly, he realized that there seemed to be a tiny scar on the corner of her jaw. Brian thought, ''She had done stic surgery before?'' At this moment, Nova who was originally sound asleep seemed to have had a terrifying dream. Her brows were tightly furrowed. She mumbled indistinctly, "No... Don''t... Aus..." He tried his best to distinguish, but he could only hear a part of a name. At this moment, she suddenly opened her eyes. Chapter 508 When their eyes met, Nova almost instinctively jumped up and her body shrank back. "What are you doing?" She stared at Brian defensively, as though she were in shock. Brian frowned at her abnormal state. "You had a nightmare." Nova''s mind raced as she recalled the dream she had just now. She dreamed of Brian and that he and Louise had personally thrown Austin into the sea. She thought, ''Did I say anything I shouldn''t have when I had the nightmare just now?'' Nova quickly calmed down and brushed her hair behind her ear. She lowered her eyes slightly and asked calmly, "Did you cover me with the nket?" Brian did not say anything. He was very curious about what Nova had experienced. He suddenly changed the topic and asked, "Have you had stic surgery?" Nova''s heart skipped a beat. She thought, ''Did he discover something?" Her heart was pounding, but her expression was abnormally calm. She had even returned to her usual enchanting appearance. "I''m so good-looking. Why would I go for stic surgery?" The doctor who had given her stic surgery was very skilled. She did not believe that Brian could easily tell. Brian stared into her eyes as if he wanted to see through her. Nova frowned. "Don''t tell me you suspect that I was an ugly woman in the past? Could it be that you want to have children with me and are worried about the looks of your descendants?" She sessfully diverted his attention. Brian looked at her gloomily. "Can you have some shame?" At this moment, there was a knock on the door. Then, Louise''s delicate voice sounded, "Brian!" Brian frowned and whispered to Nova, "Go back to your room quickly." Nova rolled her eyes and the corners of her mouth curled up slightly. "I didn''t do anything wrong. Why should I go back?" Louise asked, "Brian, are you asleep?" Brian massaged his temples and picked Nova up from the sofa and threw her into the cloakroom. At the same time, the door opened. Louise walked in and asked with a smile, "Brian, why didn''t you say anything when I called you just now?" Brian said, "What''s the matter?" He nced at the cloakroom from the corner of his eye, afraid that Nova would cause trouble again. Louise said, "A movie has just been released today. Let''s go together tonight. I''ve already bought the tickets." Brian''s thoughts were all in the cloakroom. He casually replied, "Alright, let''s talk outside." In the cloakroom, Nova heard their conversation and secretly thought, ''Louise wants to go on a date? Dream on!'' She sneezed and the abrupt voice was especially ear-piercing. Brian''s face darkened. When Louise heard the voice, her ears eyes and walked towards e voice. Content belo os on a perked up. She widenemet the Nova walked out of the cloakroom with a vexed and self-reproaching expression. She said to Brian with bitter expression, "Brian, I''m not used to the perfume in your cloakroom. I really couldn''t help but sneeze. I''m sorry. I didn''t do it on purpose." Louise looked at Nova who was not even wearing a bra and thought, ''What does this mean? A man and a woman alone in a room. What else can they do when she is not wearing a bra?'' Her blood surged as she screamed, "Nova, you bitch! You''re shameless! I''ll beat you to death, you bitch!" Nova saw Louise pounce on her and screamed. However, she quickly dodged. She took the opportunity to grab Louise''s hair and pulled hard. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 509 Louise''s scalp went numb. She looked down and saw Nova holding a handful of her hair. Louise was furious. She tried to retaliate by grabbing Nova''s hair. Unfortunately, she could not reach Nova''s hair no matter what since she had short arms. Only once did she touch Nova''s face and scratch it a little. Nova deliberately shouted very loudly, but she did not suffer any losses. She shouted loudly while pulling Louise''s hair to attract Jasmine''s attention. Brian did not want to stop the fight. He lit a cigarette in frustration and let the two of them fight. Soon, Jasmine heard the voice and ran over. "What''s wrong? What happened? Nova, why are you fighting?" Nova took the opportunity to shake off Louise''s hair and ran behind Jasmine, looking aggrieved. Louise''s hair was all over the floor. Her entire scalp was numb. When she thought of Nova in her pajamasing to Brian''s bedroom to seduce her boyfriend, she cried until she was out of breath. She sobbed, "Jasmine... Nova came to Brian''s room to seduce him! Look, she''s only wearing pajamas in broad daylight! This is the goddaughter of yours. She wants to climb into Brian''s bed!" Jasmine looked back at Nova''s clothes. She was indeed wearing a pair of pajamas. However, she was not angry. She even hoped that what Louise said was true. At this moment, she saw that Nova''s face was scratched. Her heart ached as she frowned. "Why is your face scratched? What if there''s a scar?" When Louise saw that Jasmine was still so protective of Nova, she was so angry that she could not breathe properly. Jasmine red fiercely at her son. "Exin this. What exactly happened today?" Louise had already exined, but Jasmine was still questioning Brian about it It was obvious that she did not believe what Louise said and did not even want to talk to hern? Louise bit her lip. Brian took a puff of his cigarette in frustration. "I have nothing to say." Jasmine said, "You!" Nova said, "Mom, let me exin. The air conditioner in my room is broken, so Brian asked me to take a break at his ce for the time being. I didn''t expect Louise toe over suddenly. She thought that my brother and I were having an affair, So..." The more she spoke, the more aggrieved she felt. Tears streamed down her face, making Jasmine''s heart ache. Louise widened her eyes in shock. "You''re still quibbling! You bitch! You''re lying!" Jasmine looked at Louise coldly. "Enough! We will know if Nova is lying after we check out her air conditioner. If Nova is telling the truth, you have to apologize to her!" Louise said, "I..." At this moment, Melvin called the air conditioner repairman over. They looked at Melvin and the repairman at the door. Melvin said, "Miss Nova, the repairman has arrived. Is it convenient to go in and repair it now?" Louise instantly became embarrassed. She bit her lip and could not say a word. Nova said politely to Melvin, "Sure, sorry to trouble you, Melvin." Jasmine looked at Louise. "What else do you have to say?" "I..." Louise thought for a long time, but she couldn''te up with an answer. She knew that she had to take the loss today. If she continued to act up, it would not be beneficial to her at all. After all, she had not caught Nova seducing Brian. Chapter 510 Louise red at Nova indignantly and said through gritted teeth, "I''m sorry." Nova''s lips curled up coldly, but her tone was soft and harmless. "It''s okay. Actually, I told you long ago that I won''t snatch your boyfriend. You''re too sensitive." When Jasmine heard this, she was even angrier at Louise. She warned Louise coldly, "Did you hear that? If you continue to be so unreasonable and cause the Francis family to be in a foul mood, you should go back to your home!" Louise was upset after being reprimanded by Jasmine. She lowered her head and apologized sincerely, "I understand. It won''t happen again." Jasmine snorted. "Don''t think there''ll be a next time. If you did, you won''t be able toe here ever again." Louise widened her eyes in shock. When she saw the unconcealed disgust in Jasmine''s eyes, she realized that she was on thin ice. Louise thought, ''Jasmine was clearly very satisfied with me when I picked her up at the airport. Why has her attitude changedpletely in just a few days?'' She gritted her teeth in hatred. She even wished that Jasmine and Nova would die! Jasmine added, "Brian, you need to control Louise. She keeps calling Nova a bitch. She has no manners at all!" Nova lowered her head and smiled. After Jasmine taught Louise a lesson, she went to the first aid kit to personally apply medicine for Nova. After smoking, Brian picked up his car keys and left, leaving Louise alone with tears in her eyes. Suddenly, she saw the hair on the ground. She bent down and gathered all the hair. There was actually arge handful. She looked in the mirror and saw that the top of her head was almost bald. She thought, ''This damn bitch!'' ***** Brian did note back for dinner. When Louise was eating at the table, she almost buried her head in her chest. Nova and Jasmine chatted as they ate. From time to time, they would evenugh happily. Louise felt like an extra person. After two bites, she could not stand Jasmine''s ostracization and went back to her room to sleep. When she returned to her room, she received a call from Marshall Adkins. "Louise, when will your wedding with Brian be brought up? What''s their attitude?" Louise was depressed at the mention of this. She had just been angered by Jasmine today, and Marshall was asking her about this topic again. She was annoyed to death. She shouted in frustration, "You only know to rush me every day. Why don''t you think of a way to get Brian to marry me as soon as possible?!" "You!" Marshall was furious. For the past five years, in order to marry Brian as soon as possible, Louise had been working at the Francis Group. She could not help Marshall at work. Marshall was already old. All these years of work had almost suffocated him. More than half of his hair had turned white, and he was often sick. Now that his youngest daughter was dead, he could only count on Louise. He thought, for a moment and asked her, "How about this? Dad has been quite seriously ill recently. You should go back to ourpany to work." Louise said, "What are you talking about?! I can''t even see Brian if I go back to work in Adkins Group now. Are you deliberately trying to break us up?" Marshall was so angry that he coughed a few times. "You... You! Forget it. I think the Francis family didn''t mention the wedding because they wanted to go back on their word but were too embarrassed to break the engagement. They are just waiting for you to call off the engagement! You might as welle back. I''ll get Shannon to find another man for you. The Francis family is not the only option for you." Chapter 511 Marshall''s words made Louise even angrier. "You''re talking nonsense! I think it''s because you are sick. Let me tell you. I will never marry anyone but Brian! If you''re a good father, quickly think of a way to help me. Don''t say such depressing words!" With that, she hung up the phone angrily. This weekend felt like a year to Louise. Ever since that day, Jasmine did not even want to look at Louise. She simply ignored her. Seeing that Louise was still staying as if nothing had happened, Jasmine could not help but sigh at how shameless Louise was. Sometimes, when she was with Nova, Jasmine could not help butin, "I''ve never seen such a shameless woman! Sigh, my son is good at everything, but his taste in women is bad!" Nova couldn''t help but ask, "Mom, since you don''t like her so much, why don''t you just cancel the engagement with the Adkins family?" Jasmine sighed. "Brian was kidnapped when he was little. It was Louise who saved him. Brian is a loyal child, so he promised that he would marry Louise when he grew up." Nova asked, "Then why did he have an ex-wife?" Jasmine sighed and said, "At that time, because he had never had a girlfriend, I was nervous, so he randomly found a girl to marry. Speaking of this... Actually, I should thank Grace." Nova looked at her in surprise. "Why?" Jasmine answered, "If he hadn''t been married to Grace for three years, perhaps Louise would have be Brian''s wife by now. Although Brian married Grace back then to use her as a shield, he still has some feelings for Grace." Nova thought, ''Feelings? I never think he did have feelings for me.'' Jasmine added, "Perhaps he knew that he wasn''t in love with Louise, so after Grace left, he never mentioned his wedding with Louise again." At this point, Jasmine was afraid that Nova would think that Brian had love for Grace. She exined, "Actually, Brian probably didn''t love Grace much. When Grace died he wasn''t too sad. Perhaps... he hasn''t met the person he really loves!" Nova lowered her eyes and the corners of her lips curled up into sarcastic smile. She thought, ''Brian is so cold-blooded. He didn''t even love me after being married to me for three years. He simply can''t love anyone!'' ***** The weekend finally passed. Nova returned to Top Group for a meeting on Monday. Nova remembered that Carson had been working in thepany for a week. After the meeting, she secretly went downstairs to check on him. Unexpectedly, when she went downstairs, she saw something that made her feel upset. Carson was introverted. He liked to walk the walk instead of talk the talk. As a result, Carson was favored by his superior. This naturally caused the surrounding colleagues to be jealous. The fact that Carson had leukemia soon became known to his colleagues. As soon as Nova went downstairs, she saw a female employee pick up the medicine bottle on Carson''s table and read the name of the medicine and its treatment effect loudly. "So you really have leukemia!" The surrounding colleagues followed suit. The female employee ''n looked at Carson viciously. "I heard that it''s easy for people who are rted to give birth to children with leukemia! Don''t tell me this is how you came about!" Sheughed mockingly as she unscrewed the cap. Her hand tilted and all the capsules inside fell to the ground. "p!" A crisp p sounded, and the female employee''sughter stopped abruptly. Chapter 512 When she saw who it was, she was so frightened that her face instantly turned pale. "Miss Nova!" Nova looked at her coldly. "You are fired!" The employee looked up at her in shock and hurriedly begged for mercy. "Miss Nova! I am sorry. I won''t dare to insult my colleagues again." Nova sneered. "You recognize your mistake quickly, but it''s a pity that this trick doesn''t work on me. Not only did you say something wrong, but it also meant that there was something wrong with you as a person! Top Group doesn''t need employees with bad conduct!" The female employee was about to cry. This was a newpany, and the benefits were really good. Almost everyone here hoped to stay in thepany for a long time. Nova''s attitude was very firm. Seeing that she did not move, Nova asked coldly, "What are you still standing here for? Get lost!" The female employee wiped her tears and jogged away. Nova''s cold gaze swept across the office and pointed out the employees who had joined in themotion just now. "I won''t fire you, but all your benefits this month will be deducted. If anyone is dissatisfied, you can leave now. I won''t stop you." Everyone pursed their lips, but no one left. Nova said again, "Those who want to work at Top Group must be upright and united! If I see anyone insulting or bullying their colleagues again, the oue will be the same as this person today! I hope everyone can understand a principle. If you want to be sessful, you have to be upright, down-to-earth, and motivated. You''re all adults. You have to remember what you want at all times." As Nova spoke, Carson kept staring into her eyes. Her eyes always reminded him of Grace. Everyone was ashamed by Nova''s words. They nodded and went back to work. Nova bent down to pick up the medicine bottle on the ground and cover it up. She picked up the scattered capsules on the ground and threw them into the trash can. She read name on the pill bottle, handed it to him, and smiled at him. "I know drugs for leukemia are expensive. I''ll have my assistant buy you a new bottle tomorrow. Carson was ttered. He took the medicine bottle and said repeatedly, "No need! Miss Nova... Oh no, Nova, I think I have a lot of this medicine at home." Nova smiled and suddenly asked, "Why didn''t you say anything just now? You are allowing them to bully you." Carson shrugged. "It doesn''t matter. She will pay for this one day. I knew someone would teach her a lesson sooner orter. See, you came to punish her." Nova frowned. "You''ve been alone at home for too long! You don''t know anything about the workce..." Carson looked at her in surprise. "How did you know?" Nova stopped and suddenly realized that she had almost let it slip. ??? 136 She paused for a moment and said, "I have a friend who used to work in game production. He usually develops games with his two colleagues and doesn''t interact much with others, so I think you''re about the same. Don''t be like this in the future. If someone bullies you, you have to rtiate." Carson nodded. He smiled and looked at her. "Nova, you are like my sister." Nova was speechless, and the corners of her eyes suddenly became a little moist. She looked at him and smiled. "Then you can call me sister in the future! I also want to have a younger brother." Carsom nodded. "Okay! Sister." Chapter 513 Nova almost cried when she heard Carson call her sister. Afraid that she would lose herposure, she hurriedly turned around. "I''ll get back to work. You should get back to work too." Looking at Nova''s departing figure, Carson''s heart inexplicably surged withplicated emotions. A calendar notification popped up on his phone. It was Vivian''s birthday in two days. The corners of Carson''s mouth curled up slightly. He had been searching for suitable gifts on the Inte during his lunch break. After work, he called Vivian and asked if she had any ns for the night after tomorrow. Of course, Vivian knew that he was referring to her birthday. Unfortunately, she was already on her way back to her hometown. Carson was a little disappointed when he found out that she was going back to her hometown to celebrate her birthday this year. Vivian could tell that his mood was low. She smiled and joked, "Since you can''t wait to treat me to a meal, treat me to a big one when I return to Capern City!" Carson said, "Okay. When are youing back? I''ll pick you up." "It hasn''t been decided yet. I''ll tell you when I get back." Vivian was on a boat, and the background noise was loud. She hung up not long after. Vivian''s hometown was Seefer City. Her parents used to be fishermen, so she rarely came back to this city. For the past five years, her parents had usuallye to Capern City to see her. When she reached Seefer City, it was almost nighttime. When Vivian returned home, she suddenly found a girl standing at the door. Her eyes were dark and she had two pigtails. She was even more beautiful than a doll. Vivian smiled at her, and the little girl looked at her without saying anything. She walked into the house, and the girl followed her into the house. Vivian asked, "Little girl, what''s wrong? Where are you from?" The little girl did not speak and walked into the house by herself. She seemed familiar with the house. At this moment, Shawn Greene walked out of the house. "She belongs to our family." Vivian frowned and widened her eyes in shock. "Dad, you''re not joking, right? Is she my sister?" Shawn rolled his eyes at her. "Are you crazy?" The little girl walked towards Shawn and leaned against him. Her eyes were fixed on Vivian. Jaclyn heard the noise outside and walked out. She first looked at Vivian''s reaction before asking her, "Vivian, what do you think about this girl?" Vivian nodded. "She is a good girl! That''s right, our family can''t give birth to such a beautiful child. Where did this childe from?" Jaclyn said, "Your father picked this child up when he went out to sea five years ago. At that time, she was wrapped in swaddling clothes and floated for an unknown period of time to the shore. When your father saw her, she was already on herst breath. However, this child was lucky. At that time, the doctor said that there was no way to save her, but she actually woke up that night. Your father and I pitied her. She was such a baby, and we couldn''t bear to send her to the orphanage, so we kept her." Vivian raised her voice in shock. "Five years! You guys hid it from me for five years! No wonder you guys didn''t let mee back for the past few years and came to Capern City to see me." Jaclyn said, "Your father and I were just afraid that you wouldn''t agree!" Vivian pursed her lips. "Saving people is a good thing! How can I not agree?" Shawnined, "Have you forgotten? In the past, your mother told you that she wanted to give birth to a younger brother for you, but you still ran away from home. Have you forgotten?" Vivian said, "How can this be the same? At that time, I was a kid. I am an adult now." The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 514 Jaclyn said, "Alright. Since we saw that this child is getting prettier and prettier, so we guessed that you must like her too!" Vivian looked at the child and walked up to her with a smile. She asked softly, "What''s your name?" The little girl just looked at her without saying anything. Shawn sat down and said, "This is your sister. Tell her quickly. What''s your name?" The little girl then said, "Joy Greene." "Hello, Joy. My name is Vivian." She extended her hand to Joy. Joy politely reached out and shook her hand. Jaclyn said, "I named her Joy because I want her to be happy in the future. It was a pity that such a young child had been abandoned in the sea." Vivian reached out to Joy, wanting to hug her. Joy blinked but did not go over. Jaclyn said, "Joy is good at everything. She''s sensible and smart, but she doesn''t like to talk." No matter how Vivian teased Joy, she wouldn''t smile. Vivian frowned and looked at her mother. "Joy is like this because she''s not familiar with me, right?" Jaclyn shook her head. "No, she treats everyone like this. The grandson of the neighbores to y with her every day, but she ignores him every time." Vivian said, "Why is she so cold?" Jaclyn added, "Joy likes to be clean. If your father and I didn''t wash our hands when we came back, she definitely wouldn''t allow us to touch her. It was already very nice of her to shake hands with you." Vivian didn''t know what to say. Then she thought, ''This kid is kind of cool!'' Vivian patiently teased Joy. She shook her head in front of her, but Joy did not smile no matter how she teased her. Moreover, Vivian felt that Joy looked at her as if she was stupid. Joy finally spoke. "Vivian, you look like a lion." Vivian felt embarrassed. While eating, Vivian picked up a chicken drumstick for Joy. Joy, who was eating happily, suddenly stopped and looked at Vivian. Vivian asked, "What''s wrong? I picked up a drumstick for you. Aren''t you very touched?" Jaclyn silently picked up the drumstick from Joy''s te and ced it back into Vivian''s. "You should not do that again. Joy doesn''t like others using the fork to put food in her bowl." Vivian felt speechless. She pursed her lips and smiled at Joy. "Little girl, you''re already such a clean freak at such a young age. Alright, on ount of your good looks, I''ll forgive you!" Vivian gradually realized that Joy was really an extraordinary child. Some of her behaviors made her look beyond her age. For example, she was a clean freak, didn''t talk when eating, didn''t want to be hugged, didn''t y with toys, and didn''t eat junk food. She despised everything that children liked. She often acted like an adult. Vivian wondered what kind of parents could give birth to such a child. Joy was really too good-looking. She had a pair of big eyes that looked like grapes. Her eyelids were pretty Although her nose was small, the bridge of her nose could be seen. Her mouth was also small and cute. In the future, Vivian believed that Joy would definitely be a beauty. When Vivian was watching television, she only focused on Joy. She had never seen such a beautiful little girl in her life. ording to Jaclyn, Joy''s teachers liked her very much. On Children''s Day, they even specially arranged a solo show for her during performances. Chapter 515 There was once a local media outlet that came to ask Jaclyn if she was willing to let Joy be a child celebrity. However, Joy was unwilling. As Vivian watched, she felt that Joy looked familiar. It was as if she had seen this face somewhere before, but she knew very well that she had never seen such a beautiful child in her life. Vivian scratched her head, but she really couldn''t figure out where this sense of familiarity came from. At nine o''clock sharp, Joy went to bed. At night, Joy slept alone in a small bed. When Joy slept, she would hug a small vest. The vest was washed so many times that it was tattered, but Joy still had to hug the small vest every night to fall asleep. Jaclyn said, "That was the vest she was wearing when we saved her. Perhaps because she lost her mother and that vest smelled like her, so she hugged it every night to fall asleep." Vivian''s heart ached when she heard that. The next morning, Vivian opened the door and saw a small figure. "Vivian, happy birthday." Joy was holding up a small bouquet of flowers. Vivian was stunned for a moment before she smiled. She squatted down and took the bouquet from her. "Thank you, Joy!" These flowers should have been picked by Joy herself outside. Vivian was very touched. Although Joy was very introverted and did not like to talk, she was kind and passionate. No one had told Joy that today was Vivian''s birthday. It was just that she had overheard the adults talking about her birthday yesterday. Joy remembered it and went to pick up flowers early in the morning. Vivian was so touched that she squatted down and wanted to hug her, but Joy dodged nimbly. Vivian felt speechless. Vivian had stayed at home for almost a week. She liked Joy more and more and could not bear to leave. However, she still had to go back to work. She reluctantly bought a ticket. Unexpectedly, on the day Vivian was leaving, Joy suddenly said to Vivian, "Vivian, can I go to Capern City with you?" Vivian looked at her in surprise. "Are you willing to go to Capern City with me?" Joy nodded, but she didn''t want to be with Vivian. She wanted to see what Capern City looked like. She had only read about it in books, and she was curious. Hence, Vivian excitedly ran over to Jaclyn and told her about it. Jaclyn agreed to let Joy go with Vivian since it was summer vacation for Joy. However, after all, Vivian had never taken care of a child before. Her parents had repeatedly reminded her about things. Vivian said speechlessly, "Don''t worry. Joy is so obedient. I can''t lose her even if I want to!" Shawn and Jaclyn thought about it and agreed. "Alright, we better worry about you instead." Vivian felt that she had been despised by her parents and Joy. Jokes aside, this was Vivian''s first time taking care of a child, so she was especially cautious. Even her hand. Content belongboy was unwilling, she asked Joy to hold l.ne Five years ago, when she almost lost Austin, it taught her a lesson. Joy was obedient and held her hand the entire time. She was not interested in the people around her who took the initiative to strike up a conversation. Carson wasing to the pier to pick Vivian up. When the boat docked, Vivian held Joy''s hand and walked down. Carson was carrying a bouquet of flowers. When he saw Vivian and Joy, he was stunned. Vivian couldn''t help but want to tease him when she saw his dumbfounded expression. She stood in front of him and smiled at him without saying anything. Chapter 516 Carson stared at Vivian nkly for a long time. "Vivian... Who is this?" Vivian smiled and asked him, "What do you think? Do we look alike?" Carson asked, "Is she your... child?" Vivian chuckled. "I''m just teasing you! If I have such a beautiful daughter, I''ll wake upughing every day even in my dreams! Joy, this is Carson Sherman." Joy raised her head and looked at Carson. After sizing him up for a while, her eyes curved into a smile. "Hello, Carson. My name is Joy Greene." As she spoke, she even took the initiative to extend her hand. Carson''s heart melted from Joy''s cuteness. He squatted down and reached out his hand to hold her soft little hand. Carson could not help but reach out and gently pinch her little face, "Hello, Joy." "Carson, the flowers you bought are really beautiful. Are they for Vivian?" Vivian''s eyes widened in shock. She thought, ''I thought Joy was cold and a clean freak. This ispletely different from the Joy that my parents have mentioned.'' Back then, when Vivian first met Joy, she looked at her coldly with a hint of disdain in her eyes. Now that Joy saw Carson, she seemed to have be apletely different person. Carson was instantly in a good mood. He looked up at Vivian and said to Joy, "Yes, this is for Vivian. I will buy you a small bouquetter as a greeting gift, okay?" Joy nodded. Carson''s heart instantly warmed. He looked at this doll-like beautiful little girl and thought, ''If Austin is still around, she will probably be this tall.'' The three of them walked to the parking lot together. Carson asked, "Is Joy your younger sister?" Vivian my famined. "Do you really think my family can give birth to such a good-looking child? She was saved by my father when he went out to sea." Swnov Carson could not help butugh. "Your parents are so kind. I''ve already reserved a spot at a restaurant. Let''s go and eat." When they arrived at the restaurant, Carson was about to go order an ice cream and fries for Joy. "Joy doesn''t like junk food," Vivian said. Carson looked down at her. "Then what does Joy like to eat?" Just as Vivian was about to help Joy reply, suddenly heard Joy say, "Carson I am fine with ice cream and fries. I''m not picky." Vivian was shocked again. "Carson, when I went back home, I teased her for a long time, but she ignored me. Today, when she saw you, she actually took the initiative to talk to you even though she didn''t know you. My mother said that she really doesn''t eat junk food at home. Why did everything change when you came around?" When Carson heard her words, he became even more smug. "It can only mean that I''m liked by children." Vivian deeply suspected that Joy liked young and handsome men like Carson. Carson only bought Joy one serving of ice cream. He was afraid that it would not be good for children to eat too much junk food. Joy held Carson''s hand and the three of them walked into the mall. As soon as they walked in, Vivian suddenly saw a familiar figure and shouted, "Justin?" Justin Vance turned around. "Vivian." Carson turned to look at Vivian. There was a smile on her face. This was the expression she would show when she saw Justin. He lowered his eyes in disappointment. Justin''s gazended on Joy. He looked at the three of them and asked hesitantly, "This is... your child?" Chapter 517 Vivian quickly exined, "No! This is the daughter my parents adopted. Her name is Joy Greene." Justin smiled awkwardly and greeted Joy. Joy looked at him and did not say anything. She treated him way differently than how she treated Carson. Only then did Carson truly feel that he was different in Joy''s eyes. He looked down at her and liked this little girl even more. Vivian was a little embarrassed. "She doesn''t like to talk." Justin smiled. "It''s fine. Are you here to eat? Why don''t we eat together?" Carson thought that Vivian would definitely agree, but he did not expect her to reject him immediately. "Next time." Justin nodded and said goodbye before turning around to leave. After the meal, Carson brought Joy to buy flowers and asked her, "Joy, do you like to go to the amusement park? I can take you for a ride." Joy shook her head. "I don''t like that." In the end, Carson sent Joy back to Vivian. Joy was very interested in games. Moreover, Carson was surprised to find that the five-year-old Joy was even better at ying games than many adults. Carson hung out with her until nine o''clock. When it was time for her to sleep, he left reluctantly. On the way back, he was still thinking about Joy. Suddenly, he thought of Nova. Nova felt like his sister, and Joy felt like his niece. Nova and Joy seemed to have been brought back to his side by fate in a way. Carson thought, ''Perhaps this is a form of constion from the heavens!'' ***** Brian did not return home for a few days in a row. The house was rtively peaceful these few days, mainly because Nova felt that it was meaningless to deal with Louise when Brian was not around One day, Jasmine called and reprimanded Brian. Only then did Briane home after work. As soon as he returned, Louise could not wait to be around him at all times. Of course, she did not forget to show it to Jasmine. Jasmine was studying chess with Nova. Louise came over and took out the coffee that she had bought at a high price as if she were presenting a treasure. She said to Jasmine, "Jasmine, this is the special type of coffee that I specifically bought for you. It''s produced in a high O mountain area at an altitude of 8,000 feet. This coffee can only be harvested three to four times on a full moon night every year." Jasmine''s expression was indifferent as she nced at it. Louise offered, "Jasmine, let me make you a cup." Jasmine nodded. Louise was overjoyed and excitedly went to make coffee for her. Nova chuckled softly. "Mom, Louise''s coffee is very expensive. I heard that a gram of this coffee cost more than a thousand dors!" Jasmine raised her eyebrows. "Is that so? I don''t like foreign goods. I am more interested in thette I have at home." Louise carefully brought out a cup of coffee for Jasmine. Just as she was about to reach Jasmine, she suddenly stepped on something rolling on the floor and slid forward! With a scream, Louise fell t on her back. the tray in her hands flipped in and boiling liquid poured out of the coffee pot. "It''s so hot!" The boiling water sshed all over Louise''s neck and face. She screamed and rolled on the ground. Nova eximed and quickly ran to the cab to get the first aid kit. "Louise, are you alright? Let me help you apply the medicine!" Louise pushed her away. "Get lost!" Chapter 518 Louise''s actions were almost subconscious. She felt that Nova was up to no good and was here tough at her. Nova was pushed to the ground by her and sat on the ground with an innocent expression. When Jasmine saw this scene, she was so angry that she walked over and pulled Nova up. "Nova, get up. You really don''t need to show kindness to this kind of person! Why do you care about her? Let''s go upstairs and y chess." Louise''s face turned pale. She quickly shouted, "Jasmine, I didn''t do it on purpose!" Jasmine packed up the chessboard and ignored her. She held Nova''s hand and walked upstairs. When she passed by Louise, she even said, "How pitiful!" Louise''s tears fell. Tears slid down her scalded skin and she felt a sharp pain. She cried as she looked at Brian. "Brian... It hurts!" Brian sat on the sofa as if all of this had nothing to do with him. He had just returned today, and Louise had already caused trouble. He was frustrated. He nced at Louise. Half of her face was red all the way to her neck, and her body was wet. She did look miserable. He patiently took a deep breath and walked towards her, helping her up from the ground. "Can''t you just stop?" Louise cried and said, "I didn''t do anything... I just wanted to make coffee for Jasmine..." Brian''s gaze was low. Suddenly, he saw two beads on the ground. He narrowed his eyes slightly. He recognized this bead. It was from Nova''s ornamental ne. He walked over and picked them up silently. Louise did not notice. He recalled the fact that Nova had gone to get the first aid kit just now. It was obvious that she was very familiar with the house. Logically speaking, Nova should not know where the first aid kit was ced because no one in the house had been injured recently. When Louise cut her finger, she was in the kitchen. Nova should not have seen where the first aid kit was. Then, he thought of the first time Novacame to the Francis family. She knew the location of the paper cup, hairdryer, and fruit tter. She had also undergone stic surgery. Brian thought, ''Nova... must be very familiar with the Francis family previously! It is even possible that she hase to the Francis family before.'' Louise saw that Brian seemed to be in a daze and asked aggrievedly, "Brian, what are you thinking? I''m injured!" Brian nced at her. "Ask Melvin to apply the medicine for you. I have something to do." Brian locked himself in his study and called Camren. "Help me investigate Nova. I think she has a purpose for approaching me." He had observed that Nova was very friendly to the people around her. She was hardworking and took work seriously? Putting aside whats Vie had done to Louise and her seductive attitude when facing Brian, it could be said that she was an ideal good person to most people. However, she was specifically hostile towards Louise. On one hand, she was secretly bullying Louise, and on the other hand, she was luring Brian. It was obvious that Brian was Nova''s target. Thinking about how Nova used to be Nelson Francis''s subordinate, Brian could not help but feel a little afraid. His current guess was that Nova might have been deliberately arranged by Nelson to enter the Francis Group. Camren spent a day investigating Nova''s information, but the results were unsatisfactory. "Mr. Francis. We only found out that Miss Nova was adopted by a foret That couple passed away in an ident a few years ago. We can''t find any information about her stic surgery. We can''t even find her previous photos. She''s like a nk sheet of paper. It''s obvious that someone is deliberately hiding her past." The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 519 The results of the investigation made Brian even more certain that there was something wrong with Nova. He believed that it was very likely that she was sent by Nelson to approach him. Since that was the case, Brian wanted to beat her at her own game. Louise''s face and neck were scalded. When she sat at the dining table in the morning, half of her face was still red and swollen. Her skin was covered in ayer of green, sticky, and wet medicine, making her look disgusting. The medicine always emitted an indescribable taste, making it difficult for Jasmine to swallow her breakfast. She could not help but retch and almost vomit. Nova sat opposite Louise and smiled at her. She kindly reminded her, "I''ve been scalded before. You can''t eat anything with too much pigment these few days, or it''ll easily leave a scar." In Louise''s eyes, Nova was openly mocking her. Louise poked at the food on her te and wanted to scold Nova, but she was afraid of angering Jasmine. She could only swallow her anger. Jasmine put down her fork after two bites. "I''ll go upstairs first. Nova, be careful on your way to work." Nova said, "Okay, Mom." After breakfast, Brian waited for Louise, but Louise said pitifully, "Brian, I''m not going to work today." She thought, ''I will beughed at if I went to thepany like this. I don''t want everyone to see me in a sorry state while Nova is morous.'' Brian did not say anything and nodded. "Okay." He walked out first. Nova said goodbye to Louise with a smile and walked to the garage. She was a little surprised because she saw Brian leaning against the car door and smoking a cigarette as if he were waiting for her. As expected, when she walked over, she heard Brian say, "It''s just the two of us today. Let''s take my car." Nova smiled. "If your fianc¨¦e finds out, she''ll probably make things difficult for me again." Brian looked at her mockingly. "I think you''re quite willing to let her know." Nova widened her eyes in surprise and thought, Why is Brian so abnormal today?'' She didn''t say anything else and epted it with a smile Then when your fiancee finds trouble with me, you will have to protect me." Brian asked, "Do you need my protection?" Nova looked at his eyes and was slightly stunned. She thought, ''Yes, there is no need. Five years ago, when I needed protection, he was never by my side. Five yearster, I do not need anyone''s protection anymore.'' After getting into the car, Nova chatted with Brian from time to time. Brian drove calmly and ignored her. Nova felt that it was boring and stopped talking after a while. Before she got off work, Brian took the initiative to send her a message, saying that he would pick her upter to go home with her. He showed up at the office promptly at two minutes past five. Nova felt that he was a little abnormal. She leaned against the car window enchantingly and asked him, "Mr. Francis, you''re so attentive today. Have you taken a fancy to me?" Brian''s hand that was starting the car stopped. He turned his head and looked at her with a faint smile. His tone was a little frivolous. "Isn''t this what you want?" Startled, Nova leaned forward toward him. "Do you like me?" His eyes looked at her, but there was no warmth in them. "You''re prettier and more interesting than Louise. You know your own charm. Every man will like you." The smile on Nova''s face deepened. She reached out a pair of pretty hands and slowly touched his tie. Through the thin fabric of his shirt, her fingers rubbed his body intentionally. en Chapter 520 Nova said, "I heard from your mother that Louise saved you when you were young. You were infatuated and waited for her toe back so that you could marry her. Now, it seems that Mr. Francis is just amoner!" Brian pinched her chin and his familiar breathnded on her lips. He said in a low voice, "It''s natural for a man to have desires, isn''t it? I''ll go to your house tonight." His words were indeed a little sudden. Reality proved that Nova really could not withstand Brian''s flirting. She was stunned for a moment before withdrawing from his hand. She sat up straight and her expression turned cold. "Mr. Francis, what kind of person do you take me for? You have a fianc¨¦e now." Brian narrowed his eyes. "Why are you acting virtuous now?" Nova looked at him angrily. "I did say that I like you, but I''m also a principled person. I won''t be a mistress." Brian asked, "You mean, you want me to cancel the engagement with Louise?" Nova raised her eyebrows and looked at him. "What else do you think? Everyone knows that you''re engaged to her. Do you think I deserve to be treated like a mistress just because I like you?" Brian lowered his eyes as if he was really considering. A momentter, he said, "Okay." Nova blinked and could not believe her ears. She thought, ''I thought he was teasing me. However, Brian is acting so abnormally today. He must be suspecting my identity.'' Brian seemed to be impatient. "I''ll cancel the engagement with her, then go to your house tonight." Nova couldn''t help but think, ''His tone is still asmanding as ever.'' She frowned and looked at him in confusion. "Are you so eager to get me?" Before Brian could speak, Nova came to a conclusion. "It''s not that you like me. You just want my body. If you get me today and don''t cancel the engagement with Louise, won''t I suffer a double loss?" Brian frowned at her. "Do I look like such an insincere person?" Of course, Nova didn''t believe his nonsense, just like he didn''t believe Nova. Nova asked, "Then tell me, what do you like about me? Yesterday, you were still keeping a distance from me with an impatient expression. Today, your attitude has changed so much. How can I trust you?" Brian nodded thoughtfully. "What do you want me to do?" Nova said, "Today, you need to go back and tell Louise that you want to cancel the engagement with her. You said that you like me, but I feet that you''ve changed too quickly. I''m very worried, so I have to observe for a while to see if you''re sincere to me." Brian took a deep breath. "That''s not all you want, is it?" "That''s all I want for now. Can you do it?" Nova looked at him with a smile. Brian started the car. "Okay." Nova was already looking forward to Louise''s reaction. Today, Louise was very aggrieved at home because Jasmine had been giving her attitude all day. When Brian was at home, Jasmine would be a was not around, Jasmine would directly tell Louise not to be around her and be an eyesore. le restrained. When poet When Brian''s car finally returned, Louise got up and went to the living room door to wee him. Nova got out of the car and stood beside it, waiting for him. She gestured for him to hold her hand. Brian walked forward, interlocked his fingers with hers, and walked into the living room. Louise could not believe her eyes. She thought that she had seen it wrongly and rubbed her eyes hard. Chapter 521 Nova''s smile was exceptionally bright and charming. She leaned against Brian''s side and looked at Louise like a victor. Louise finally could not take it anymore. She rushed forward and screamed, "Nova, you bitch! Let go of him!" Before she could rush over, Brian reached out and pulled Nova into his arms. He turned around and protected her firmly behind him. Louise looked at Brian in disbelief and asked carefully, "Brian, what are you doing?" Louise''s scream had already attracted Jasmine. When she went downstairs and saw this scene, she was stunned on the spot. Brian looked at Louise coldly. "Just like what you see, Nova and I are together." Jasmine widened her eyes in surprise and rushed forward in surprise. She could not hide the joy in her heart. "Brian, is what you said true? Nova, are you really with Brian?" Nova nodded in embarrassment. Jasmine was so happy that she couldn''t help but raise her voice. "That''s great! Nova will be my daughter-inw from now on!" When Louise heard Jasmine''s words, her heart was about to shatter. She thought, ''They have each stabbed my heart ruthlessly!'' She broke downpletely and screamed, "No! You can''t be together! Brian, I risked my life to save you. Is this how you repay me?" Brian looked at her coldly. "The coboration I''ve pulled for Adkins Group over the years and the money I''ve spent on you are more than enough to repay you for saving my life. I haven''t married you in the past five years. Can''t you tell that I don''t like you anymore?" Louise looked at him in a daze. She knew that Brian did not love her, but she had always thought that she still had a ce in his heart. At least, he would still have some responsibility and kindness for her. However, she did not expect that for the sake of Nova, he would even shed his responsibilities and kindness to her. Brian asked, "Just because you saved me, do I have topensate you with the rest of my life?" Louise cried her heart out. "Brian! How can you be so heartless!" "Brian isn''t heartless. He just doesn''t love you," Nova said indifferently. Louise red at her fiercely. "Don''t be smug! Do you think Brian likes you? Let me tell you, the person he likes has always been his ex-wife! There''s only one oue for you. You be thrown away like garbage one day!" When Jasmine heard her words, she was so angry that her chest heaved violently. "Shut up! Don''t sow discord there. Pack your things and scram back to the Adkins family immediately!" Louise red at her. "You old witch! Back then, you didn''t treat me like this. You couldn''t wait for your son~~~ to marry me immediately! Now, you have found yourself a shady goddaughter and you want to kick me away. Everyone in the Francis family is evil!" Since Louise was shooting her mouth off, Brian shouted sternly, "Shut up!" Louise said, "Brian, you''re ungrateful! You''ll definitely regret being with this bitch!" "Get out!" Brian said coldly. Louise''s eyes were red and swollen, and her pupils were scarlet. Tears flowed down her red and swollen cheeks, making her look like a clown. She thought, ''I can''t ept this! Nova has only been here for less than a month. How dare she snatch Brian away from me?'' Chapter 522 Louise suddenly rushed over crazily, grabbed Nova''s hair, and scolded, "You stupid bitch! I''m going to ruin your face today for stealing my man!" Nova pretended to be weak and hid behind Brian. Jasmine immediately rushed up to help and pped Louise hard. She had used all her strength to p her. Her palm was numb, and Louise''s face was turning red at a visible speed. Louise covered her face and was about to retaliate when Brian had already dragged her out by the cor. Seeing this, a servant hurriedly went to help open the door. Brian threw Louise out of the door. Louisey on the ground and begged, "Brian... You can''t do this to me... I''ve been with you for so many years. My youth has been wasted! Even if you don''t love me anymore, I still saved your life! And what did Nova do for you? You must be bewitched by her!" Brian looked at her for a while and pursed his lips. This was the most pathetic state of Louise that he had witnessed. To be fair, he could not bear to see her like this. However, he could not fall in love with her even after five years. Even if they really got married, they would just be roommates. He had more important things to do now. He had to find out Nova''s identity and did not have time to care about Louise. Louise seemed to see a trace of nostalgia in his eyes. She quickly got up and said with tears in her eyes, "Brian, you still love me, right?" Brian looked at her calmly and said to her in the calmest tone, "Leave. I''ll transfer the breakup fee to your card. I won''t let you suffer a loss." With that, he turned around and left. Louise cried at the door, sometimes begging, sometimes cursing. Jasmine coldly retracted her gaze and said to Melvin, "Melvin, go pack her clothes and bring them away." Melvin epted the order. "Alright, Mrs. Francis. I''ll do it now." Jasmine turned to Nova and smiled again. "Let''s go, Nova. Did she snatch you just now?" Nova shook her head. "No, thank you for standing up for me just now." Jasmine held her hand and stroked her hair affectionately. "What are you talking about? You''re my daughter-inw, which means you are like my daughter. How can I let you suffer?" Nova lowered her head and smiled, but her heart was cold. She had witnessed Jasmine''s attitude towards Louise today. Thinking back to the day she was chased out of the Francis family, if Jasmine had been present, she would definitely treat her the same way she treated Louise. $19 Perhaps in the near future, when Jasmine found out Nova''s true identity, she would be even more ruthless to her. Nova felt that Louise was right about one thing which was the Francis family members were really heartless. Jasmine held Nova''s hand and entered the living room. Her joy was obvious. Brian also came in. Jasmine said impatiently, "Brian, since you''re with Nova, get engaged as soon as possible!" Nova nced at Brian. He said without changing his expression, "It''s too early to talk about this now. I''m pursuing Nova now. If she thinks that I''m a qualified boyfriend, then we can talk about getting married. Nova nodded in agreement. She had already made a mistake in marrying Brian in the past. She would not make the same mistake again. She thought, ''Marry you? Impossible!'' Chapter 523 Louise had been shouting outside the house for a long time and her voice was hoarse. In the end, she could only return home in a sorry state. Brian yed the role of a qualified suitor seriously. He carefully picked up food for Lova while eating. Jasmine was grinning from ear to ear while watching them. At night, Nova took a shower and knocked on Brian''s door. When the door opened, she leaned against the door frame and looked at him. "Brian, there''s something I think you should be honest with me." "Come in and talk." As he spoke, he naturally held her hand and led her to the sofa to sit down. Then, he thoughtfully poured her a ss of water. Nova took a sip before saying, "What Louise said today has more or less affected me. Since you''ve decided to be with me, I hope that we can be honest with each other. Therefore, regarding your ex-wife''s room, I want to go in and take a look." Brian frowned. "There''s nothing to see in that room." Nova asked coldly, "You don''t want me to see it? Is it because your ex-wife''s things are still inside?" Brian lowered his eyes and thought, ''There is nothing left. Grace did not leave anything behind.'' Nova said, "Forget it. Looks like you''re not sincere about being with me. In that case, I won''t force you. Let''s break up!" Brian fell speechless for a moment. He then grabbed her wrist. "You''re breaking up with me on our first day being together. I think you''re not sincere." Nova flung his hand away forcefully. "You still think you''re in the right? I don''t mind your past, but if you still have a woman in your heart, I can''t ept it!" Her expression was sincere, and even her jealousy was so serious. Brian was almost deceived by her. For a moment, he even felt that the person who was throwing a tantrum at him was Grace. Blinking to get a better look at the enchanting face, he stood up. "If you want see it, go ahead." He took the key and went to open the door opposite. Nova''s heart suddenly pounded. The door opened and Brian turned on the lights in the room. Nova slowly walked in and a familiar fragrance wafted over. It was the fragrance of the detergent she used in the past. She thought, ''Why is this smell still here after five years?'' The bed was covered with sheets, nkets, and pillows. If it weren''t for the fact that this room was locked every day, she might have thought that this room had always been upied. en Brian stood at the door and smelled the familiar smell. Suddenly, his heart ached again. He said in a low voice, "Are you done? There''s nothing inside." Nova''s nose felt a little sour. She turned to look at him. "Who said I''m done? I want to see if there''s anything of hers in the wardrobe!" Nova walked to the wardrobe door and pulled it open. What greeted her eyes were the clothes that Brian had bought for her previously. She thought, ''He kept these clothes, although Thave never worn these clothes before. Why did he keep my clothes? He doesn''t deserve to have my clothes!'' Aplicated feeling welled up in her heart. Nova turned to look at him. "Why do you keep her things? Do you still like her?" Brian''s eyes darkened as he quickly walked forward. "It''s none of your business. I''ve already shown you what you wanted to see. You should go out!" Nova looked at him stubbornly. "I want you to throw these things away!" She could actually feel that Brian missed her, but Nova believed that it was just nostalgia, not love. Chapter 524 Nova thought, ''Brian doesn''t have a heart. He doesn''t love anyone! Therefore, I want to make him unhappy. I want to personally destroy the nostalgia in his heart.'' Brian said, "Nova, I''m warning you, don''t go too far!" Nova smiled. "Then I''ll tell you too. If you don''t deal with these things today, there is not a chance between the two of us." In any case, Louise had already left. Nova had already achieved her first goal. She had never really wanted to be with Brian. Brian took a deep breath and pressed between his eyebrows. He said helplessly, "Nova, can you stop fooling around?" Nova asked, "Is my request too much? If you can''t like me wholeheartedly, what''s the point of being with me?" At this moment, Jasmine suddenly arrived. Seeing the two of them arguing in Grace''s room, she instantly understood the general reason. Jasmine red at her son. "Brian, this is your fault. Since you want to be with Nova, you really shouldn''t keep Grace''s things." Brian looked at the clothes in the wardrobe weakly. These clothes did not belong to Grace at all. All her things had been moved away. Jasmine looked at him and knew that he was really upset. She tried to persuade Nova, "Nova, why don''t you give him some more time? He will get rid of these things." "How long?" Nova pressed. Jasmine nced at Brian as if waiting for him to speak. He was silent for a long time before he suddenly said, "Do whatever you want!" With that, he hurried out of the room, as if he would regret staying even a second longer. Closing the door behind him, his heart felt as if it had fallen into an icy pit. It was cold, heavy, and oppressive. He felt suffocated as he walked out onto the balcony. With trembling hands, he lit a cigarette and took a long drag. Halfway through, he suddenly saw a faintly discernible figure downstairs. Then, he saw a me gradually ignite, and the me floated higher and higher. Nova was burning Grace''s clothes. He clenched the cigarette in his hand and the cigarette fell to the ground. The smell of burning filled the air. His lungs were filled with it. He suddenly covered his heart and pressed it down. He walked back to his room and locked the door forcefully. Then, he opened Grace''s room and locked himself in for the entire night Nova looked up at the balcony and her lips curled into a cold smile. The next day, Brian didn''t behave abnormally. He even thoughtfully picked up food for Nova during breakfast. He said to her gently, "I was in the wrongst night. I''ll listen to you from now on." Nova''s heart was cold. She remembered that when she first got married to Brian, he was so gentle that she thought he had her in his heart. Therefore, she could not help but fall in love with him. She thought that after the three-year agreement was up, he would not divorce her. She he w thought that he would be with her for the rest of his life. Perhaps Grace would fall in love with Brian in this situation again, but Nova would not. There was no hope in Nova''s world. She thought, ''When I started a new life, I have already decided to not have any hope in anything.'' On the way to thepany, Brian proposed to go to herpany for an inspection. He also said that if she liked any of hispany''s employees, she could take them. en He was so nice that Nova had no reason to reject him. They had just walked into the lobby when a familiar voice suddenly came from behind them. "Sister!" Brian paused and saw Nova turn around. Chapter 525 Nova looked at him and couldn''t help but smile. She almost subconsciously called him Carson. Brian''s gaze trembled. If he didn''t know that the person beside him was Nova, he would have thought that she was Grace. He suddenly realized that he had almost treated her as Grace too many times. However, this woman was too different from Grace. Carson walked forward and suddenly saw Brian standing beside Nova. He was a little puzzled. "Mr. Brian, why are you here?" Brian said, "I''m working with her. Are you working here?" Carson nodded and smiled politely at Brian. "Yes." He asked again, "Is your illness cured?" Carson said, "I''m on medication now. I''m fine now. I can go to work normally. Nova also takes good care of me." Nova looked at Brian in surprise and then at Carson. She could not understand why Carson treated Brian so respectfully. She thought, ''Why is Brian actually concerned about Carson''s illness? When Carson needed 600 thousand dors to save his life, I remember how cold and ruthless Brian was. If not for Justin''s help, Carson might not be alive right now. Didn''t Carson hate Brian in the past? When did they be so close?'' Brian nodded and said, "That''s good." The three of them walked into thepany together. After entering Nova''s office, she couldn''t help but ask, "How do you know Carson?" Brian looked up at her and said calmly, "He''s my ex-wife''s younger brother." Nova raised her eyebrows and looked at him. Her lips curled up coldly. "So you love him and care about his health because you love your ex-wife?" At the mention of Grace, Brian recalled what happenedst night. There were traces of anger rising in his heart, but he did not want to quarrel with Nova. So he chose not to speak. Nova didn''t expect to hear any answer from him, so the topic ended without a conclusion. ***** At the Adkins family, Marshall Adkins was shocked to see his daughter dragging her luggage back in a mess. When he heard her tell him the whole story, he was furious. Meanwhile, Shannon Adkins stood at the side and looked at Louise as if she was watching a joke. She even wanted to p her hands and celebrate. Marshall mmed the table angrily. "This Brian is simply bullying others with his power! Does he really think he can treat us this way? I will definitely seek justice for you!" In the end, Marshall did not dare to look for Brian directly. Instead, he asked for Nova Company''s location and went to Top Group. When Nova was in the office, her assistant ran up to her and told her that someone was moring downstairs to look for her. The security guards couldn''t chase him away. Nova could roughly guess who it was, so she got up and walked down. Nova''s aura was very strong. Although Marshall had never seen her before, he could tell at a nce that she was the boss. "You''re Nova?" Nova smiled. "Who are you?" Marshall said, "You shameless vixen! You seduced my daughter''s fianc¨¦. I am going to teach you a lesson on behalf of your parents." Marshall picked up a stool and rushed over at lightning speed, throwing it at her ruthlessly. Nova did not expect him to be so impulsive. She could not dodge in time and could only raise her hand to block her head. The expected pain did note, only a muffled groan. Nova opened her eyes in disbelief and looked at Brian above her head. Chapter 526 Marshall did not expect Brian to be in Nova''spany. He was dumbfounded on the spot. Brian protected Nova''s head as his tightly furrowed brows slowly rxed. "Are you hurt?" Nova shook her head in a daze and immediately saw a drop of bright red liquid slowly flowing down from him. She said in shock, "You''re bleeding!" Brian raised his hand and touched it. He smiled at her. "I''m fine." Marshall finally came back to his senses. He was already restrained by a few security guards. At this moment, Carson arrived at the scene. When he saw that Brian was injured, he asked him with concern, "Mr. Brian, are you alright?" Brian shook his head and turned to Marshall. "Mr. Adkins, I''ve dated your daughter for a while, so I have some respect for you. It''s my fault for breaking up with your daughter. I''ll do my best topensate the Adkins family and your daughter. Don''t worry, I won''t treat you badly. But now, Nova is my girlfriend. I won''t allow anyone to attack or hurt her. If you''re unhappy, you cane at me. I can pretend that nothing happened today. Don''t let me know that you''re looking for trouble with my girlfriend again!" Marshall did not dare to vent his anger. the Francis family had immense power. If he caused trouble again, he would not even get a single cent ofpensation. He was then thrown out by the security guard. Nova went forward to check on his injuries. "I''ll take you to the hospital!" After all, she still had to y the role of a good girlfriend. Carson followed them to the hospital. When Brian was sent to check on his injuries, Nova looked at Carson and asked tentatively, "You seem to have a good rtionship with Mr. Francis." Carson smiled and said, "Mr. Brian paid for my treatment in the past." Nova was stunned. Carson continued, "At that time... everything was piled up. My sister died in a car ident, my niece went missing, and my leukemia rpsed. The entire Sherman family was about to be finished, but when Mr. .n Brian found out about my rpse, he found the best doctor for me without hesitation. Although my sister did suffer a lot for him, he did save my life." Carson looked at her. "I didn''t expect us to be fated. You''re dating him. You should know that my sister is his ex-wife, right?" Nova nodded. Her heart was in a mess. She had always thought that Justin had helped Carson with his illness, but she had never thought that Brian would be willing to help the Sherman family in their most difficult time. en When Carson had his first surgery, Brian withdrew the 600 thousand dors without caring about him. Nova thought that perhaps her death made Brian feel a little guilty, so he chose to save Carson. "You and Mr. Brian are quitepatible," Carson said. Nova lowered her eyes and said indifferently, "Thank you." Brian had already treated his wound and walked out. Nova stood up and walked towards him with a gentle expression. "How is it? Did you hurt your head?" Brian asked, "Do you really want me to be brain-damaged?" Nova said, "Your train of thought is quite clear. Looks like you are fine." Carson said, "Mr. Brian, since you are alright, I''ll go back to work. Bye, Nova." Nova waved at him. "Be careful on your way." Nova had mixed feelings as she waited to get medications for Brian. She didn''t say a word. Brian sensed that she seemed to have something on her mind and asked coldly, "What''s wrong? Are you touched by me?" Chapter 527 Nova turned to look at him with a smile on her face. She leaned her head on his shoulder and yed with the cuff of his shirt. "How can I not be touched? I feel very happy to be protected in the arms of the person I like." Brian hugged her waist, but his face was cold. After receiving the medication, the two of them walked out of the hospital hand in hand. At this moment, a familiar voice suddenly shouted, "Grace!" Nova and Brian froze at the same time. Brian turned around and looked at the man behind him. The man suddenly rushed up and grabbed Nova''s hand. He said in surprise, "Grace!" Nova looked up at him and smiled. "Who are you?" Justin was stunned and immediately let go. "I''m sorry, I mistook you for someone else." He nced at Brian and then at Nova. His gazended on their interlocked fingers and he smiled sarcastically. "Mr. Francis, didn''t you only want to marry Louise back then?" Brian frowned. "It''s none of your business." Justin suddenly felt sorry for Grace. "Grace''s death is all your fault. How dare you live a carefree life right now!" A look of pain shed across Brian''s eyes, and his entire body seemed to be emitting a cold aura. Nova looked displeased and frowned. "Who are you? What does it have to do with you? I won''t allow you to say anything about my boyfriend!" Justin looked at her coldly. "Disgusting!" With that, he strode away. Nova turned tofort Brian. "Brian, don''t be angry." Without a word, he took her hand and quickly left the hospital. After Marshall returned home, he told Louise that he had hit Brian. When Louise heard that Brian was protecting Nova at all costs, she wanted Nova to die immediately. She thought, ''Nova, just you wait! If I can''t get Brian, I won''t let you have him!'' ***** Brian and Nova were both seriously ying their roles. In thepany, Nova received bouquets from Brian every day. On the weekend, the two of them went to eat at a restaurant. Halfway through the meal, Nova suddenly saw a man wearing a ck mask appear outside a small restaurant opposite. She put down her fork and excused herself to go to the washroom before leaving. Nova circled around before walking over. The person walked into an alley. Nova followed and saw that he had taken off his hat and mask, revealing the scar on his forehead. The person opposite him was Louise. Louise came to look for Hale Burns today because she was really at her wits'' end. She could not stand Nova anymore. She wanted her to die. The only person she could ask for help was Hale. Nova was outside and did not dare to go over. Louise and Hale were sitting by the window at the entrance of the restaurant. Nova ane if would be discovered ild she went over. Therefore, she could not hear what the two of them were saying. When Hale heard Louise''s request, he narrowed his eyes and lowered his voice. "You still want to kill someone? You''ve already been dumped by Brian. Do you think that even if that woman dies, Brian will marry you? He didn''t marry you five years ago, he still won''t five yearster!" Hale took a sip of water and looked at Louise disdainfully. Louise had a favor to ask of him, so she did not dare to fall out with him. She took the initiative to sit beside him and leaned against him softly Her body rubbed against Hale''s body intentionally. "Don''t worry. As long as you help me deal with her twillpensate you ordingly. I don''t expect to be with Brian anymore, but he has wasted so many years of my youth. He has alreadypensated me with a lot of money." Chapter 528 Upon hearing that money was involved, Hale was finally a little interested. He looked at Louise and asked, "How much did Brian give you?" He smelled like he hadn''t showered for a long time. She held her breath and stretched out five fingers. Hale said, "Ten million dors?" Louise nodded. "That''s right. And that doesn''t include what he gave my father. As long as you''re willing to help me, you will have enough money for the rest of your life." Hale frowned and was still a little hesitant. Louise continued to entice him. She leaned on his shoulder and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Hale, just help me again! You don''t know how detestable Nova is. She''s much more detestable than Grace! I have suffered a lot because of her recently." Louise looked at him with tears in her eyes. Hale frowned and said, "Since Brian has already given you money, why do you have to kill her?" Louise asked, "Don''t you want the money?" Hale was stunned. He turned to look out of the window and fell into deep thought. Suddenly, he caught a glimpse of a phone pointing in his direction. His heart skipped a beat. "Who is it!" Louise immediately became nervous and quickly retreated from Hale''s arms. Nova put away her phone. She wasn''t afraid of them in broad daylight. They were the ones who had done something wrong, and they were the ones who should be afraid. After Louise saw Nova''s face clearly, her face turned pale and she said to Hale in a low voice, "She''s Nova! This bitch. How dare she follow me? Leave quickly!" Hale grabbed his mask and hat and walked out of the restaurant. When he went out, he stopped in his tracks and bis pair of cold and ruthless eyesnded on Nova''s facon? Nova looked at him for a moment and thought, ''It''s him! He is the one who killed Ava Adkins! He must have been involved in Austin''s death!'' She curled her lips into a cold smile and gestured with her fingers at her forehead as if she was silently telling him that she had remembered the scar on his forehead. Hale''s heart skipped a beat. He actually felt a chill down his spine for a moment. He retracted his gaze and quickly left. Louise walked out. She took a deep breath and walked towards Nova. Halfway there, she suddenly saw Brian. He walked over from behind Nova. Coincidentally, their gazes met. Louise''s heart skipped a beat. She was suddenly afraid that Nova would show the video she had just taken to Brian. In fact, she still had the wish to reconcile with Brian. If Brian knew that she had an ambiguous rtionship with another man, Brian would really not want her anymore. Brian also saw her and narrowed his eyes. "Why are you here?" Nova heard the voice and turned around to look at Brian. The smile on her lips deepened. She held Brian''s hand and looked at Louise with a smile. "Louise, what a coincidence to meet you again so soon. I was eating with Brian over there and saw a figure that looked very much like you, so I came over to take a look. I didn''t expect it to really be you." Louise was stunned and realized that Nova did not seem to have any intention of showing the video to Brian. She thought, ''I see, Nova has already obtained Brian, so there is no need for that.'' Louise lowered her eyes and looked at Brian with a miserable expression. A broken smile appeared on her lips as she walked over to greet Brian. "Brian, you look like you''re doing well." As soon as she walked over, Brian smelled an unpleasant sour smell. He frowned and asked, "What''s that smell on you?" Chapter 529 Louise''s face turned pale and she instinctively took a step back. Brian did not dwell on this question. He held Nova''s hand and said to her, "Have you received the money I gave you?" Louise nodded pitifully. Brian said, "That''s good. Take care." He then looked down at Nova and said in a doting tone, "Why did you go so far? Do you know how worried I was about you just now? I thought you fell into the washroom." Nova leaned against him and smiled shyly. "It won''t happen again. Let''s go back and eat. By the way, Miss Adkins, do you want to join us?" Louise''s face was deathly pale. She looked at Brian with teary eyes, as if she wanted to move him with her pitiful expression. However, Brian did not even look at her. He focused on Nova. "We''re on a date. We don''t want to be disturbed by anyone." Louise gritted her teeth so hard that it seemed like she was going to break them. She thought, ''I hate Nova to death. I have never hated someone this much. I hate her even more than I hated Grace. I sweat that I will make Nova disappear from this world!'' Nova and Brian returned to the dining table intimately. Brian naturally pulled her hand and sat beside her. His arm wrapped around her slender waist and caressed her through her clothes. "There''s a dinner party tonight. Will you apany me?" Nova asked, "With whom?" "Friends." Brian fed her a grape and said, "I''ve been dating you for a while. It''s time to introduce you to my friends. What do you think?" Nova nodded, "Okay." Brian smiled and gently touched his lips behind her ear. "Do you still doubt my sincerity now?" His face was full of affection, and his intimate actions made it seem like he loved Nova the most. Nova wrapped her arms around his neck, her eyes filled with love. "From the moment you protected me, I already trusted you." Brian yed with her earlobe. Her skin was very tender, very simr to Grace''s touch. It seemed to have an addictive feeling. Other than Grace, he had never observed any other women. He thought that all women were the same. The dinner that night was at the Imperial Capital Club. The people eating together were all members of the same friend group. After greeting Nova, everyone showed their respect to her. However, Nova knew that Brian had a purpose in everything he did. Soon, she realized that Brian was trying to get her drunk. She couldn''t help but think, ''Back then, Grace never drank and would easily get drunk with a couple of shots, but in the past five years overseas, I have trained myself to increase my alcohol tolerance. I am more than enough to take down these men.'' After drinking with a few of his friends, she started to act coquettishly and pretended to be drunk. She fell into Brian''s arms. When his friends came to toast again, she- started to pretend to be confu and banded the wine to V A friend said, "Nova, that won''t do. If Brian helps you drink, we will have to punish him by making him drink three shots." Brian grabbed her wrist and looked down at her. "Can you bear to let me be punished?" Nova thought, ''I would rather have you drink thirty shots!'' he shook her head innocently. "No, I can''t bear to." She held the wine and pretended to be thinking. Suddenly, she blinked at him and drank the wine in the ss. Then, she pressed his wrist with both hands and leaned close to him. Her lips were on his lips. His lips parted slightly and he froze on the spot. Chapter 530 Nova was cunning and did not allow him to resist. Brian instinctively swallowed the wine in his mouth. His eyes instantly darkened and his pupils constricted. He subconsciously widened his eyes. Brian was surprised to find that he did not feel disgusted by Nova''s bold action. He even felt that she seemed to have some kind of magic. Amotion came from the table. Brian suddenly sobered up. He grabbed Nova''s wrist and stared at her with his deep eyes. Her eyes were blurry as she bit her lip and smiled innocently. Any man would not be able to resist her charm. He said in a hoarse voice, "I''m sorry, everyone. My girlfriend is drunk. I''ll take her back first." Brian stood up, picked her up horizontally, and walked out of the club. He put her straight in the passenger seat, circled back to the driver''s seat, and buckled her in. Her face was right in front of him. He raised his hand and touched her face gently. A strange emotion surged in his heart. He was wondering why he hadn''t pushed her away just now. Louise had been with him for more than five years. Every time she wanted to be intimate with him, he would instinctively get away from her. He felt resistant to Louise from the bottom of his heart. Nova was not only dangerous, but she also always made him addicted. For example, now, he was actually rubbing her chin in a daze. Just as he was about to retreat, Nova suddenly hooked her arms around his neck. Brian''s body suddenly froze. He lowered his head and looked at her. Her pink lips were slightly parted as she asked, "Why do you keep looking at me? Am I pretty?" Brian swallowed unconsciously. "Everything about you is pretty." He raised his fingers to smooth her hair and asked in a low voice, "I''m going to your house tonight. I forgot your address. Where is it?" Brian''s words were just to test her reaction and see if she was drunk and if she was willing to let him go to her house. Nova narrowed her blurry eyes and smiled at him. "You want me?" When she said this, her face was not red and her heart was not beating fast. "You were the one who seduced me first." Brian looked at her with a deep gaze, as if he had to get her tonight. Novaughed and saidzily, "Can''t we do it in the car?" Brian said, "The ce is too small. It affects my performance." Nova raised her eyebrows lightly, hooked his neck, and pressed it down hard. Her lips kissed his. Brian''s body stiffened. He had the urge to push her away. He paused and grabbed her hand. "Stop fooling around." Nova was as cunning as a kitten. She tugged at his clothes and her hands slowly moved down. His body seemed to be shot by a stun gun. Nova could clearly feel the reaction of his body. Brian''s body stiffened as he slowly retreated from her embrace. He said in a hoarse voice, "Sit tight. I''m driving." The corners of Nova''s lips curled up. It was impossible to tell if she was mocking him or something else. Although her brain was clear, her eyelids were still a little heavy after drinking. Brian drove very steadily, so she closed her eyes to take a nap. Swnov Brian tilted his head and nced at her. He took out his phone and sent a message to Camren Whitley. After a while, the other party replied to him with a room number. The car stopped at a building in Outer Banks. Nova slowly opened her eyes. When she saw that this was her home, she could not help but think, ''He just said that he forgot where I lived, yet he is still able to find my building. Chapter 531 Brian touched Nova''s cheek gently. "You''re awake? We''re here. Do you want me to carry you or walk by yourself?" Nova stretched out her hands and made a gesture for him to carry her, looking like a coquettish woman. Brian got out of the car and went around to her side to hug her horizontally. Since they were already here, Nova was unwilling to let go of any opportunity to mess with him. After entering the elevator, Nova mored to get down. As soon as her feetnded, she climbed on top of him, hooked her arms around his neck, and kissed him wildly. She was like a wild-haired kitten. Nova nibbled on his lips and then moved to his neck, leaving two teeth marks intentionally. Brian seemed to be a little powerless. He was almost pressed against the wall by her, and his breathing became chaotic. Nova tormented him all the way to the door of her apartment. He picked up her finger to unlock the fingerprint lock. Nova silently cursed and thought, ''This damned man actually knows my room number!'' As soon as the door opened, Nova bit him even more fiercely as if she was taking revenge. She pressed him against the door and bit him randomly. The air had been very hot and stuffy recently. The air conditioner in the apartment was not turned on, and the humid and hot air seemed to make it difficult for Brian to think. His heart was pounding, and Grace''s face kept shing in his mind. Grace''s and Nova''s faces alternated in his mind, and he could not even tell what he was doing. Suddenly, someone identally touched the switch, and the living room suddenly lit up. It was so blinding that the two of them could not open their eyes. Brian instantly sobered up. He subconsciously pushed Nova. Nova looked at him in confusion. "What''s wrong? Didn''t you say you wanted me?" Brian''s throat moved and a sense of frustration rose in his heart. He thought, ''How could I be bewitched by this woman? I can''t face Grace if I did anything with her.'' Nova looked at him sadly and lowered her eyes. "Leave... It seems that you still can''t forget your ex-girlfriend." He blinked and immediately exined, "There''s no such thing. I''ll take you to bed." With that, he held her hand and walked into the bedroom. As soon as he ced her on the bed, Nova tugged at his tie. "You''re not allowed to leave..." Brian was hooked by her. With difficulty, he reached for the remote contre Ton the nightstand and turned on the air conditioner. Cent Nova wrinkled her nose and shouted, "Aren''t you going to care about me? You heartless man!" Brian massaged his temples and said helplessly, "I''m not ignoring you." Nova said Then why don''t you wash my face? Are you trying to make my face wrinkle so that you can look for another pretty woman?" She used him unreasonably, wanting to scratch him. Brian quickly pressed her back down. "Okay. I''ll wash your face for you." Once, when Grace was drunk, he helped her wash her face, so these things were quite easy to do. However, Nova could always find fault with him. She criticized Brian for not using makeup remover on her face. This stumped Brian. When he washed her face, he was at a loss and wet the bedsheets. After finally removing her makeup, Brian stood in front of the window and looked at her in face. She seemed to be about to fall asleep. At this moment, she suddenly seemed to wake up and mored for Brian to do her skincare. He had no choice but to go to her dressing table and bring over a pile of skincare products. Nova looked at his back and couldn''t help but think, ''I have to torture him for the entire night.'' Her skincare process was ratherplicated, unlike the previous Grace, who only used moisturizer. Chapter 532 Hence, Brian was extremely clumsy when he did her skincare. By the time the skincare routine waspleted, almost an hour had passed. It was already raining outside. Even with the air conditioner on, Brian''s forehead was covered in sweat. Novay on the bed with her eyes closed. She seemed to be sleeping ufortably. In a daze, she opened her eyes again. She sat up in bed and held up her hand. "I need to change into my pajamas..." Brian felt speechless. Nova originally wanted to take a shower, but she was afraid that Brian would take advantage of her. Therefore, when she was lying on the bed just now, she thought for a long time and decided to endure it for the night. Brian stared at her for a while and let out a shaky breath. "Where are the pajamas?" Nova''s eyes were half opened. One moment, she was pointing at the wardrobe, the next moment, she was pointing at the bathroom, and the next moment, hse was pointing at the balcony. Brian looked at the ces she pointed at and gritted his teeth. "Where exactly is it?" "I don''t remember. Why are you shouting at me? Look for them!" She pulled her hair haphazardly. Brian took a deep breath and opened her wardrobe to take a look. Finally, he found a long dress that looked like pajamas. When he sat on the bed to undress her, he was stumped again. Nova raised her hands as if she was tired of raising them. She pouted and closed her eyes. "Hurry up! The bra is strangling me!" Brian gulped and slowly raised his hand to take off her clothes. He tilted his head to the side and tried to unbutton her bra. However, after searching for a long time, he could not find the button at the back. Nova opened her eyes and nced at him. Seeing that his face was tilted and his forehead was covered in sweat, she chose not to tell him that her underwear was buttoned up in front. Brian did not take it off for a long time and was a little angry. In the end, when he turned around, he saw a patch of attractive skin. He cleared his throat, his voice still hoarse. "Your... your bra can''t be unbuttoned." Nova leaned back andy down. Her long legs even kicked the bedsheets. "You don''t want to change me... You just want to make me feel ufortable for the entire night, right? You heartless man!" Brian''s forehead throbbed. He did not even dare to look at her directly. "How am I a heartless man?" His gaze suddenly caught sight of the buttons on her bra and his expression became serious. He stared at the buttons for a long time, and his entire body heated up again. After a while, he reached out to pick her up and unbuttoned her bra. He closed his eyes and took off thest bit of fabric on her body. Then, he put the dress on her while only using his hands. His palm was burning hot. When he touched her smooth skin, it was like an electric current spreading from his palm to his limbs. Brian carefully ced her head on the pillow and covered her with a nket. He took a deep breath and sat under the air conditioner for a long time before he calmed down. He got up and walked to the bed. He called out softly, "Nova... Nova?" There was no movement. This time, it was as if she had really fallen asleep. Brian turned around and walked out of her bedroom, closing the door gently behind him. He went to the living room and looked around. Then he opened the drawer of the coffee table. Outside the window, it was already raining heavily Lightning shed and thunder tumbled. The light passed through the window and illuminated the bedroom very brightly. Nova opened her eyes and cold expression. She thought, halready 2:30 in the morning, but ''It''s he still wants to search my apartment. He knows what he is doing.'' Chapter 533 Brian turned on the camera light on his phone and searched the drawer. It was filled with daily necessities. He did not find anything special. After thinking about it, he felt that she must have locked everything important in the bedroom. He stood up and prepared to go back to the bedroom to take a look. The moment he turned around, a slender figure appeared in front of him. The light in his hand illuminated her face and it was as pale as a ghost. Brian was startled. He was so frightened that he almost threw his phone away. He thought, ''When did this damn woman stand behind me? She didn''t even make a sound when she walked. Is she a ghost?'' Nova was very calm and even looked at him with a dazed expression. Brian gulped nervously. "Why did youe out? Are you sober?" Nova wrinkled her nose and said cutely, "There''s thunder outside. I''m so scared..." He frowned and looked down to see her running out without even putting on her shoes. Her pretty eyes looked at him pitifully as Nova reached out for him to carry her. Brian pinched the space between his eyebrows. He took a step forward, picked her up horizontally, and walked back to the bedroom. This time, Brian couldn''t leave because Nova had been hugging his arm tightly. She wouldn''t let him leave as she kept saying that she was scared. Brian could only lie down beside her. After theyy down, their breathing gradually became smooth. Brian had a dream. He dreamed of Grace. This dream was too real. It was so real that he could feel her existence. It made him not want to wake up. At this moment, Nova was pinned under Brian''s body. His scorching kiss almost made her unable to breathe. She didn''t know who he thought she was. She wanted to struggle, but she was pinned down by him and couldn''t move. Seeing that he was about to take off her clothes, she panicked and shouted into his ear, "Brian!" Brian suddenly woke up. When he opened his eyes and saw Nova under him, he instantly jumped up from the bed as if ice water had been sshed on him. He cleared his throat to hide his embarrassment. "I''m sorry..." Nova''s expression returned to normal. She propped one hand on et the bed and looked at him enchantingly. "I understand. You are having a morning wood!" Brian''s face twitched. He turned around and walked out of the room. Nova curled her lips and got up to take a shower in a good mood. She was about to die from not taking a showerst night. After finishing, she went out and set saw him sitting upright on the sofa. She continued to pretend to be confused. "How did Ie backst night?" Brian nced at her and said indifferently, "You''re drunk." "Then did you help me change my clothes?" she teased him intentionally. Brian thought about what happenedst night and this morning, and his eyes dimmed. He nodded and quickly changed the topic. "I''ll drive you to your office." He led the way. It was Monday. Nova needed to go back to Top Group. After dropping her off at the office, Brian drove off quickly. Nova had a lot of things to do today. She had been busy for the entire day. Perhaps it was because Brian. felt awkward about what happened this morning, or perhaps it was because he did not gain anything from searching her apartmentst night, he did not look for her for the entire day. At night, Nova worked overtime until nine o''clock before getting off work. She nced at her phone. There was no message from Brian. She smirked. Since he ignored her, she wouldn''t actively seek him out. Hence, she went to the garage alone and nned to drive back to the Outer Banks. Just as she walked into the garage, a person suddenly rushed towards her. Chapter 534 The man was wearing a ck mask. He had a cap on his head and held a cold knife in his hand. Nova''s heart skipped a beat. She reacted quickly and dodged, but her arm was stabbed by the knife in the man''s hand. Nova sneered. "Alfredo Miller! You were a hooligan from Jacksonville. Aftering to Capern City, you changed your name to Hale Burns. Do you think you can escape your crimes?" Alfredo raised his head in surprise, revealing the ugly scar under the brim of his hat. It had been many years since someone had called him by his real name. He thought, ''Clearly, this woman has been investigating me for a long time. I can''t let her live!'' He narrowed his eyes and was about to stab her ruthlessly. Nova couldn''t dodge in time. The tip of the knife stabbed into her abdomen, and he pulled out the tip of the knife to stab a second time. At this moment, a figure suddenly rushed over and kicked away the knife in Alfredo''s hand. "Nova!" When Alfredo saw someoneing over, he quickly turned around and ran. Carson took two steps and Nova stopped him. "Carson, stop chasing. He won''t be able to escape." Carson turned around and hurriedly helped her up from the ground. "I''ll take you to the hospital immediately." He found a shirt to cover her abdomen and carried her to the car. Nova felt his hands tremble as he held her. She smiled at him and said jokingly, "Why are your hands shaking so much? How are you going to driveter?" Carson pursed his lips and said with a serious expression, "I am fine, don''t worry." This situation reminded him of Grace. Soon, they arrived at the hospital and Nova entered the operating theater. Nova''s phone rang. Carson nced at it. It was Brian. Carson told him about Nova''s injury and he immediately rushed to the hospital. When Brian arrived, Nova had alreadye out of the operating theater. A doctor said, "The patient is fine. Fortunately, the wound is not deep and her internal organs are not injured. When she wakes upter, remember not to let her eat and inform me immediately." Carson quickly nodded. "Alright, I understand." Nova was still unconscious. Her face and her lips were pale. This was the first time Brian saw Nova so vulnerable. Nova was pushed into the ward. Brian asked, "What happened?" Carson asnwered, "In the garage today, a man wearing a mask tried to kill Nova. When I arrived, she was already injured. That man ran away." Brian frowned and thought, ''She has only been back for a short amount of time, and she has already made enemies?'' Looking at her pale face, which waspletely different from her usual enchanting and arrogant appearance, Brian suddenly pitied her. Carson stayed in the ward until she woke up before leaving in relief. Nova''s anesthesia had just worn off and she was still feeling a little dizzy. When she saw Brian, she frowned. "Why are you here?" Brian frowned. For some reason, he felt a little irritated. He her with a reproachful expression. "Can''t Ie? What the hell happened?" Nova thought of Alfredo and Louise. She nced at him indifferently and lowered her head again. She said casually, "It''s nothing. I just encountered a robber. He tried to rob me but failed, so he wanted to take my life." Brian could clearly feel that she was being vague. He knew that she was not telling the truth at all. Nova frowned. "What kind of expression is that? I''m the one who''s injured. You didn''t rush over to save me immediately. Why are you angry right now?" He looked upset as he looked at her deeply. Brian suddenly snorted coldly. "You know very well whether you treat me as your boyfriend or not." Chapter 535 Nova thought, ''This question is out of line. Is he trying to see which one of us is better at acting?'' She wrinkled her nose in mock grievance. "You didn''t even call today. Who''s the one that doesn''t care about this rtionship?" At this moment, Jasmine suddenly pushed open the door and happened to hear Nova''s words. As soon as she came in, she started to criticize Brian. "I was wondering why you came back alone today. It turns out that you didn''t even call Nova! How can you be so irresponsible? If you had picked Nova up and brought her back with you, Nova wouldn''t have been injured!" Jasmine walked to Nova''s side and checked her injuries with concern. Brian''s expression did not look good. The reason why he did not contact Nova today was because what happened this morning made him feel a little awkward. Suddenly, Jasmine saw the dark red mark on Nova''s neck. At first, she thought it was a wound and nervously pulled open her clothes. "Why is there a wound on her neck too!" Nova didn''t know what she meant for a moment. When she lowered her head and looked, she was so embarrassed that her ears turned red. On the other side, Brian heard Jasmine''s voice and thought that Nova had other injuries. He followed her to look. When Jasmine saw that it was a hickey, she immediately covered Nova''s clothes and cleared her throat awkwardly. However, she smiled ambiguously. "I''m so old that my visions are blurry!" Nova felt very embarrassed. Jasmine saw that Nova was embarrassed and whispered into Brian''s ear, "Did the two of you spend the night at Nova''s cest night?" Brian''s eyebrows twitched. "Mom, you can go back first!" He forced Jasmine out of the ward. Before leaving, Jasmine even turned around and gave Nova an ambiguous smile. The ward was quiet. Brian was sleeping on the bed beside Nova. Nova was still dealing with the work that she had not finished during the day. In the middle of the night, Nova wanted to go to the toilet. The anesthetic had already worn of if she moved her body now, her wound would hurt. She slowly moved her legs. The slight movement still woke Brian up. Brian looked at her and knew that she wanted to go to the washroom. He got up and carried her to the washroom without saying anything. His eyes dimmed. This scene was so familiar because he had taken care of Grace like this before. ***** When Louise received a call from Hale and learned that he had failed, she felt terrible. She shouted angrily into the phone, "What''s wrong with you? She''s an unarmed woman. How could you have missed?" Hale said, "The point is that she recognized me. She even knows my name! She''s already investigated me!" Louise was stunned. Thinking of thest time she met Nova, she began to panic. "Where are you now?" Hale replied, "The suburbs." Louise said, "Hide immediately! Nova will definitely not let this matter rest!" He also knew that he was in danger now, but he was penniless and could notst ver long on his own. Hale said, "Send me some money." Louise was silent for a moment. No one knew what she was thinking. Hale did not hear her and threatened, "Are you not willing to pay? Don''t forget that we''re all in the same boat! If anything happens to me don''t even think about escaping!" Louise suddenly smiled. "Hale, look at what you''re saying. You''ve helped me so much. How can I not care about you? Send me a location. I''I find time to look for you tomorrow." Chapter 536 The next day, the police came to the hospital where Nova was. "Miss Nova, we''ve investigated the surveince cameras near yourpany. The suspect was wrapped up very tightly. When you were in the garage, did you see the suspect''s appearance?" "I know who he is." Nova handed the photos taken that day to the police. That day, she was only focused on taking a clear picture of Alfredo''s face and did not take a clear picture of Louise. The police received the photo and learned some other details. "What''s his beef with you?" Nova said, "I don''t know him. He followed me once before and I took a picture of him when he wasn''t looking. Because he had a scar on his forehead, I paid special attention to him. He probably wanted to rob me of my money. Later, he realized that I was very uncooperative, so he wanted to kill me." Nova did not reveal Alfredo''s name. It was tooplicated to exin. After the police left, Brian looked at her with a dark expression. "Didn''t you say that it was just a simple robbery? Why didn''t you tell me that he was following you?" Nova looked at him and exined casually, "I don''t want you to worry!" Brian''s expression darkened. He sat opposite her and said coldly, "How many secrets do you have?" Nova was stunned. "What secrets can I have?" The two of them stared at each other for a while. In the end, Brian''s gaze softened. He said reproachfully, "How can you still say you like me? If you treat me as your boyfriend, why wouldn''t you tell me that you were being followed?" Nova pursed her lips. To be honest, ever since she sessfully chased Louise out of the Francis family, she no longer wanted to interact with Brian. Seeing that he was acting so sincerely, Nova still yed along with him. "Alright, I understand. I won''t make you worry anymore." Brian had other matters to attend to, so he sent two bodyguards to protect her before leaving the hospital. ***** Louise was wrapped up tightly today. She went to a random mountain in the suburbs to find Alfredo. He hadn''t changed his clothes in a few days. The mountain was hot and stuffy, and there was nothing to eat. He was very irritable now. When he saw Louiseing over, he stood up from the ground and patted the soil on his butt. "Why are you only here now? I''m starving! Where''s the thing you brought for me?" Louise took out some food for him. Alfredo sat on the ground and wolfed down the food. As he ate, he asked, "What''s Nova''s background? Why did she investigate me?" Louise pursed her lips. "It''s all your fault! If you hadn''t made the decision toe to the Francis Group to ask me for money, she wouldn''t have discovered you so early!" Alfredo was unhappy and spat on the ground. "You''re fucking ming me? I''m in debt after all. If I don''t do something, the debt collector is going to chop off my hands! Q.UMS Louise pursed her lips and lowered her head, hiding her expression. After eating, Alfredo asked, "Where''s the money?" "Don''t worry! I''ll get it for you." Louise turned around and picked up a ck bag. Alfredo ran behind a tree to pee. She walked behind him with the bag, a fruit knife in her other hand behind her back. Right now, Alfredo was already wanted. Once he was caught, Louise knew that she would be exposed too. Therefore, she wanted to kill him. While he was urinating, she raised the knife and stabbed it into his neck. Chapter 537 Alfredo seemed to have expected this. He raised his hand and firmly grabbed Louise''s wrist. Louise was shocked. Her eyes widened. "You..." Alfredo grabbed her neck. "I knew you were going to kill me to silence me! Now that you''ve used me, you want to kill me? Louise, you''re really something. Looks like I''ve been too good to you!" Louise''s eyes widened in shock. She gulped. "...Hale, I am sorry. Let me go!" Alfredo pressed her to the ground and pulled off her pants. "Let go of me!" Louise struggled with all her might. However, she was pped twice by Alfredo. Louise was dizzy from the beating. She really could not resist him and could only ept her fate. When it was over, Alfredo pulled up his pants and opened the ck bag to take a look. The money inside was fake. He was so angry that he spat on Louise''s face. "You fucking bitch! Even the money is fake. Do you have a death wish? Tell me!" He grabbed her cor and pped her again. Louise said, "Alfredo, you''re already wanted! If you still want to live, you''d better be polite to me!" Alfredo smiled. He took out his phone and yed a video for her. "Come, you bitch. Let''s see what this is." Louise''s eyes widened after she realized that he actually recorded the video of them sleeping together. In the video, she looked extremely lewd. Louise said, "Alfredo, you''ve gone too far!" Alfredo said, "You forced me to do this. Louise, I advise you to give me the money obediently! I have more than this!" With that, he turned on a recording. When Louise heard the recording, her eyes widened in shock. The recording was of her conversation with him about killing Grace. Alfredoughed. "Do you think I was willing to be yed by you? You''re too fucking inexperienced to try to take me down!" Fear rose in Louise''s heart. She pretended to be calm and said, "These were done by the two of us together. At most, we''ll go to jail together!" Alfredo said, "Good! Now that I have nothing, I''m not afraid of going down with you. What''s there to be afraid of P going to jail? It''s not like I''ve never been to jail before! Prison is amon urrence for me. What about you? You''re the dignified Miss Adkins. Your reputation will be ruined if this gets out. Oh right, your status as a rich youngdy was also stolen! When Marshall finds out that you''re an imposter, he won''t save you. In fact, he can''t wait for you to die!" Louise shuddered. If Alfredo had not reminded her, she would have forgotten that she was an imposter. Alfredo sessfully threatened her. Louise said, "Brian broke up with me. He chased me out of the Francis family. I really don''t have any money for you now!" Alfredo was furious. "I don''t care what your situation is. Although Brian doesn''t want you anymore, you''re still the Adkins family''s daughter. How can you not have money?" en Louise said, "I''ve never worked at Adkins Group. Where can I get the money?" Alfredo thought for a moment and said, "Although you were chased out by Brian, aren''t you still working at the Francis Group? Think of a way to get the money yourself!" Louise gritted her teeth. She could not kill him, and he had something on her. She could only agree to his request first. "I got it!" Alfredo said, "I advise you not to have any crooked thoughts. I have more than a copy of this evidence." Chapter 538 Louise nced at him. Alfredo seemed to be able to tell what she was thinking. He smiled and said, "If you dare to have any crooked thoughts, even if I die, these things will still be leaked to the Inte!" Louise clenched her fists tightly. In the end, Alfredo forced her to give him around ten thousand dors before letting her go. ***** In the afternoon, while Nova was reading in the ward, Louise arrived. "Long time no see, Louise." Nova looked at her and smiled gently and brightly. Louise pursed her lips. She could not guess Nova''s intentions. She felt that Nova should have guessed that she had instructed Hale to attack her, but she did not understand why Nova did not expose her. Louise thought, ''Does she want to wait for Alfredo to be captured before exposing me? I will not give her this chance!'' She asked, "Are you feeling better?" Nova smiled and said, "Do you wish me well or not?" Louise was stunned for a moment. Then, she said without changing her expression, "Of course I want you to recover. Why would you ask that?" Nova asked, "Really? You don''t hate me for stealing your boyfriend?" Louise lowered her head. "Actually, I''ve also thought it through. Brian hasn''t married me for so many years. Perhaps he really doesn''t love me. Even without you, someone else will snatch him away." Nova looked at her with a smile on her lips as if she was watching a drama. Louise was afraid that Nova would notice something amiss, so she hurriedly said, "It''s good that you''re fine. The injuries on my face have healed over the past few days. I''ll go back to work tomorrow." Nova raised an eyebrow. "Wee back." Louise did not dare to look her in the eye. She said goodbye and left in a hurry. Nova''s lips curled up slightly. She thought, ''Louise, the game has just begun.'' During the few days that Nova was hospitalized, Brian would send her three meals a day. Most of them were soups personally made by Jasmine. Brian woulde to the ward every night to apany her after taking a shower. At night, he would sleep on the bed beside her. Due to Jasmine''s meticulous care, Nova''s injuries recovered very quickly. However, during this period, there was no news from the police. The first thing Nova did after being discharged from the hospital was to go to the police station to understand the situation. However, she received news that Alfredo''s whereabouts were o She thought, ''It is most likely Louise who is helping him hide. I have to keep an eye on Louise!'' On the second day after Nova was discharged from the hospital, she returned to work. When she returned to the project, she saw that every employee was beingzy. Some were putting on makeup, some were chatting, and some were even having snacks. As soon as Nova walked in, they immediately pretended to be busy working. She looked around the room and returned to her office. Nova called Karen Wilcher over to ask about the progress of the business. "Miss Nova, there hasn''t been any progress in market development yet. Because the research hasn''t beenpleted, the subsequent programs can''t be carried out." Nova frowned. "Who''s in charge of market research?" Karen replied, "Louise Adkins." Nova said, "Call her in." After a while, Louise came in from the door. Louise was even better at hiding her emotions now. She stood in front of Nova obediently. "Miss Nova, why are you looking for me?" Nova asked, "Why hasn''t the market analysis report been produced after so long? It''s been almost two weeks, right? I wonder what you have been doing recently?" Louise pursed her lips. She thought ''It''s summer right now and it is hot every day. It will rain in a few days. I Wan do the report after it starts raining." Chapter 539 Louise took a deep breath and discussed with Nova obediently, "Miss Nova, it''s really too hot recently. I saw that the weather forecast stated that it would cool down in a couple of days. You don''t need the research report right now, right?" Nova looked at her with amusement. "No hurry? You''ve been putting it off for two weeks. Do you realize that everyone is waiting for your research report toe out so they can proceed with their work?" Louise pursed her lips and secretly clenched her fists. "Miss Nova, the weather is so hot. What if I get a heatstroke? Will Top Group or the Francis Group be responsible for me?" Nova smiled and thought, ''Is she threatening me?'' She said, "That''s a good question, but don''t worry, Miss Adkins. You''re an employee of the Francis Group. Although you work under me, my boyfriend and I won''t ignore you if anything happens." Louise gritted her teeth and thought, ''This damned Nova. She took the opportunity to insult me again!'' Nova saw that Louise''s expression was as ugly as if she had eaten a fly, and the smile on her face deepened. "Aren''t you going?" She took a deep breath. "I see." "The results must be out today!" Nova said with a smile. Louise looked at the time. "Miss Nova, I''m afraid we can''t finish it today. It''s already three in the afternoon. We''ll get off work at five. How can I finish 500 market research reports in two hours?" "Then work overtime!" Nova smiled and said, "Take a video of you working overtime in the group chat. I''ll tell Brian. The overtime pay will be given to you ording to theborw." Louise gritted her teeth. "Okay." Under the scorching sun, Louise walked on the streets with an umbre and did market research from door to door. Louise was pretty. Her market research progress was rtively smooth. She knew how to use her appearance to get men to cooperate with her. When the men saw that she was good-looking, they cooperated with her questions. However, when she asked about a young man, the man''s girlfriend walked over with two ice creams and nced at her unkindly. Then, she held her boyfriend''s arm as if she was dering her ownership over him. Louise nced at her. Sensing her hostility, Louise decided to ignore her and continue chatting with the young man. "May I ask if you can ept your friends doing stic surgeries? For example, nose augmentation, breast augmentation, facial fat reduction, and so on..." "Hey! Are you fucking crazy?!" The young woman was furious. Louise frowned and looked at her in confusion. "What''s wrong with me? I''m not talking to you, am I?" The woman said, "What do you mean by that? I''m still standing next to my boyfriend! What are you trying to imply by asking this?" Louise was infuriated by her attitude. She tried her best to control her emotions and said, "Miss, I don''t mean anything else. I''m just doing a market research. Please don''t take it personally, okay?" When Louise said this, she subconsciously nced at her chest. The woman picked up the ice cream in her hand and threw it at Louise. "I think you''re a fucking bitch who specializes in seducing other people''s boyfriends! And you''re still pretending to be innocent in front of me It''s none of your business whether the people around my boyfriend want to do stic surgeries!" Seeing that the situation was out of control, the man pulled his girlfriend and prepared to leave. Louise was very angry. She started to lose it. "What''s wrong? Are you anxious because you''re t-chested? A woman with your figure will be abandoned by your man one day!" Chapter 540 The young woman said, "You bitch! I think you''re here to prostitute yourself! Your breasts must be erged to seduce many men!" Louise was so angry that her eyes turned red. She threw the document in her hand at the woman. The young man blocked it with his arm and quickly pulled his girlfriend away. Louise was so angry that she paced around in circles. Many people were watching and pointing at her. A man asked, "What''s going on there?" Someone else answered, "Look at how disheveled she is. It''s obvious that she is the mistress who was beaten by the official girlfriend." Everyone chimed in and quickly agreed that Louise was the mistress. Louise was so angry that she screamed, "You guys are the mistresses! Get lost!" Everyone pursed their lips and dispersed. Louise was already sweating profusely from the heat. Her chest heaved with anger. She sat on the edge of the road and nced at the time on her phone. It was almost six o''clock. Thinking of the grievances she had suffered today, she was about to cry. She thought, ''Nova, one day, I will make you pay double for this!'' She looked at her phone, pulled up the contact list, and stared at Brian''s name. She thought, ''It is impossible for Brian to not have any feelings for me. If Iin to Brian, he will definitely pity me.'' At the thought of this, Louise was about to call him. Just as she was about to make the call, a familiar Aston Martin slowly drove past. The car window opened, revealing Nova''s smiling face in the passenger seat. She smiled and said, "Louise, I see you are still working overtime. Good luck!" In the car, Brian was driving without looking at Louise. Louise was so angry that her chest was about to explode. She hated Nova even more. ***** During this period of time, Vivian brought Joy out to y every day. She bought a lot of clothes for Joy and cultivated their rtionship. However, Joy always had a sense of distance from her. Joy was very polite. When Vivian bought her things, she would thank her and even politely say that she had enough clothes to wear. However, although she was polite, Vivian felt that Joy treated her as an ordinary friend instead of family. Vivian had called her parents several times to talk about Joy. Her parents had always said that Joy was like this. However, when Joy saw Carson, she clearly seemed closer to him. She even acted coquettishly and took the initiative to let Carson hug her. It was another weekend. Vivian wanted to take Joy out to y. When Joy heard that they were going to the amusement park, she shook her head without much interest. Vivian said, "Are you sure you are not going? Carson will be there!" Joy''s eyes lit up. "I was just teasing you. I want to go to the amusement park." Vivian felt speechless. Vivian called Carson and the three of them went to the amusement park. Joy was having a lot of fun. It seemed that only when she was with Carson would she act like a child. Carson was hanging out with Joy, and Vivian went to the queue to buy a few ice creams. The owner of the ice cream shop saw that Joy was so good-looking and kept praising her. "You are a very good-looking couple. This is why your kid is so good-looking!" en Carson hurriedly exined, "Sir, you''ve misunderstood! We''re not..." "Thank you, boss!" Before he could finish, Vivian interrupted him. The smile on Vivian''s face was bright as if she was happy that Carson and she were mistaken as a couple. Chapter 541 Carson looked at Vivian in a daze. The owner of the ice cream shop was a very nice person. Seeing that Joy was good-looking, he even gave her a big bag of cotton candy. Vivian epted it with a smile and insisted on paying for it. She turned around and saw Carson looking at her in a daze. She smiled and knocked on his head. "Why do you look so dumbfounded? Hurry up and take the ice cream. It''ll meltter!" Carson smiled foolishly and took the ice cream from her. After they walked to a bench to rest, Carson couldn''t help but ask, "Just now, the owner misunderstood that we''re a family. Why didn''t you exin?" Vivian licked the ice cream and smiled at him. "Aren''t you happy to have such a beautiful daughter? The owner praised me for having such a good-looking child. Isn''t he indirectly praising me for being good-looking? It''s so honorable to bring such a beautiful daughter out!" Vivian smiled and stroked Joy''s hair. The anticipation in Carson''s eyes dimmed slightly. "Yes! Joy is so good-looking." Joy tilted her head and looked at Carson. She suddenly asked, "Carson, do you like Vivian?" Carson was stunned. Vivian was also stunned. She thought, ''How is a five-year-old able to ask such a question?'' Joy''s gaze was very pure, without any impurities. She believed that liking someone is a pure and good thing. Carson looked at Vivian awkwardly and stuttered, "Vivian is so pretty, anyone will like her. Joy, you like her too, right?" Joy nodded and turned to look at Vivian. "Vivian, do you like Carson?" Vivian paused. She curled her lips and smiled at Carson. She felt extremely awkward to be put under the spotlight. Joy asked again, "Vivian, don''t you like you "There was a hint of t disappointment in her childish voice. It was as if she wanted Vivian to like Carson. Vivian pursed her lips and took a big bite of ice cream to hide her embarrassment. "Yes! If I don''t like him, why would I ask him toe to the amusement park with us?" en Carson''s ears suddenly turned red. He looked at Vivian''s side profile and could not move his eyes away for a long time. Joy was good at reading people''s expressions. She licked the ice cream in her hand and pouted her pink lips. "Liar! You said it forcefully!" Vivian hesitated for a moment before asking, "Joy! Do you know what liking someone means?" Joy snorted. "I''m not a kid. Of course, I know what it means to like someone. I like Carson very much! If only he could be my father!" As Joy spoke, she sighed. She could not hide the disappointment in her tone. Vivian''s heart suddenly ached. She stroked Joy''s hair andforted her. "Joy, I didn''t lie to you just now. Carson is very outstanding. There are many people who like him. Of course, I like him too!" Joy looked up at her, her round eyes seeming to glow. "Really? If you lie, you nose will get bigger!" Vivian nodded vigorously. "Really!" Joy suddenly said, "Then let Carson stay with us!" Vivian and Carson both felt speechless. There was a sudden silence in the air. Joy looked at Vivian, then at Carson, and then at Vivian. Then, she lowered her head in frustration. "I knew you wouldn''t agree!" Vivian red at Joy. "You''re just a child. Why are you so scheming?" Chapter 542 Carson cleared his throat and exined to Joy solemnly, "Joy, Vivian and I are both single. We are not in a rtionship or married. A man and a woman can''t live together in that situation, understand?" "Then you two can date! You can get married!" Joy suggested seriously. Carson was speechless. What Joy said made sense. For a moment, he could not refute it. Vivian was nervous. She looked at the sky and started to spout nonsense, "It''s getting dark. Joy, we''re going home!" With that, she held Joy''s hand and walked out of the amusement park. Carson took his bag and quickly chased after them. Although Joy hoped to see Carson every day, she knew in her heart that her request was a little too much. After getting into the car, she did not mention this matter again. She was very obedient and did not throw a tantrum. Carson and Vivian thought that Joy had quickly forgotten about this matter. However, only Joy knew that it wasn''t that she didn''t have a temper. She was just afraid that if she lost her temper, Carson wouldn''t like her anymore and would ignore her. Carson drove the two of them home. As soon as he walked out of the elevator, Carson saw Justin moving things next door. Carson asked him in surprise, "Justin, are you moving?" Justin nodded. "Yes, I am going to a new hospital." Carson smiled and said, "So it''s a promotion. Thest time I went to your hospital, I heard that you were going to be transferred to another hospital to be the director." Justin nodded slightly. The corners of his lips curled up slightly, and there was no fluctuation in his eyes. "Yes, I might note over much in the future." Carson nced at Vivian. He thought that he would see reluctance on her face, but he did not expect Vivian to say to him happily, "Congrattions, Justin. I wish you a sessful career in the future." She didn''t even offer to hang out to celebrate Justin''s promotion. Carson said, "Why don''t we have dinner together tonight?" Justin shook his head. "I am afraid not, I still have to go back to the hospital after moving my things." Ever since Grace left, there was no light in Justin''s eyes. Other than eating, sleeping, and working, he had almost no entertainment. Even socializing had be rare en sw no Vivian said, "Then let''s meet again when we have time. Goodbye." Her tone was as if she was talking to an extremely ordinary friend. She had truly let go of the past after five years. ***** Justin finished moving the big things. When he went back to pack up the small things, he suddenly found an old phone in the drawer. The phone screen had already shattered. He stared at the phone for a long time, but he could not remember where it came from. Suddenly, he remembered that it was the phone he''d picked up in the hospital fountain five years ago. At that time, Louise was arguing with Camren Whitley. He felt that something was up, so he took the phone. However, at that time, Grace had just left. He was in a daze and had forgotten about it after taking the phone. Now that it had been left there for five years, he wondered if the phone could still be repaired. After Justin finished packing, he took the phone to a shop for repair. The next day, the owner of the shop informed him that the phone was fixed. He rushed over there. The owner said, "The phone has been in the water for too long. Currently, the repairs can only turn the phone on. It''s very difficult to use and can''t be used normally. Take a look first. If you really want to repair it, you can only change the motherboard." Justin nodded. He picked up the phone and lit up the screen. He surprisingly found out the lock screen was Ava Adkins. Justin instantly felt that this matter was not that simple. Chapter 543 Justin immediately checked the content on the phone. He couldn''t get on WhatsApp anymore. When he clicked on the message, it took the phone a full ten minutes to open it. The messages were very simple. Almost all of them were advertisers. Finally, he clicked on the photo. Thetest video showed Louise''s face. Justin suddenly frowned. He immediately clicked on the video. It was stuck for more than ten minutes before he was able to open the video. He pressed the y button. The video was not yed smoothly. It was stuck and he could not even hear anyone''s words. It could be seen that Ava was very nervous when filming this video because the camera kept shaking slightly. Justin nced at the time the video was filmed. It seemed to be taken on the day Ava was killed. Therefore, Justin knew that Louise was also present on the day Ava was killed. He thought, ''Who is this man in the video?'' The man''s back was facing the camera and his face could not be seen. Louise was very intimate with him and the two of them kissed from time to time. The video yed for only a minute before it stopped. It could not be yed anymore. Justin Vance anxiously asked the young repairman, "Is there any way to restore this video?" The young man looked at his phone and shook his head. "There''s no way to pull out the things in the phone anymore. If we want to use it normally, we can only change the motherboard. However, if we change the motherboard, the things inside will be gone." Justin frowned. "Is there no other way?" The man said, "Why don''t you wait a little longer, or y it a few more times to see if you can y it in its entirety?" Justin exhaled and nodded. "Alright, I understand." He put the phone back in his bag and decided to investigate Louise. He suspected that Louise had something to do with Ava''s death. Justin drove to Francis Group and happened to see Louiseing out with a document in her hand. Then, she got into a taxi and left. Justin followed her. Louise got out of the car at the entrance of a square. Justin also stopped the car and followed her from a distance. At the corner, a hand suddenlynded on his shoulder. "When did Dr. Vance start stalking people?" Camren looked at him with a smile. Justin frowned slightly and turned to leave. "I''m not following anyone." Camren blocked his way. "Dr. Vance, I''ve been following you since youdeft the Francis Group. You''ve been following Miss Adkins for the entire morning." Justin frowned. "Noment!" Camren felt that things were not that simple. Justin had no association with Louise. Even if there were any conflicts between the two of them, it was all because of root Grace. Five years had passed, and Justin had suddenly followed Louise. Camren felt that there was definitely something going on, and this matter might have something to do with Grace. He felt that Justin might know something, so he said firmly, "Dr. Vance, you shoulde with me." Justin was very frustrated and strode forward. "Excuse me, Dr. Vance!" Camren quickly attacked him. Justin quickly turned around and blocked him a few times. After exchanging a few blows, Justin knew that Camren would not stop until he brought him to see Brian. He thought, ''Fine, I''ll let Brian know that the woman he has cherished for the past few years has made him a cuckold.'' Justin and Camren went to Francis Group together. After Camren exined the situation, Brian looked at Justin and politely pointed at the sofa, indicating for him to sit down and talk. Chapter 544 Justin did not sit down. He took out Ava''s phone and showed him the video. Brian frowned. "This is Ava''s phone. Why is it with you?" Justin nced at him and said indifferently, "I took it." The phone was still broken. It took a long time to start the video. When he saw the content of the video, Brian''s frown deepened. Justinughed sarcastically. "Are you very shocked? This is the woman you treat like a treasure. Are you satisfied with the fact that she has made you a cuckold?" Brian''s expression quickly returned to normal. He wasn''t that angry. In fact, he felt that it was normal for Louise to be with another man since he never touched her in thest five years. Because he had no feelings for her, he did not have much reaction for her cheating on him. Justin looked at his calm expression and suddenly smiled. "Oh right, I forgot. You''ve already found a new lover. I just feel bad for Grace! She loved you so much, but you just wouldn''t cherish her. Your feelings are so cheap." Brian''s eyes dimmed and he changed the topic in a deep voice. "You got this phone from Camren, right? Shouldn''t you return it to me?" The video was only yed for a short while, and the sound could not be heard. Brian did not even see where the filming location was. Of course, Justin could not give it to him. "What evidence do you have to prove that this phone belongs to Camren? Besides, you''ve already broken up with Louise. If you want to investigate her, think of a way yourself." With that, he turned around and left. After taking two steps, he stopped and turned to look at Brian. "By the way, I suspect that Grace''s death is rted to Louise. If you still have a little conscience, you''d better investigate this matter thoroughly!" After saying that, Justin strode out of Brian''s office. After a while, Camren walked in. Brian instructed, "Get someone to keep an eye on Louise for the next few days. Investigate who she came into contact with before." Camren said, "Will do." Brian added, "Ava''s phone fell into Justin''s hands. There was a video of Louise and an unknown together on the phone." Belongs to en.kikisto Camren frowned. "So Dr. Vance followed Miss Adkins because t suspected that Ava''s death wet rted to Miss Adkins?" Brian nodded with a heavy gaze. Not s Justin suspicious, even only was could not help but start to suspect Louise. Thinking back to the morning of Ava''s ident, she had indeed followed Louise. It was hard not to suspect Louise. However, Brian really could not imagine that Louise would do such a thing. He didn''t believe that the girl who saved his life before would kill someone. Before the truth came out, he would not easilye to a conclusion. Camren asked, "Mr. Francis, do you need me to get Ava''s phone back?" Brian thought for a moment. "No need. Just send someone to keep an eye on Louise." Justin suspected that Grace''s death was rted to Louise, so Brian would definitely investigate this matter. "Okay, I''ll get right on it." Camren left the office. Brian sat in his chair and fell into deep thought. Suddenly, his phone rang. He was shocked and looked at the caller ID. It was Louise. Brian picked up the phone and said calmly, "Hello?" Louise''s sobbing voice came from inside. "Brian... I''m so dizzy. I think... I can''t hold on much longer..." Brian narrowed his eyes and asked, "What''s wrong?" Chapter 545 When Louise heard that Brian was willing to care about her, her voice became even more aggrieved. She deliberately made her voice weak as she said to Brian, "Brian, I''m beside the bus stop on Morad Road... My head is so dizzy. I think... I think I''m going to get a heatstroke... Can youe and pick me up?" Brian said, "Okay, I''ll be right there." Louise was overjoyed. She could not believe her ears. She thought, ''It seems that Brian still has feelings for me!'' This realization made Louise''s heart leap with joy. She even thought that Brian would still reconcile with her in the end. Brian arrived very quickly. Louise sat on a bench and looked at him weakly. When she saw him get out of the car and walk towards her, tears flowed down her face. She threw herself into his arms and cried pitifully, "Brian..." Brian frowned. In an instant, the video he saw in the office shed across his mind. Nausea welled up in his stomach. Fighting the difort, he pulled her away from him. "What''s wrong with you?" Louise''s face was pale and her eyes were weak. She looked at him shakily. "I... I..." Before she could finish her sentence, she fell into his arms. Brian''s frown deepened. His hands paused in the air. After a while, he tugged at her clothes. "Louise?" She seemed to have fainted. Brian got her into the car and drove to the hospital. Her face was a little flushed, but with the help of the cold air in the car, her skin quickly returned to normal. Louise pretended to be unconscious until the car stopped at the entrance of the hospital. Brian turned his head to look at her. He suddenly felt conflicted. He did not want to carry her into the hospital. This feeling was really strange. He never had this kind of feeling when he was dealing with Nova. Brian hesitated for a long time. In the end, he frowned and carried Louise out of the car and into the hospital. After some examination, the doctor said, "There''s nothing serious. The indicators are normal. Give her some rehydration drinkter and she''ll be fine." Brian nodded and sat down in front of the bed. Louise was just faking. She just wanted to test if Brian still cared et about her. Seeing that he was willing to send her to the hospital, she was very satisfied. She opened her eyes and pretended to be in a daze. She frowned and looked around. "Brian... Where are we?" Brian nced at her calmly and said calmly, "The hospital. You fainted. Take this medicine." He pointed at the medicine on the bedside table. He thought for a moment and felt that she should not have much strength since she had just woken up. Hence, he unscrewed the lid for her and inserted the straw. Louise forced a pale and broken smile. "Brian... Thank you." She took a sip of the medicine and looked up at him. She asked pitifully, "Miss Nova won''t be angry that you sent me to the hospital, right?" "No." Brian knew that Nova had no feelings for him. "That''s good..." Louise paused and looked at Brian. She pretended to be troubled. "Brian... There''s something I want to discuss with you. Is that okay?" "Go ahead." Brian looked up at her. Louise said, "I really can''t stay in the Cosmetology Department anymore... Miss Nova tried all sorts of ways to make things difficult for me. If it weren''t for you today, might have died of heatstroke..." sw nove Chapter 546 No expression could be seen on Brian''s face. When he heard Louise''sints, his expression did not change. Louise continued to make herself sound even more pitiful. "Actually, I don''t have to do the market research myself, but Miss Nova... Perhaps my rtionship with you made her feel ufortable, so she forced me to do the most difficult and tiring work... Brian, she''s actually trying to torture me and make me resign." Brian raised his eyebrows slightly. "So? What do you want?" Louise felt that she could not understand his thoughts. Brian was bing more and more unpredictable. She added, "I''ve always studied finance. I want to go to the Finance Department. I''mpletely qualified to work in the Finance Department. If I''m not under Miss Nova''s watch, her mood should be better." Brian looked at her thoughtfully for a while, then slowly nodded. "Okay, sure." Louise was delighted. "Really? That''s great! Thank you, Brian!" He lowered her eyelids slightly. Louise bit her lip and asked tentatively, "Brian, actually... you''re notpletely without feelings for me, are you?" Brian looked at her for a while but did not say anything. Louise did not dare to say anything else. Brian said, "I''ll send you back." "Alright!" Louise cried tears of joy. At night, as soon as Nova sat in the car, she smelled Louise''s perfume on Brian. Nova''s lips curled up silently. "You went to see your ex-fianc¨¦e today?" Brian frowned slightly and said calmly, "She fainted from heatstroke. I took her to the hospital." Nova said, "Should youpletely cut ties with your ex? It seems that Louise and you still are associated." Brian started the car without batting an eyelid. "So?" Nova crossed her arms and looked ahead. Her expression was slightly cold. "Couldn''t she have gone to the hospital herself if she fainted? Why did she have to call you? Even if she called you, can''t you get Camren to help her? What do you take me for?" Brian was silent for a moment, thenughed. "Are you jealous?" Nova said, "What else could it be?" "Since you care so much about me, let''s get married. You can rest assured after getting married," he suddenly said. Nova was stunned. After a while, she came back to her senses and snorted. "You have an ambiguous rtionship with your ex-girlfriend. How can you tell me that you want to get married? Brian, you''re not sincere at all! Forget it, let''s break up!" She waved her hand and deliberately pretended to be furious. Brian sneered. "I think breaking up is your ultimate goal. You flirted with me first. Now you want to break up? Dream on!" Nova was toozy to argue with him. The two of them each had their own thoughts and did not expose each other. They were silent the entire way home. When they got home, Nova deliberately pretended to have something on her mind, causing Jasmine to ask with concern, Nova, what''s wrong? Why are you so unhappy?" Nova looked at Jasmine and then at Brian. She lowered her head hesitantly. Jasmine immediately understood. "Did Brian bully you?" She used an affirmative tone. Nova lowered her head and thought for a moment before telling Jasmine what had happened. "Mom, do you think I''m being petty?" she asked Jasmine seriously. Jasmine looked at her son with a serious expression. Then, she looked at Nova gently. Chapter 547 Jasmine said, "You''re not in the wrong. It''s all his fault! Since Louise and him broke up, they should not have any association. In my opinion, she shouldn''t continue to stay in the Francis Group. She''s the only daughter in her family. Her father is old, but she''s still staying in the Francis Group. It''s obvious what she wants. Besides, she called Brian today because she clearly wanted to reconnect with him again. Brian, can''t you tell? Since you chose Nova, you should be responsible for her! And that day, both of you... Anyway, from today onwards, you have to stay away from Louise! If you make Nova sad again, I''ll teach you a lesson!" Since Brian was reprimanded by his mother, even if he was dissatisfied, he did not dare to say anything. He looked at Nova coldly as if to ask whether she was satisfied. Nova finally felt a little better. It was really rare for her to see Brian being reprimanded like this. She smirked haughtily. ***** The next day, when Nova went to the office, she saw Louise moving her things. As she cleaned up, she hummed a song. She seemed to be in a good mood. Nova had roughly guessed what was going on. She thought, ''It seems that a lot of things happened when Louise was with Brian yesterday.'' When Louise saw Nova enter, the smile on her face became even brighter. She brought a document in front of her. "Miss Nova, from today onwards, I won''t be under your jurisdiction. You are not my superior anymore. I''m going to transfer to the Finance Department. Please find someone else to do this market research." Nova lowered her eyes to take a look and took it. The smile on her face did not change. "Miss Adkins looks very happy. Do you feel that you''re finally out of your misery?" Louise sneered. "I''m happy because I want you to understand something. Brian can''t stand my tears the most. As long as I shed a few tears in front of him, his heart will ache for me." Whether you can be with him eventually depends on whether I agree or not. Do you understand?" Nova crossed her arms and looked at Louise. "You''re quite confident. I''m looking forward to your performance." With that, Nova returned to her office. Louise took a deep breath. Although she had vented all the anger in her heart, she did not feel happy. Nova''s aura was too strong. It was so strong that Louise felt that what she had just said was just a bluff Nova was someone she could not scare at atp. Although Brian agreed to let Louise change departments, he still had people watching her every move. Louise was now driving herself back to the Adkins family every day. Shannon Adkins saw that the smile on her face had increased recently and felt very ufortable. One night, when Shannon heard Marshall Adkins asking about her and Brian, Louise said confidently, "Dad, I believe that Brian still loves me. Recently, my rtionship with him has improved. I think he i is just messing around with Nova for the time being." Marshall smiled in relief. He patted Louise''s shoulder and said, "Good girl, I knew it. You have a way to make Brian change his mind." Louise smiled. Shannon suddenly sneered. "Messing around? What makes you think Brian is messing around?" Louise asked, "Shannon, what do you mean?" Shannon asked, "You should have some self-awareness. Nova has be famous at a young age. She started her ownpany and did a good job. What about you? What have you done for Brian in the past few years while being in Francis Group?" Chapter 548 Shannon added, "Nova has a good figure, looks, money, and ability. If I were a man, I would choose her. What help can you give to Brian''s career? Are you capable? You''re nothing!" Shannon nced at Louise in disdain. Ever since Ava died, she had been holding back her anger. Seeing that Louise was doing well, the anger in her heart grew stronger. Marshall was so angry that he mmed the table. "Shannon, shut up!" His voice was very stern. It was obvious that he was really angry as he red at her. Shannon was even angrier. "Don''t you know what kind of person your own daughter is? Why can''t I tell the truth? Only the incapables will like her." "Get lost!" Marshall pointed at Shannon with trembling fingers. Shannon sneered. "You''re so protective of her. Why weren''t you so protective of Ava when she was alive?" The more she spoke, the more agitated she became. Tears fell from her eyes as she stood up and went upstairs in tears. Marshall smiled. "Louise, don''t take Shannon''s words to heart." Louise said, "I understand. After all, Ava is her only daughter. The pain of sending Ava off is uneptable. I won''t me her." Marshall nodded in relief. "You''re still the sensible one." Louise smiled. Shannon cried her heart out in the bedroom. She missed her daughter again. It had been five years, but she had never gotten over it. Although Grace had died in a car ident, she was still unhappy that she had not seen Grace confess in court or be sentenced. She missed Ava too much. After crying for a while, she went to Ava''s room again. She sat in a chair and looked at the photo of her daughter on the table. She picked up the photograph and gently stroked Ava''s cheek, murmuring her name. She put down the photo, opened the closet, and took out the sheets and quilts. She wanted to sleep in Ava''s room tonight. She removed the cover on the bed. In the past five years, Very few people hade into this room. Other than the asional time she came in to look at photos of Ava, only servants hade to clean up the room. Under the bedspread, Shannon found an envelope at the bottom of the bed. She suddenly remembered the letter she found when she was packing up Ava''s belongings. At that time, because Louise came in, she hurriedly put the letter back under the bed. During that period of time, she was dispirited. Later, the servants removed the bedsheets and washed them. Shannon had forgotten about this matter. Her heart skipped a beat and she quickly picked up the letter. Suddenly, she thought of something and quickly locked the door before opening the envelope. When she saw the contents of the In letter, Shannon''s eyes widened. She thought, ''Louise is not Marshall''s daughter! Who sent this letter to Ava? Could Ava''s death be rted to this letter? Ava had asked me if Louise had done a paternity test. Pookdaughter! Why didn''t you tell me about this letter at that time? If you had told me earlier, you might not have lost your life! Based on the time, Ava was indeed killed not long after she asked me about this. Then who sent this letter? Was it Grace?'' Shannon had countless questions in her mind. She suddenly had the urge to confront Louise and Marshall immediately with this letter, but on second thought, the authenticity of this letter was still to be investigated. Chapter 549 Shannon thought, ''After all, Louise did do a paternity test back then. But what if the paternity test was fake?'' Her heart skipped a beat. If the contents of the letter were true and Louise was an imposter, then she wanted to make sure that she wouldn''t alert Louise. She had to think of a perfect solution. Shannon gripped the letter tightly. She looked around the room and stuffed it under the wardrobe. This spot was well hidden. One would not be able to see it unless they moved the wardrobe over. What Shannon needed to do now was to get the evidence. She wanted to get Louise''s hair and do a paternity test with Marshall. Only when she had all the evidence could she defeat Louise sessfully. Louise was now deeply trusted by Marshall. If Shannon told Marshall now, she knew that Marshal would never believe her. Shannon was afraid that she would lose control of her emotions if she went out and bumped into Louise, so she slept in Ava''s room that night. After a night of calming down, her mood was much better. When she saw Louise in the morning, she greeted her as if nothing had happened. Louise smiled and said, "Shannon, are you not angry with me anymore? That''s great!" Shannon was unable to smile, but she still tried her best to smile. "You''re Marshall''s daughter after all. It won''t do me any good to go against you." Louise smiled. Her smile was filled with the brilliance of victory. While eating, Shannon looked up at Louise from time to time, wondering how she could get her hair. No matter how she thought about it, she could not think of a foolproof solution. Louise had already finished her breakfast and left. Shannon was the only one left in the house. She put down her fork and went upstairs to Louise''s room. She turned the doorknob and realized that the door was locked. She called a servant over, but the servant said, "Mrs. Adkins, Miss Adkins doesn''t want us to enter her room. The key to her room has already been taken." Shannon narrowed her eyes. "She won''t let you into her room?" The servant replied, "Yes, Mrs. Adkins. When Miss Adkins wants to clean the room, she will then let us in to clean it when she''s in the room." Shannon nodded. "I understand. You can leave now!" She thought, ''Not letting anyone into her room, just this alone is very suspicious!'' ***** Nova did notin to Brian about Louise going to the Finance Department. She simply became more distant to Brian. She started driving herself home every day. When Jasmine saw that the two of them were always going in and out separately, she knew that the two of them were fighting again. One night, she reprimanded Brian again Nova did not hesitate and told Jasmine about Louise going to the Finance Department. Jasmine said in shock, "How can you do that? The Finance Department has always been controlled by the members of the Francis family. Either that or my family is taking control of it. Why should Louise go to the Finance Department?" Brian frowned and said, "Mom, I''ve thought about this when I promised to transfer her to the Finance Department, so I''ve been keeping an eye on her after she goes to the Finance Department. She won''t trick me if she does anything. You have to have a reason to chase her out of the Francis Group. If she really did something wrong in the Finance Department, it won''t be toote to let her leave. What do you think?" Brian''s words were not unreasonable. If Brian simply fired Louise without a cause, it would indeed make the Francis family seem unreasonable. Jasmine was still very unhappy. "Then you can let her go to other departments!" Brian said, "She''s already there. Let''s wait for a while!" This topic ended just like that. Nova went upstairs in a low mood. Brian sat downstairs for a while before going upstairs as well. Chapter 550 Brian knocked on Nova''s door. After knocking for a while, Nova opened the door. She looked tired and yawned. "What''s the matter?" Brian leanedzily against the door and asked, "How long do you want to do the silent thing?" Nova smiled and said, "That''s how I am in a rtionship. I''m frigid." Brian''s face darkened. "Was it a dog who kissed me and seduced me back then?" Bang! The door was mmed shut. Brian touched his nose and let out a breath. He returned to his room with a gloomy expression. No matter how he thought about it, he still felt annoyed. Nova wanted to use him to deal with Louise and then dumped him. ''No way!'' he thought. ''Even if it''s an act, she has to continue.'' Brian went from the cloakroom to Nova''s room. The room was empty. She must have gone to take a shower. He looked around and theny down on her bed. A faint fragrance wafted into his nose. It felt familiar and mesmerizing. Brian closed his eyes and suddenly felt rxed. He had the urge to sleep there. At that moment, he felt something hard pressing against his spine. He propped himself up and touched it. It was a pendant. He remembered that Nova wore the pendant around her neck almost every day. Brian yed with it in his hand. It was not beautiful but added a cold aura to her. He rubbed the edge of the pendant with his fingers and suddenly discovered that the pendant seemed to be able to open. He frowned and hesitated for a moment. Atst, he could not resist his curiosity. Unexpectedly, the door was open. Nova walked in while wiping the ends of her hair. At first, she was surprised to see Brian before her gazended on his hand. She strode over and snatched the pendant. "Why are you rummaging through my things?" Her heart was beating wildly. She wondered if he saw the inside of it or not. Brian''s suspicious voice sounded. "Why are you so nervous? What shameful secret does the pendant have?" Nova clenched her fists. Brian''s question meant he did not open it. She secretly heaved a sigh of relief. She looked displeased and got the drop on. What does it have to do with you? Don''t you have a lot of secrets too? I''m not even allowed to stay in your ex-wife''s room now!" en Brian''s eyes darkened. "Then tell me, what shameful story does this pendant have?" "My ex gave it to me," she said after a moment''s silence. Brian''s eyes narrowed. "You''re still keeping what your ex-boyfriend gave you after so long. It seems like you love him deeply." Nova took a deep breath and said in a tone that sounded like she was telling someone else''s story, "When I was with him, I did love him, butter on, I found out that he only treated me as a substitute for his first love. After his first love came back to him, he dumped me ruthlessly. "I hate him. In that rtionship, I gave him my most passionate love, but in return, all I had was pain and sorrow. I kept the pendant to remind me of the humiliation he brought me" Nova held the pendant tightly. Her eyes could not help but fill with tears when she finished her telling. Brian looked into her eyes. It was the first time he had seen her cry. Pearly tears trickled down her face. Brian felt an inexplicable heartache and pulled Nova into his arms. Chapter 551 Nova was stunned for a moment before she leaned on his shoulder. Her tears flowed even more fiercely. She tugged at his shirt with all her might. He thought she was crying because of her ex-boyfriend, but she was suffering because of Austin''s death. It had been five years. Every time she thought about it, it still hurt so much that she could not breathe. Brian had never seen Nova cry so sadly before. He was at a loss and could only pat her back. "Alright, don''t cry. I''m here with you." Nova could not stop crying. What was the use of him being there with her? They still could not protect their daughter! Nova did not know if Brian would feel a little upset if he knew that his daughter had died in the sea when she was only a few months old. "Stop crying, alright?" Brian unconsciously softened his tone. Even he did not realize how patient he was at the moment. "I''ll always be there for you. Just forget about him, okay?" Nova gritted her teeth, but her tear-filled eyes were ice-cold. Brian, it''s toote,'' thought Nova. She was a little tired from crying. She leaned against him and sobbed. For some reason, Brian felt sorry for her. He knew this woman''s motive was not simple, but when he saw her crying so sadly, he could not help butfort her and even say something that shocked him. He patted her again and again like he was coaxing a child. His chin was pressed against her cheek, and their warmth gradually fused. The shower gel fragrance on her body lingered in his nose, and his arms felt her warmth. He closed his eyes and lowered his head to find her lips. Nova was probably out of breath from crying and her mind was muddled. When his lips kissed hers, she opened her mouth slightly and wrapped her arms around his neck. By the time she realized what was happening, she was pinned to the bed by him. Her heart pounded as she felt his breath so close to hers. It turned out that even after five years, even after he had hurt her like that, her heart would still flutter because of him. Just as Nova thought he would take the next step, he suddenly stopped. Nova did not know what Brian was thinking. She only saw his gaze fixed on her face for a long time. The lust in his eyes gradually gone, and then he propped himself up. His voice was slightly hoarse as he asked in a low voice, "Are you still angry with me?" She said nothing. His thumb slowly caressed her cheek. He chuckled and asked in a pampering tone, "I''m not angry that you shed tears for your ex-boyfriend, and you''re still angry with me?" en "I''m not involved with my ex-boyfriend." Brian lowered his head and looked at her for a long time before saying, "You know what? I''ve never liked Louise. You don''t have to be angry with me over this..." Nova sneered. Thinking she did not believe him, Brian exined, "I''m only with her because she saved me when I was young. I always thought she was the kind-hearted little girl she used to be. "I don''t fancy her, not to mention that I love her." What Brian did not know was that his words sounded like aplete scumbag to Nova! He had tortured Nova for Louise! Now, he shamelessly said he had never liked Louise! Chapter 552 She closed her eyes, her face expressionless. She was not interested in hearing this from him. Brian thought she was sleepy. He lowered his head and kissed her lips gently. "Don''t do the silent thing with me anymore, okay?" She did not say anything, so he threatened in her ear, "If you keep quiet, I''ll have plenty of ways to make you talk." As he spoke, he ced his hand on her waist and gently pinched her flesh. That action made Nova immediately understand what way he was referring to. She felt a little frustrated. She opened her eyes, but her tone was still soft. "Okay." Brian smiled. "Goodnight." With that, he got up and left, returning to his room. Nova looked at his back, and her eyes turned cold. Afterst night, the rtionship between Nova and Brian had eased. In the morning, the two of them went to work together. At noon, Nova received a message from Nelson. [I have news for you. I''ll pick you up this afternoon.] Nova nced at the message and replied: [Okay.] When Brian came to pick her up after work, she was no longer in the office. He called her. Nova was sitting in Nelson''s car at the moment. She found an excuse, saying she was to meet her client, and hung up with a few words. Nova and Nelson ate at a restaurant not far from Francis Group. Nova knew Nelson must have some important news to tell her, so he called her out. "Mr. Francis, you seem to be in a good mood. Is it good news?" Nova looked at Nelson opposite her. Nelson smiled mysteriously. "What I brought you must be good news." "Thest time I investigated Alfredo Miller, I also investigated Louise. It turned out that she''s not Marshall''s daughter!" Nova''s eyes widened in shock. However, what Nelson said next shocked her even more. "Previously, you told me Louise knew about your background. I felt things were not simple, so I continued to investigate. I found that after Marshall and her wife, Caylee, lost their child, they had posted search notices saying that the swaddling cloth used when the child was missing was Caylee personally embroidered. "They named the child Louise and embroidered bamboo patterns on the swaddling cloth." An idea shed in Nova''s mind, and she seemed to understand something. "Mr. Francis, you mean..." Nelson nodded slightly. "Coincidence, right? The swaddling cloth you mentioned also had the bamboo patterns." He took out a sheet of A4 paper and handed it to her. Her heart was pounding, and she swallowed nervously as she read the words on the paper, word by word. It was a paternity test report! "You are Marshall''s daughter!" Nova looked at the report and trembled uncontrobly. She was Marshall''s daughter! So her mother''s name was Caylee... She remembered that at a banquet Marshall almost fainted. She went up to help him up. The name Marshall called out at that time was "Caylee". Nova had thought Marshall was old and blurry-eyed. Now that she recalled it, he must have recognized her as her mother! Louise had rushed over to take Marshall away because she was afraid Marshall might notice something amiss! There was another reason wanted to harm Nova''s life. Louise was afraid that her identity would be exposed! Nova was on the verge of breaking down. She covered her face and clenched her fists tightly. Chapter 553 Louise! She had killed Nova''s child! She had stolen Nova''s identity! All of this was not enough even if Louise paid with her life! Nelson eyed Nova and reached out to hold her hand. "Are you agitated? "I was just as agitated as you when I knew about my identity." Nelsonughed self-deprecatingly. Nova took a deep breath, tore the paternity test report into pieces, and threw it into the trash can. "I''m not agitated." Nova forced a miserable smile. "What''s there to be agitated about? Didn''t I live well without Marshall for over 20 years?" Nova smiled as her tears fell. "Do you know how Marshall treated me to avenge Louise? He came to mypany to p me, pointed at my nose, and scolded me for being ill-bred." Nova closed her eyes. Every expression on Marshall''s face when he said those words were engraved in her mind. She would never forget the look on Marshall''s face when he scolded her! "Even now, he''s still suppressing Trekords Group''s business!" Nova chuckled. "Grace Sherman is dead. If I were still Grace, I might want to have a rtionship with him! But I''m not Grace. I''m Nova. I don''t have any feelings! What I want now is for the people who hurt me to get what they deserve!" Nelson looked at her. Because Nova was too emotional, her entire body was still trembling. He sat beside her and pulled her into his arms. He patted her shoulder gently. "It''s fine. If you don''t want anything to do with Marshall, don''t. You don''t need to rely on anyone now." Nova grabbed his clothes and gritted her teeth. She hated Louise. She was even more determined to let Louise get her retribution! Unexpectedly, a tall figure rushed over. Nova only felt a pain in her wrist before a strong force pulled her up. She bumped into a wall of flesh. "Brian..." Brian''s expression was grim. He nced at the woman in his arms and then at Nelson, sitting on the sofa. "Is this what you meant by meeting a client?" Nova pursed her lips. She did not have the mood to deal with Brian now, nor did she want to exin anything. In fact, Brian had been watching her outside for a long time. He had watched her break down and cry. He had watched Nelson grab her hand and talk to her. Then, he watched as Nelson sat beside her and pulled her into his arms, and Nova did not reject! Brian knew he and Nova were putting on an act, but he was burning with anger seeing the scene. He could not take it anymore and rushed into the restaurant. Brian gave Nelson a warning look, grabbed Nova''s wrist, and strode away. He walked very quickly. Nova was wearing high heels and could not keep up with him. Coupled with the fact that she had yet to digest what had just happened, she was in a daze and fell after taking a few steps. Brian caught her in time. Nova was annoyed and flung his hand away fiercely. "Leave me alone!" Brian narrowed his cold eyes. "Really? If you don''t want me to be with you, who do you want? Is the ex-boyfriend you mentionedst night that bastard, Nelson?" Nova frowned deeply. "Brian, why are your words so unpleasant? What''s wrong with Nelson? As our younger brother, he has never said anything bad about you." Hearing her speak up for Nelson, the anger in Brian''s heart intensified. "Alright! I shouldn''t have said that he''s a bastard. Then let me ask you, would you have gotten a room with him if I didn''te today?" Chapter 554 "Alright! I shouldn''t have said that he''s a bastard. Then let me ask you, would you have gotten a room with him if I didn''te today?" "Nelson is my ex-employer. I''d worked with him for so long. Isn''t it normal for us to meet up? Drop your double standards! You can meet your ex-girlfriend, why can''t I have a meal with my ex-employer?" "You!" Brian was at a loss for words. Nova hated Louise very much at that moment, so when she mentioned Louise, her tone was nasty. "What? Do you have anything else to say? If you want to stop me from meeting other men, fire Louise first!" Brian felt Nova was acting weirdly. She was like an angry cat. Her eyes were still a little red. Brian gradually calmed down and asked, "What did you talk to him about? Why are you crying like this?" Nova looked ahead and did not speak. The sun was hurting her eyes. She walked forward. Brian grabbed her hand and led her to his car. Nelson''s lips curved into an unfathomable smile as he looked at the two figures. Brian felt himself crazy. Last night, he could not resist the urge tofort her. Today, he lost his temper because of her. Even though Brian knew Nova had other motives for approaching him, he still felt he had already fallen for her. His fury was undeniable as he sat in the car, watching them in each other''s arms. Nova did not say a word along the way. She was as cold as ice and as if she was isted from this world. No one could enter her world. When the two arrived home, Jasmine was not back yet. They asked Melvin, and Melvin said, "Mrs. Francis went shopping with a few madams this afternoon and hasn''t returned yet." Brian nced at the time. It was almost seven o''clock. Jasmine usually didn''te back sote. He felt something was wrong and called Jasmine. The phone rang for a long time before it was picked up. Jasmine''s side was noisy. There seemed to be a lot of people talking. Jasmine''s voice sounded. "Hello, Brian! I''m at the hospital. Central Hospital!" Brian''s heart skipped a beat. "What''s wrong? Why are you in the hospital?" "Louise is injured. Come over here!" With that, she hurriedly hung up the phone. Nova saw the change in Brian''s expression and asked, "What''s wrong?" Brian nced at her and said in a deep voice, "My mother is in the hospital. She said Louise was injured. Take some rest. I''ll go and take a look." "Stop right there!" Nighteyes looked at him. "I''m going with you." Louise and Jasmine? Nova wondered why they were together. When they arrived at the hospital, they saw Jasmine sitting with a few otherdies of the same age. They were talking about something with serious expressions. "Mom, what happened?" Jasmine sighed and said, "When I was shopping with my friends today, I met someone who was on drugs He was crazy and shed people everywhere with a knife! He go me, and it was Louise who saved me." Brian frowned deeply and darted a nce at the operating theater. "I wonder how she''s doing now. She injured her arm, and the doctors are stitching her up." Nova sat beside Jasmine and asked with concern, "Jasmine, are you injured?" Jasmine shook her head. "I was just scared out of my wits." "Which mall were you in? When did that junkie attack you?" Nova found it strange. Why was it Louise who saved Jasmine? Chapter 555 Jasmine thought for a while and said, "I don''t remember very clearly either. It was around six in the afternoon when we were about to go home." When her words fell, Louise was pushed out. Her face was pale. She looked at Jasmine anxiously the moment she came out. "Mrs. Francis, are you alright?" Jasmine stood up and walked to her bedside. Shepressed her lips and then said gently, "I''m fine. Are you still in pain?" Louise forced a bitter smile. "I''m fine, Mrs. Francis. It''s just a small injury. I''m d that you''re fine." Jasmine nodded. "Alright. Go back to the ward and rest well. I''ll get Melvin to deliver some food for you. What do you want to eat?" Although Jasmine spoke with concern, her tone was still polite instead of enthusiastic. Jasmine did not change her opinion of Louise much because Louise saved her. Louise was pushed into the ward. "Thank you, Mrs. Francis. By the way, please don''t tell my father about this. I don''t want him to worry." Nova stood at the side and looked at Louise expressionlessly. When she heard Louise say so, Nova said abruptly, "Don''t worry. I won''t tell your father. You''re kind of a lifesaver to Jasmine. We''re grateful for it." Nova said these words with the attitude of a mistress. Louise was so angry that her wound hurt. Louise ignored Nova and looked at Brian. "Brian, you''re here too." Brian nodded slightly. "Thank you for saving my mother today. Have some rest. I''ll arrange for awyer to settle the junkie''s matter." "There''s no need. He''s already locked up. I''ll settle this matter. If you help me and my father finds out that I suffered because I saved Mrs. Francis, he''ll make things difficult for you." Her words portrayed her magnanimity vividly. At the same time, it made people feel she was aggrieved. She was injured, but she was still considerate of Brian. Nova sneered. Louise was always good at being an angelic bitch! "Okay, then let me know if you need any help." "Thanks." "Jasmine, let''s go for the dinner." Nova did not want to see Louise''s disgusting face again. "Alright, Louise. We should go." "Bye, Mrs. Francis." Nova nced at Brian and asked him with a smile, "Are you going to take care of Miss Adkins here?" Brian washed slightly. He knew it Louise was injured saving t good time to stay, but mother. He had to. Content to He looked at Nova with aplicated expression and said in a low voice, "Go and have dinner." Nova''s heart turned cold. As expected, as long as Louise pretended to be pitiful before him, Brian could not resist! Nova felt it did not matter. After all, she did not have much hope for Brian. However, when she thought about Brian''s ''s attitude in the past two days, the false with the true. Cott en she his acting skills had That made sense. Nova had once fallen for his feigned deep love and had fallen in love with him. It would not happen again. Never again! Nova and Jasmine had dinner at a restaurant and took a taxi home. During this period, they did not call Brian. Jasmine noticed Nova was unhappy and knew she was feeling ufortable. She held Nova''s hand and said, "Nova, I''ll call Brian and ask him to return home. "Jasmine, you don''t have to do this." Chapter 556 "It''s a fact that Louise and him have a history together. Not only did Louise save him, she also saved you. It''s normal for Brian to feel bad for her now that she''s injured. Even if their spark reignites after this, I can ept it," Nova said. It was evident that Nova''s words made Jasmine anxious. "That won''t do. He needs to let go of the past! I''m afraid I can''t agree with him reconciling with Louise. You are the only daughter-inw I will ept! Don''t worry, Nova. I am confident that Brian won''t do anything rash." Nova lowered her head in response as the corners of her mouth curled up slightly. It was unknown if she was mocking herself or smiling at the incredulity of Jasmine''s words. ***** After Nova and Jasmine left, Brian sent a message to Camren and asked him to look for a caregiver. When Louise saw that Brian was willing to stay and take care of her, she knew that Brian still had a soft spot for her. She bit her lip and looked at him with a pitiful expression on her face. "Brian, the anesthesia seems to have worn off. It hurts now." Brian looked up at Louise. She seemed to be in genuine pain, and the tears in her eyes were threatening to fall. "Then... I''ll go get a nurse to show you how to relieve the pain," Brian suggested. "There''s no need. The only thing the nurse can do would be to prescribe painkillers. I don''t want to take medicine. How about you talk to me instead? If my attention is on something else, it would stop hurting," Louise replied. "Okay." Brian nodded. Louise''s voice was very gentle, giving Brian the illusion that Louise was still the kind girl that he once knew. How could the girl who risked her life to save someone in the face of danger be a murderer?'' Brian thought. The both of them started having a conversation. As they chatted, Louise slowly shifted the topic towards their past together. Louise''s words dripped with nostalgia as she reminisced the past. Even so, Brian merely remained silent and grunted in affirmation from time to time. Not long after, the porridge that Brian had ordered for Louise arrived, which prompted Louise to end the conversation. Louise''s left arm was injured. She looked at Brian Francis weakly and asked, "Brian, I can''t carry the bowl with my hand in this state. Could you help me hold the bowl while I feed myself?" Brian thought for a moment and said, "I''ll feed you." Louise smiled in surprise. "Really? Thank you, Brian." Louise''s tone was as if she had just been gifted the entire world. She was so satisfied that she could cry. Seeing her like this, Brian felt his heart ache. Halfway through feeding Louise, Camren came over with the caregiver. Louise''s expression stiffened slightly. She had thought that Brian would apany her for the entire night, but she did not expect him to secretly call for a caregiver "Louise, I''ll go back first. The caregiver will take care of you," Brian said. Louise nodded with an understanding smile on her face. "I understand. You have a girlfriend after all...I''ll be fine. Get back safe." Brian nodded slightly and turned to leave. When he returned home, there was no one in the living room. He went upstairs, took one look at Nova''s room, then went back into his bedroom. He walked through the cloakroom and tried to push her door open. It was then that Brian realized that he could not push open her door. There was no lock on this door. The fact that the door could not be pushed open suggested that Nova had used something to block the door. She must be angry again,'' Brian thought. Brian massaged his temple as he walked back to the bed and sat down. He took out his phone and sent Nova a text. [I''m back. She got injured trying to save my mother. It wouldn''t have been right for me to simply leave at that time.] Chapter 557 Nova was still awake. She was watching the news when she saw the notification. Instead of clicking on the notification, she nced at it and chose to ignore Brian. Brian waited for a while but did not receive any reply. He misinterpreted the silence to mean that Nova had slept and decided not to send any more messages. Hey on the bed, his mind running through the events of yesterday and today. There must be something wrong with him. Nova was the one who was throwing tantrums, why was he trying so hard to coax her every day? This is crazy! Never in my life have I done something as ridiculous as this. I have never had to coax anyone in the past!'' Brian concluded to himself. Brian thought, ''Nova must havee into my life to torture me. She came in with so many secrets, but she still has me wrapped around her finger.'' The next morning, Nova suggested to Brian, "Let''s go visit Miss Adkins after work today." Brian nced at her with a hint of surprise in his eyes. "Okay." On the way to the office, Brian asked Nova, "Did you barricade your doorst night because you didn''t want to see me?" Nova rested her elbows on the window and saidzily, "No, I just thought it would be dangerous to leave the door open. You''re still being indecisive. I wouldn''t want anything to happen with you." Brian remained silent at the usation. "When was I indecisive?" he asked with a cold expression. Nova didn''t say anything else. It seemed as though she would rather not waste her breath on a conversation that was not going to end in an agreement on both sides. After work, Nova walked out with a lot of fruits and nutritional supplements. Brian was quite happy to see her like this. When they arrived at the hospital, Nova held Brian''s arm as they walked to the inpatient department together. Nova smiled brightly. She had specially put on very beautiful makeup today. As soon as she entered the ward, she formed a sharp contrast with Louise, who was pale and sickly-looking. The contrast was as different as night and day. Louise''s gaze fell on their intertwined hands and her eyes burned from jealously. Nova smiled and ced the nutritional supplements on the table. "Louise, I bought these for you. Thank you for saving my mother." Louise clenched her fists tightly under the nket. A check was suddenly ced in front of her. "This is 400 thousand dors. My mother would like you to use it for your recovery." Brian''s expression changed. Louise looked at the check as her hands trembled with anger, Jasmine''s motive for doing this was obvious! She was trying to use the money to send her away to prevent her from using this matter as a bargaining chip to pester Brian in the future. Louise felt like she had just been pped in the face. Nova looked at Louise in confusion with a smile on her face. "What''s wrong, Louise? If you think it''s too little, I can add another 400 thousand dors for you?" 400 thousand dors for just one injury was a great deal!'' Louise thought. Louise wanted the money, but what she wanted more was to be liked by Jasmine again. From the current situation, it seemed like it''d be hard for Louise to change Jasmine''s mind. Even so, how could Louise ept the money in front of Brian? Louise lowered her eyes and allowed a trace of loneliness to sh across her face. "There''s no need for this. I saved Jasmine willingly." Nova had expected that Louise would not ept 400 thousand dors to save her face. In fact, this iet check was not given by Jasmine. The only things that Jasmine had prepared were the nutritional supplements. Jasmine would not have wanted Louise to have the benefit of receiving money as well. Nova was the one who prepared this check. She knew that Louise would be too embarrassed to ept it in front of Brian, so she deliberately brought Brian along. Nova was sure that this would anger Louise too. It was killing two birds with one stone. Chapter 558 Nova was extremely satisfied seeing Louise struggle to keep herposure. "Alright then. I''ll talk to Motherter and ask her to prepare some supplements for you. By the way, Mother specially hired a nutritionist for you. Did you receive the lunch?" Louise nodded. "Yes." "That''s good. Then Brian and I will not disturb you anymore. Have a good rest." Louise gritted her teeth. She could not even bring herself to say goodbye. Nova held Brian''s hand and walked out of the ward together. In the car, Brian''s expression was dark. Nova tilted her head to look at him. "What''s wrong? Do you feel that I insulted her by trying to use money to send her away?" That was indeed what Brian thought. He nced at Nova and asked in a low voice, "If it were you, what would you think?" Nova shrugged. "I''ll ept the money! How is that an insult? Don''t we all need money to live? There''s no need to get upset at the money. I''m not as virtuous as her." "Oh, right. She''s the daughter of a rich family. She doesn''t need the money. I''ve been poor since I was young. I''ll be very happy if anyone gives me 400 thousand dors," Nova continued. Brian remained silent. He could notmunicate with her at all. She could always make him speechless with just one sentence! Louise was discharged in a few days. After being discharged from the hospital, Louise has been working seriously. She even promptly dealt with the small mistakes that she found in the ount books. When Camren reported this to Brian, Brian was silent for a long time. Having followed Brian for so many years, Camren naturally knew what he was thinking. Hence, he asked, "Mr. Francis, do you still want to keep an eye on her?" "No, thanks." ***** The news of Louise working diligently in the finance department to recover thepany''s losses had reached Nova''s ears. Nova sat on the chair as she thought about the situation. She could not help but feel that Louise''s recent actions were abnormal. The more tolerant Louise was, the more problematic she would be. In the afternoon, Nova took the time to go to the police station to find out about the attack at the mall that day. In the end, when they arrived at the police station, Nova found out that the person who had taken the medicine had been released. Nova was shocked. She continued to understand the situation and found out that Louise did not pursue the matter at all! Given Louise''s personality, how was it possible for her to not want to pursue the matter?'' Nova thought, confused. From the start, Nova felt that it was too much of a coincidence that Louise had saved Jasmine! Now, it seemed that there was more to the situation beneath what they could see! Nova immediately sent someone to investigate that person''s whereabouts. The next day, she received news that that person was no longer in Capern City! Louise, you better not be the one who orchestrated this matter!'' Nova thought furiously. ***** Louise had indeed orchestrated this matter. Her goal was to make Jasmine ept her again. Unfortunately, she had gone for wool ande home shorn. However, she did note back empty-handed. At the very least, Brian''s attitude towards her had improved a lot! That was a good sign! Louise had been staying in the hospital for the past few days. Today was her first day back. As soon as she returned, the servant at home asked her, "Miss Adkins, your room hasn''t been cleaned for a week. Do you need me to clean your room today?" "Yes,e on up." Louise went upstairs, and the servants also came up with cleaning tools. When she reached her room, the servant whispered to her, "Miss Adkins after you went to work that morning, Madam said that she wanted toe into your room." Louise''s heart skipped a beat. "What did you say?" The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 559 The servant told Louise everything that happened that day. The Adkins family''s servants were very perceptive. They knew that since Ava was dead, Louise would have the final say in this family from now on. It would do good for them to try their best to please Louise. After hearing the servant''s words, Louise narrowed her eyes nervously. Shannon had never entered her room before. Could it be that she discovered something? It was too dangerous! She thought for a moment and asked, "Did she ask anything else?" The servant shook her head. "No, I think she has been in a bad mood recently and wanted to smash things in your room to vent her anger!" Louise pursed her lips. "Is that so?" "She must still be hung up over the death of Second Miss. It''s been five years, but she still hasn''t gotten over it...Sigh..." Louise sat on the bed, her entire body tense. "Speaking of Second Miss, I just remembered something." Louise frowned at her. "What is it?" "Back then, an anonymous letter was sent to Second Miss. A few days after that, Second Miss got into the incident. Something must be wrong with that letter!" Louise''s eyes widened in shock. "A letter? Received before Ava died? Where is the letter now?" The servant was stunned to see her reaction. Louise exined, "It''s been a while. I must have been too agitated to hear about my sister." "I think that letter is still in Second Miss''s room. It was under her mattress when I went to clean up previously." A thought shed across Louise''s mind. Thest time she went to Ava''s room, she saw Shannon sneakily cing something under the pillow. It must be that letter! Louise hurriedly made her way to Ava''s room, only to realize the door was locked when she tried to turn the doorknob. What were the contents of the letter? Why did Shannon have to go to my room after seeing it? What was she looking for?'' Louise panicked. The next morning, she saw Shannon eating breakfast as if nothing had happened. Shannon was definitely hiding something from her. It is not safe for her to stay in this house. Louise thought momentarily and said to Marshall, "Dad, I want to move out for a while." Marshall asked curiously, "Why? You haven''t reconciled with Brian. Where are you going to move to?" When Shannon heard Louise''s words, she seemed to straighten her back in attention. Louise could not find a suitable reason. Seeing that, Marshall replied, "No, you can''t move out. The house is already so empty. You will stay at home will only allow you to move out if you reconcile with Brian and move in with him." His attitude was very firm, so Louise could only give up. Louise became even more vignt. She would lock the windows tightly when she went to work during the day, afraid that Shannon would climb in through the windows when she was gone. Louise was also on high alert whenever she was home on the weekends. Curiously, there was an obvious improvement in Shannon''s attitude towards her. After lunch that day, Shannon had cut up some fruits and brewed a cup of coffee. She brought it over to Louise in front of Marshall and said, "Come, Louise, have a cup of coffee with me!" Marshall smiled in relief when he saw Shannon''s attitude change. Louise epted the coffee from Shannon with a calm expression. "Thank you, Auntie." "I heard from your father that this coffee was your mother''s favorite when she was still around. Try it. You might like it too." Louise smiled and sniffed it. "It smells good. I quite like it." She lowered her head and took a sip. A dark glint shed across her eyes. Chapter 560 Could it be that Shannon was suspecting my identity? The contents of the letter might have revealed the fact that I was not Marshall''s daughter!'' Louise thought. If that was the case, everything made sense! Ava had followed Louise to the park because she had read the letter and suspected her. Shannon had chosen not to expose her for the past five years. This means that she must have found out about this only recently. Shannon had kept this fact from Marshall too. It seemed that Shannon wanted to get irond evidence before exposing Louise. Hmph! We''ll see who gets thestugh!'' Louise thought. She was determined to not let Shannon get her way. Shannon was about to return to the kitchen with the tray, but when she walked past Louise, she slipped. "Oh dear!" Shannon aimed at Louise''s head and reached to grab her hair. Louise had predicted that Shannon would do that. She nimbly tilted her head to the side and grabbed onto Shannon''s arm. "Auntie, why are you so careless? Is the ground too slippery?" Shannon''s expression seemed to falter slightly before she smiled. "Yes, perhaps this pair of shoes is a little slippery. Be careful when you walk." "Have a seat, Auntie. I''ll take the tray back." Marshall did not question this small interlude. He just thought that their rtionship had gotten closer. For the entire day, Shannon tried various ways to get a strand of Louise''s hair, but to no avail. Shannon''sst resort was to change all the locks at home. The next day, Shannon asked someone to change all the locks in the house. In front of Marshall, Louise could not confiscate all the keys to her room. After the lock was changed, Shannon put away the remaining spare keys. Louise smiled knowingly at Shannon''s actions. Louise returned to her room and cleaned up all the hair on the bed and the floor. Finally, she took out the strand of hair that she had prepared in advance and ced it on the bed. The strand of ck hair seemed especially eye-catching on top of the white bedsheets. Louise smiled evilly in satisfaction. At night, Louise went downstairs for dinner as if nothing had happened. After dinner, Louise brewed a cup of coffee and prepared to bring it up to Marshall''s study. She said to Shannon, "Auntie, I''m going to talk to Dad for a while." Shannon looked at her with a smile. "Go." When the study door closed, Shannon got up and went to Louise''s room. In the study. "Dad, I''ve thought about it. Brian fell into Nova''s trap because he felt that Nova was very capable. The second that TopGroup goes bankrupt, she would lose all value in Brian''s eyes and Brian would throw her away. That way, he and I would be able to reconcile. "Herpany just started up. Adkins Group has a deep history and a big influence in Capern City. It will be easy for us to crush them." Marshall nodded and frowned. "Louise, Dad has been pressuring her, but if we go too far, it will backfire." "Is there a better option other than this?" Louise asked and analyzed, "If you don''t take advantage of this moment, she will definitely take revenge on us when she marries Brian!" Marshall thought about it and felt that what Louise said made sense. They have already offended Nova.n the future, if she wanted to take revenge, there was no way she would let Adkins Group off the hook. Louise returned to her room after convincing Marshall. Sure enough, she saw that the strand of hair on the bedsheet was gone. Meanwhile, Shannon carefully put the strand of hair into a small bag. She was so excited that she did not sleep much the entire night. Chapter 561 The next day, after Louise went to work, Shannon went out with the strand of hair. She hailed a taxi. However, no matter how Shannon thought about it, she felt insecure, like she was missing something important. "Driver, please turn around and go back. I left something behind." The driver drove the car back to the house. Shannon hurriedly went upstairs and returned to Louise''s room. She went into the bathroom, looked around, and grabbed a toothbrush from the sink. Then, she went into the room to look around. She saw an ashtray by the bed. She picked up the cigarette butts inside and put them into a sealed bag before rushing downstairs. She had to be extra prepared so that Louise had no way to deny the allegations afterward! After taking these things, Shannon finally felt more at ease. ***** Nova''spany quickly encountered a crisis. Overnight, thepany''s partners withdrew their investments one after another. Early in the morning, Nova was busy having meetings with the higher-ups at Top Group to discuss countermeasures. Louise was in a good mood after hearing the news. She could not help but hum a song as she returned home from work. When Shannon saw Louise return, she asked her with a smile, "Did something good happen today?" Louise looked at Shannon and smiled mysteriously. "Auntie seems to be in a good mood recently as well. Is something good about to happen?" Shannon secretly took a deep breath. Simply thinking about how she would be able to chase this vicious woman out in a few days made Shannon overwhelmed with excitement. She was so happy that her eyes were shining. Louise must be the one who murdered Ava! Grace has no deep hatred for Ava. There was no reason for Grace to kill her. The one who killed Ava was Louise. Louise was afraid that her secret would be exposed, so she killed Ava with her own hands! Shannon''s hands curled up unconsciously. Her eyes were filled with hatred. Louise smiled. "Auntie, what''s wrong?" "I''m fine. I just suddenly missed Ava." Shannon pretended to wipe the corners of her eyes. "Go wash your hands. It''s time to eat." "Okay." The next morning, Louise could not find her toothbrush even after searching for a long time. She frowned and muttered to herself, "That''s weird...Where did my toothbrush go?" She called the servant over and asked, "Did you throw my toothbrush away when you were cleaning the room?" "No, Miss Adkins. We didn''t clean dom yesterday. Even when we up the room, we don''t simply throw things away without asking you first." "Alright, you may leave." Louise waved the servant away and took a new toothbrush to brush her teeth. Looking at herself in the mirror, Louise was suddenly hit with the feeling that something was wrong. She recalled that when she was smokingst night, she realized that the cigarette butt in the ashtray had disappeared, and the servant had just said that she had not cleaned the room yesterday! Oh no! The toothbrush and cigarette butt had been taken away! Shannon...this old woman was indeed difficult to deal with. It was hard to believe that she thought of using saliva for the DNA test. Louise immediately went out and knocked on Shannon''s door. After knocking for a long time, Marshall, who was downstairs, heard themotion and asked, "Why are you looking for your aunt? She went out early in the morning." Louise''s heart skipped a beat. "Out? Where did she go?" "She said she was going shopping with some friends." IMS Louise''s heart was pounding. She must not let Shannon get the report! "Dad, I''m going to bete. I''ll skip breakfast!" With that, she hurriedly drove out. There were several identification centers in Capern City. Not knowing which one Shannon went to, Louise could only search them one by one. Chapter 562 At this moment, Shannon had already obtained the test results. There were two reports inside. One report showed a 99.99% probability of the test subjects being rted by blood, while the other confirmed that they were not rted by blood! Shannon''s eyes widened in shock. After a moment, she realized that the hair she had taken must have been ced by Louise in advance. Louise must have found it in Ava''s room! Fortunately, she hade prepared! Shannon put the report into her bag. Then, she remembered that she was in a very dangerous situation! Louise already knew that Shannon was investigating her. If Louise found out about her missing toothbrush, she would definitely be out searching for Shannon now. Louise was a vicious woman. There was no guarantee that Louise would not harm her! She had to hurry back and tell Marshall the news! Unfortunately, as soon as Shannon walked out of the hospital, she bumped into Louise! A dark glint shed across Louise''s eyes. She curled her lips coldly and stepped forward as she asked, "Auntie, didn''t you go shopping with a friend? Why are you at the hospital?" Shannon subconsciously tightened her grip on her bag. Her heart was pounding nervously. She said calmly, "I suddenly had a headache, so I wanted toe to the hospital to buy some medicine." Louise narrowed her eyes and smiled. She stared at Shannon''s bag and said, "Is that so? In that case, I''ll send you back." "There''s no need. Aren''t you going to work? What are you doing at the hospital? My head doesn''t hurt anymore. I have ns with a friend to go shopping." As Shannon spoke, she took out her phone and called her friend. "Hello? Are you guys at Yeston Mall? I''ll go over now...Didn''t we agree to go shopping today? I''ll wait for you guys at Yeston Mall." Shannon was so nervous that her fingers were trembling. After hanging up the phone, she looked at Louise and said, "Head to work first. I still have to go to the mallter." Of course, Louise would not simply let her leave. This was the best opportunity! She could not let Shannon escape. Louise took a step forward. "Auntie, I drove here. I can drive you to the mall." Shannon instinctively took a step back. "No need, no need. Don''te any closer!" "Why are you so nervous? Are you afraid of me? Or do you have something to hide?" Shannon gritted her teeth and looked at Louise as she fought the urge to say, "You''re the one with something to hide!" However, she could not fall out with Louise now. There were too many people here at the entrance of the hospital. Louise would not dare do anything to her. Shannon called for a taxi and the two of them had a stand-off at the entrance of the hospital. The taxi arrived shortly after, and Shannon hurried into it. Louise looked in the direction of the taxi with a sharp gaze. She took out her phone and made a call. This ce was very close to Yeston Mall. Shannon knew that Louise would definitely get someone to follow her. It was highly likely that she would get into a car ident if she tried to head homo identi Therefore, she chose to go to Yeston Mall first. There were many people there. She would get Louise off her tail first before going home. When she arrived at the mall, Shannon quickly walked into the lobby and took the elevator upstairs. There was a young woman in the elevator with her. She was wearing a slim long dress and had a graceful figure. When she saw Shannon, she revealed a slightly surprisedo expression. In her current nervous state, anyone who looked at Shannon for even a second would make her nervous. Shannon looked over at the woman warily. "Do you know me?" Nova smiled gently and shook her head politely. She ran a hand through her long hair and looked straight ahead without saying anything. Shannon sized her up for a while and felt that she did not look like a bad person. Only then did she feel relieved. After leaving the elevator, Nova stared at Shannon''s back for a while. Suddenly, she realized that there was a sneaky man tailing Shannon! Chapter 563 Nova frowned and immediately followed after Shannon. Shannon walked around the mall. Very quickly, she realized that she was being followed. She was so nervous that she started sweating profusely as she scurried around the mall like a headless fly. In the end, she walked out the back door of the mall. The moment Shannon stepped out, she realized that she had walked into an alley. She ran a few steps forward and heard footsteps behind her. Shannon suddenly turned around and saw a man standing seven to eight meters away from her, staring at her coldly. The hairs on her back stood on end. "Who are you?" The man did not speak. He narrowed his eyes slightly and suddenly ran towards her. Shannon started to run, but she could only take two steps before someone grabbed her hair and pulled her back violently. BANG! Shannon''s body fell to the ground. It was so painful that she saw stars. At this moment, there was a muffled groan. The man covered his neck and slowly turned around. A slender hairpin had been inserted into his shoulder. Nova looked at the man coldly and yelled to Shannon, who was lying on the ground, "Run!" The man grinned wickedly and gritted his teeth. He forcefully pulled out the hairpin on his shoulder and raised his hand to punch Nova. Nova bent her body and nimbly dodged the punch. However, she was no match for the man and was quickly grabbed by the neck. Her face started to turn red. Just as she felt that she was about to suffocate to death, a familiar figure rushed over and threw a heavy punch. The man fell to the ground. Brian looked at Nova nervously. "Are you alright?" Nova coughed desperately and panted heavily. Seeing this, the man on the ground got up and fled. Just as Brian was about to give chase, Shannon ran over in a panic and grabbed his arm. She said in fear, "Mr....Mr. Francis, save me! Save me! I''m being followed by Louise!" Brian frowned. "What''s going on?" Shannon''s hands trembled as she took out the paternity test report and that letter from her bag. "Louise is not Marshall''s daughter at all! Her identity is fake! This is the paternity test I did using her saliva." "She already knows that I''ve discovered her identity and wants someone to assassinate me! Also Ava, Ava was the first person to know her identity. Five years ago, someone sent an anonymous letter to Ava...My daughter..." Shannon sobbed uncontrobly. Her legs went weak and she fell to the ground. "Ava was killed by Louise! Grace is innocent! It was Louise!" Shannon wailed through gritted teeth. Brian looked at her in disbelief. It was not that he had never suspected Louise, but every time he thought about it, he would immediately warn himself that it, was impossible. He always stopped himself from thinking about it by convincing himself that Louise would not do anything to kill. But now, even her identity was fake. She was definitely capable of much more than he had thought. Brian found it hard to ept. Shannon cried and said cried an intermittently, "And...and Grace. When Grace was imprisoned back then, I heard Louise talking to 1.n someone on the phone. She said that she wanted Grace to suffer in prison." Brian clenched his fists tightly. When he thought of the injustice that Grace suffered, a murderous intent surfaced in his eyes. When Nova heard Shannon''s words, the warmth in her eyes gradually disappeared. She subconsciously nced at Brian to see his reaction. Chapter 564 How rare... There was actually a pained expression on Brian''s face. I wonder if he regrets it now.'' Nova sneered in her heart. "Shannon, I''ll send you back first. Leave these things with me first. I''ll take care of them." "No! I can''t go back! Louise won''t rest until she has killed me! If I go back now, I will definitely die in her hands! Brian, please, on behalf of myte daughter, please help me!" Louise reacted agitatedly when she heard that Brian wanted to send her back home. "How about this? We can bring Shannon back to the Francis family. With Jasmine around, Louise wouldn''t dare to do anything," Nova suddenly spoke. Brian looked at her and nodded slowly. "Okay." On the way back, Shannon sat in the back seat. She still had lingering fears when she thought about what had just happened. Nova sat in the front passenger seat quietly as she looked out of the window. It was like she had be a different person. Nova seemed to have something on her mind. From time to time, her eyes seemed to fill with sadness. Brian looked at her and asked with concern, "What''s wrong?" In response, Nova slowly turned around and looked at him. Her tone waszy. "I was just thinking. It''s hard to tell what a person is really like. I didn''t expect your ex-fianc¨¦e to be so vicious." Brian did not say anything. "Do you regret it?" Nova suddenly looked at Brian very seriously. "You treated Louise like treasure. For her, you hurt your ex-wife and watched Louise frame her. Do you regret it?" Brian''s grip on the steering wheel gradually tightened. His voice was hoarse and deste. "Grace is the only woman I''ve let down in my life. I''m not worthy of her." Nova felt a lump in her throat. Of course you''re not worthy of her! Nova turned to look out the window, not wanting to say another word to Brian. When they arrived back at Francis''s family home with Shannon in tow, Jasmine was shocked. "This is..." Nova replied, "We met Shannon at the mall. She was in danger and didn''t dare to go back home. We wanted to bring her over to stay for two days." Jasmine still did not understand. However, Shannon was respectful and looked like she desperately needed the help. Under both Nova and Brian''s insistence, Jasmine could only end up agreeing to it. Nova brought Shannon upstairs. "Shannon, you can stay in this room. Louise used to stay here back then." Shannon was terrified when she heard Louise''s name. However, it was already good enough to have a ce to stay. She did not dare to be picky. "Oh right, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Nova. I''m Jasmine''s goddaughter." Nova smiled. "Nova... Are you Brian''s girlfriend?" Shannon looked surprised. Nova had not nned to introduce herself like this. Since Shannon already found out, she could only nod. "You are indeed very good-looking. Much better than Louise. Most importantly, you have a kind and righteous heart." Shannon smiled at Nova "Miss Nova, you saved me today. I don''t know how to thank you What do you want? I''ll prepare it for youter!" Nova said politely, "There''s no need. I would''ve lent a helping hand today regardless of who it was." After a while, Shannon seemed to have thought of something and asked, "By the way, have we met before? You looked like you knew me back in the elevator." Shannon felt that Nova looked a little familiar. Nova shook her head. "I don''t know you. Perhaps I was drawn in by your elegance and took a second look at you. Later, when I came out of the elevator, I realized that someone was following you." Chapter 565 Shannon nodded and said with a smile, "Thank you. It''s my blessing to have met you.'' Nova smiled gently. "Shannon, take your time to unpack and wash up beforeing downstairs. Jasmine is very easy to talk to. You can have a chat with her." Shannon nodded. "Alright, thank you." Nova turned around and went downstairs. She felt a little guilty towards Shannon. Nova had always felt regretful about Ava''s death. Ava didn''t know anything but still lost her life because of that letter. After all, Nova was Marshall''s real daughter, and Ava was rted to her by blood. It was hard for Nova to ept that Ava had lost her life simply because of this. After dinner, Brian returned to thepany while Nova stayed at home to deal with her ownpany''s matters. Shannon cut some fruits and brought them over. Shemented with concern, "Miss Nova, you''ve been busy the entire day. Come, take a break." Nova loosened up her tense shoulders and teased, "I have Mr. Adkins to thank for being so busy." "Huh? What do you mean?" Shannon asked. "Mr. Adkins has been suppressing mypany''s business to avenge his precious daughter, Louise," Nova said calmly as she ate a piece of fruit. When Shannon heard this, she felt guilty and uneasy. "This... How could he do this? Don''t worry, when I go back, I''ll definitely make him stop targeting you! After he finds out the truth, he''ll chase Louise out. When that happens, he won''t target you anymore." Nova smiled. "It''s alright. Just let hime. That way, the game will be more interesting, won''t it?" Shannon didn''t know what to say. She felt that she had let this girl down. ***** Late at night. Louise waited for a day, but Shannon did not return home. The people she had sent out also said that they could not find Shannon. Where the hell did this old woman go? She paced the living room, unable to sit still. Marshall looked at the time and muttered to himself, "Why isn''t your auntie back yet?" Louise was preupied and did not hear him. "Louise, call your auntie and ask why she''s not back yet." "Louise? Louise? Louise!" Louise suddenly came back to her senses. "Oh, okay." She called Shannon and walked to the balcony. After a long time, Shannon picked up and asked coldly, "What''s the matter?" "Where are you?" Shannon sneered. "Are you disappointed that I''m not dead?" "Auntie, what are you talking about? Daddy is looking for you everywhere. Come back quickly." Shannon felt a chill when she heard. her voice. She hung up the phone and told Marshall directly that she would be staying at a friend''s house for a few days. Louise looked at the phone that hung up and bit her lip hard. This damn Shannon! What the hell was she doing? Louise knew that she was in a dangerous situation, one in which Shannon had the upper hand. There was a risk of Louise''s identity being exposed at any moment! At that moment, Louise''s phone suddenly rang. It was a string of numbers. There was no caller ID, but she knew the number by heart. Louise''s hand trembled. After hesitating for a moment, she ended the call. After a while, a text message came in. It read, [You must be having a good life. You''re not even answering the phone now? We''re standing outside the entrance of your house right now. Would you like us to go in? I''m sure it would be a great surprise.] Louise''s eyes widened when she saw the message. She hurriedly called the other party back. "What do you want?" "Hurry up ande out. Mom and I are waiting outside. We''ve missed you, Rose Lynn." Chapter 566 Louise trembled when she heard that name. Rose. It had been six years since anyone had called her by this name. She had almost forgotten that this was her original name. "Hurry up! If you don''te out, I''ll go in now." Louise hurriedly said, "You''re not allowed toe in. I-I''ll go out now." She felt cold all over. When she walked out of the door of the Adkins family''s residence, she saw her brother, Samual, and her mother, Dawn. Those were the two faces she never wanted to see in her life. "Tsk, tsk, you''re different now that you''re living a good life. You''re dressed decently and look like a rich youngdy." Samual curled his lips and sized Louise up. Louise clenched her fists tightly. "This is not the ce to talk. Follow me." Samual nodded. "Let''s go." Now that they had found the Adkins family, he was not afraid that Louise would run away. Louise led them to a secluded ce and asked coldly, "Tell me, what do you want?" "What do you think?" Samual asked Louise back. Dawn suddenly stepped forward and pped Louise hard. Louise covered her face and red at Dawn in disbelief. "Are you crazy?" "You unfilial daughter! Your father and I raised you. You ran away to live a good life and didn''t care about your family. Do you still have a conscience?" Louise took a deep breath. All these years, she had not cared about her family, but she did not have a choice. If a gambler like Samual knew that she had be the Adkins family''s daughter, he would definitely pester her every day for money. If she did not do as he wished, he might even expose her one day. It had not been easy for her to obtain all of this. She couldn''t leave any hidden dangers for herself. When Dawn saw Louise''s indignant look, she pinched Louise''s arm. "What''s wrong? Do you still think you''re in int the right? You bitch! yet didn''t even care when your father died. You''re worse than a beast." Louise frowned. "What did you say? Dad is dead?" Dawn was so angry that she grabbed Louise''s hair and punched her crazily. "You heartless ingrate! I''ll beat you to death today." Fists rained down on Louise as Dawn pulled at Louise''s hair. Dawn was born in the countryside and had been doing all kinds of farm work since she was young. Her strength was shocking, and Louise could not withstand it at all. When Samual saw that Dawn was almost done, hezily stopped her. "Alright, Mom, stop hitting her." Only then did Dawn stop and re at Louise angrily. "We won''t make things difficult for you. Dad is dead, and Mom has no one to rely on now. You''re now the eldest daughter of the Adkins family. We also hope you can live well, thus we won''t expose your lies easily. However, you have to give Mom twenty thousand dors every month in the future. And as for me..." "Twenty thousand dors?" Louise gasped. "No way! Do you think the Adkins family runs a bank?" Samual said impatiently, "Save the crap. I''ve already checked Adkins Group. Its market value is more than 10 billion dors. How can you hot even afford twenty thousand dors month? "The Adkins family has finally found their long-lost daughter. They must have loved you very much. Your monthly pocket money is more than twenty thousand dors, right?" Louise felt that they were being unreasonable. "I don''t have that much money. I''m also in a dangerous situation now. If you want money, behave and wait for my arrangements." Chapter 567 "Samual can''t wait for your arrangements. Samual already owes more than 100 thousand dors. We''ve been hiding from the creditors all along. We can''t eat our fill or live well. Hurry and think of a way to repay the money Samual owes." Louise widened her eyes in shock. "More than 100 thousand dors?" Samual was afraid she wouldn''t give him the money, so he threatened, "Rose, I already owe so much money anyway. I have nothing left but my life. If you don''t give me the money, I''ll immediately go in and tell the Adkins family that you''re an imposter. If you don''t let me have an easy time, then neither of us will have an easy time." She really wanted to kill Samual on the spot. Louise really did not have that much money now. The breakup fee Brian had given her a few days ago had been taken away by Alfredo. Recently, all the majorpanies in Capern City knew that the Adkins and Francis families had called off their engagement. Their business had also declined. In the past, Marshall doted on her and would give her some pocket money every month. Marshall was unhappy that Brian hadn''t married her, so Marshall gradually stopped giving her pocket money. Most importantly, Louise did not know where Shannon was. Shannon posed the most dangerous threat now. If Shannon came back with the test results tomorrow, she would be kicked out immediately. At the thought of that, Louise had a mental breakdown. She suddenly squatted on the ground and cried. Samual and Dawn looked at each other in confusion. Then, Samual kicked Louise. "Why are you crying? Hurry and get the money." Louise sobbed and said, "You think I''m living a good life? But do you know that perhaps my identity will be exposed tomorrow? Shannon has already discovered my identity. She may expose me at any time." When Samual heard that, he panicked. "Then hurry and get the money before the matter is exposed." Dawn felt that what Samual said made sense. Dawn and Samual were aggressively forcing Louise to get the money. Otherwise, they would rush into the Adkins family''s residence and reveal the truth. Louise could not do anything to them. She could only grit her teeth and go back to get the money. She took out a bank card and handed it to them. "This is all my savings. There''s only 140 thousand dors in it. Don''t look for me again." "There''s only 140 thousand dors. Do you think we''re beggars? This money will be gone after Samual von ave repays his debt. Do you want us to starve?" Samual suddenly stared at the ne on Louise''s neck and reached out to snatch it. "I think this is quite good." Louise gasped. Before she could react, Samual grabbed her ears and pulled off her earrings. Blood instantly flowed out of Louise''s ears. "Hiss..." She covered her ears and red at them with bloodshot eyes. "You guys are devils!" When Samual saw there was nothing else on Louise, he turned around and left with Dawn. As he walked, he muttered, "Bah! How unlucky! We only got 140 thousand dors." Louise returned to the Adkins family''s residence in a daze. When the servant at the door asked her where she had gone, her heart skipped a beat and she cursed at the servant. The servant was scolded for no reason and did not dare to speak. She lowered her head and apologized shakily. Louise returned to the living room and found that Marshall was still awake. He was waiting in the living room. Louise greeted him and hurriedly wanted to go upstairs. "What did Shannon say when you called her?" At the mention of Shannon, Louise felt frustrated. She said impatiently, "Don''t you have her phone number? If she doesn''t say anything, can''t you call her?" Chapter 568 Marshall was stunned. He, who was already in an impetuous mood, was instantly annoyed. "What kind of attitude is that?" "What attitude? Shannon is not a child anymore. Are you afraid that she''ll be lost? I called her, but she didn''t tell me where she was. What can I do?" Marshall looked at Louise in shock. He took two steps toward Louise as if he felt she was a stranger and wanted to see her clearly. After staring at her face for a long time, Marshall slowly shook his head. Louise''s hair stood on end under his gaze. She suddenly realized that she might have been too emotional just now. She gulped and said, "I... I didn''t do it on purpose. I called Shannon just now. Shannon..." "You don''t look alike... you don''t look alike at all," Marshall suddenly muttered. Louise''s heart skipped a beat. "What do you mean?" "You don''t look like your mother at all. Your mother never raised her voice like that. She was a cultured, sensible, gentle, and virtuous woman. She didn''t yell no matter what she encountered." Louise was so nervous that her lips trembled. "I... Dad, I''m sorry. I really didn''t do it on purpose." She lowered her eyes, and a teardrop fell just in time. "Dad, I''ve been really in a bad mood recently. I feel terrible. Brian broke up with me. Nova still refuses to let me off. She provokes me every day. Do you know how sad I am?" Louise''s face was pale as she cried pitifully. Anyone who saw her would feel sorry for her. Marshall instantly felt that he had gone overboard with his words. He quicklyforted her. "My good daughter, stop crying. It''s my fault. I didn''t give you enough care." Louise threw herself into his arms and cried uncontrobly. ***** Francis Group. In the morning, Brian was reading documents in his office when Camren suddenly walked in hurriedly. "Mr. Francis, there''s news of Miss Sherman." Brian frowned. "Miss Sherman?" He thought, ''That Miss Sherman?'' Camren nodded excitedly. "This is a photo of a foreign hospital. Look, isn''t this Miss Sherman? I''ve asked around. Their hospital said that this patient was sent to their hospital for treatment after a car ident five years ago. It matches the time of Miss Sherman''s car ident." Brian''s eyes widened. He took the tablet and erged the photo. In the photo, Grace was sitting in a wheelchair. Her head was wrapped in gauze, and her right temple was also wrapped in gauze. However, Brian could still confirm at a nce that this person was Grace. She was sitting in a wheelchair, basking in the sun as she looked at the sky. Her eyes were so lifeless, and her cheeks were so gaunt. She looked deste. Brian was so agitated that his fingers trembled violently. He looked up at Camren and tried his best to ina ask in a calm tone, "Which hospital is it? Book me a ne ticketO immediately." Camren nodded vigorously. "Yes. Mr. Francis, I''ll book a ne ticket for you now." Brian was overjoyed. Grace was not dead. She was not dead. Did God want to give him a chance to make it up to her? His heart was beating wildly at this moment. He was even fantasizing about the scene of him reuniting with Grace. He would definitely hug her tightly and tell her how much he loved her. At this moment, a tall figure walked in through the door. Nova walked up to Brian with a calm expression. "I sent you a message. Why didn''t you reply?" Chapter 569 Brian looked at Nova and paused for a moment. Nova asked, "What''s wrong?" Brian retracted his gaze and lowered his eyes. He said calmly, "It''s nothing. I''m going to Merion. If there''s anything, let Camren handle it for me." "Why are you going to Merion?" Nova asked. Brian took out a cigarette and held it between his fingers. He paused and said, "I''m going to look for someone." Nova looked at him suspiciously, but in the end, she did not ask anything. She ced a contract in front of him. "Read this first." Brian''s mind was filled with Grace. He was not in the mood to deal with work matters. He took it and flipped through two pages, not reading a single word. Nova saw that he was distracted and frowned. At this moment, Camren came in from outside. "Mr. Francis, the ticket has been booked for four-twenty this afternoon." Brian''s eyes lit up. He widened his eyes and stood up. "I''ll go to the airport now." After saying that, he didn''t even look at Nova. He directly walked past her and strode away. Nova frowned in confusion. "Brian." Brian didn''t hear her at all and quickly left. Nova turned around and looked at Camren. "Camren, what''s going on? Why is he in a hurry?" Nova said angrily. Camren pursed his lips and thought for a moment. Nova was Mr. Francis''s current girlfriend after all. He didn''t think it was a good idea to tell her about it. It was better to wait for Mr. Francis to return and tell her personally. "Miss Nova, I''m not sure. Why don''t you call and ask Mr. Francis yourself?" Nova''s eyes darkened. She wouldn''t call him. ***** Brian rushed to that hospital and asked Grace''s attending doctor, but the doctor did not say a word. He only said Grace had been hospitalized for three months before being discharged. No one could find out who brought her there for treatment. Brian could only shuttle through the streets and alleys of Merion to look for Grace. He had searched almost the entire Merion for a whole week but still could not find any traces of Grace. Camren called. There was an important negotiation in thepany that Brian had to attend personally, so Brian had no choice but to go back first. After Brian finished socializing at night, he went to the bar alone. The noisy atmosphere seemed to make him forget all his worries for the time being. He gulped down one ss after another until the bar was closed. Only and w en did he stand up uns walk out of the bar. The moment the cold night air hit him, his mind became extremely clear, and his heart felt empty. He returned to the Francis family''s residence in a daze. Everyone was asleep. Because he was drunk, he stumbled when he went upstairs. When he entered his room, he fell to the ground. His movements woke up Nova next door. She opened her eyes and listened quietly for a while. Then, she heard the sound of something falling to the ground next door. Brian was back. Nova got up and walked to his room. She saw Brian holding onto the table and struggling to get up. Nova frowned with a cold expression. She looked at him for a while before walking over to help him up. She did not know how much he had drunk, but as soon as she approached him, she frowned at the smell of alcohol. Brian grabbed Nova''s wrist and suddenly pulled her into his arms. Nova stumbled forward and both of them fell to the ground. She fell right into his arms. He hugged her tightly and took a deep breath in satisfaction. Chapter 570 Nova struggled for a moment but Brian hugged her even tighter as if he was afraid that the person in his arms would suddenly run away. "Brian, let go of me!" He heard what she said. The next second, he said, "No." There was a hint of dominance in his tone. "Grace, I miss you so much." Nova was stunned on the spot. She widened her eyes and looked at Brian, trying to see his eyes clearly. Under the night light, she saw that his pupils were cloudy and blurry. It was obvious that he was drunk. She whispered, "What did you call me?" Brian stared at her lips and suddenly grabbed the back of her head with one hand. He pressed down hard and kissed her domineeringly. His kiss was lingering, as if she was a rare treasure, brushing past every single one of her teeth inch by inch. Nova opened her eyes in a daze and forgot to react. It was only when the air in her mouth began to thin and she could not breathe that she pushed him away forcefully. Brian looked at her face in a daze. Nova''s heart trembled. She thought, ''What did he mean? He said he missed Grace?'' She snorted and thought, ''How is that possible?'' At this moment, Brian slowly raised his hand and touched her face. "I went to look for you but couldn''t find you. Are you deliberately avoiding me? Are you trying to punish me?" Nova pursed her lips. After a while, she asked, "Did you go to Merion to look for Grace?" He probably couldn''t hear her and waspletely immersed in his own world. He continued to mutter, "You can punish me however you want, but don''t hide from me, okay?" His voice was filled with pleading and humility. Nova''s heart suddenly ached. She held his face and said word by word, "Brian, look at me. Do you love Grace?" Brian''s pupits constricted slightly as if he had instantly woken up. When he saw that the person in front of him was Nova, he pushed her away fiercely and sat up from the ground. en Nova asked, "You went to look for your ex-wife?" Swng Tears welled up in the corners of Brian''s eyes as he stood up from the ground in a panic. Nova grabbed his arm relentlessly. "Answer me." Brian lowered his eyes. After a while, he looked up at her and said, "I''m sorry." Novaughed, and as sheughed, tears began to flow from her eyes. "What do you mean?" "Grace isn''t dead. I went to look for her but couldn''t find her." He covered his face dispiritedly. "What if you manage to find her? What are you going to do?" Brianughed self-deprecatingly. "If can really find her, I will make it up to her for the rest of my life. I will love and protect her and not let her suffer any grievances." It was as if he was looking forward to the future between him and Grace. His eyes lit up bit by bit, then gradually dimmed. "Louise saved my life and I mistook gratitude for love. I didn''t realize that ever since I got married to Grace, she had been slowly creeping into my heart." Nova''s eyes trembled, and tears silently fell from the corners of her eyes. Brian sat at the head of the bed and tugged at his hair in disgust. "Why did I have to hurt her? Why?" Nova sneered. "I don''t think she''ll After saying that, Nova turned around and returned to her room. As soon as she returned to her room, her tears fell. Clutching her heart, she leaned against the wall and slowly slid to the ground. Chapter 571 She waited for him for three years but he never told her that he loved her. When her heart waspletely dead, he told her that he loved her. It was toote... Everything was toote... Because of Brian, she had lost everything. Grace had died a long time ago. She was Nova, the lonely Nova. Nova only focused on revenge. Nova couldn''t sleep all night. She only fell asleep at five in the morning. She slept until twelve in the morning. Coincidentally, Brian also woke up at this time. He looked much more energetic. He had showered and shaved, and his expression was nd. There was no trace ofst night''s decadence on his face. Nova nced at him and took the lead to walk downstairs. Jasmine and Shannon were both sitting downstairs watching television. When Jasmine saw Novaing down, she asked, "Eh? Didn''t the two of you go to work today? Did Briane backst night?" Nova nodded. "Lunch is ready. Let''s eat first." Nova opened her mouth as if she had something to say. She paused for a moment and swallowed her words. After finishing her meal in silence, she said, "Mom, I want to move back." Jasmine was stunned for a moment. "Nova, what did you say?" Brian was also slightly stunned, but he was not surprised. Nova repeated her words. Jasmine frowned and asked nervously, "What''s wrong? Did Brian bully you?" "No, I just want to be alone for a while." In Jasmine''s opinion, Brian must have done something to make Nova want to move out. Seeing that he was silent, she was even more certain. Jasmine red at him. "What did you do this time? Why did you make Nova sad the moment you came back?" Brian frowned slightly and said indifferently, "If she wants to move out, then move out." Nova did not say anything else and went upstairs to pack her things. She only had a small suitcase and quickly carried it down. When Jasmine saw that Nova was really leaving, she was extremely anxious. "Nova, what happened between you and Brian? Can you tell me? If he does anything that displeases you, you can tell swnov Nova looked at Jasmine and smiled. 1 "Mom, I''m really fine. It''s just that there have been too many things going on in thepany recently l might have to workte every day. I''m afraid I will affect your rest." "Then... then when are youing back?" "We''ll see. We''ll talk about it when my work is done." swny Nova didn''t seem sincere when saying these things. Jasmine panicked, but she didn''t know how to make Nova stay. She looked at the suitcase in Nova''s hand and could only sigh. "Alright, be careful alone." Nova nodded and left with her luggage. Jasmine watched her leave. During this period of time, Nova was indeed very busy because the Adkins Group had been constantly suppressing Top Group. She had never contacted Brian again. The next time she saw him was at a bidding meeting. Marshall was also there. For this tender, the technical department worked overtime for a week and did detailed market research. There were not manypanies participating in this tender, only five. As soon as Nova entered, she saw Marshall talking to Brian with a ttering smile. She paused for a moment and walked to her seat. Karen followed behind her. Marshall''s expression darkened when he saw Nova. He seemed to be a little ufortable. He nced at her and turned to continue talking to Brian. Chapter 572 Brian, on the other hand, looked indifferent. The bidding officially began. Nova quickly realized that Marshall was targeting him. Every time she bid, Marshall would offer a lower price. Even if there was no profit, he did not care. Karen bit her lip and looked at Nova. "Miss Nova, Marshall is clearly going against us. What should we do?" Nova nced at Marshall and sneered, "He won''t gain anything by doing that. If we can''t gain anything, he won''t either. If he wants this project, give it to him." For thest project, before Nova could bid, Brian suddenly raised his sign. Marshall was stunned for a moment. He turned his head and nced at Brian. He hesitated and did not do anything. He did not dare topete with Brian for the project. At this moment, Brian turned around and looked at Nova, as if signaling her to bid with his eyes. Nova pursed her lips and nced at his face before looking away. "12.5 once, 12.5 twice, 12.5 thrice!" With a crisp hammering sound, the Francis Group got thest project. After the bidding meeting ended, Brian walked up to her. "I know you''re angry with me, but it''s not good to bring your personal emotions to work. From what I know, Marshall has been suppressing you recently." Nova smiled, her eyes filled with alienation. "Thank you for your concern, Mr. Francis. Although Top Group didn''t get any project at the bidding today, it won''t go bankrupt." Her cold attitude made Brian frown slightly. For some reason, he suddenly felt a little frustrated. He said lightly, "Up to you." After Brian left, she saw Marshall standing not far away, looking at her with disdain. Nova smiled and greeted him generously. "I feel honored since you choose to suppress me. Top Group is still young We are ttered to see you care about us so much." Marshall snorted coldly. "Yourpany is about to be over, yet you''re still so confident? I heard that Brian has already broken up with you. Without the Francis Group to back you up, let''s see how you can fight me!" Nova''s heart turned cold. She looked at the man in front of her who looked like her in the past. Her biological father would do anything to suppress her for an outsider. It made her feel sad. "You did all this for Louise?" "Hmph! You''re just a young and naive little girl advise you to be more careful in the future. The men in the business world are just ying around with women like you. Women like you can only be men''s mistresses. If Brian gets tired of you, he will throw you away. Brian will marry my daughter one day. You''re just his ything for a while!" Nova''s lips twitched. "You''re really a good father worthy of praise!" With that, she turned around and left in her high heels. At night, there was a banquet hosted by the organizer. All the majorpanies were interacting with each other to get closer. Nova moved through the crowd with ease. Suddenly, she saw that Marshall seemed to have gotten into a conflict with a young man. The two of them pulled for a while. In the end, the young man pushed him and turned to leave. Marshall was pushed against the wall and frowned. After a while, he covered his heart with his hand and bent over as if he was in pain. Nova frowned, put down the wine ss, and ran over. Chapter 573 Marshall suddenly fell to the ground, clutching his chest in pain. Seeing this, Nova squatted down and asked, "What''s wrong with you?" Marshall pointed at his heart, unable to speak. Nova frowned and asked, "Do you have a heart condition? Do you carry any medicines?" Marshall''s finger pointed stiffly at his pocket. Nova understood and quickly found the drug in his pocket. After carefully reading the dosage, she poured it out and fed it to him. The security personnel at the side also noticed the situation and immediately rushed over. Afterward, Nova and the security guards sent Marshall to the hospital. She asked about his condition once the doctor finished examining him. "He suffers from coronary heart disease. He shouldn''t be drinking. Are you a family member of the patient?" Nova was stunned. "I, uh..." At that moment, a sharp voice was heard from afar. "I''m the patient''s family member!" Nova turned around and saw Louise hastily walking over. She red at Nova and pushed her away fiercely. Even the doctor couldn''t help but frown when he saw this scene. Nova was wearing high heels, so when Louise shoved her aside, she staggered and almost fell to the ground. Fortunately, Karen caught her in time. The doctor exined the patient''s situation to Louise, and Nova stood at the side, listening. After the doctor left, Karen stood up for Nova and called out to Louise. "Louise, I''m warning you, be more polite to Miss Nova. If she hadn''t found out that your father had a rpse, he would have died long ago!" Louise narrowed her eyes and looked at Nova coldly. She didn''t appreciate her kindness at all. "What''s your motive for getting close to my father?" From the moment Nova appeared in Louise''s life, Nova seemed to take away the people she loved most from her life, such as Brian and Jasmine. Therefore, she was afraid that Nova would take her dad away. Nova looked at Louise tly and suddenly chuckled. "Miss Adkins, do you think I''m approaching your father? Is that why you seem concerned?" Louise was a little flustered. "Do I look scared to you?" "I snatched Brian and Jasmine from you, right? So, you must be afraid that I''ll get close to your father and snatch him too." Louise frowned. "I''m his daughter. How can you take my father away? You''re a crazy b*tch!" Nova smiled and said, "Who knows? Jasmine almost became your mother. But Didn''t I still snatch her away?" Louise clenched her fists in anger and gritted her teeth in hatred. "Karen, let''s go." Nova calmly turned around and left the hospital. The night breeze was a little cold. As soon as she went out, Nova saw a familiar figure leaning against the front of a car. "Miss Nova, it''s Mr. Francis!" Nova nodded. "Wait for a moment." "Okay." Nelson threw away the cigarette butt in his hand and looked at her. Then, he smiled. "I met Louise just now. You kindly sent her father to the hospital, but I''m afraid you didn''t get anything from it, right?" Nova lowered her gaze and walked towards Nelson. "Mr. Francis. Let''s talk in the car." Nelson smiled and opened the car door for her like a gentleman. "I''ve moved out of The Francis family," Nova said after Nelson started the car. Hearing this, the smile on Nelson''s face became brighter as he drove toward Nova''s apartment. When they arrived at the apartment building, Nova wasn''t in a rush to leave the car. "Mr. Francis, I''ll agree to your previous proposal. I''ll help you return to The Francis family if you''ll help me take revenge" Chapter 574 Nelson''s gaze deepened. He reached out and patted Nova''s shoulder. "I''m dly working with you, Nova." Nova turned to smile at him. She pushed open the car door, got out, and walked into her apartment. Meanwhile, Nelson looked at her back. The smile on his face froze, and his eyes filled with fury. ''Return to The Francis family? What I want is far more than that!'' Nelson knew he wouldn''t be weed back into his family as long as Brian was around. Therefore, he wanted Brian to disappear from the face of the earth. Brian had been the golden child of The Francis family for almost 30 years. It was time to give up this position. ***** Vivian realized how talented Joy was at painting and signed her up for a painting ss. She wanted Joy to develop her motor skills and felt a good-looking girl like her should learn some artistic skills. Unfortunately, Vivian struggled to find a drawing ss. Even if there was, it didn''t meet her expectations. But eventually, Vivian discovered one. Joy was a fast learner. In just two days of attending the art ss, she had disyed better drawing skills than her peers who had been learning for half a year. Vivian was d to hear the news. One day, Vivian was on her way to pick up Joy. But suddenly, she received a call from the school. A student got into the hospital after drowning in a summer swim ident. Hearing such news, Vivian called Carson and asked if he could pick up Joy instead. Joy''s art ss was close to Top Group, just across the street. Since Joy''s ss finished at the same time as his working hour, he didn''t mind and agreed immediately. Meanwhile, Nova returned to Top Group to retrieve some documents. Just as she was about to reach the Top Group Headquarters, a little girl suddenly barged out on the sidewalk. Nova hurriedly stepped on the brakes. The girl seemed to be frightened. She stood by the roadside and looked at Nova''s car with eyes wide open. Nova hurriedly got out and ran towards the little girl. "Hi, Honey, where are your parents?" The girl looked gorgeous. Her eyes were round and big. She had a small nose and an exquisite lip. One look was enough to tell she was a beauty. Looking into her eyes, Nova''s heart suddenly trembled. Several cars had honked non-stop behind her, but Nova ignored it. She squatted down and asked, "Honey, are you alone? Could you tell me where your parents are?" The girl shook her head. Nova looked around to ensure she could safely bring the girl into her car. Meanwhite, the girl looked up at her and obediently let Nova hold her hand She never left with strangers, but the person in front of her seemed so friendly that she couldn''t help but befriend her. Nova brought her to the car, started the engine, and asked her, "What''s your name, Dear?" "Joy Greene." Nova repeated her name in her heart and said, "Joy, mypany is over there. I need to take some documents first. Then, I''ll help you find your family, okay?" Joy said nothing. She nced up at the building Nova pointed. The word Top Group was written on it. She knew it was where Carson worked. So, when she discovered Nova was working there, she lowered her gaze. "Joy, what''s wrong?" Nova asked concernedly, but Joy shook her head. Seeing this, Nova felt pity. Nova''s car turned into the entrance to the underground parking lot. At the same time, Carson drove out of the gate and headed toward Joy''s art school. After parking, Nova opened the car door for Joy and reached out to her. "Come, it''s not safe leaving you here alone." Joy looked at Nova''s face, and a warm feeling slid through her. She took Nova''s hand as she left the car. Chapter 575 "My name is Nova. You can call me Miss Nova, okay?" Nova introduced herself, and Joy nodded obediently. "Joy, do you know where you live?" Joy said nothing upon being asked. Nova looked down at her and thought, ''She seems so young, and she''s already separated from her parents? I guess I''ll have to ask the police to help her find her family.'' Nova and Joy had entered the elevator, and Nova squatted down to look at Joy''s eyes. "Joy, do you mind telling me your parents'' names?" Nova probed. But Joy still shook her head. Nova sighed while looking at Joy''s chubby face. She couldn''t help but reach out and gently rub the top of her head. "It''s alright, I''ll help you find your family." When the elevator stopped, Nova held Joy''s hand and walked out. Someone saw Nova carrying a child and asked in surprise, "Miss Nova, is that... your daughter?" Nova smiled and replied, "No." "Ah, I''m sorry, I thought she was your daughter. Her eyes look just like yours!" Nova asked in surprise, "Really?" "Yeah, and not just her eyes, but her gaze is an exact copy!" the employee seemed to remember something and added, "Miss Nova, please excuse me. I forgot I have an appointment." "That''s okay, see you!" After that, Nova looked at Joy. She seemed to be anxious somehow. Meanwhile, Carson arrived at the art school and learned that Joy had already gone. He was sweating bullets as he called Vivian. Vivian was still on her way to the hospital. But hearing Carson''s news, she rushed back to the art school. The two of them split up and searched all over the streets. They were anxious. On the other side, Nova retrieved the documents she needed. She held Joy''s hand and asked, "Are you hungry? Would you like to have lunch with me?" Joy nodded repeatedly and excitedly. Seeing this, Nova stroked her hair and smiled. "So you are hungry. What do you want to eat?" "I''m not a picky eater," Joy said politely. It was as if she was afraid to say the wrong thing and hurt Nova''s feelings. Nova''s heart was about to melt. She even had the urge to hug her. But when she realized Joy was someone else''s child, she held back the urge. Nova drove to a Western restaurant and ordered a steak for Joy. As the steak was served, Nova cut it into pieces before serving it to her. Nova sat opposite Joy and observed as she ate. Joy wore ordinary clothes and looked like a child from an ordinary family. But she had a sophisticated table manners. She found it strange that such a young girl could have a sense of nobility as if she was born with it. "Joy, how old are you?" "Five." Nova looked at her and murmured, "Five years old..." Her daughter would be around her age if she lived. At the thought of this, her heart suddenly ached. She also recalled the words of the employee she met recently. ''Could it be that this girl is...'' Nova''s heart was pounding. She even wanted to take her for a DNA test. However, she thought this would scare the child. Besides, she had yet to find her family, so Nova suppressed the absurd guess in her heart. . After lunch, Nova held Joy''s hand again and walked towards the police station. Joy had been dragging her feet with her head down since she left the restaurant. She looked somewhat sad. Joy knew where her home was but didn''t want to go there. She liked Nova very much. However, she didn''t dare to disobey for fear of losing Nova''s attention. Suddenly, a familiar voice sounded from behind. "Joy!" Chapter 576 Nova looked up and said in surprise, "Carson?" Seeing Nova, Carson was also stunned. "Nova? Why are you with Joy?" "I ran into her on the road. Wait, are you Joy''s dad?" "No, Joy is my girlfriend''s sister." Nova''s eyes widened in surprise. She wanted to ask him who his girlfriend was, but she felt it was inappropriate to ask about such a thing. So, she only nodded slowly. Carson squatted down and looked at Joy. He couldn''t help but scold her, "Do you know how worried I was about you? Vivian and I were anxious! You almost scared us to death." Hearing Carson''s words, Nova learned that his girlfriend was Vivian. But she had never heard of Vivian having a younger sister. However, on second thought, Joy was five years old. When Nova first met Vivian, Joy was probably still in her mother''s womb. Nova lowered her gaze and couldn''t help but feel disappointed. Joy was Vivian''s sister, which meant she had parents. She couldn''t be Austin. "If you dare to run out alone next time, I''ll spank your butt!" When Nova heard Carson''s fierce tone, she couldn''t help but scold him. "Carson, stop being fierce to her. She''s just a kid. Besides, Joy is very obedient. She understands what''s right and wrong." Joy looked at Nova eagerly. Her eyes suddenly became moist, and she had an urge to rush into her arms. She wished the woman who stood before her was her mom. With that thought in mind, Joy suddenly shouted, "Mom!" Nova, who was about to leave, suddenly felt her heart tremble. She looked back at Joy. "What...what did you call me?" Carson was extremely embarrassed and quickly apologized, "I''m sorry, Nova. The child is emotionally sensitive. Please, don''t take it to heart." Nova''s heart calmed down bit by bit. The sky was getting dark, and she couldn''t see Joy''s expression. She waved at Joy and Carson reluctantly. "Alright, I''ll go home now. Goodbye!" "Okay, be careful on the road, Nova." Carson watched Nova leave. Afterward, he called Vivian and waited for her to arrive. He then squatted down and looked at Joy. "Joy, why did you call Miss Nova ''Mom'' just now?" Joy pouted and tears rolled down her face. "I want her to be my mother!" Carson''s heart suddenly ached. For a moment, he didn''t know how tofort her. He hugged her and said, "Jo, please don''t cry. If youdike her so much, I''ll bring you to my workce. You can spend more time with Miss Nova there. Sounds good?" hearing Carson''s offer, Joy nodded, sniffed, and tried to hold back her tears. Vivian arrived not long after. She panted as she looked at Joy. "Joy you almost scared me to death! Do you know how worried I was today? I''ve been looking all over for you, and I... As Vivian spoke, she choked up and tears rolled down her face. Her legs were still weak from running around. This feeling was the same feeling she had when losing Austin. Joy whispered, "Vivian, I''m so sorry." Hearing Joy''s apology, Vivian cried even harder. Carson sighed andforted them both. Meanwhile, when Nova returned home, she was in a daze. On her way back, her mind was filled with Austin. ''She would be about the same height as Joy now, right? Nova believed that Austin would grow to be a beautiful girl. After all, her father was a good-looking man. Chapter 577 Nova fantasized about how Austin would look when she grew up. But no matter what she thought, she knew it was only a fantasy. This feeling made her feel powerless. She held her aching heart. It was so painful that she was about to suffocate. When Nova woke up the next day, her eyes were swollen and bloodshot red. She needed to go to the Francis Group that morning. So, she stopped by a food truck to buy two egg sandwiches and a coffee for breakfast. Then, she showed up at the office with a tired face. When Nova went to her office after the meeting, she was exhausted. She sat in her chair and took out a photo from her bag. It was taken before Austin''s first birthday. She wore a red dress andy on the nket while smiling. Nova''s tears fell as she watched. She removed the pendant around her neck, holding a photo in one hand, with tears on her face as she stared nkly at those objects. Nova missed her child so much that she didn''t hear someone knocking on her door. She returned to her senses only when she saw a silhouette approaching. "Brian? Why are you here?" Nova was quite nervous as she put down the photograph and pendant. She didn''t know if he had seen much. Brian narrowed his eyes and nced at the photo on her hand before saying calmly, "I came to discuss something with you." Nova looked down and quietly put the photo and pendant into her bag. After discussing work matters, Brian asked curiously, "Have you been in a bad mood recently?" Nova said nothing, so he probed, "You miss your ex-boyfriend?" Nova remembered she had told Brian that her ex-boyfriend had given her the pendant. She pursed her lips and answered lightly. "Kind of, why? Are you mad that I think about other men? We''ve broken up, remember?" Brian''s lips twitched. "Any man you like has nothing to do with me." Novaughed. "I''m sorry, I was probably overthinking it. If there''s nothing else you want to say, I''ll return to Top Group." Brian nodded and turned to leave. Back in his office, he thought about his recent meeting with Nova. He only nced at the photo briefly and didn''t see it clearly, but he was certain it wasn''t a grown-man photo. Nova was a very suspicious woman, so Brian decided to investigate. Hence, he got someone to check the surveince cameras in her office. Half an hourter, a video was sent to hisputer. Brian turned on theputer and looked at the footage. The surveince camera was above Nova''s head, so the footage was et quite clear. The photo in Nova''s hand was of a baby. It looked like it was only several months old. Brian frowned and pressed the pause button to zoom in. The baby in the photo was cute and looked familiar. Brian felt he had seen that child somewhere before. After digging deep into his memories, Brian finally knew who the baby was. ''That baby must be Austin. There''s no mistaking it. She was Grace''s child! But how did Austin''s photo end up in Nova''s hands?" As Brian was deep in his thoughts, he recalled the news of Grace''s death. Austin was with her during the car crash, but Austin''s whereabouts were still a mystery. ''Where did the baby go?'' Brian was depressed over Grace''s tragic passing, and he didn''t bother to ask about Austin. Moreover, Austin was Justin''s daughter, so he always thought that Justin had taken care of that. But Seeing Nova''s footage popped a huge question mark over Brian''s head. Things weren''t as simple as he thought. He wanted to know about Nova''s background, and he wanted to know her rtion to Austin. Chapter 578 Brian felt Nova was more suspicious when he thought of that. Previously, he thought Nova was with Nelson. Now, it seemed that she must know Grace. Brian called Camren inside and asked him to dig deeper into Nova''s information. Finally, he found out Nova had also been to the hospital where Grace was treated in Merion. Brian was also monitoring Nova''s every move daily. However, Nova had less and less time to go to the Francis Group because the Top Group was now facing a crisis. The Adkins Group had done anything to attack all businesses of the Top Group. It could be said that bothpanies suffered losses. However, the Adkins Group had been cultivating in Capern City for years and was still better than the Trekords Group. Nova''spany had just started when it suffered a huge blow. It was much worse than the Adkins Group! Nova had been very busy recently. All the employees of the Top Group worked overtime day and night. Some timid people handed in their resignations. The Top Group was now on the verge of bankruptcy. Brian had wanted to help Nova, but he dismissed the idea when he thought she had disgraced him at the bidding meeting. Brian finally made a trip to the Top Group after thinking about it. Nova was in a meeting. Brian stood outside the door, looking at the woman with a solemn face and firm eyes in the conference room. She was thin and about 5.4 feet tall. She could even be described as petite, but in the workce, she exuded a powerful aura that was enough to intimidate everyone. After the meeting ended, everyone left one after another. Nova sat on the chair and pinched the space between her eyebrows tiredly. She got up after sitting for a while. Just as she stood up, she saw Brian standing outside. She smiled slightly, but her smile did not reach her eyes. She walked up to him. "Mr. Francis, long time no see." "It''s only three days," Brian said lightly. "Wee, Mr. Francis. What can I do for you?" Brian smiled. "How dare I?" Nova gestured for him to go to the office to talk. "I''m just here to learn the Top Group''s current situation. After all, we have a partnership." "Mr. Francis, don''t worry. The Top Group will not be easy to fall, let alone the cooperation project goes wrong." Brian frowned. "That''s not what I''m worried about. I want to say you can ask me anytime if the Top Group needs help." "Thank you," Nova said indifferently. Brian was speechless. He didn''t understand why he had to run over and be bullied. His tone turned colder as he said, "See you." Forget it. She might give herself away when she was flustered. ***** Due to the suppression of the Adkins Group, Nova''s project had been unable to find a partner, and her capital chain was facing a shortage. Fortunately, Nelson had been helping Nova. Therefore, the Top Group could continue to fight against the Adkins Group. Just as she saw some hope, some news exploded on the Inte. Some asked why the Adkins Group was targeting a start-uppany. There were many different opinions below the post. At that moment, Marshall himself came out to use Nova of meddling in his daughter''s rtionship with Brian, saying that Nova had seduced Brian and used despicable methods to force his daughter to break up with Brian. It was the first time the Adkins Group had personally torn a little girl apart in so many years. People felt wha Marshall said was true The public opinion was one-sided for a moment. Chapter 579 For a moment, the Inte was filled withizens attacking Nova. Some people even ran to the Top Group to cause trouble for Nova. They blocked the entrance of thepany and smashed her with vegetables and eggs. The video of Nova being attacked by a crowd was posted online. Thements below were all attacking Nova. [I watched her interview earlier. She was always flirting with men in front of the camera. Apparently, she''s no good!] [So all vixens look like her! Why don''t these mistresses who interfere in other people''s rtionships die?] [Thepany culture of such an hical individual is also not upright! Shut it down!] Brian sat in the office and read thements. He put the tablet aside expressionlessly. Camren asked, "Mr. Francis, do you want to help Miss Nova? The public opinion would calm down as long as Brian came forward to rify at this time. However, Brian did not care about the matter at all. He said indifferently, "Don''t worry about it." Camren was a little surprised and nodded. "Alright." At the Francis family. Jasmine usually did not pay attention to the news and lived afortable life, but Shannon had been paying attention to Louise''s news. Therefore, Shannon had seen all the messages posted by Marshall. Shannon flipped through thements and could not help but sneer. "He doesn''t know what kind of person his daughter is! She hasn''t married for five years, and He''s ming others for interfering! How shameless!" Jasmine heard Shannon and asked in confusion, "Shannon, what are you talking about?" Shannon brought her phone over. "Here, I''m reading Marshall''s message. He said Nova interfered in his daughter''s rtionship." Jasmine frowned and took Shannon''s phone. The more Jasmine read thements below, the angrier she became." He is simply distorting the truth!" She continued to scroll down and saw a video of Nova besieged by a group of people throwing vegetables and eggs at her. Jasmine was so angry that her hands trembled when she saw the video. "This is too much!" She was so angry that she almost smashed the phone. When she raised her phone, she realized her Shamon''s phone and retract was hand in time. She couldn''t help butin, "What nonsense is your husband saying? How could he say Nova interfered in other people''s rtionships? His daughter swnovel interfered in my son''s marriage back then! "Besides, Louise and Brian are unmarried. Nova only got together with Brian after they broke up. How does Nova interfere with them? "This is infuriating!" Shannon echoed, "Jasmine, you''re right! Louise is not a good person to begin with!" Jasmine was angry and anxious. When she thought about how Nova was suffering, she was worried terribly. She paced back and forth in the living room, thinking about how to help Nova. At night. Nova received a call from Jasmine. "Nova, why didn''t you tell me anything? Do you know how painful it is for me to read all thesements on the Inte?" Nova did not expect Jasmine to call her personally tofort her. Her heart warmed. "Jasmine, I''m fine. It''s just a minor problem. I don''t even read thements online." Nova only took a cursory look. She was so busy that she didn''t have the mood to care about those keyboard warriors. "It''s all Brian''s fault! Why didn''t he step forward to rify things? I''ll beat him up when hees back tonight!" Nova smiled. "He''s busy, too. Don''t worry about this. My public rtions team will take care of it." "Nova, I haven''t seen you in a long time. I''ve booked a table at the Four Seasons Hotel tomorrow. Let''s have lunch together tomorrow." Chapter 580 Nova went to the Four Seasons Hotel for lunch the following day. Nova thought Brian would also be there, but she did not expect to find only Jasmine there. Jasmine wore a gown today, and her hair was specially tied up. She was dressed more formally. Jasmine still did not know that Nova and Brian had fallen out. She kept telling Nova, "I taught Brian, the unfilial son, a lessonst night. Don''t worry. I''ll decide for you." Nova only smiled. Jasmine took Nova to the second after dinner. Just as Nova was puzzled, she saw someoneing over to ask Jasmine, "Mrs. Francis, the venue has been set up. The reporters are all here. They''re just waiting for you to go on stage." "Okay. I got it." Jasmine nodded. Nova asked in surprise, "Jasmine, who reporter are you talking about?" "Nova,e here. Take my hand." Nova reached out her hand in a daze. Jasmine held her hand and lifted the curtain to walk onto the stage. It was a press conference! No wonder Jasmine was dressed more formally today. As soon as Jasmine and Nova appeared, there was a burst of shutter sound from below. The shing lights made Nova unable to open her eyes for a moment. Jasmine held Nova''s hand and sat in the middle. She pulled the microphone and said elegantly, "Hello, everyone. I''m Francis Group''s chairman and Brian''s mother. "Because the various rumors on the Inte recently have caused a lot of impact on me and society, leading to negative public opinions. Therefore, I am holding a press conference today to rify some facts for everyone." Nova turned her head to look at Jasmine. Tears welled up in her eyes, and the tip of her nose felt a little sour. "The issue that everyone is most concerned about is whether Nova has interfered in my son''s rtionship with Louise, the Adkins Group''s daughter. Now, I announce Nova is my goddaughter. I''ve known her for two years. I asked hento move into my house after returning to the country. There''s no need for her to interfere in other people''s rtionships. "My son has never done anything to let Louise down. They are unmarried, so it''s normal for them to break-up. The Adkins Group doesn''t distort the truth in the future "It''s the 21st century. They can''t break up just because they''re in a rtionship?" Jasmine said these words firmly. Her cold eyes looked very simr to Brian''s at this moment. "Lastly,izens, please wake up. Nova is my goddaughter. If anyone dares to bully her again, they will be against me! She''s kind-hearted and doesn''t fight back, but it doesn''t mean ''I won''t lose my temper Take care!" en Jasmine stood up and looked at Nova with a gentle gaze. "Let''s go, Nova." Nova''s tears suddenly fell. "Silly girl, why are you crying?" Nova lowered her eyes and wiped her tears. She could feel Jasmine was sincerely good to her, protected her, and liked her. However, Nova approached Jasmine for revenge. If Jasmine found out Nova had another motive for approaching her one day, how disappointed would Jasmine be? Nova silently cursed herself inwardly. She swore she would never do anything to hurt Jasmine, no matter what happened in the future! Seeing that Jasmine and Nova were about to leave, the reporters swarmed forward and asked, "Mrs. Francis, do you want Miss Nova to be your daughter-inw?" "Miss Nova, are you still with Mr. Francis?" Jasmine held Nova''s hand and left the press conference without looking back. Chapter 581 Jasmine''s speech at the press conference made everyone stop attacking Nova. Even thepanies that Marshall had asked to sever ties with the Top Group had offered Nova peace. Marshall and Louise watched the press conference at home and were furious. Marshall let out a long sigh. It was over. He had risked everything to fight the Top Group. The result was a lose-lose situation. Now that Nova had Jasmine to protect her, she could rise again soon. On the other hand, the Adkins Group needed a long time to recover. Previously, because Marshall insisted on going against the Top Group, thepany''s higher-ups were already dissatisfied with him. Now, his situation could be difficult. "Louise, I''m useless," said Marshall, looking at Louise. "Let''s not only depend on Brian, okay? I will find another man with a good family background for you." Louise stared coldly at the television screen. "No, thanks. I don''t want any man but Brian !" Marshall let out a long sigh. ***** Nova and Jasmine returned to the Francis family together. It had been a long time since Jasmine saw Nova. Jasmine missed Nova so much that she wanted Nova to stay overnight with the Francis family. They chatted for a while after they got home. Nova suddenly thought of Shannon. She looked around and did not see her. She asked, "Eh? Shannon went back home?" "No," said Jasmine. At that moment, a maid said, "Mrs. Francis, Mrs. Adkins went out today." "Where did she go?" said Nova, frowning. The maid shook her head. "I''m not sure about that. Mrs. Adkins left in a hurry and didn''t say anything." Nova nodded thoughtfully. "Jasmine, did she go out before?" Jasmine said, "No. She''s barely left the house since she came here." Nova frowned and had a bad feeling. ***** At the same time. Shannon sat on a chair in a restaurant and looked anxiously. She nced at the message on her phone. It said, [Want to know how your daughter died? Come to the Saidia Restaurant at 3 p.m.] Shannon nced at the time. It was already ten past three, but that person had yet to appear. She was a little afraid that it was a trap set up by Louise. Shannon nced at her phone again. She was about to take a taxi back when a waitress walked over. "Hello, ma''am. This is from a gentleman." Shannon looked up at her in surprise. "A gentleman? Where is he?" The waitress pointed outside the restaurant. Shannon hurriedly looked up and saw a man in a suit and a ck mask getting into a Volkswagen with no license te. Shannon picked up the USB sh disk on the table. She couldn''t wait to find out what was on the USB sh disk, so she borrowed aputer from someone in the restaurant. en She hurriedly opened the USB sh disk. The scene made her pupils tremble. She almost did not dare to look at them because the photos on the USB sh disk were all pictures of Ava being killed! Shannon''s heart ached as she clutched her chest. Tears streamed down her face. She covered her mouth, picked up the mouse, and looked at the pictures one after another. She bit her lip hard Blood seeped out of her lips, but she did not feel it at all. It was indeed Louise! It was indeed her! Shannon gritted her teeth so hard that her teeth hurt. Louise, the bitch! Shannon wanted her to pay with her life for Ava! Just then, the pictures suddenly disappeared from theputer screen. Shannon pulled out the USB sh disk and connected it again The contents of the USB sh disk indicated that they could not be opened. Chapter 582 At this moment, Shannon was not in the mood to think about the identity of the person who gave her the USB sh disk. She did not know why the USB sh disk could not be used after one look. Shannon only wanted to avenge her daughter. Shannon removed the USB sh disk and put it in her purse. She hailed a cab and headed straight to the Adkins family. Only Melvin and the servants were at home at that hour. Shannon looked at the servants and asked coldly, "Where''s Louise?" "Ma''am, Miss Louise hasn''t returned home today. Ma''am, why are you looking for her?" The servant noticed Shannon''s look was scary, so he spoke carefully. Shannon said coldly, "It''s fine. You can leave." The servants left. Shannon looked around the living room with a gloomy expression and then took a fruit knife from the coffee table. Shannon walked to the entrance. Just then, Louise drove back. Louise saw Shannon from afar. She narrowed her eyes and smiled coldly. She pulled over by the side. Shannon red at Louise. The moment Louise got out of the car, she could feel the overwhelming hatred emanating from Shannon. "Well, isn''t this Shannon? You finally back after disappearing for so many days?" Shannon looked at Louise''s arrogant attitude and rushed forward angrily. "You vicious bitch! I''m going to kill you to pay for my daughter''s life!" Louise frowned and quickly dodged to the side. Her hand urately grabbed Shannon''s wrist. "What did you say?" Louise looked at Shannon sharply, her eyes bursting with killing intent. "You killed my daughter! I''ll make you pay with your life!" Louise sneered. It seemed that not only did Shannon know that she was an imposter, but Shannon also knew a bigger secret! Then she couldn''t stay! However, Louise and Hale were the only ones at the scene back then. How did Shannon know? "Who told you that?" Shannon''s eyes were red, and she only wanted to kill Louise to vent her anger, Shannon took the fruit knife from her purse with her other hand and stabbed Louise. Louise instinctively dodged. Louise was calmpared to Shannon, who was on the verge of madness. Therefore, Shannon could not hurt Louise for a while. Louise grabbed Shannon''s purse in a sh. She felt there must be something in the purse! However, Louise saw nothing suspicious when she pulled Shannon''s purse to the ground. There wasn''t even that paternity test paper! "I''m going to kill you!" Shannon roared and stabbed at Louise. Louise suddenly caught a glimpse of something in front of her from the corner of her eyes. The corners of her mouth curled up into a cole smile as she deliberately bumped into Shannon''s knife. The fruit knife pierced into Louise''s stomach, but Louise controlled the distance, so the wound was not particrly deep. A pained expression appeared on Louise''s face as she pointed at Shannon. "Why are you doing this to me?" Meanwhile, Marshall''s car braked and stopped in front of Shannon. Marshall quickly pushed open the car door and rushed out. He roared, "Shannon Adkins! What are you doing!" Shannon coulde back to her senses and hadpletely lost her mind. She pulled out the fruit knife and wanted to stab Louise again. Marshall waved his hand and knocked the knife in Shannon''s hand to the ground. Shannon was pushed by Marshall and fell to the ground. "Dad... Save me... Shannon wants to kill me..." Louise''s eyes were filled with fear as she hid behind Marshall. Marshall looked at the wound on Louise''s Stomach and said with heartache, "Don''t be afraid. I with toke you to the hospital immediately!" Chapter 583 The servants at home also heard themotion and ran out. They were all shocked by the situation in front of them. Marshall ordered, "Lock the crazy woman up! No one is allowed to let her out without my permission!" Shannon finally came back to her senses. She got up from the ground and pointed at Marshall. She roared, "Marshall Adkins, you bastard! You''re blind! You brought disaster upon our home and had our daughter killed! Louise, the bitch, killed my daughter! I''ll make her pay with her life today!" Marshall suddenly pped Shannon hard! "You''re ridiculous!" said Marshall. The two male servants in the house came out. Under Marshall''s instructions, they took Shannon under their control and dragged her back to the vi. Louise squeezed out two tears and looked at Marshall weakly and innocently. "Dad, I don''t know why Shannon did this to me. She has disappeared for so many days. Why did her temperament change so much the moment she returned?" "It''s okay. I''ve locked her up. She won''t hurt you again. I will take you to the hospital right away." "Okay..." In the hospital. The doctor stitched up the wound on Louise''s abdomen. Louisey weakly on the hospital bed. Looking at her, Marshall was heartbroken. He asked with concern, "Louise, are you feeling better? Does your wound still hurt?" Louise nodded. "The anesthesia hasn''t worn off yet. I don''t feel any pain yet." "Fortunately, it''s a good thing your wound isn''t too deep. You scared the hell out of me." Louise lowered her eyes and said, "Shannon also freaked me out..." "How the hell did you get into a fight?" Louise said nkly, "I don''t know either. I bumped into Shannon at the gate. I got out of the car to greet her, but she rushed up and stabbed me. Dad, Shannon must be crazy to say that don''t me her. I know she has never liked me..." Louise started to cry as she spoke. "Shannon dislikes me more and more ever since Grace killed Ava. Dad, she thinks I am enjoying your love alone, and she feels it is for Ava... But I''m sad about Ava''s death, too... I''d rather be the one Who died if I could!" "Silly girl! What are you talking about? You have to live well. I just found you and got you back. I owe you more than 20 years of love and haven''t made it up to you yet!" said Marshall. Louise looked at Marshall emotionally. "Dad, you''re the best. It''s good enough you understand me. If Shannon doesn''t like me, so be it. I can understand her. After all, Ava''s death was a big shock to her." Marshall nodded. "As expected of my daughter. You have a big heart. However, Shannon has gone too far this time. I won''t let her off." "Dad, I think Shannon is crazy. Why don''t we send her to the mental hospital for treatment?" Marshall seriously considered Louise''s proposal. Louise continued to fan the mes. "I know it must be hard being in the mental hospital. Shannon hurt me today. What if she hurt you one day, Dad? She''s so mentally unstable. What if she kills me one day? Besides, we''re doing this for her own good." "You''re right." Marshall nodded slightly. "When you''re discharged from the hospital, I''ll send Shannon to a mental hospital and treat her as soon as possible before she goes crazy." Chapter 584 At the Francis family. Nova stayed until Brian got off work in the afternoon. Brian was not too surprised to see Nova. Jasmine still did not know Brian and Nova had broken up. She scolded Brian in front of Nova. The servants had prepared the food at seven o''clock in the evening, but Shannon did not return. Nova was worried. She had a feeling that something had happened. "Jasmine, you should call Mrs. Adkins. It''s sote, and she''s not back yet." "Maybe she went back to the Adkins family. Seriously, she didn''t even tell me when she went back. I''ll call and ask her." The call went through, but no one picked up. "Forget it. Let''s eat." Nova was a little worried and finished her meal absent-mindedly. Jasmine wanted Nova''s stay for the night. Nova happened to have something to tell Brian, so she agreed. Brian went upstairs first at night. Nova chatted with Jasmine for a while before going upstairs. She went to Brian''s room and knocked on the door. "Come in." Nova pushed open the door and walked into his bedroom. "Mrs. Adkins has left. I think there''s something fishy. What do you think?" Brian put out his half-smoked cigarette in the ashtray and turned to look at her. "You suspect it''s Louise." "Whether it''s her or not, we''ll know after checking." "I just received a message from Marshall. Louise was stabbed by Shannon and was hospitalized." "Really?" Nova asked in shock. Brian nodded. "Something must have happened this afternoon. Why don''t you check the surveince of this afternoon and see if anything unusual happened before Shannon left." en "Alright. I''ll look into it when my mother is asleep." Nova agreed. "Then call me." Brian went to Nova''s bedroom two hourster. Nova had just finished showering. As she did not bring a change of clothes today, she wrapped a towel around herself and came out of the bathroom. Brian was stunned. "Do you... want me to wait for you to get dressed?" Nova calmly wrapped her hair and said, "No. I''ve washed my clothes. Let''s go." She was open-minded. After all, they used to sleep together for three years. He had seen all parts of her body. Brian felt a little awkward. He touched his nose and lowered his eyes. "Let''s go then," he said coldly. Brian and Noya went downstairs and checked the surveince footage. They found Shannon was drinking coffee at 2 p.m. Her expression changed when she nced at her phone. Then she took a taxi out. However, the time she left the house was more than two hours apart from the time Louise was stabbed. What else happened in between? "I''ll go and meet Louise tomorrow and see if I can get any information from her," said Brian. Nova nced at Brian and smiled insincerely. She raised her hand and patted Brian''s shoulder. "Perform well. You''re her favorite man. Perhaps you can find something with a few sweet words." The moment she raised her hand, the towel around her chest was torn. With a swoosh, the towel fell to the ground. Nova''s body went cold, and she gasped. Her skin was so smooth and beautiful that Brian stared at her intently and forgot to blink. Nova quickly squatted and covered her body. "What are you looking at? Hurry up and turn around." "Oh," Brian replied btedly. Then, he said annoyingly, "They are not very big." Nova had just wrapped a towel around herself when she heard that. She was so angry that she kicked him hard. "It''s none of your business!" Chapter 585 Brian was kicked so hard that he nearly fell over. Nova ran past him and up the stairs. Brian looked at her back and couldn''t help but smile. Brian went to the hospital with some fruits to visit Louise the next day. Louise was lying on the bed and browsed her phone, looking anxious. Brian knocked on the door. Louise looked up and widened her eyes in surprise. Then, she smiled happily. "Brian! You''re here to see me. I''m over the moon!" Louise blinked a few tears and said, "I think you won''t care about me anymore..." Brian ced the fruits on the table and asked faintly, "How''s your wound?" "It hurts... But I forget the pain when I see you." Her coquettishness did not change Brian''s expression. He asked, "What fruit do you want to eat?" Louise nced at the fruit basket. There were apples, bananas, and grapes. She thought for a moment and said, "Grapes." Brian took the grapes and washed them before handing them to her. Louise looked at him pitifully. "My wound hurts. Would you please feed me?" Brian lowered his eyes and frowned slightly. After a pause, he picked up a grape, peeled it, and brought it to her mouth. Louise smiled and ate the grapes happily. "Why would Mrs. Adkins want to kill you?" Louise bit her tip and looked like a victim. "I don''t know either... She probably feels that Ava is dead and my father has all his love for me, so she''s not happy. You know. Ava and Shannon have never liked me since I returned." Of course, Brian would not believe what she said. He asked again, "Mrs Adkins has been staying at my house until now. You know that, don''t you?" Louise''s eyes widened in surprise. Then, there was a trace of panic in her eyes. Shannon lived in the Francis family. Did she tell Brian about Louise''s background? Brian stared at Louise''s face. He saw the panic in her eyes and her slightly curled fingers. Louise reacted quickly and said, "I don''t know. called Shannon, but she didn''t want to say anything to me. Why did she suddenly want kill me after staying at your house for a few days? Did... did Nova say something to her?" Brian narrowed his eyes. Louise was very good at leading the way. Brian continued, "No. Nova hasn''t stayed at my house for a long time. Did Shannon contact you yesterday afternoon?" Louise shook her head. "No. She was outside my house when I bumped into her. Brian, what do you mean? I was the one who almost lost my life. Why are you questioning me?" She figured it out. Shannon probably didn''t tell Brian that she was a fake heiress. Otherwise, Brian should have told Marshall long ago. Brian lowered his eyes and indifferently said, "I don''t mean to question you. I want to know what happened in between." Louise was also anxious. She wanted to know who Shannon had met. Why was Shannon so sure Louise had killed Ava? "Brian, I''m delighted that you came to see me. Even if you have other motives, please hide a little and don''t make me sad, okay?" She looked at him pitifully. "Actually, I want to go back to when I was little, the day I first saw you." Chapter 586 Louise said, "You were lying on the ground covered in injuries at that time. I carried you for about 1.2 miles and brought you to a clinic. "Although you were unconscious back then, I still fell in love with you at first nce when I saw you with your eyes closed. I thought you should have offered yourself to me for me saving your life. However, you were no longer in the hospital when I went to look for you the next day. I was sad for many days..." Louise wiped her tears and continued, "It''s a good thing I met you when I grew up. I recognized you at a nce. This is our fate... Brian, we are fated. Why... why did you give up?" Louise looked at him with tears streaming down her face. Brian looked into her eyes and suddenly realized everything had changed. He could no longer rte Louise with her when she was little after so many things had happened. Brian leaned back in his chair, and his expression changed slightly. "You should rest for a while," said Brian, sighing. Louise bit her lip and looked at him. "I don''t want to sleep. I miss you so much. I haven''t looked at you properly in a long time." Brian frowned slightly. "Louise, perhaps we''re not mean to each other. You don''t have to be like this. Actually, in my opinion, you might have had a better life than now if you hadn''t met me. I have wasted your time." "That''s right... You''ve wasted my time. You''ve wasted my time since I first saw you when I was little. However, why don''t you waste my time for the rest of my life?" Brian lowered his eyes slightly and said, "I''m sorry. Go to sleep. I''m not leaving." "Really? Will you stay here with me?" Brian nodded slightly. "Thank you, Brian." Louise''s eyes were filled with tears. She wiped them away andy down slowly, still staring at him without blinking. "I''m so afraid you''ll leave when I fall asleep. Brian, can you stay here with me tonight?" Brian hesitated. Louise bit her lip. "Forget what I said if it is too much for you." "Okay. I''ll stay here with you tonight." "Thank you." Louise''s tears welled up again. Brian sat on the chair before her hospital bed, thinking a lot that night. He would repay Louise for saving his life in another way, but he would not let Louise off if Louise were Why el? responsible for what happened to Grace. The following morning, Brian waited for Louise to wake up before leaving. He even hired a caregiver for Louise before he left. ***** Louise''s wound was not deep and healed quickly. In addition, she was in a hurry to find out who Shannon had seen, so she was discharged early. ASUMS She was about to hail a taxi at the hospital gate when she suddenly saw Samual. "Why... why are you here?" Louise panicked. She subconsciously looked around, afraid someone she knew would bump into her. With his hands in his pockets, Samual said casually, "Why? I''m here to see my sister. Can''t I?" Louise''s gaze turned cold. She subconsciously wanted to say, "Who''s your sister!" After thinking about it, she held back and whispered, "This is not the ce to talk" "I''ve called a cab. Let''s go. Mom''s waiting for you." Louise pursed her lips. She dared not to go against Samual for a moment and could only obediently get into the car. The taxi was heading for the suburbs. "Where do Mom and you live? Why is it so far away?" asked Louise with a frown. Samual smiled evilly and said nothing. Chapter 587 They got out of the car when the car stopped in the suburbs. There was no one around. Somehow, a string of hemp rope had appeared in Samual''s hands. Louise was startled. "What do you want?" Samual suddenly rushed over and grabbed Louise''s hands behind her back. "Louise, you''d better cooperate. I only want to use you to extort some money from Marshall." Louise struggled and said, "The Adkins Group has no money right now! Last time, Marshall fought with Nova for so long, and thepany lost millions of dors! Where did Marshall get the money to redeem me?" Most importantly, Louise was afraid Samual would expose her identity. Samual knew nothing. He only knew Marshall had apany and was wealthy! "He had lost millions of dors," said Samual. "How can''t he even be able to take out a few thousand dors? You are ungrateful. It''s okay if you don''t think about Mom and me, but you speak up for him!" Louise gritted her teeth in anger. She red at Samual fiercely and said, "I''ll think of something if you want money! What if he finds out there''s something wrong with my identity when you do this? "I have more important things to do now! Let me go quickly! Otherwise, I''ll be kicked out of the Adkins family without getting a single cent." Samualughed sinisterly. "Rose, don''t me me for being rude since you refuse to cooperate!" Then he quickly tied up Louise''s hands. "Samual, are you out of your mind?" Louise was furious. Samual picked up a handful of mud and wiped it on her face. "Get your face dirty," he said. "You should look like you have been kidnapped when you are." Louise moved her face away in disgust. "Stop it! I promise you. You let go of me now!" Samual no longer believed her. "I gave you a chance just now, but you didn''t take it!" "You have Marshall''s number?" Louise asked coldly. Samual was stunned. He didn''t have Marshall''s number. "I won''t tell you Marshall''s number until you untie me." Samual hesitated, but he untied her in the end. "You better not y any tricks on me!" Louise moved her wrists and caught a glimpse of a stick on the ground. When Samual was not paying attention, she picked up the stick from the ground and hit the back of Samual''s head hard. Samual frowned and turned to look at her. Then, he covered his head and fainted. When Louise saw the blood on the ground, she was so frightened that she threw away the stick and ran away quickly. She ran to the roadside and saw a car driving over. She hurriedly stood by the road and waved to stop it. After getting into the car, she told the "Sir, please send me swnovet here I can take a taxi! ¡Ì you!" The driver started the car without speaking or even ncing at her. Louise suddenly felt a chill on her back. The driver was weird. She nced at the rearview mirror and suddenly realized a man was sitting in the backseat! Louise''s heart skipped a beat. At the same time, the man in the backseat suddenly moved up and covered her mouth and nose with a ¦«¦Ï¦É handkerchief. Louise struggled for a while before she felt weak all over and fainted. Louise was on a path near the Adkins family when she woke up again. She felt light-headed, and her head ached. Her fingers touched something sticky. She opened her eyes in a daze, and her vision was blurry. Suddenly, Louise heard someone shout, "Murder! Murder!" Chapter 588 Louise''s vision gradually cleared, only to suddenly realize that a woman was lying on the ground! Bright red blood was flowing from her abdomen. Shocked, Louise fell back and retreated. She reached out and lifted the woman''s hair, only to discover, to her horror, that it was Shannon Adkins! How could Shannon be here? Louise looked at her hands, covered in blood, and noticed a fruit knife on the ground. Terrified, she stared wide-eyed and trembling, repeating, "I didn''t kill anyone! I didn''t kill anyone..." People passing by on the roadside asionally screamed in terror. Louise wanted to run, but as she took a few steps, the sound of sirens grew closer. Soon, police officers surrounded her with guns drawn, shouting, "Don''t move!" Louise covered her head, her face pale with terror. "I didn''t kill anyone... I didn''t kill anyone! Please don''t arrest me, don''t arrest me!" she pleaded. With a click, the sound of metal shing, Louise''s hands were cuffed. She was led into the police car. At the end of the road, the man smiled faintly. Taking out his phone, he made a call, his thin lips curling into a cold arc. "Nova, what Louise did to you back then, I''ve now avenged for you. She''s done for this time." "What? What did you do to Louise?" "Just wait and watch. The game has officially begun," Nelson whistled softly, speaking in a low voice. Nova nced at the abruptly ended phone call, hesitated momentarily, and then hurried off to find Brian. Shannon still clung to life and was rushed to the hospital for urgent treatment. Marshall was shocked beyond measure when he heard the news. He rushed to the police station immediately. After confirming that it wasn''t false information, he felt dizzy and almost copsed. "I can''t believe it! My daughter couldn''t have done such a thing! Where is she? I want to see her!" "Mr. Adkins, your daughter is currently being questioned. Pleasee backter!" Marshall leaned against his forehead, slowly walking out of the police station. He looked up at the sky, his gaze lost in the dimness above. Marshall rushed to the hospital, but Shannon had already been admitted to the ICU, where visitation was restricted. He sighed heavily, exhaustion etching lines on his face and bloodshot eyes. He looked worn out as if he could copse at any moment, unable to stand tall. afany ***** Nova went to thepany to find Brian. "Louise is in trouble; she''s been arrested. Do you know what happened?" Brian frowned and shook his head. "Isn''t she hospitalized?" "You have someone check right away." Brian nodded slightly and immediately had his assistant, Camren, check. Soon, Camren informed Brian about Louise stabbing Shannon. Nova stood by and, upon hearing the news, immediately understood the implications of Nelson''s phone call. Louise was being made the scapegoat this time! "I''ll go to the hospital to check on Mrs. Adkins. Do you want toe along?" Brian asked. Nova said, "You can go ahead first." Brian nced at her, his gaze tinged with a hint of inquiry as if he wanted to ask her something. But the ords caught in his throat, and he held back. After Brian left, Nova went to find Nelson. The two met at a cafeteria, where Nelson was leisurely sipping his coffee. With a smile on his face, his voice had a sinister undertone that sent shivers down one''s spine. "So, are you satisfied?" Chapter 589 new light. In the dead of night, Nova felt a chilling sensation creeping up from the soles of her feet. She had always harbored suspicions about Nelson, but she never anticipated how sinister he could be. His actions seemed to eclipse even Louise''s misdeeds, casting his viiny in a "I seek vengeance against Louise," Nova said, "but my revenge won''t be built upon harming the innocent." Nelson furrowed his brow slightly, his viewpoint starkly contrasting with Nova''s. He shrugged, "What does it matter if an inconsequential person dies, as long as the goal is achieved?" Nova regarded him with the eyes of someone observing a stranger. "Do you truly believe that a human life holds no significance?" Nelson couldn''t understand why her reaction was so intense. "Ava Adkins has already been killed! The mother and daughter have suffered enough. Shannon has been struggling with the agony of losing her beloved daughter for five years. Don''t you think your actions are cruel?" Nelson frowned, his gaze flickering slightly. It seemed like he realized he had gone too far, and his tone softened. "Nova, I was just too eager to help you seek revenge. Besides, Shannon hasn''t died, and if you don''t want her to, I promise you, she will be saved, okay?" Nova pressed her lips together as she looked at him, but in her heart, she was already considering distancing herself from this man. "Mr. Nelson, you''re too terrifying... I''ll handle the revenge myself!" Nelson suddenly became flustered, eagerly grabbing Nova''s hand. "Nova, please listen to me. I didn''t mean to. It was apse in judgment this time. I promise to consult you beforehand next time I take action, okay?" Nova stared at him for a while as if trying to gauge the sincerity behind his words. Nelson didn''t want to lose Nova. She brought him many things; she led hispany to rise step by step and sessfully opened up foreign markets in just a year. He needed Nova. In the future, when Brian passed away, they would take the Francis Group to new heights together. Nova slowly withdrew her hand. "Given the current situation, let''s discuss thister. Mr. Francis, I''m still grateful to you for saving me back then." Nelson looked at her, his gaze carrying a hint of pleading. "I''ll leave first," Nova said as she turned and walked away. Nelson''s expression gradually hardened, then transformed into something sinister and terrifying. It was as ifa dark fog enveloped him entirely, Anything that stood in his way should vanish from this world! He would obtain what he desired, regardless of the cost! ***** When Brian hurried to the hospital, he saw Marshall sitting listlessly in a chair. He walked over and sat down, offering reassurance, "Shannon will be okay." Marshall looked up at him and suddenly grabbed his arm, asking, "You believe that my daughter couldn''t have killed someone, don''t you?" Brian frowned. "Mr. Adkins, we''ll have to wait for the authorities to investigate everything." Marshall covered his face, sighing in despair. What kind of sins havemitted... Ava is gone, Louise has just recovered, and now my wife is in trouble again!" Brian looked at him with his brow frowning. If it hadn''t been for Louise, perhaps the Adkins family wouldn''t have faced all these hardships. After a while, Camren approached. "Mr. Francis, here are the items you requested." Brian nodded, taking the file envelope from him and handing it to Marshall. "Mr. Adkins, this contains a paternity test." Chapter 590 Marshall Adkins looked at him in surprise. "What did you say? A paternity test?" "Yes." Brian Francis said, "There''s a letter inside as well. It was sent to Ava Adkins by a mysterious person five years ago, and not long ago, Shannon Adkins discovered the contents of this letter, so she took Louise Adkins''s hair and the cigarette butt she smoked to do a paternity test." Marshall''s eyes widened in shock. He quickly opened the document bag and took out the letter inside. When he saw the content, his eyes trembled and he could not regain his senses for a long time. "This letter says... Louise is not my daughter? This... How is this possible? How can there be such a ridiculous thing?" "Ridiculous or not, you''ll know when you see the paternity test." Marshall looked at the paternity test with trembling hands. "Why are there two reports? One... confirms that we''re rted, and the other states we''re not. What''s going on?" "That''s what I''m going to tell you next. Shannon said that at that time, she found a way to enter Louise''s room and saw some hair on the bed, and in order to be more convincing before you when the time came, she also took the cigarette butt Louise smoked and her used toothbrush. "Louise obviously realized that Shannon already knew her true identity, so she had changed the hair in her room to Ava''s in advance. Or perhaps, she had changed it to the "real" Louise''s hair." Marshall said in shock, "You mean she might know where my real daughter is?" Brian nodded. "We can''t rule out that possibility." After a pause, he continued, "When Shannon received the DNA report, people started hunting her down to kill her. Fortunately, Nova and I arrived in time to save her. She was afraid that something would happen to her again, so she stayed at my house." Marshall waspletely stunned by Brian''s words and stayed speechless for a long time. "You... You''re saying that Louise is after my lover?" "There''s no evidence at the moment, but that''s what we''re guessing right now." Marshall''s eyes darkened. He held his temples and leaned against the wall. "This is impossible... How could she be an imposter? She had already done a paternity test back then." "What if that paternity test was fake? What if there was something wrong with the person who did it?" Marshall could not believe it. He propped his elbows on his thighs et and brought his palms to his temples as he muttered, "This is impossible... No way..." Brian looked at him for a while, got up, and asked Camren Whitley to arrange a few bodyguards for him before leaving. Shannon was still to be investigated. If it was really Louise who did it, things would be simple. If it was someone else, then the matter would be far more terrifying than expected. Perhaps Marshall would be in danger too. en Brian left the hospital. ... The next day, Marshall went to visit Louise. In the meeting room, Louise saw him through the ss, so she hurriedly picked up the phone and said anxiously, "Dad! Help me! Help me quickly. I didn''t kill Auntie. There must be something wrong! Louise''s tears fell one by one. She did not look like she was lying. For a moment, Marshall doubted whether Brian''s words could be trusted. Seeing that Marshall was only staring at her silently, Louise panicked. "Dad, what''s wrong? You don''t really believe that I killed Auntie, do you?" Marshall frowned fiercely and said word by word, "You''re not even my daughter!" Chapter 591 Louise''s heart skipped a beat as she stared at him nkly. Her mind raced as she wondered how he knew. She swallowed. As long as the evidence was not brought before her, she would never admit it. "Dad, what are you talking about? Why would you say that? Why am I not your daughter anymore?" Marshall took out the report from his bag and held it up in front of her. "Then tell me, what''s going on?" Louise widened her eyes and clenched her fists. She still had an innocent and shocked expression on her face. "Dad! Where did thise from? Did you forget? When I returned to the Adkins family, I clearly did a DNA test!" Louise cried bitterly. "Dad, you''ve disappointed me! I was wrongly used and imprisoned. Instead of helping me clear my name, you''re still thinking about how to draw a line between us... "If I had known that I would end up like this when I came back 20 yearster, I might as well not have been born! You and Mom should have left me to die when I was born!" "You..." Marshall looked at her sobbing and suddenly felt guilty. He did not know who to trust anymore. "Hm... Louise, are you really, really wronged?" "Of course I was! Dad, who gave you this report?" "It''s... it''s Brian. He said your aunt gave it to him." Louise said in shock, "Brian..." She rolled her eyes and hurriedly turned the usation onto Nova. "I know, it must be Nova! Nova must have urged him to do this! What kind of bewitching potion did Nova feed Brian?!" Marshall frowned. "Is it really Nova?" "Who else could it be? She wanted to sow discord between us and make you think that I''m not your biological daughter, so she deliberately made a fake paternity test! Perhaps... she even killed Auntie! By the way, Dad... is Auntie alright now?" "Your auntie is still in the intensive care unit." Marshall sighed. Louise narrowed her eyes. She wasn''t dead yet? "Dad, it must be Nova. Auntie is uous now, so we can''t let her lead by the nose! tien a really be broken!" Marshall let out a deep breath. He felt that Louise''s analysis made sense. "Dad, you have to find a way to get me out!" Visiting hours were up, and the prison guards took Louise back. Marshall walked out of the police station. His brain was still unable to think. He did not know who to believe. In the hospital ward. Nova hade to visit Shannon. She through the window our watch outside the door and copter examined her. Consent the The doctor looked very serious, so it seemed like she was in a very serious condition. Through the ss, Nova saw that Shannon''s wound seemed to be bleeding again. The doctor hurriedly pushed her out of the ward and into the operating theater. Nova grabbed a nurse and asked, "What happened?" The nurse said hurriedly, "The patient''s wound is bleeding profusely. She needs emergency treatment now." The surgery was being carried out tensely, and Nova stood outside the door with a serious expression. After a while, the operating theater door opened and a nurse ran out and shouted, "There''s not enou blood bank. Which one of you has type O blood?" Nova stepped forward. "I do. Take mine." Shannon must not die. Otherwise, Nova would feel guilty for the rest of her life. Nova entered the operating theater and watched as her blood was transfused into Shannon''s body bit by bit. Chapter 592 Nova had not eaten breakfast this morning, and now she had just been drawn a few hundred milliliters of blood. When she got out of bed, her head was dizzy. The doctor asked her, "Are you okay? Have some milkter." Nova nodded. "I''m fine. Thank you, Doctor. By the way, when will she wake up?" "The patient lost too much blood when she was sent over previously, causing her brain tock oxygen. Although she''s out of danger now, we''re not sure when she''ll wake up." "Is she out of danger? Her life won''t be in danger, right?" The doctor nodded. "Yes." "That''s good. Thank you." Shannon had been transferred to the intensive care unit. Nova sat in front of the bed and looked at her. Perhaps because of the sudden emergency just now, some gooey liquid was oozing out of Shannon''s nose. Nova approached the nurse for an alcohol cotton and carefully wiped her clean. At this moment, the door was pushed open. Marshall''s eyes widened when he saw Nova in the ward. From his point of view, it looked like Nova was plucking Shannon''s oxygen tube. "What are you doing?!" Marshall rushed over and pulled Nova up. Then, without thinking, he had pped her. "Ah!" The alcohol swab in her hand fell to the ground. Nova had stumbled back a few steps by his hard p. "You vicious bitch! As expected, it was you who did it. My wife is already unconscious because of you! You still won''t let her off!" Nova held her numb cheek and slowly raised her head to look at him. "You''re saying that I''m the one who harmed Shannon?" "Who else could it be if not you?! I''m warning you, don''t try to sow discord between me and my daughter! And don''t get close to anyone around me" BUMS Nova took a deep breath and suddenly smiled. As she continued to smile, she started crying. Marshall''s heart trembled. "Mr. Adkins, you''re really a good father! I''ll remember the p you gave me today. I hope you''ll never regret it." Nova stared at him with a sharp gaze, shocking Marshall. Her gaze made him feel something very familiar. "Shannon''s life won''t be in danger anymore. If you don''t want anything to happen to the people around you, protect her well." After saying this coldly, she left. Marshall stood rooted to the ground for a long time before turning around. He walked to Shannon''s bedside and looked at her. At that moment, a nurse walked in. "May I ask if you''re done with the alcohol?" "What alcohol?" "Thatdy just now is your daughter, right? She asked to borrow some alcohol to clean the patient''s nose." Marshall frowned. The nurse then walked into the room, saw the alcohol bottle on the table, and said, "I found it." The nurse was about to leave when she said, "By the way, did your daughter leave already?" Marshall was a little stunned. "Huh? Oh... She''s not my daughter. But yeah, she already left. What''s wrong?" Only then did he realize that he had misunderstood Nova. "Oh, she transfused 60 of blood to the patient today. I heard that she hadn''t eaten breakfast in the morning, so she might feel a little unwell. It''s best to let her drink some milk." Marshall waspletely startled. "What did you say? She gave my wife a blood transfusion?" "That''s right. Your lover lost a lot of blood just now, and there wasn''t enough blood in the blood bank. Coincidentally, thedy''s blood type matched. Did you not know this? Then you''ll have to thank her- properly. If it weren''t for her, it might have been very difficult for your lover to survive this crisis." Chapter 593 Marshall was bbergasted. The nurse had already left the ward. Marshall then raised his hand to look at his palm. Not only had Nova not harmed his wife, but she had also saved her life. Yet he had actually pped her! Marshall slowly clenched his fists. When he thought of Nova''s expression when she had left earlier on, he felt very upset. He chased after Nova, wanting to find her, but he could see from the window that she had already gotten into her car and driven away. His mind was in a mess, and he had no idea who he should trust. Nova drove the car to the road outside and could not help her tears. She pulled over, leaned over the steering wheel, and began to cry silently. Marshall''s actions had made her lose her courage to tell him that she was his daughter. After a long moment, Nova drove back to thepany, where she bumped into Brian. Her cheek was red and swollen, and it was obvious that she had been pped. Brian frowned and asked in a low voice, "Who hit you?" Nova''s wrist was also swollen and bruised where the blood had been drawn. He picked up her arm. "Did you go to the hospital?" Nova pulled her hand back and said calmly, "I went to see Shannon." "Then what happened to your face? Did Marshall hit you?" Nova said nothing. After a while, she asked Brian, "What did you say to Marshall? Why did he keep saying that I was trying to sow discord between him and Louise?" "I told him about Louise pretending to be his daughter. I showed him the paternity test and the letter." Brian pinched his eyebrows in frustration. "Why did he still choose to believe Louise?" Nova roughly understood the situation now and said indifferently, "I understand. You can leave first. I want to be alone for a while." She looked exhausted. Shey back in her chair with her eyes closed, as if blocking herself from the rest of the world. IT was obvious how broken she was. Brian felt an inexplicable pain in his heart. He then turned around and left, leaving to buy a box of external medicine for swelling redu returned and quietly ced table. Nova continued toy with her eyes closed. He her On the other side, Louise, who was still locked up in the detention room, was waiting for Marshall to take revenge on Nova. She had given Marshall an idea to frame Nova. However, before she could receive any news, she met someone that she could not be more familiar with in prison! It was Alfredo Miller. His hands had been handcuffed and wrapped in thick gauze from his palms. The gauze was stained with blood, and it looked like all ten fingers of his had been cut off. The prison guard escorted him to another detention room and happened to pass by the room where Louise was in. When Louise saw him, she had subconsciously blurted out, "Alfredo?" Alfredo had not seen her, but when he heard her voice, he turned around abruptly. "Why are you here?!" "You... You''ve been arrested?" Louise asked. Alfredo narrowed his eyes and looked at her for a while. When he saw the prison uniform she was wearing, he pursed his lips and said, "Looks like you''ve been arrested too. Louise, we don''t have a chance to make aeback." Louise frowned and red at him. "Don''t talk nonsense! I don''t know you!" Alfredo snorted in disdain. Louise felt a chill down her spine. She did not know what Alfredo had done to get arrested. If he were to expose her, it would all be over. Then, what she was worried about had ultimately happened. Alfredo had been arrested at the casino. He had lost all his money in the casino and owed a few hundred thousand dors, so his fingers had gotten chopped off. Chapter 594 In the end, when the matter blew up, the police immediately rushed over and arrested Alfredo! Alfredo had revealed everything he and Louise had done before, including how the two of them had worked together to stab Ava Adkins to death, and how Louise had instigated him to kill Nova. Louise was involved in all the crimes. When the police officers interrogated Louise, the facts were conclusive and she could no longer quibble. ***** Brian Francis had gone for Marshall Adkins again. Marshall was currently consulting awyer in the ward, trying to save Louise. When he saw Brian enter, his expression changed slightly. He said to thewyer, "Attorney Lloyd, I''ll contact youter. You can go back first. Thank you." After sending thewyer away, Marshall looked at Brian in embarrassment. "Brian, you''re here." "Mr. Adkins, it seems like you still don''t believe what I said, but that''s normal. After all, she has been with you for more than five years. It''s understandable that you can''t ept a report that you haven''t even verified yourself." Marshall frowned and looked at him deeply. "Brian, In the past five years, Louise has never done anything disrespectful to me or my wife. Moreover, she saved your life when she was young. I don''t believe she''s the kind of person you''re talking about." Brian smirked sarcastically. "In that case, let''s go take a look together. You can take her hair for a DNA test yourself." Marshall was silent for a while. His expression was solemn. "Alright." ***** At the police station, Marshall asked, "Sergeant, I''d like to see my daughter, Louise." "She''s being interrogated. If you want to see her, wait twenty minutes!" Marshall frowned. "Didn''t they already interrogate her the day before yesterday?" "She''s suspected of a new murder and it is being verified." Marshall almost lost his bnce. "What... what did you say?" The police officer flipped through the file and said to him, "In a murder case five years ago, the victim''s name was Ava Adkins. At that time, the biggest suspect in the case was Grace Sherman. Today, we caught a suspect called Alfredo Miller who confessed that he killed Ava Adkins with Louise Adkins." The officer finished reading the general situation of the case coldly, leaving Marshall stunned on the spot. Brian''s expression turned colder. Grace Sherman... What kind of injustice had she suffered?! If she had not gotten to know him and married him, she would not have suffered such cmity for no reason! At this moment, Brian hated Louise, but he hated himself even more! Why had he not discovered Louise''s true colors earlier?! Why did he make Grace suffer so much?! Beside him, Marshall''s feet trembled violently and he stumbled back. Brian quickly pulled him back. "Mr. Adkins, are you alright?" Marshall mumbled, "No... This isn''t real... It''s not real, my Ava..." He had acknowledged a fake daughter, but this fake daughter had caused his real daughter''s death! Good heavens! Ever since Louise returned, as a father, he had despised Ava Adkins in every possible way. If she was still alive, how disappointed would she be in him? Marshall suddenly lost control and shouted, "Ava! My Ava! You died so tragically! It''s all my fault!" The police officer beside him frowned, and then he realized that Ava Adkins was actually Marshall''s daughter! Brian brought Marshall to the lounge to calm him down. When he had calmed down, Louise had also been released from the interrogation room. Chapter 595 "Louise, you have a family member visiting you," an officer said. Louise came back to her senses and turned around. She immediately saw Marshall. Delighted, she rushed over. "Dad! Dad, you found a way to save me, right?" Marshall looked at her as if he was looking at a stranger. His eyes widened. Thinking that the girl in front of him had murdered Ava, Marshall could not help but tremble. "Dad, what''s wrong?" Louise asked. Marshall suddenly pushed her away hard. "You killed Ava." Louise looked at him in shock. "I''ve treated you with all my heart. How could you kill my daughter? How could you be so cruel?" Marshall said. Louise bit her lip. She knew that she could not hide anything anymore. "Yes, I killed Ava, but she had to die, or I will. Do you know that?" Marshall could not believe that she would say such a thing. "You''re selfish. You killed her for your own selfish desires. You could have let her go," he growled. "You can''t me me. She discovered my affair with Alfredo. She knew too much. If she exposed everything, I would have lost everything," Louise said. At this point, Louise red at him and continued, "Didn''t you say that you wanted to make it up to me? Are you going to watch me lose everything?" Marshall was so angry that he felt dizzy. He suddenly experienced a ckout, and his intuition told him that there was blood rushing to his head. He pointed at Louise with his trembling finger. "You... you... you..." Before Marshall could finish his sentence, he fell headfirst. Seeing this, the prison guard quickly took Louise away. Brian immediately brought Marshall back to the hospital for emergency treatment. When Marshall woke up, he had calmed down. He stared at the ceiling for a long time and then sighed heavily. He slowly turned his head and saw Nova. Marshall paused and asked, "What are you doing here?" Nova lowered her eyes and said indifferently, Brian asked me toe. He said that Mrs. Adkins is still unconscious and you''re also sick without anyone to take care of you. Brian almost married your daughter. He should take care of you, but he''s busy with ore of things now, so here I am." Marshall blinked. He felt very guilty when he thought of the p he gave her the other day. "Miss Nova, I''m very sorry about that day," he said. Nova''s lips twitched sarcastically. "You don''t have to say this." "What I did to you in the past was indeed too much. Miss Nova, you''re outstanding. You''re so young and aplished so much. I admire you very much." Nova''s expression was cold. Marshall continued, "I only found out swntow "Don''t be. If it had been anyone else, I would have saved them," Nova said coldly. Marshall sighed. She did not ept his apology, and he was not in the mood to think about anything else. Nova looked at Marshall for a while. It had only been a few days since theyst met, but almost half his hair went gray. ording to Brian, Marshall already knows that Louise killed Ava. It must be hard for Marshall to ept it,'' Nova thought. Nova stood there for a long time. In the end, she quietly left the ward and asked the nurse to take care of him. The first thing Marshall did when he got out of bed was to take a taxi to the police station again. He watched as the officer took some of Louise''s hair and took it for a DNA test. Chapter 596 Marshall had mixed feelings seeing that strand of hair in the officer''s hand. Brian had already found out some information about Louise''s true identity. Samual held a grudge for being knocked out by Louise and not getting what he wanted. Later, he discussed it with Dawn and decided to take it to extremes. He went to the Adkins''s house and attempted to make a scene. In the end, he didn''t find anything there. There wasn''t even anyone opening the door for him. As soon as Brian received the news, he sent people to find Samual and Dawn. It only took a day to find them. Then Brian brought them to Marshall. Samual looked at Marshall with shifty eyes and said, "You are Rose... Louise''s father?" Marshall was stunned. "You are?" "I''m Rose''s younger brother. You still don''t know, right? The daughter you acknowledged five years ago is my sister. Rose Lynn is her original name. She got a new father and changed it to this chic name. You know what, she''s ungrateful. You''ve supported her for five years, and she might stab you in the back one day," Samual said. Marshall suddenly coughed violently. Dawn and Samual still did not know that Louise had been arrested. Dawn''s eyes darted around, and she said, "Mr. Adkins, we''re telling you such important news so that you can prevent further loss. So... you should pay us back for that, right?" Brianughed coldly and spoke for Marshall. "Even without you guys'' information, Rose''s true identity would be exposed soon. If you want money, go find her. Let me tell you where she is now. She''s in jail." Dawn and Samual were shocked. "What? She... she... she''s in jail?" "Yes, she killed someone," Brian answered. Samual was so frightened that he trembled Dawn''s face turned pale. "We... We have nothing to do with her. It''s her business if she kills people. We don''t know. Samual, let''s go now," she said. Dawn grabbed Samual''s arm and quickly left the hospital. She wished she had never given birth to Rose. Marshall took a sip of warm water, closed his eyes, and leaned against the headboard. At this moment, the hospital called and informed him to go over and get the DNA test results. Haggard, Marshall dragged himself to theb to get the test results. The moment he saw the results, thest bit of hope was gone. It took all his strength to force himself to calm down. There were more important things for Marshall to do. He could not copse now. Brian was right. It was very likely that Louise knew the whereabouts of Marshall''s real daughter. The real Louise must still be alive,'' Marshall thought. He wanted to find Louise and get to the bottom of this. Marshall put away the report and rushed to the police station to meet Louise. Marshall stared at her and asked hoarsely, "You know where my daughter is. Where is she?" Louise looked at him viciously. "Marshall, what did you say when you first brought me home? Have you forgotten now? You said that you would give me the best things in the world and let me marry the best man." . "I''m asking you where my daughter is," Marshall roared. BUMS Louiseughed and had an evil smile. "Marshall, you want to know where your daughter is, right? Listen, if you can''t guarantee that you can get me out of here safely, you won''t find her for the rest of your life." Chapter 597 Marshall roared, "You''re simply despicable! You killed Ava and asked me to get you out. Don''t even think about it." Louiseughed and said, "Marshall, I have nothing to lose now. At worst, I''ll go to jail, but what about you? You''re already in your fifties. If you don''t get me out of here, you won''t be able to find your daughter in this lifetime. You''ll die alone." Marshall was so angry that he wanted to rush in and strangle her. "Louise, I''ll ask you again, where is my daughter?" Louiseughed so hard that she bent over. Suddenly, she took out a few strands of hair and said, "Your daughter is here. See? Come and get it." Marshall''s eyes widened. He hung up the phone and wanted to rush in. But there was no door. He could only plead with the officer. "She has my daughter''s hair in her hand. I want it! I want it!" Marshall shouted. However, at this moment, Louise suddenlyughed wildly. "Marshall, don''t even think about knowing who your daughter is." With that, she swallowed the few strands of hair. Marshall hit the window hard. Louise wasughing madly inside. She wasughing so hard that tears were flowing out of the corners of her eyes. "Marshall, if you want to know who your daughter is,e and kill me. Then you''ll be able to find her," Louise said, stillughing. The officer pulled Louise, who was on the verge of going crazy, back into the detention room. Marshall sat limply in the chair like a corpse. After a while, the officer personally sent him back to the hospital. There were four people in the room where Louise was locked up. She had a fierce personality. As soon as she entered, she frightened the other three people. No one dared to get in Louise''s way until today. When she returned, she suddenly realized that a burly woman upied her lower bunk. That woman looked fierce, much fiercer than Louise. The moment Louise entered, the woman red at her. Louise shuddered and looked away. She was o afraid to look into h swnow eyes. At night, Louise felt very ufortable when she slept. There was only soap for bathing here. Louise had lived a pampered life all these soap. After taking a shower, a vecars and was not used tone her skin still felt dry and itchy. Conte The bed here was hard, without a mattress. After sleeping for a few nights, she felt sore all over. Tonight, Louise was not feeling well. She tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep. The iron bed squeaked. The woman sleeping under suddenly got out of bed. "Why the fuck are you rolling around up there, bitch?" Louise was stunned by the roar and retorted arrogantly, "Why are you shouting sote at night?" "How dare you fucking talk back to me? Do you know who I am? If I don''t beat you up today, I''ll eat my hat," the woman snarled. As soon as she finished speaking, she yanked Louise down from the upper bunk. Louise fell to the ground and gritted her teeth in pain. Louise didn''t even have a chance to resist before the woman punched her hard. "Ow!" Louise screamed. The woman was probably worried that her scream would attract the man Ston guards. She put a hand over bouise''s mouth. The woman clenched her other hand into a fist and punched Louise''s head hard. Louise felt dizzy after taking a few punches. The woman was tall and strong. Louise was too weak to stop her. Chapter 598 Louise could only moan. The woman didn''t stop until her hand hurt from beating Louise. Then the woman got up off her and spat at her. "If you continue to fucking move around up there and disturb my sleep, I''ll kill you," the woman said. Louise did not even have the strength to stand up. She really wanted to call the prison guards, but she was afraid that she would be beaten up again before they came. Then Louise tried to get up from the ground but failed. Other cellmates didn''t sympathize with her, nor were they willing to help her. Louise slept on the ground for the entire night. She woke up the next day. Lying at the door, Louise shouted at the prison guards, "Someone,e and help!" "Why are you shouting?" the prison guard asked impatiently. "Move me to another room. This woman, she hit me. She almost beat me to death. Please, please take me to another room. Please..." The prison guard nced at Louise. Her eyes and temples were covered in bruises, and her eyes were swollen. It was almost impossible to tell what Louise looked like. The prison guard frowned and nced at the woman, then at Louise. It was normal to get beaten up in prison. That woman had been in prison for ten years. She was the bully of the female prison. Almost every neer would be beaten up by her a few times. So Louise couldn''t change rooms just because of this. "She just switched to this room. It''s normal for you guys to have conflicts. You''ll be fine after a while," the prison guard said. With that, she looked at the woman again. "0319, don''t hit anyone. Behave yourself." Louise widened her eyes in disbelief. She could not believe that the prison guard did not care even after she was beaten up like this. With thismotion, Louise offended the violent cellmate rather than get a transfer. The woman curled her lip and gave Louise an ambiguous smile. The smile sent chills down Louise''s spite. Her intuition told her that the woman would beat her again. As expected, when Louise went to get food for lunch, the woman snatched the bread from her hand. Louise was starving and subconsciously reached out to take it back. "Why did you take my bread? Give it back to me." Before her hand could touch the woman, Louise was punched by the woman and fell to the ground. The remaining vegetables on Louise''s te were all knocked to the ground. The woman seemed to feel it was not enough to vent her anger and stepped on Louise''s hand. However, the prison guard beside was used to it. He only cried, "Stop fighting! Hurry up and eat. You have work to do after eating." Louise''s tears fell uncontrobly. She had never expected that life in prison would be so difficult. Louise had not been sentenced yet. If she had to stay in jail for ten to twenty years, she would go crazy. She broke down, sat on the ground, and burst into tears. The prison guard walked over and kicked her in frustration. "Stop crying. It''s not like you don''t have food to eat here. You know people go to jail for crimes. Why did youmit a crime in the first ce?" Louise got up from the ground with difficulty and went to get another meal. Then she sat alone in the corner and started eating bread. swn& The bread was mixed with tears, and she chewed and swallowed it. The afternoon work was farming. More than ten prisoners carried their hoes to the fields. Louise looked at the hoe in her hand with disdain and asked, "Why do we have to farm?" BUMS Chapter 599 The pampered Louise coupled with her temper annoyed the prison guard. "What now? Do you think you''re here for a vacation? If you don''t farm, what are you going to eat? Do you think you can get food and amodation here for free?" Louise cringed when she heard that. The others were already used to it. Some were weeding the fields while others were plowing the ground, and some male prisoners were spreading manure. Louise had done farm work when she was young. However, she felt that only lowly farmers did such work and was ashamed to do it. Hence, she pretended that she didn''t know what to do. Louise swung the hoe for a long time and couldn''t dig out any weeds. Seeing the manure carried by others, Louise revealed a disgusted expression and covered her nose. The weather was very hot. Everyone wanted to finish their work as soon as possible and go back indoors to make clothes. However, when they saw Louise beingzy, everyone felt very displeased. Someone hit her hard with a hoe from behind, causing her to scream. There wasn''t much flesh on her back, so it hit her bones. It was so painful that she covered her back and wailed in pain. "Who hit me? Are you blind?" she cried. "You''re not working. me yourself," a prisoner said. "I... I''m working, okay?" Louise argued. Another person walked over with a hoe and pushed her. "Get lost. Don''t stand in my way." Louise lost her bnce and leaned back. At this moment, a prisoner stretched out the hoe in his hand and pointed the de upwards. Louise fell to the ground and felt that her waist had hit something. It hurt so much that she frowned. She slowly got up from the ground and found that blood was oozing out of her lower back. Louise screamed, "Oh my gosh! I... I''m bleeding..." No one paid any attention to her. "Can you go somewhere else? I need to plow the field," one prisoner said. In the chaos, someone pushed Louise and she lost her bnce again. Coincidentally, a prisoner came over with a bucket of manure. Louise tripped and dipped her head into the bucket. Louise choked on a mouthful of manure. She struggled violently. "Ew! I''m going crazy!" When she opened her mouth, it gave off the stench of manure. Louise felt sick and vomited on the spot. The surrounding people gloated when they saw her stained with manure. The prison guard heard the noise and came over to take a look. She frowned and said to Louise, "Why is it you again? Why are you making trouble all the time?" Louise said aggrievedly, "I want to take a shower. Ugh..." The prison guard pinched her nose. "Hurry up and go. Come out in ten minutes and continue working." Louise hurried back to take a shower and change her clothes. She walked to the bathroom. As Louise passed the sink, she caught sight of herself in the mirror. Louise was shocked. She couldn''t believe that the woman in the mirror was herself. Louise covered her face, her swollen eyes, and her prosthetic nose crooked from the collision. The tissue on her head was about to rot after being soaked in manure. Louise broke down. She rushed to the tap and frantically rubbed her hair and face with water. Her face was in pain from the beating, and now she was rubbing it hard. The pain got so worse the her face contorted. Louise almost used up the soap, but there was still a foul smell on her hair. The prison guard outside was urging her to turn off the tap. Louise had no choice but to put on her SS and go out. Ther d her teeth. Conteret stood in front of the sink Chapter 600 Louise used half the toothpaste and finally, her teeth had been brushed clean, but there was still a stench from her throat. Louise rinsed her mouth, crying. The prison guard walked in and reprimanded her impatiently. "How much longer before you''re done? You''ll have to work overtime for the time you''ve wasted." Louise hadpletely given up struggling. She knew that there was no turning back now. And this was only the beginning. That night, the food Louise received was all stale, but she didn''t know why. When Louise went to look for the prison guard, the prison guard looked at it, took a sniff, and said, "There''s nothing wrong with the food. You don''t have to eat it, but you have to work." Louise''s tears fell on the food. With tears in her eyes, she ate it. Many days passed. Every day, Louise would be beaten up. Louise''s cellmate, also known as the bully of the women''s prison, beat her up even more. Even though Louise tried her best to avoid drawing the cellmate''s attention, she still beat Louise. Louise''s body was covered in bruises. No one came to treat her waist wounded by the hoe that day. When Louise went to look for the prison guard for help, the prison guard only took a look and said coldly, "It''s just a superficial wound. It''ll be fine in two days. Do you want to see a doctor for such a small problem? We don''t run a clinic here." Two dayster, her wound was already inmed. It was so painful that she refused to take a shower. Louise had a vague feeling that someone was secretly messing with her. It must be Nova or Marshall. Both of them want to take revenge on me,'' she thought. Louise had been in jail for several days, and no one hade to visit her. She didn''t want to live anymore. When Louise thought about how she would have to spend a long time here, she wished she could die immediately. However, she didn''t have the courage to die. Someone came to see Louise until two days before the trial. Louise was no longer looking forward to seeing who the visitor was. When she walked into the room, she was surprised to see Brian. Tears streamed down her face as Louise stared at him with wide eyes filled with hatred. Her foot was also injured. Louise limped over and picked up the phone. "Brian, I hate you." Brian looked at her calmly. "I don''t care if you hate me or not. I''m just here to say goodbye to you for thest time. The court session is about to start on the 15th. Even if Marshalt doesn''t ask for a heavy sentence, for the injustice Grace has suffered, I will still ask the court to give you a heavy sentence." Louise''s heart sank. She screamed, "Brian, you ungrateful bastard! Are you finally willing to admit that you love Grace?" Brian looked at her with a deep gaze. "Yes, she''s the only one I love from the beginning to the end." Louise was crying andughing at the same time. She roared, "It''s all your fault. You''ve ruined my life. You don''t love me at all. Why did you say you wanted to marry me? You Broke my heart for Grace. I hate you." "Back then, to repay you for saving my life, I did want to marry you, but you''re not the same person you were when you were a kid. Now you''re vicious, unscrupulous, and cruel How can you expect me to love you?" Brian said. Louise looked at him nkly and panicked. "I... I was wrong. I''ll change. I''ll change, okay?" Chapter 601 Louise changed her crazy attitude and said humbly, "I''m begging you to give me another chance, please. Get me out of here, and I''ll be whatever you like. Will you marry me? I love you deeply. I love you more than Grace does. Brian, I beg you to save me. Let''s live our life the way it used to be. I''ll love you as much as I did back then." Brian looked at her twisted face and said coldly and sarcastically, "At this point, you still think you can get out safely. You''re hopeless." Louise burst into tears. She banged on the window and roared, "Brian, how can you be so heartless? You''ve always treated me as a substitute for Grace. You''ve ruined my life. You said you wanted to marry me, but you''ve never touched me for so many years. You never kissed me once. My life is worse than a widow''s." Brian narrowed his eyes, wondering, ''I have never touched her?'' So that day, when he was drunk, he did not touch Louise at all. No wonder Brian had no impression of her that day. It turned out that she had made the whole thing up. Louise was wrong about one thing. In the beginning, Brian only treated Grace as a substitute for her. He only fell in love with Graceter. Louise cried and cursed at the same time. In the end, sheughed madly. "Brian, if I can''t be happy, you won''t either. Grace is already dead. You still don''t know, right? I''m behind the ident. You''ll never see Grace again." Brian frowned. He was afraid that if he listened for another second, he would rush in and beat her up. He hung up the phone fiercely. Louise broke down and cried inside. Brian walked out of the police station. When he thought of what Grace had suffered, Brian was choked with indignation and sadness. Thank goodness. Grace is alive,'' he thought. Brian would spend the rest of his life looking for her. Even if he had to travel the world, he would find Grace. ***** Louise and Alfredo''s trial soon began. Marshall sat beside the prosecutor and watched as Louise and Alfredo were escorted to court by the bailiffs. Nova and Brian sat in the gallery. Nova was wearing a ck and white dress and light makeup. Her haire was tied into a low ponytail and hung down the back of her head. The color of her lipstick was very light. en She looked like she had been crying. Her eyes were a little red and swollen. Nova looked depressed. Brian turned to nce at her. Her gaze was fixed on Louise in the dock. BriQuise''s face was calm, b feel the hatred from Louise. Brian frowned slightly, feeling that Louise was exceptionally depressed today. He was a little surprised that Nova would appear. After all, the person Louise had murdered had nothing to do with Nova. However, on second thought, Brian remembered that she was holding a photo of Grace''s daughter in the office that day. What if Nova is rted to the victim in this case?'' Brian wondered. Gradually, he had a wild guess. ''She must be rted to Grace.'' His heart suddenly began to beat wildly. He gulped and called out, "Nova." Novas turned her head to look at him. and erface was exp "What''s her gaze was solemn. the matter?" When Brian opened his mouth and was about to say something, the judge banged the gavel. The entire ce was silent. The trial had officially begun. Chapter 602 After the judge read out Louise''s crime, Louise began to mor, "Alfredo ordered me to do it. I''m not the mastermind. I''m also a victim." The two of them began to nder each other. The judge banged his gavel hard. "Silence!" Louise shut her mouth indignantly. "Rose, when you colluded with Alfredo to kill Ava, there was no hesitation at all. The court believes that you were very subjective in the murder of Ava. The motive for the crime was clear. There was no possibility of you being instigated by others. Do you plead guilty?" the judge asked. The statement left Louise unable to defend herself. Her attorney could only try his best to fight for a lighter sentence for her and persuade her to confess. After the recess, Louise changed her attitude and cried, "Your Honor, I was wrong. Please give me another chance to turn over a new leaf." Just as the judge was about to pass judgment, the aggrieved party''swyer suddenly raised his hand. "Your Honor, the aggrieved party requests to present new evidence." Even Marshall was surprised. He didn''t know what other evidence thewyer he hired had. The judge motioned for the bailiff to present the evidence and yed an audio clip on the spot. "Grace has a child. Now that she''s in jail, she can''t even take care of herself. And her brother''s leukemia has rpsed. Now is the best time to kill that little bastard," a voice said from the audio clip. "What are you going to do?" another voice asked. "She''s just a little bastard. Throw her into the sea. She''s tiny. A shark will eat her in one bite and leave no trace," the first voice said andughed. Nova listened to the conversation and clenched her fists tightly. Although she had already finished this audio a few days ago, she was still in agony when this recording was yed in public. Nova clenched her fists so hard that her long nails dug into her flesh and her palms bled. Brian widened his eyes in shock and subconsciously turned to look at Nova, whopressed her lips into a thin line. Although she did not say a word, he could see the pain in her eyes. en It was an expression that would only appear when one lost one''s closest kin. At this moment, Brian was even more certain of something. After the audio ended, Louise and Alfredo were stunned on the spot. Alfredo had forgotten about this matter. It was just a three-month-old baby. That was just one of the many bad things he had done. Out of caution, Alfredo had recorded everything when he and Louise hadmitted the crime or discussed something. A copy of the evidence was kept with his confidant. Because Alfredo was captured, his confidant had escaped Capern City. However, his confidant was foundter. Then a surveince video was yed. It captured Louise sneakily carrying Austin to the seaside, After more than ten minutes, Louise returned without her. Louise had thought she could shave a few years off for her prison sentence. Unexpectedly, she was now suspected of killing Austin. After watching the video, the judge asked, "Where''s the witness?" "Your Honor, the witness is with me." Nova stood up in the gallery. Louise turned around and looked at her. She roared crazily, "It''s you again. You''re haunting me like a ghost." Nova took a deep breath and said, "Your Honor, I was the one who found this audio and surveince footage. As for the source of the audio, I ask for the witness to attend." Not long after, Alfredo saw his confidant, Matt Beard, arrive. Chapter 603 Matt testified that Alfredo had given him those audio recordings. Alfredo knew that there was nothing he could do. He lowered his head and admitted his crime. Louise screamed crazily. She saw Nova staring at her coldly, and Nova''s eyes were filled with hatred. She suddenly realized something. Then she pointed at Nova''s nose and shouted, "You''re Grace!" Nova''s lips curled up mockingly. "Louise, a life for a life!" At the end of the trial, the judge announced, "The crimes Rose Lynn and Alfredo Millermitted are brutal and atrocious. The court pronounces that Rose and Alfredo are to be sentenced to death." Louise''s heart sank. She looked at Nova and wanted to rush towards her. "Grace, you bitch! Why aren''t you dead yet? Why are you haunting me? Why did you snatch everything from me?" The bailiff grabbed Louise and held her down. Louise knelt on the ground and cursed viciously. Louise thought indignantly, ''Why would Brian fall in love with her no matter what? He was by her side when he was young. It''s the same after they grew up and Grace had stic surgery.'' Louise burst into tears as the bailiffs dragged her out of the court. The people from the court left one after another. Marshall also stood up from his chair. When he passed Nova, he paused to ask, "You... Are you really Grace?" Nova didn''t say anything. She just looked at him silently. Marshall sighed heavily. Then, he took a step back and bowed deeply to her. "I''m sorry, Miss Sherman. I chose to forget you back then. The Adkins family owes you too much. I don''t dare to ask for your forgiveness." Nova smiled and turned to walk out of the court. Outside, the sun was shining brightly. Grace looked up at the sky. The ring sunlight made her unable to open her eyes. Tears fell from her eyes. "Baby, Mommy has finally avenged you..." Grace took a deep breath and wiped her tears. She turned around and saw Brian. Brian stood five meters away from her. The corners of his eyes were moist as he looked at Grace deeply. Before the trial, he kept thinking about what he would do if Nova was Grace. Brian had thought about it. If she did not pretend for to admit it, he would not to know and proteol e rest of his life. Conte He knew Grace did not want him to identify her, and he had no right to do that. However, Brian called out hoarsely, "Grace." It had been a long time since anyone called her by that name. her Grace looked up at the sky with a sarcastic smile. "Oh dear! I can''t believe that you still remember me." Brian saw the hatred in her eyes. He took a step towards Grace, but she took a step back and said coldly, "Don''te any closer." She didn''t want Brian to get close. Brian felt hurt and said humbly, "I''m miknow I made an unforgivable belongs to en.kikistance sorry. I mistake. Can you give me a to make it up to you?" Grace said without hesitation, "No." "Okay, I can wait... until you''re willing to give ene a chance. I don''t carene how long it will take," Brian said. Grace smiled slowly. It was a calm smile, but it made him feel cold to the bone. "Stop calling me Grace. Everything between Grace and you is over. My name is Nova," she said. Chapter 604 Hearing Brian call her Grace was like a constant reminder of her humble and ridiculous past. Grace lowered her eyes, walked past him, and left without looking back. Brian felt empty. An endless sense of panic overwhelmed him. He turned around and shouted, "Grace!" He rushed over and pulled her into his arms. "Don''t go, okay? I can''t live without you. Do you know how much I''ve suffered these past five years? "You took everything in our home with you but left behind the clothes I bought for you. I could only keep the clothes you disdained to wear and the nket you used. I lied to myself that you were still with me as long as those things were still there. "I wash your sheets every month. I use the same detergent you used. When I miss you, I lie in your bed all night, smelling the familiar scent. It''s as if you''ve never left," Brian said. Grace was already in tears. She bit her lower lip hard to prevent herself from making a sound. "Grace, I was wrong. I was very wrong. I admit that I married you because I treated you as a substitute, but I''ve been in love with you over time. And my love for you is deep and unshakable. I should have realized that earlier. Sorry about hurting you badly. You can punish me however you want, but don''t ignore me, okay?" Brian probably had never been so talkative before. Unfortunately, Grace had given up on him. She wrenched free from his grip. Grace didn''t dare make a sound, because if she did, she would start sobbing uncontrobly. Brian watched her leave. He wouldn''t chase after her. Grace needed time. Grace sat in the car and looked at the child''s photo. She cried her heart out. Grace had avenged her child, but she still felt empty. A few dayster, Grace visited Louise. Louise was insane. Her cellmates suffered because she often went crazy in prison. When she saw Grace, she still couldn''t behave. She shouted behind the ss, "Bitch! Don''t think that you''re a winner. Your daughter is dead, and you won''t know who your biological parents are for the rest of your life. You''ll be alone for the rest of your life. You will never have a family." Grace looked at her calmly. "Louise, you''re really pitiful. You could have had everything you wanted. You pretended to be Marshall''s daughter. You could have lived a peaceful life. However, you were dissatisfied with what you had and did so many bad things." Louise seemed to be tired of shouting. She sat there without moving. Grace looked at her onest time before getting up to leave. Just as Grace left, a tall man walked over. The man looked at the miserable Louise and smiled. He patted the window to attract her attention. Louise slowly raised her head and looked at him. It took her a while to recognize who he was. She picked up the phone''s receiver again. X "Miss Adkins. Oh no, Rose, Nova just said you''re very pitiful, but I feel your life is fascinating. By the way, Nova already knows she''s Marshall''s daughter. You didn''t know this, right? Also, her daughter is alive and well Soon, the family will be reunited, and you will go to hell," the man said. Then he started clicking his tongue. Chapter 605 "What did you say?" Louise could not believe what she heard and asked with a trembling voice. "It''s only been a few days. Are your ears not working anymore? I said Grace''s daughter is not dead. She already knows that she is Marshall''s real daughter. Their family will be able to live happily together soon," Nelson repeated word by word. His words were like a curse, echoing in Louise''s ears over and over again. She could no longer listen to what Nelson said. Her mind was filled with images of Brian and Grace living in a happy family with their child. She sat there in a daze with tears in her eyes. She did not know when Nelson had left, but there was a string of gold in front of her. Louise took the string of gold and slowly walked back to the cell. ***** The next day, when the prison guard called her for dinner, Louisey on the bed and did not get up. The other prisoners did not care about her at all. When it was time tobor, she was theplete opposite of her usual noisy self. She quietly did her own work. Itsted for three days. That morning, Louise couldn''t get up. The guard came in to hold her hand and found that she was covered in sweat. Her face was pale and distorted as if she had suffered unbearable agony. The guard realized that something was wrong and hurriedly asked, "What''s wrong?" Louise did not speak. To be precise, she was in so much pain that she could not speak. The prison guard hurriedly took her to the hospital. The doctor thought that she had a stomachache and prescribed some stomach medicine and painkillers. The prison guard let Louise take the pills and left her cell. The next morning, her roommates suddenly shouted, "She''s dead! She''s dead!" The prison guard rushed over and saw Louise curled up on the bed. Her body was stiff and cold. Blood flowed from the corners of her mouth, nose, and ears. The body was taken to be dissected, and the cause of death was quickly determined. She swallowed a golden ne. The police informed her family of Louise''s suicide and asked them toe and clean it up. Dawn said, "We don''t have this daughter. She''s Louise Adkins. I don''t know her. Go look for her father." The police had no choice but to inform Marshall. Marshall was apanying Shannon in the hospital. When he heard the news that Louise hadmitted suicide, he was stunned. Then, he said calmly, "She pretended to be my daughter and killed my youngest daughter. What do you think?" With that, he hung up immediately. In the past five years, he had truly treated Louise as his own daughter. He indeed loved this "daughter". Now that he heard the news of her suicide, he still had mixed feelings, sadness, hatred, and relief. Louise was dead but no one was willing to recognize her. Her body had been left in the morgue for three and no one cared about it. BUMS "Mr. Francis, Louise, oh no, Rosemitted suicide. I heard that she swallowed gold. No one ims her body She is still in the morgue." vel Brian frowned and thought about it. With her rtionship with her family and their character, it was normal, for them to cut ties with her. He decided to im her corpse on ount of the fact that she had once saved him. After burying Louise, Brian felt something weird. She was in prison. Where was the gold from? Chapter 606 "Camren, go and find out who was thest person to visit Louise." "Okay, Mr. Francis." Soon, Camren came back with the results. "Mr. Francis, thest one to visit Rose Lynn was Miss Sherman." Brian was slightly stunned. Camren asked, "Mr. Francis, do you want to continue investigating?" "There''s no need. I trust her." Back then, it was because he didn''t trust her that he lost everything and broke her heart. From now on, no matter what happened, he would stand on her side unconditionally. He would believe in her and protect her forever. ***** At the hospital, Shannon, who was lying on the bed, slowly opened her eyes. Marshall looked at her in surprise. "You''re awake?" Shannon frowned. She had not been exposed to sunlight for a long time, so she could not open her eyespletely. She closed her eyes for a long moment, then opened them again. Because she hadn''t eaten for a long time and had been injected with nutrient fluids, her face looked very dull and emaciated, like a pale corpse. She opened her mouth, and her voice was hoarse and weak. "How long has it passed?" "You have been unconscious for almost a month." Marshall could not help but tear up. Shannon closed her eyes again. Gradually, the shbacks of the memory before she fainted surged into her mind. She suddenly opened her eyes. "Where is Louise!" Marshall wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes and said, "She... is dead." "Dead?" Shannon suddenly sat up from the bed, but because she was too weak now, she fell back down as soon as she propped herself up. Marshall hurriedly pressed her down. "You just woke up. Calm down. Let me tell you what happened during this period of time. "After Louise stabbed you, she was arrested by the police. Not long after, Peyton was arrested. P washer aplice, also the real murderer who killed Ava. "Peyton confessed all the crimes they hadmitted. They killed Ava and also Grace''s daughter. By the way, Nova is Grace." Shannon frowned hard. There was too much information and too many heavy blows. She could not figure it out for a moment and got lost. "Louise hasmitted too many crimes. She attempted to kill you and killed Ava and Grace''s daughter. She was sentenced to death. A few days ago, shemitted suicide in prison. en "I... I know now that Louise is not my daughter. I''m sorry, Shannon. I made a huge mistake and killed our daughter." As Marshall spoke, he started sobbing. "If I didn''t trust Louise, our Ava might not have died. I''m sorry, I''m so sorry." Shannon looked at the ceiling in a daze. It took her a long time toe back to her senses. She had long known that Louise was the murderer of Ava. After being unconscious for such a long time, she slowly epted this fact. Now that Louise was dead, everything had been settled. However, she remembered seeing a man before she fainted. She vaguely remembered that it was a man that knocked her out. On second thought, she felt that the man should have been arranged by Louise, so she did not investigate further. She let out a long sigh and muttered, "Ava, my girl, Rest in peace. Can you see that? Louise has been punished." "That''s right. That''s an avenge. It''s all thanks to Grace this time." Chapter 607 "If it wasn''t for Grace showing evidence that Louise killed her daughter, perhaps the judge wouldn''t have sentenced her to death and she wouldn''t havemitted suicide in prison." Shannon coughed and said weakly, "We really owe Grace a lot. We wronged her back then. That day, I was stalked when I went to get the test report. She was the one who saved me." Marshall felt even more ashamed when he heard this. "When you were unconscious, she even gave you a blood transfusion." Shannon widened her eyes in surprise and said, "Marshall, when I''m discharged, let''s pay her a visit." "Okay." ***** Grace bought a lot of things and went to Carson''s house. Louise and Peyton had already been arrested. She could finally recover her identity as Grace to see Carson. It was the weekend. Carson and his family were all at home. Grace took a deep breath and pressed the doorbell. Daisy''s familiar sharp voice sounded. "Who is it?" The door opened. Daisy looked at the woman outside the door and sized her up for a while. The woman wore expensive clothes and looked elegant. She looked like a rich person. After being stunned for a while, Daisy smiled and asked, "May I ask who you''re looking for?" It had been many years since theyst met. Hearing Daisy''s voice again, Grace felt like crying. She smiled and opened her mouth to speak, but found that she was choking and could not make a sound. At this moment, Carson came out of the house. "Mom, who is it?" When he saw the person standing outside the door, his eyes lit up. "Miss Noca! Why are you here? Come in." Carson greeted her warmly. "Why did youe to my house? You didn''t even tell me you wereing. Why did you buy so many things?" Grace''s tears fell uncontrobly. At this moment, Frederick came out and asked, "Carson, this is?" "Dad, this is my..." Carson got interrupted. "Dad!" Grace suddenly called out. The three of them were shocked. Grace''s tears fell. She looked at Frederick, then at Carson and She smiled and said, "I''m Grace!" BUMS ain Vol Daisy subconsciously took a step back as if he had seen a ghost. "Grace? But isn''t she already dead? You, where did youe from? You can''t be Grace." Frederick did note back to his senses for a long time. He stared nkly at this strange yet familiar face in front of him. Carson was stunned for a moment before he took a step forward excitedly and held Grace''s hand. "You''re really my sister? You''re my sister!" He suddenly recalled the first time he saw Nova. He felt that her back view was very simr to Grace''s. Carson was so excited that he could not speak. He hugged Grace tightly and said, "That''s great! You''re not dead." Frederick''s eyes were also wet as he sighed repeatedly. "Finally, you''re back. It''s so good." Daisy also recovered from her shock. She went forward and raised her left arm because Grace had a mole under her armpit. After confirming that she was Grace, she stared at her face again. "Have you had stic surgery?" Grace lowered her eyes and said, "k was disfigured in a car ident. 41 want to take revenge, I can''t return with my original face. Fortunately, Louise is dead." Carson still did not know that Louise was dead. Grace told them everything that had happened recently. Chapter 608 Carson lowered his head and said guiltily, "Grace, I''ve let you down." "What happened?" "You entrusted Austin to me, but I didn''t do a good job of protecting her... If only Austin was still here..." Grace pursed her lips. "It''s not your fault. Louise is determined to harm my child. No matter who I entrust her to, she still won''t be able to escape her wrath. At that time, I trusted you the most. I would be even more worried if I trusted her with someone else, so I won''t me you." "Alright! Don''t be so grim. I''m back safe and sound. By the way, what are we having for lunch today?" Daisy pursed her lips and said, "Aren''t you sessful now? You''ve be your brother''s boss. You''re so rich. Why didn''t you think of inviting us to a restaurant?" Frederick elbowed her hard. "What are you talking about!" "Grace, don''t take your mother''s words to heart. Just tell us what you want to eat and get your mother to make it for you." Daisy said unhappily, "Does your Dad think I''m a servant?" "Alright, alright, stop arguing. Mom, let''s go out for lunch today and buy some ingredients after lunch. I''ll cook tonight, okay?" Daisy then said, "That''s more like it." Frederick red at her. At noon, the family ate outside. Daisy chose the most upscale restaurant and tried her best to order the most expensive dishes. Carson and Frederick were both trying to stop her, but Grace said without much care, "We can still afford to have such meals asionally." The meal cost Grace close to twenty thousand dors. Daisy was happy after eating, so she was polite to Grace. When they were returning, she was in the front passenger seat and she asked, "Now that you''re back, you should get back together with Brian!" The smile on Grace''s face froze. She looked straight ahead and said coldly, "Impossible." Daisy saw her cold attitude and said anxiously, "Why not? Look, Louise is also dead now. You''re the best candidate for him. In the past, you had no money or power. It''s normal for him to look down on you. Now that you''re rich, how are you not worthy of him?" Grace sighed and said, "Mom, I''m really not as rich as you think." Herpany had just started. There were many smallpanies like hers in Capern City. It was only because she had umted. some fame in Nelson''spany that her career was smooth sailing after she returned. "Carson is working for you. How can you not have money?" Grace shut up. She did not want to argue with her anymore. Frederick scolded her again then did she shut up. When they got home, Carson immediately went to clean up Grace''s room. They lived in a 3-bedroom t. Some random items were still piled up in the other room Daisy frowned and said, "That room will be for my grandson in the future." Frederick clicked his tongue and said, "It''s not even set in stone yet. You think your son can''t even afford a home when he''s married? Which girl is willing to live with such a` talkative mother-inw like you?" "I..." Daisy was rendered speechless. Grace could not help but chuckle and say, "I bought an apartment myself. I won''t stay here for long. I''ll onlye back once in a while." Daisy snorted. Grace turned around and went to wash the vegetables and cook. She spent her entire weekend with the Sherman family. Grace had not been back for the project she was doing at the Francis Group. She was trying her best to avoid Brian. She didn''t want anything to do with him. Chapter 609 However, a lot of things had piled up recently, so she had no choice but to make a trip to the Francis Group. As soon as she returned to her office after the meeting, she received a call from Brian. He asked Grace to send him the report forst month. Gracepleted the report and handed it to Alice. She asked her to send it to the president''s office. Brian''s face darkened when he saw who it was. "Where''s Grace?" "Nova is busy with other things." "Have here up for a moment. I need to discuss the project with her." Alice went back to pass the message to Grace. Grace shut herptop in frustration and got up to go to the president''s office. Standing in the office, Grace said in a businesslike tone, "What''s the problem, Mr. Francis?" Brian looked at her deeply. "We''ll talk after you sit." "I still have a lot of work to do. Mr. Francis, if you''re looking for someone to send you documents or bring you coffee, you should look for your assistant." Brian knew that this method was stupid, but he didn''t know what excuses he could use to get close to her. "I''m looking for you to discuss the contract. When we signed the contract, we agreed that you''re the overall person-in-charge of the project and you have to work at the Francis Group. However, you haven''t been at thepany for almost two weeks. There will inevitably be some problems. So, you have to be working at the Francis Group every day, other than Monday." "You..." Brian looked at her with a smile. "If you feel that it''s a loss, we can change the contract. I don''t want a single cent from the project''s profits. If you feel that you can''t take care of your ownpany''s business, I can personally help T.S. negotiate coborations." "As long as you''re willing to stay in the Francis Group, you can name any condition." Grace smiled sarcastically. "Your offer is very tempting. Unfortunately, I don''t need it anymore. As soon as the contract expires, I will leave." Brian''s heart ached. She had already turned around and left the president''s office. Brian frowned in defeat. In the afternoon. Grace was about to leave when she saw Brian standing at the door. She paused, took her car keys, and walked past him. Brian followed behind her and said in a low voice, "Let''s have dinner tonight." "I''m sorry, my family is waiting for me to go back for dinner. I don''t think there''s a need for us to eat alone." Brian did not say anything else and silently followed her into the elevator. When they reached the underground garage, Grace walked toward her car. At this moment, Brian suddenly approached and picked her up. Grace eximed, "What are you doing?" BUMS Brian carried her into his car and ced her in the passenger seat. He quickly fastened his seatbelt and closed the door. Grace wanted to open the door, but Brian had already locked it. His car was too advanced, so Grace did not know how to open it. belongs to en. W Meanwhile, Brian had already taken this opportunity to go around to the driver''s seat. He looked at her very seriously. "Grace, I think we should have a good talk." Grace knew that she was already in the car and could not dissuade him. She sat in the chair and did not speak. Brian looked at her for a while before starting the car. He took her to a restaurant they used to frequent and ordered Grace''s favorite dishes. Grace sat in front of him coldly and looked straight at him without avoiding his gaze. Brian took out the key and ced it on the table. He said, "This is the key to the Rouse. You are still the yel mistress of the Francis fan key KOUMS Chapter 610 "Actually, I''m quite happy. My mother really likes you. I told her who you were the day before yesterday, and she was pleasantly surprised. She''d love to have you back, too." "Grace." Brian looked at her seriously. "I know that I might seem shameless when I say this, but I still want to say that I want to start over with you." "In the past, I didn''t know better. I treated Louise''s kindness to me as love, so I did a lot of things that hurt you for her. But you''re the only person I love, from beginning to end." "Whether you believe it or not, I have never done anything intimate with Louise. My body and heart belong to you alone." Grace listened to his words. Her face was expressionless, but her heart was already surging. However, there was nothing close to excitement in her heart. There was only hatred and sarcasm. "What do you think is the point of saying this now?" Grace smirked. Pain shed across Brian''s eyes. "I''m sorry. Without you, I''ve been like a walking corpse for the past five years. Can you forgive me for myte realization? Give me a chance to pursue you again. I''m willing to pursue you for the rest of my life." Grace smiled and asked sarcastically, "Back then, didn''t you think I only cared about money? You even thought that I was unfaithful to my marriage and that I was heartless. Now, you''re telling me this because you think that you''re the only one I''ve always loved?" Her words made Brian feel ashamed. "I''m sorry." Those two words were faint and powerless. The waiter served the dishes. Grace picked up a fork and said calmly, "Let''s treat this meal as a farewell meal." Brian''s heart throbbed. "Grace..." Grace picked up the fork and started eating. The food felt tasteless. She stopped eating after a few bites. She put down fork and was about to leave. Brian hurriedly chased after her and grabbed her wrist. He went to her front and hugged her tightly. He said shamelessly, "I don''t ept this dinner. It doesn''t matter even I don''t want me. I''ll keep pestering you and pursuing you until you''re willing to be with me Grace pushed him away. Anger surged in her heart. She roared, "Brian, do you think the only damage between the two of us is Louise?" "I''m telling you, there''s still the baby! Our baby!" Brian was stunned and looked at her nkly. "What did you say?" Grace suddenly smiled. The tears in the corners of her eyes fell uncontrobly. "That''s right. The child is yours. I''ve never had anything to do with Justin from the beginning to the end. I was the one who asked Justin to fake the paternity test that day." Brian felt like a bolt had struck him. That child was actually his! "What''s wrong? Are you surprised? Look, you don''t believe me at all. You said that you''ve fallen in love with me unknowingly. It''s all fake! You don''t even have the most basic trust in me!" "I''m sorry..." He didn''t know what else to say except those two words. "Our child, Austin, was born on New Year''s Eve. Every year, when everyone is gathered with their families, I can only look at Austin''s photo and spend my days in longing and pain!" "Brian, you will never understand my pain!" "The child is gone, and my heart ispletely dead! This is why there''s no longer any possibility between us!" Chapter 611 After saying this, Grace pushed him away and left. Brian stood rooted to the ground for a long time. In his mind, he recalled Austin''s face. She was a two-month-old child. He still remembered when she was sick and hospitalized. She had been crying non-stop, but as soon as he hugged her, she immediately stopped crying. He could still remember her smile. It surfaced so clearly in his mind. It turned out that she liked it when he hugged her because she was his flesh and blood! Brian punched the tree trunk on the side of the road. Blood immediately flowed out from his joints. He recalled the conversation he had heard in court that day. He could even imagine the image of Austin being thrown into the sea. Just thinking about it made his heart ache so much that he found it hard to breathe. He even felt that Louise''s death was too easy. She had killed his child, he wouldn''t even bat an eye if she was tortured to death. Brian returned home in a daze. Jasmine asked anxiously, "How is it? Has Grace forgiven you?" Exhausted, he pinched his brow and shook his head. "Not anymore. She''ll never forgive me." Jasmine saw how dispirited he was and could not help but ask, "Brian, what happened?" "The child is mine, but the child is gone. I only found out today that Austin is my child..." Jasmine looked at him in shock. After a long time, sheforted him, "Brian, listen to me. It''s precisely because the child is gone that you should pull yourself together. There will be another child after the child is gone." "Grace has suffered too much. We have to make it up to her." Brian looked at the ceiling in a daze. He did not know how to face Grace now. Jasmine thought for a moment and said, "How about this? I''ll think of a way to help you." After a few days, Grace met Jasmine when she got off work. "Nova, I haven''t seen you in a long time. Why don''t youe and visit me?" Grace''s nose turned sour. She smiled bitterly and said, "Mrs. Francis, I''m sorry. You should call me Grace. I actually had another motive for getting close to you back then." ¨¦t Jasmine''s heart sank when she heard that. She quickly went forward and held her hand. "Don''t say that. Brian has let you down. I''ve never med you. Even if I knew that you''re Grace, I don''t me you. You''ve suffered so much in your life. How could I me you?" "Stop calling me Mrs. Francis. You were married to Brian and I vel acknowledged you as my goddaughter. As long as I''m alive, you''re my goddaughter." "It doesn''t matter if you don''t forgive Brian. I don''t care about you and Brian, but you can''t disown me because of him!" Her words made Grace''s eyes sting. She lowered her eyes and smiled through her tears. "Mom." Jasmine also smiled and asked, "Where do you n to go for the holidays?" Grace shook her head. "I don''t want to go anywhere." "Won''t it be boring if you don''t go anywhere during such a long holiday? You''ll rot at home." Jasmine took her arm and said, "Let''s go eat first. We''ll discuss where to goter, okay?" "Okay." After dinner, Jasmine had a serious discussion with her about where to go. In the end, the two of them decided to go to the Xelta Snow Mountain. The day before the holidays, Jasmine had already packed her things and went to pick Grace up from work. Grace went home and packed some clothes. The two of them set off for the Xelta Snow Mountain. Chapter 612 After driving for about five hours, they arrived at the hotel. After washing up, it was already eleven o''clock. The two of them went to bed early after driving all night. The next morning, after breakfast, the two of them hiked the snow mountain. Jasmine had the habit of working out all year round. She was in good health, and she did not even let out a single pant all the way up the mountain Grace had contracted some post-pregnancy illnesses and her health was not in the best condition. When she climbed to the top of the mountain, she was so tired that she sat on the bench. There was a huge ski resort on the mountain. Grace really wanted to go there, but Jasmine said that she did not know how to skate. She was afraid that she would fall when she was learning, so Grace had to pass on it. She could not leave Jasmine alone. Under the Xelta Snow Mountain was Loon Lake Gully. It was scenic and the water reflected lights of all colours. The temperature under the snow mountain was maintained at 15 to 16 degrees Celsius all year round. There were many tourists every season. Grace and Jasmine were having a lot of fun. At Jasmine''s age, she liked to take photos. She would hold up a silk scarf and pose wherever she went, and Grace would take photos of her Just as Grace was taking a photo with her camera, a familiar face suddenly appeared on the screen. She frowned and slowly put down the camera. Brian! He was wearing a brown coat and looked exceptionally tall and outstanding in the crowd. He just stared at her through the crowd from afar. Jasmine pretended to be surprised and asked, "Brian, why are you here?" Brian lowered his head to look at his mother who had superb acting skills and nodded slightly. The expression on Grace''s face clearly stiffened. She took the camera and walked forward. Jasmine pulled Brian and whispered, "Grace really wants to learn how to ski. Bring her there tomorrow. By the way, you can watch the sunrise tomorrow morning!" Grace did not say a word to Brian. She walked in front with Jasmine and Brian followed quietly behind. They finished exploring the entire Loon Lake Gully in the afternoon and the three of them had dinner at night. "Nova, I heard that the sunrise from the top of the mountain is especially beautiful. Shall we go and watch the sunrise tomorrow mornove Grace had never watched the sunrise and was looking forward to it. She agreed readily. "Sure." "The sun rises at four or five in the morning. Let''s go to bed early tonight." "Okay." The next morning, Grace got up and tidied up. When she opened the door, she saw Brian standing in the corridor. She paused and did not say anything. She turned around and was about to knock on Jasmine''s door. "I called Mom. She said she can''t wake up. She asked us to go." Grace paused and did not believe Brian''s words. She raised her hand and knocked on the door. Jasmine''s sleepy voice sounded. "Who is it?" "Mom, it''s me. Didn''t you say you were going to watch the sunrise today?" Jasmine saidzily, "Oh... I want to sleep for a while more. I''m not going... You guys go ahead." Grace pursed her lips and nced at Brian. She now suspected that Jasmine did it on purpose. She did not want to go with Brian, but she did not want to miss the beautiful sunrise. She thought about it. She was here to travel, why should she let an irrelevant person speil her mood? en Hence, she set off with Brian and arrived at the foot of the mountain. Brian suggested, "Let''s take the cable The snow mountain steep. I''m be afraid your body wo able to handle it." "There''s no need. Mom and I... your mother and I climbed up the stairs the day before yesterday." After saying that, Grace walked ahead alone. Chapter 613 As they walked, Grace felt that something was wrong. It felt like there was no one on the snow mountain today. After thinking about it, she felt that it might be because no one wanted to see the sunrise. She walked very quickly, but because she walked too quickly, she was already too tired to walk before she was halfway up. She leaned against a tree and rested for a moment, breathing heavily. Brian looked at her stubborn expression and could not help but smile. "With your stamina, the sun would have been way over our heads by the time you reach." Grace rolled her eyes at him. "None of your business." Brian shook his head helplessly and lovingly. He walked in front of her and squatted down in front of her. "Giddy up." Grace did not move and stared at his back. "No." "You''ve only walked a third of the way. Stop fooling around. If you don''te up, you won''t be able to see the sunrise." Grace was in a deadlock for a while, but in the end, she stilly on his back. He stood up easily without even bending his back. It was as if he was carrying a primary school student. "You''re still so thin," Brian said. Grace did not say anything. The number of times Brian carried her was pitifully few. If it was in the past, she would definitely feel very happy. "Eat more meat. You''ll look good if you''re more plump." "I won''t look good if I''m plump," Grace said. Brian said jokingly, "That''s for the best. If you don''t look good, no one will snatch you from me. If no one wants you, you can only marry me in the end." "Will you shut up?" "Okay." They walked in silence. Grace felt a little bored again. As they walked, she realized that not only were there no tourists today, but there were also no staff. She couldn''t help but ask, "Brian, there aren''t many people today. Could it be that the attraction isn''t open?" "It''s open." "Then why is there no one here?" "I booked the whole ce out." Grace thought that he was crazy. "I don''t want to be disturbed. There were too were people when we Loon Lake Gully yesterday. It was ufortable." Grace pursed her lips. "As long as you''re happy. Anyway, your money grows on trees." "If you don''t want me to be so extravagant in my spending, I''ll hand over all my cards to you tomorrow." "Who would care about your money? What does it have to do with me?" "Sooner orter, you''ll have to take care of everything." The two of them bickered until they reached the top of the mountain. The sky was gradually brightening. Grace excitedly looked at the mountain top in the distance. A red light gradually dyed the sky red. The world was snow-white, with only the hint of red on the horizon as embellishment. The scenery was beautiful. The scenery was so shocking that she forgot about the cold. She instinctively clenched her hands and looked at the horizon. Her hands were red from the cold. Brian mut a pair of gloves and. took scarf around his neck He walked in front of her wrapped it around her ontent His gentle voice sounded like he was talking to a child. "Don''t catch a cold." As he spoke, he grabbed her hand again and personally helped her put on the gloves. He stood in front of her. He was very tall and almost enveloped her in his arms. There was a faint smell of tobo and clear perfume that entered her nostrils. Grace was dazed for a moment. The sky was getting brighter. Grace pushed him away. The arc of the sun gradually rose higher and higher. Grace picked up her camera and took a picture of the most beautiful sunrise. Orange-yellow light shone on the tip of Grace''s nose. She looked at the sun while he looked at her. Chapter 614 Suddenly, a warm breath approached and his lips urately captured hers. Grace was stunned and her eyes widened. He did not do anything overboard. He only stayed for a moment before quickly retreating. There was a faint smile on his lips as he looked at the horizon. Grace came back to her senses and quickly turned around. "Let''s take the cable car down the mountainter." His soft voice sounded behind her. Her heart fluttered. "Okay." She nced at the sign and headed for where the cable car was parked. To take the cable car, one had to pass through a stretch of frozen fog, and the trees were all covered in silver-white snow. As she walked along the path in the middle of the frozen fog, she suddenly saw that there seemed to be cards hanging on every tree. Curious, she walked to the first tree. She looked up and picked up a card. On it, in fountain pen, was the word, ''Sorry''. Grace was stunned. She muttered to herself, "What''s going on?" There was another card on another branch. It said ''I love you''. She ran to the next tree and flipped through the cards. She realized that all the cards contained those two lines. ''I''m sorry, and I love you.'' Moreover, these cards seemed to have been hung up recently because she and Jasmine had passed by here the day before yesterday. There was nothing on the trees. These cards should have been hung upst night. All the cards were handwritten. She could vaguely guess what was going on. The handwriting was too simr to that of Brian. She slowly turned around and looked at Brian. He stood behind her and looked at her with a gentle gaze. "Grace, I''m sorry. I love you." Her heart felt as if it had been hit by something. There was a lump in her throat and the tip of her nose felt sore. Tears were about to flow out of her eyes. It was such a long road. He must have spent the whole night hanging them up. She quickly turned around and secretly wiped her tears. He followed her in silence. She walked slowly, trying not to think about such things, trying to force back the tears. However, no matter how slowly she walked, when she reached the end, her tears did not stop. There was only one cable car parked at the starting point. When the staff saw the two of them, he warmly led them forward and opened the door. Grace was stunned again. The cable car was filled with red roses, so many that it was almost impossible to step in. Brian went forward, picked up the huge bouquet of roses in the middle, and handed it to her. "Grace, I love you. No matter how long it takes for you to forgive me, I''ll wait for you." Tears blurred her vision. She looked down at the bouquet of roses and wiped her tears fiercely. Instead of reaching out to take it, she walked straight into the cable car Brian followed her and sat opposite her. The cable car started slowly. She turned her head to look at the snow below. Brian had been staring at her as if he wanted to carve her into his bones. Soon, the cable car arrived at the ski resort. Brian said, "Mom said you want to learn skiing. Let''s go. I''ll teach you." Grace said without hesitation, "No." The cable car door was already open. Brian coaxed her in a low voice, "Are you really not going to learn? Skiing is fun. I promise you''ll know how to ski in half an hour." "Are you sure you don''t want to experience it?" Grace finally got off the cable car. After putting on the skis, Brian stood behind her and taught her the stance. "Knees slightly bent, lean forward, eyes to the front. Ready? One ... two ... three." Chapter 615 Brian held her hand and stood side by side with her. The two of them sped off on the beginner ski track. The skis made a crisp sound as they scraped on the snow, and the sound of the wind brushed past their ears. Rushing down the first ramp, Grace lost control of her center of gravity and her skis went askew. Seeing this, Brian made a smooth turn and arrived in front of her. Her body leaned forward and fell on Brian. Both of them fell to the ground, and Grace fell into his arms. Grace was still in shock. Shey in his arms for a long time and did note back to her senses. At this moment, Brian lowered his eyes to look at her face. He raised his head slightly and kissed her lips. Unlike the light peck in the morning, this time, his tongue forced open her teeth domineeringly. Grace looked at him in a daze and struggled. Brian gave her a hard peck on the lips before letting her go. Then, he stood up nonchntly and said, "Again." Grace was dumbfounded. How could this person take advantage of her and proceed to teach her how to ski like nothing had happened! She wanted to stomp her feet in anger, but he focused on guiding her movements, pointing out the problems she had while skiing. It was as if the little episode where he forced a kiss on her did not exist. Then, Brian taught her seriously. In less than 20 minutes, Grace learned it. Although she had fallen a little during the process, she still felt a sense of aplishment to be able to ski on the track alone. It was not until noon that the two of them went down the mountain when Grace was a little hungry. When she returned to the hotel, Grace realized that Jasmine had left. She said that she had something to do at home. However, she knew that Jasmine was deliberately creating an opportunity for Brian. Grace barely said a word during dinner without Jasmine. "Let''s go to the bar tonight." Grace subconsciously wanted to refuse, but Brian said again, "Since you''re already here, have fun and rx. + don''t want your mood on this trip to be affected because of me." en Grace pursed her lips and nodded. The bar here was unique. Just by looking at the signboard outside, one could feel the strong lust. There were even signs in some shops that said, "If you drink, we''ll be friends. If you''re drunk, we''ll be husband and wife." Grace looked at these words that made her blush and her heart race. She had the urge to go back, but when she thought about Brian being with her, she was relieved. The bar was noisy. As soon as Brian entered, the waiter brought him to a booth. It was obvious that he had already reserved a seat. The waiter brought over many cocktails of various colors. Grace took a sip and it tasted pleasantly sweet. The concentration of the cocktails was not high. Grace drank a few sses in a row. Half of the people who came here were with friends, and almost half of them came alone. Fewer couples came together. Many people came here in search of a romantico encounter. en Therefore, most of the tourists were very unrestrained. Men and women were hitting on each other. A handsome man like Brian was naturally the first choice for women to strike up a conversation with. However, because Grace was sitting beside him, no one went up. However, when Grace returned from the toilet, a woman sat beside him. Brian had a horrible expression. He almost sshed the wine on the woman''s face. Chapter 616 Grace sat opposite him. He held a ss of wine and looked in the direction of the dance floor, not intending to speak. Brian said, "My girlfriend is there. Please go away." "I''m not." Grace looked at the woman. "I''m not his girlfriend. Really. Do whatever you want." The woman looked at Grace and then at Brian. Her smile became even more enchanting. "Handsome, we''re all here for fun. Don''t be so heartless. Shall we go dance?" Brian looked at Grace with a dark expression. At this moment, a man with long hair walked over and greeted Grace. "Hi, beautiful. Shall we get to know each other?" Grace was stunned. She felt like she had shot herself in the foot. When the man saw that someone went to hit on Brian but she acted as if nothing had happened, he knew that the two of them were not a couple, so he naturally came up to hit on her. She nodded slightly and said distantly, "I''m sorry." The man persevered and sat down on the armrest of the sofa. "It''s okay. You''re beautiful. It''s normal for you to be a little cold." The man raised his ss and wanted to clink sses with her. Out of politeness, Grace picked up his ss and gave him a light clink. Brian''s face darkenedpletely. He pushed the woman beside him away and said, "Get lost!" "Do you think I''m dead?" Brian''s voice was as gloomy. The man was stunned. He looked at Grace and then at Brian. He said awkwardly, "Um... Sorry to disturb you." Grace frowned. "I didn''t even interfere with you picking up girls. What right do you have to scare him away?" Brian was angry and helpless. "I really shouldn''t have brought you here. We''re returning to the hotel." "I don''t want to. I want to dance." Brian could not do anything to her. He was afraid that she would be talem advantage of if she danced alone, so he could only follow her onto the dance floor. Grace was jumping around without any rhythm. Of course, most of the people on the dance floor were like her. Brian followed her closely and looked out of ce in the crowd. en Grace was drenched in sweat. She ran to drink a few more sses of hard liquor. When she finally walked out of the bar, her legs were trembling. Brian called a taxi back to the hotel and carried her back to his room. He put her in the bathroom and ran water in the tub. "This is a new bathtub. I got someone to rece it in advance. It''s clean, you can bathe in it," he said as he went to undress her naturally. Although Grace did not have much strength because she drank, she was still very conscious. She held her clothes and said, "Don''t try to take advantage of me." Brian smiled and pinched her cheek. "Can you shower by yourself?" "Get out. I don''t need your help." He said dotingly, "Okay, I''ll go out." In the end, Brian waited outside for an hour and Grace still hadn''t exited. He walked in and saw Grace leaning against the bathtub, her head resting on the edge. She was already asleep. Brian walked in helplessly and gently picked her up. He dried her body and found his T-shirt for her to put on. He hugged her body from behind and closed his eyes in satisfaction. After five years, he could finally hug her to sleep. Grace had not slept so deeply for a long time. She knew in her mind that it was already veryte and she should wake up, but for some reason, her brain seemed to refuse to wake up. She slept until eleven o''clock in the morning. She had a nightmare and suddenly woke up. Chapter 617 She suddenly sat up on the bed, breathing heavily. She dreamed of Austin again. She dreamed that she was struggling in the sea and asking for help. "What''s wrong? Did you have a nightmare?" Brian heard her rapid breathing and walked in from the sofa outside. Grace frowned and looked at him for a while before looking down at her clothes. She took a piece of tissue and wiped the cold sweat off her forehead. She got off the bed and said coldly, "It''s none of your business." Every time she dreamed of Austin, her mood would be very low. Brian pursed his lips. He could roughly guess what she was dreaming about. "Go change your clothes first. After dinner, I''ll show you the Spring Lake." Grace paused for a moment and returned to her room without saying anything. After washing her hair, her mind became clearer. It would be a lie to say that she was not moved by Brian these few days, but there was an indelible pain between them. After calming down, she felt that she should stay away from him. Louise was dead, but what if there was a second Louise? She had no confidence in Brian. There was a knock on the door. Grace was dressed and opened the door. "What do you want to eat?" Brian stood outside the door and looked at her gently. Grace lowered her eyes and told him, "I''ve already bought a return ticket. I''ll leave tomorrow morning." Brian was stunned. "Alright, I''ll return with you." She frowned and wanted to tell him not to follow her, but then she remembered that the ne didn''t belong to her alone. He could go back whenever he wanted. Feeling a little frustrated, she walked past him and went to the restaurant downstairs for dinner. A sense of defeat overwhelmed him. Brian let out a long breath and hurriedly followed. In the restaurant, Grace looked at him seriously. "Brian, let''s stop pestering each other and let each other go!" Brian''s fingers trembled. "How can I let you go? Is it painful for you to face me?" "Yes, when I see you, I think of our child. It does make me suffer." He panicked and said humbly, "Then can I watch you from afar?" Grace pursed her lips and frowned slightly. This was the first time she saw such a sad expression in Brian''s eyes. At this moment, an urgent shout sounded. "Grace!" The two of them looked in the direction of the voice. Justin stood at the entrance of the restaurant and watched her. His eyes flickered with surprise as he ran towards her. "Grace!" "Why are you here?" Grace asked. "It''s really you. That''s great... Carson told me. Why didn''t you tell me? Do you know how excited I was when I heard that you were Justin held her arm excitedly. "Carson said that you were out on vacation, so I rushed over immediately! You''ve suffered all these years, but it''s good that you''re back. It''s good that you''re back..." swn y Justin pulled her into his arms and hugged her tightly as if he had regained what he had lost. Brian, who was beside her, had a gloomy expression. He clenched his fists tightly. If it was in the past, he would have rushed forward and punched Justin. Then, he would have grabbed Grace domineeringly and warned her to stay away from Justin. However, he wouldn''t do that now. Even though he was jealous, he still tried his best to endure it. He should trust her, respect her, and give her the right to make friends, instead of restricting her freedom. Chapter 618 Justin hugged her for a while before slowly letting go of her. He seemed to have just noticed Brian beside her. Justin frowned slightly. He looked at Grace and asked gently, "Have you eaten?" "Yes." Grace smiled and nodded. Her smile made the man beside her jealous. "Then, shall we go out for a walk?" Grace smiled and said, "Sure." Justin was delighted. He nced at Brian and then at Grace. He used his gaze to ask if he needed to ask Brian. Grace acted as if Brian did not exist. "Let''s go." Brian''s heart sank to the bottom. He watched the two of them leave. After a moment''s thought, he followed them, but kept his distance. Justin and Grace strolled along the limestone alley. "Who saved you back then?" "Nelson, Brian''s half-brother." Justin frowned slightly and asked worriedly, "He''s the Francis family''s illegitimate son? He had a motive for saving you, right?" Grace smiled. "Of course, there''s nothing free in an adult''s world. He wants to return to the Francis Group openly. I''ve helped him a lot during my five years in Merion, allowing him to gain a foothold in Capern City." Justin nodded and said worriedly, "In short, you have to be careful of this person. Ethan was defeated by him before. He has some tricks up his sleeve." Grace nodded. "It''s alright. I''ve already left him." "Yes, that''s good." The two of them walked aimlessly. Justin could not help but ask again, "Then... are you with Brian now?" Grace lowered her eyes. His tone was a little deste as he asked, "Do you think it''s still possible between us?" Justin nodded. He also understood that she was just using Brian previously. This realization made him jump with joy. "Grace, how have you been in Merion all these years?" She looked at the sky and smiled. "Do you know why I''m called Nova?" "I''ve been deep in the darkness, hoping for light. This is how I''ve been living for the past five years." It was as if she felt that the atmosphere was too depressing Grace smiled again. "But it''s alright. During the time I was hospitalized, I met many different people. It''s quite interesting." Justin looked at her with heartache. "Grace..." "Yes?" Justin looked at her for a long time before saying solemnly, "Let me take care of you from now on!" Grace looked at him, pursed her lips, and lowered her eyes. "Justin, I couldn''t ept your love five years ago. Five yearster, I still can''t." "Why? Could it be that you still like Brian?" Grace lowered her head. ''Do I like him?" Falling in love with someone was something that could not be erased. She clearly knew that she loved Brian, but she hated him even more. "I''m sorry, Justin. If I could ept you, we would have been together five years ago. I don''t want to lie to myself. I feel that it''s unfair to you. You should be with a girl like Angie or Vivian." She did not deny that she liked Brian because she did not want to give Justin any hope and dy him. Justin''s face was visibly disappointed. "You''re really heartless... Why is it that no matter what I do, I''m one step behind Brian?" Grace looked at him and smiled. "I''m very happy to have met you, Dr. Vance." Justin exhaled a heavy breath. "Alright, then I won''t disturb your vacation. I''ll... leave." Chapter 619 Justin turned around and left. His back view seemed deste. Grace watched him walk away before turning around and walking down the alley. As she walked, a few hooligans gathered in front of her. Grace stopped and turned around. After taking two steps, the few hooligans with cigarettes in their mouths smiled evilly and said loudly, "Babe, why are you running when you see us?" Grace frowned in disgust and quickened her pace. At this moment, two hooligans quickly stepped forward and blocked her way. In the alley, Grace was surrounded by four hooligans. Impatience appeared in her eyes as she said coldly, "Move!" "You sure have a temper. You''re here on vacation alone?" One of the hooligans took a puff of his cigarette, threw it away, and blew a puff of smoke at her. Grace turned her head away and her anger rose. "You''re courting death!" With lightning speed, she raised her leg and kicked him. The hooligan clutched his groin and cried out, "Ouch!" "You bitch! How dare you kick me! Fuck! Get her!" The other three rushed up at the same time. In the past five years, Grace had learned some self-defense skills. She nimbly dodged them "You actually have some skills! Not bad, little girl!" The few hooligans went into battle together, and Grace couldn''t get away for a while. At this moment, a tall figure suddenly rushed up and kicked away the hooligan who was about to grab Grace''s arm. The hooligan was sent flying seven to eight meters away! However, the others were still unconvinced. After looking at each other, they all ganged up on Brian. Brian was not like Grace who focused on dodging. He attacked almost all the time, beating up the three hooligans. Soon, his face was covered in wounds. At that moment, the gangster who had been kicked to the ground suddenly rushed over. Grace did not even notice. He held a knife in his hand and stabbed Brian in the abdomen. en Brian was a moment too slow, and he took a heavy punch from another person. Grace widened her eyes and rushed forward to kick the person holding the knife away. "Brian!" Grace shouted as she saw blood spilling from his abdomen. The hooligans were probably afraid of blowing things up. They looked at each other and ran into the alley. Brian frowned and bent down slightly. He looked at Grace and asked in a low voice, "Are you injured?" Grace shook her head. "I''m not. I can handle it alone! Why did you rush here!" Due to her worry, she subconsciously emphasized her words. Brian smiled. "My Grace is amazing now. She doesn''t even want me to protect her anymore." Grace''s eyes flowed with tears. She wiped them away fiercely and said angrily, "I don''t need your protection! I''m no longer the Grace of the past." Brian raised his blood-stained hand and wanted to touch her face. However, when he saw that was@overed in blood, he hand and clenched his fist. "But I want to protect you. I want to protect you for the rest of my life." "Stop talking!" Grace took out her phone and called the ambnce. The ambnce arrived quickly. Brian looked weak and kept holding Grace''s hand. It was not until they entered the hospital and were about to enter the operating theater that he reluctantly let go. Grace stood outside and stared nkly at the blood on her hand. After more than half an hour, Brian came out of the operating theater. Chapter 620 "The wound is quite deep, but it''s not fatal. He has to stay in bed and recuperate for the next few days. He can''t eat anything when he wakes up..." Grace carefully noted down the doctor''s instructions. She went to the nurse and changed to a VIP ward. Someone as pampered as Brian definitely would not want to share a ward. After changing the ward, Grace sat by his bed and looked at his sleeping face with mixed feelings. She took out her phone and returned the ne ticket she bought today. She propped her elbows on the side of the bed and unknowingly fell asleep. When Brian woke up, it was dark outside. The lights in the room were very dim. He moved his neck and saw Grace sleeping on the side of the bed. The corners of his lips curled up gently. He reached out his fingers and caressed her earlobe, feeling extremely satisfied. Grace felt someone rubbing her ear. She shrunk her neck and woke up after a while. Her vision was a little blurry as she rubbed her eyes. "You''re awake?" "Does your wound still hurt? Does it hurt anywhere?" Her expression of concern for him before she was fully awake melted his heart instantly. He was stunned. After a while, he said in a miserable tone, "It hurts." "Where does it hurt? Your wound?" Brian nodded. "It hurts. Now that the anesthetic is gone, it hurts..." He frowned, and there was no trace of acting on his face. It was as if he was really enduring great pain. Grace asked nervously, "Then... then what should we do?" Brian frowned. He thought about it seriously and said, "Why don''t you blow on it for me?" Grace was speechless. Her mind was automatically fantasizing about that scene, and her gaze subconsciouslynded on his abdomen. Brian sounded even more pitiful. "It hurts..." "...Then, I''ll try and blow on it for you." "Okay." Brian smiled. Grace lifted his clothes and carefullyy on bis stomach. She gently blew at the ce where his wound was bandaged. Content beundret Su Her tingling breath gushed onto his skin, and his lower abdomen tightened. Grace clearly see that his abdominal muscles were contracting. She asked nervous "Did I hurt you?" "No..." Brian said hoarsely. Grace was focused on blowing his wound. No matter how one looked at it, the scene was ambiguous. Brian subconsciously curled his fingers. He regretted it. This was simply asking for trouble. "Grace," he called her name in a low and hoarse voice. "What is it?" She looked up at him. "It doesn''t seem... to have any effect. Looks like it''s just to bluff children." Grace was speechless. The corners of her mouth twitched, and she slowly straightened her body. She didn''t feel anything when she was seriously blowing on him just now, but now she suddenly felt very awkward. en Brian continued acting and looked at her pitifully. "But what if it still hurts?" Grace asked suspiciously, "Does it really hurt?" "It''s such a long knife and it stabbed in entirely." Brian gestured with his hand. Grace thought about it and agreed. After all, the anesthesia had worn off. "Then what should I do? How about I go to the nurse?" "It''s sote. Aren''t the nurses asleep?" Grace pursed her lips. "Then what exactly do you want?" Brian looked aggrieved. "Do you find me annoying?" "Huh? I''m not." "Thene to bed." Chapter 621 "Huh?" Grace''s eyes widened. Brian covered his wound and frowned. He looked pitiful. "I think it won''t hurt if I hug you." Grace pursed her lips and looked at him coldly. He exined, "I''m not lying to you. When I hug you, my mood will improve. When I''m in a good mood, I won''t think about anything else and won''t feel the pain." Grace stared at him for a moment. Brian blinked. He was as pitiful as an unwanted deer. He sighed and turned sideways. "Never mind," he said intively. "Go back to the hotel." After waiting for a long time, there was still no movement. Just as he was about to turn to look at her, she was already sitting on the bed. "Move over there." Brian was overjoyed. His lips curled into a smile and he immediately moved to the side. That action made it seem like his wound no longer hurt. Gracey down beside him and warned him coldly, "Don''t touch me." Brian smiled faintly. "How can I move? I''m already in this state and I still want to touch you? Am I a beast?" "Wha... What nonsense are you talking about?" He wrapped one arm around her waist and held the back of her head with the other. He pressed her into his arms and closed his eyes in satisfaction. It felt nice. He was willing to lie in bed for the rest of his life if she could be by his side. Grace had just woken up and was not sleepy at the moment. Her senses felt as if it was infinitely magnified at this moment, especially his shallow breathing, which keptnding by her ears. She didn''t know if he did it on purpose or not, but soon, her ears turned red and hot. It was ticklish and soft. Grace moved in his arms. His breathing was still unrelenting. One moment, itnded beside her ear, and the next, itnded on her neck. She moved around in his arms, and the corners of Brian''s lips curled up unconsciously. He was extremely satisfied. Grace barely slept at all that night. The next morning, she habitually got up again. The doctor came over for a routine checkup. Grace stood silently in the corner. After the doctor finished his examination and went out, she took out her phone and said, "I''ll call your mother." "Why are you calling my mom?" Brian asked hurriedly. "You''re injured. Of course, I have to tell her. Also, I have to get Melvin to arrange for a few helpers toe and take care of you." Brian frowned. He knew what she was thinking. She was preparing to pass him to the helpers and run away! "She woulde over if you tell her. She''s only been back for less than a day. She''s already old and can''t withstand such trouble." Grace was speechless. What Brian said was the truth. If she told Jasmine that her son was injured, she would definitely rush over immediately. Since he had already said so, she definitely could not call Jasmine. anymore. It would seem like she did not care about her health at all. She pursed her lips. "Okay, then." Brian had already gotten what he wanted, but he pretended otherwise. "Grace, do you not want to be here to take care of me? If you don''t want to see me, you can go back to ''el Capern City. Your flight is for today. I''m the one who dyed your return." Grace kept quiet. She felt like she was heartless even though she didn''t do anything. Looking at his aggrieved expression, Grace cleared her throat. "Don''t randomly use me. I didn''t do anything." Chapter 622 Brian sighed again and said, "I admit that I want you to stay. I only want to see you. My mood will be better with you around. If I''m in a bad mood, my injuries won''t recover." Grace suddenly felt goosebumps all over her body. "The doctor said that you can eat now. I''ll go buy you soup." "Where are you going to buy it? It''s not safe out there. Just buy it in the hospital cafeteria." Grace nodded. "I understand." After a while, she returned with two portions of soup. Brian said that he was not hungry now and asked her to eat first. Grace did not stand on ceremony with him and finished the soup quickly. She opened his portion of soup and handed him the bowl and spoon. Brian looked up at her and raised his hand. He looked. Grace was speechless. "I''ll feed you?" He nodded like a chick pecking at rice. Grace pursed her lips and smiled. She sat closer to him on the bed and fed him spoonful by spoonful. After dinner, Brian pushed himself up from the bed. Grace, who was tidying up the table, stopped him. "What are you doing?" Brian looked up at her innocently. "I haven''t gone to the toilet for a day." Grace pursed her lips and let go of his hand awkwardly. "Go ahead." He slowly moved from the bed to the ground. Grace could not help but look at him from the corner of her eye. Seeing his clumsy movements, she couldn''t bear to let him be. She went forward to support him. "Don''t exert too much strength on your right abdomen. Lean on me." The corners of Brian''s mouth curled up. He pressed his body''s weight against hers slightly, but it was not to the extent that it would be heavy to her. Grace helped him into the toilet. After stabilizing herself, she was about to go out when she suddenly grabbed her arm. He looked at her seriously and said, "Can you help me take it off?" Grace''s eyes widened. Brian stared at her for a few seconds and suddenlyughed. Only then did she realize he was teasing her. Rolling her eyes at him, she turned and mmed the door. In the afternoon, the two of them took out their phones to deal with some official matters. They were supposed to return to Capern City the day after tomorrow, but it seemed like they would have to stay here for half a month. They could only handle some official matters through their phone for the time being. Grace did not sleep muchst night. After settling her matters, she was so tired that she did not even have the strength to raise her hand. Shey on the table and fell asleep. Brian put down his phone. When he saw her sleeping, his heart softened. He got off the bed slowly and walked to her. He carried her gently and ced her on the bed. Because he was afraid of waking her up, his movements were exceptionally gentle, and he used a lot of strength. His abdomen split open again because of the force. He frowned and wiped the sweat from his forehead with a tissue before lying down beside her. When Grace woke up, it was already two hourster. She asked sleepily, "Why am I in your bed again?" "You were leaning on the table, I''m afraid your hands will go numb." She yawned. She had to admit that she was full of energy after sleeping, but Brian was covered in sweat. He wanted to take a bath, so Grace had to buy a basin to get water for him to wipe his body. She lifted his shirt and saw that the white gauze was stained with blood. She frowned. "Why is it bleeding again?" After asking, she immediately thought of how he had carried her to bed that afternoon. When she realized why he was bleeding, her face darkened. "Why didn''t you listen to the doctor? He told you to stay in bed and recuperate. Don''t you know how to stay in bed? Do you think you''re a three-year-old child?" Chapter 623 Brian looked at her in a daze. After a moment, he smiled. "Grace, you still care about me." Grace was stunned for a moment before her expression darkened. "Who cares about you? After all, you did get injured to save me. I won''t feel good watching you die." The smile on Brian''s face deepened. "I want to go out and bask in the sun." Without saying another word, she found a wheelchair and pushed him to the garden behind the inpatient department. The weather here was not as hot as Capern City. It was only about twenty degrees. The air was dry and the sun rays were much stronger. Grace pushed him under a tree. Rose was the flower of the city. It could be seen everywhere. After Grace settled him down, she went to admire the flowers. Brian turned his head to look at her. She was standing beside a pile of roses, like a beautiful painting. He stared at her without blinking until she turned around after walking around. He waved at her. "Gracey,e here.'' Grace was stunned. Her grandmother had called her that when she was young. However, her grandmother had passed away when she was five years old. No one had called her that since then. She walked over slowly and asked, "What''s wrong? Ah!" Before she could finish, he pulled her into his arms and sat her on hisp. Grace frowned. "What are you doing... Oh." He was interrupted again, but this time, he actually kissed her directly. With his eyes closed, his tongue swept across her lips and tongue gently and lovingly, kissing her until she was in a daze. She was so shocked that she forgot to breathe. After being kissed for so long, her face was red. When she came back to her senses, she pushed him away and quickly pped him. Brian tilted his head to the left, but his lips were still curled into a smile. He looked up at Grace and said in a gentle and doting voice, "Gracey, you can''t bear to hit me." She didn''t use much strength at all. She only used 30% of her strength. Grace bit her lip and red at him angrily. Then, she pped him on the other side of his face. Brian was not angry at all. He smiled and said, "Be good. Does your hand hurt?" Grace was speechless. He took her hand and interlocked his fingers with hers. "I''m very happy Justin came to look for you, but your didn''t leave with him. This means that you still have me in your heart." en Grace felt that he was extremely shameless! "Dream on! Find a way to return to the ward on your own," After cursing, Grace left him there alone. For the next few days, Grace was upset at Brian and did not give him a chance to take advantage of her. As soon as the stitches were removed, Grace said that she would bring him back to Capern City to recuperate. Brian didn''t dare to disagree, because if he didn''t agree, Grace would really leave alone. Upon returning home, Grace told Brian about his injuries. Jasmine got him to recuperate at home for a period of time. Grace sessfully escaped and returned to work. Due to the week-long dy, a lot of things had piled up in thepany. As soon as Grace returned, she was extremely busy. She had juste into contact with §× a transnational project. After Grace was done with her work, she brought Carson overseas for a business trip. This project was very important. If this coboration was sessful, it would be a promotion to T.S.''s business status. It would stabilize their position in Capern City. A friend that she made in Merion was the one who rmended this business partner. Chapter 624 It was said that thispany had just had a new head. He was very young and the group of senior executives in thepany were all watching him. Therefore, he urgently needed to show some results to gain a foothold. After getting off the ne, they rested for a few hours before setting off for the hotel. "Grace, thispany is too insincere! You haven''t even gotten over the jetg. Not only did they ask you to go for the appointment, but they didn''t even arrange for someone to pick you up!" Grace smiled and said, "There''s no need to pick me up. I''m very familiar with Merion. I guess my friend told them that I''ve been in Merion for five years before, so they didn''t arrange for anyone to pick me up." "That''s still very stingy! It''s not too much for them to get us a taxi, right? I don''t think they''re sincere at all." "Stopining. Thispany''s status is not that small. It doesn''t matter if it''s they''re a little arrogant." The two of them spoke, and the car soon arrived at the hotel. Grace came to the private room and saw a foreign young man. The young man greeted her in English. "Hello, Miss Sherman." "Are you Mr. Bursley?" "Hello, I''m Mr. Bursley''s assistant, Mike." Grace was stunned for a moment, but he immediately returned to normal and shook his hand gently. "Please sit down." Carson whispered, "Grace, is it obvious enough now?" Grace secretly pinched him and told him not to spout nonsense. However, this assistant was also very high-profile. When they were negotiating, he pressed them step by step, wanting to suppress their interests to the lowest. The other party was indeed very insincere. Grace could feel it. However, for the sake of her friend, she still maintained herposure and drank her coffee casually. Seeing that she was not speaking much, the other party asked her for her opinion. Grace smiled and said, "Go back and tell Mr. Barsley that I''ll think about it again. However, you''re not the onlypany that T.S. can cooperate with. I wouldn''t think about it for too long." The assistant was slightly stunned. He did not expect Grace to be so arrogant. He quicklyposed himself and smiled. "Alright, I hope we can have a chance to work together." Carson could not help but want to smash the cup on the other party''s hypocritical face. When it was over, the other party said, "Miss Sherman, let''s take a photo." Grace nodded and took a selfie with him with a smile before sending it to his boss. Two minutes after the photo was sent, a call came in. On the other end was a gorgeous male voice. "What''s her name?" The assistant was a little puzzled and said, "Grace." The voice on the other end paused for a moment before asking, "Did she live in Merion before?" "Yes, what''s the problem, sir?" A p on the forehead came from the other end of the line. He clicked his tongue and asked, "How did the coboration go?" The assistant said smugly, "I''ve already followed your instructions and made Miss Sherman retreat." The man on the line was silent for a moment before saying, "Forget it,e back first. I''ll think of a way myself. The assistant was dumbfounded. As soon as Grace walked out of the hotel, her face darkened. She actually wanted to close this deal, but since they were not sincere, she was not in a hurry. Walking out of the hotel, Grace looked at the bustling city and said to Carson, "Carson, let''s stay in Merion for a few days." "Aren''t you going back?" Chapter 625 Grace said, "I still remember that when you were young, you wrote an essay saying that you wanted to visit Merion the most. However, because your family didn''t have money, you haven''t been able to fulfill this dream. This time we can have fun on this business trip." "I brought you here to give you a vacation and have fun." Carson grinned. "Okay." "Yes. Let''s go back to the hotel and have a good night''s rest." Grace was very familiar with the tourist attractions here. She didn''t need an itinerary and directly brought Carson to y the next day. Merion was very small, and they went to many attractions in a day. Thest attraction of the afternoon was the waterfall. This waterfall was at the border of the two countries. It was very spectacr and there were quite a lot of tourists. After a while, Grace and Carson were separated by the crowd. Grace shouted his name in the crowd. However, the sound of the waterfall was too loud. She could not even hear her own voice. She took out her phone and wanted to call Carson, but she realized that her phone had run out of battery. She frowned and continued to search the crowd for a while. There were too many people. Grace walked a few rounds but did not see him. The sky had gradually darkened and the tourists had dispersed. Grace still did not see Carson. She thought for a moment and decided that he must have gone back to the hotel. He was a grown-up, so nothing should happen to him. Grace turned around and left. She walked to the station to take a bus. She was quite familiar with this ce and knew that there was a rtively quick shortcut, so she walked into an alley with dim lights. As soon as she entered the alley, she heard a few fierce voices in front of her. Grace stopped and took a closer look. He saw a few tall Merians blocking a young man in a corner. The man was thin and curled up on the ground. He looked very was obvious that he was goin ket beaten up by the Merians. be She pursed her lips and decided not to meddle in other people''s business. She turned around and prepared to walk on the main road. At this moment, the man suddenly called her. "Save me!" Grace stopped in her tracks and turned around. A few Merians looked in her direction. Grace pursed her lips andughed awkwardly. She quickly pulled away and said, "Everyone, I don''t know him." At this moment, the man suddenly said in Zerithnese, "Save me, please don''t go..." Grace was slightly surprised and looked at the man carefully. bel He had a pair of almond eyes. His pupils were very light, and his nose was very three-dimensional. He was looked like extremely charming and was he was of mixed descent. Looking at the pitiful look on his face, Grace clenched her fists. After hesitating for a while, she slowly stepped forward. The Merians looked at each other and finally said, "Since you have nothing to do with him, leave. We don''t want to hurt anyone." Grace stopped in her tracks. The incubus-fike man immediately revealed a puppy-like pitiful ga "You won''t really leave me alone, right?" Grace raised her eyebrows and moved her wrist. She said coldly, "Since you can speak Zerithnese, I''ll help you." With that, she jumped up at lightning speed. She wore sportswear when traveling, so it was very convenient for her to fight. The Merians thought that it would be easy to deal with an unarmed woman like Grace, but they underestimated her. Although Grace was not as strong as the three men, her body was small and agile. In a few rounds, she broke one of their arms. Chapter 626 The incubus-like man pped his hands and shouted, "Wow! Not only are you beautiful, but you''re also valiant when you fight! I love you!" Grace frowned. "Shut up!" The incubus-like man shut his mouth innocently. Before he shut his mouth, he did not forget to shout, "Miss, you can do it!" After a few rounds of fighting, Grace was already panting from exhaustion. The other two Merians were also struggling to parry. Seeing that the situation was not favorable, the two Merians tried to negotiate. "If we continue fighting, you won''t gain anything. We won''t make things difficult for you. Hand over the money and we''ll let you go." Grace did not hesitate. She did not have much cash on her anyway. She could tell that these people were just trying to find a way out. If they continued fighting and attracted the attention of the onlookers, they would not be able to escape. She was also tired of fighting and did not want to be entangled with them, so she tossed the two hundred dors she had in her bag. The three Merians picked up the money and ran away quickly. Grace patted the dust off her body. The incubus-like man eagerly came over and handed her a tissue. "Miss, you''re amazing!" His voice was very gorgeous, just like his entire person. He looked very noble. No wonder he was robbed. At this moment, Grace suddenly heard the sound of a police car. She looked at the incubus-like man and asked, "Did you call the police? Don''t run around alone in the middle of the night in the future. A thin and high-profile boy like you is the easiest to target." The incubus-like man shed her an androgynous smile. "With you protecting me, I''m not afraid. Miss, what''s your name?" "Grace," she blurted out. Then, she thought of something and turned around to ask, "How did you know that I''m Zerithnese?" "I saw that you didn''t intend to care about me just now, so I tried my luck. My mother is from Capern City." Grace was stunned and nodded. "Alright, hurry up and go back. I''m leaving." She was walking in front when she suddenly felt that someone was following behind her. She turned around and saw the incubus-like man following behind her pitifully. Grace frowned. "Why are you following me?" The incubus-like man looked at her pitifully. "Miss Grace, I can''t go back. I don''t have a home anymore." "How is that possible? Not even a ce to sleep?" Grace frowned. The incubus-like man shook his head. "Can you tell me what happened to your family?" The incubus-like man looked at her with his doggy eyes and said aggrievedly, "Miss, don''t ask anymore. Miss, can you take me in?" Grace pursed his lips and looked at him foren did She felt that Shoot look like a bad person bet finally agreed. The incubus-like man followed closely behind her, looking weak, pitiful, and helpless. "How old are you?" Grace asked him. "Twenty-one." Grace nodded to herself. She thought to herself that at 21 years old, he did not even know how to fight.It was obvious that he grew up in a bubble. "What''s your name?" The incubus-like man was silent for a while before saying, "Miss Grace, call men. It''s my Zerithnese name." "Yeah." "Miss, I see you''re near the waterfall. Are you here to travel?" "Not really. I came here to discuss business, but I met an idiot."n kept quiet. After saying that, Grace realized that she had been a little rude. She smiled embarrassedly and sai ne "Well, not an idiot. They''re just a little stupid."