NovelOnlineGrace stood stunned for a few seconds. In a flurry of panic, she grabbed a vase from the caband swung it at
Ethan's head.
Just then, the fragrance of magnolias filled the air. The dried magnolias, painstakingly arranged, now dropped
their petals in a soft cascade. And the vase -the one he had chosen so carefully-split apart on impact with his
head.
However, Grace didn't realize those were the magnolias she had picked for him, and she certainly didn't know
how much that vase meant to him.
She leaned against the wall, her eyes fixed on him warily.
"Are you sober now?" she asked.
Ethan didn't reply. He just felt something warm trickling down his face. He didn't reach up to check. Instead, his
gaze dropped to her lips.
They were swollen and red from his kiss, and there was a smear of blood at the corner-left by him.
His stare pierced through her like a blade. This wasn't the Ethan she used to know.
If the Ethan from before was all poise and discipline, then this one before her now was streaked with shadows-
part saint, part sinner.
The old Ethan had self-control. He had boundaries. Hence, she used to believe she could handle him.
However, she felt like prey now. She was warm, soft, and placed right in front of a starving beast.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtShe ducked her head and strode straight toward the door. Just then, he said, "I've asked Tim to get your
documents. We'll register our marriage tomorrow morning."
Grace's steps halted with her hand already on the doorknob. She was gripping it so tightly that it felt like it was
burning in her palm.
"I told you, Mr. Henderson. | have a boyfriend."
"But he doesn't matter to you."
It was the sresponse.
Grace took a deep breath, then refuted, "It's not that he doesn't matter to me. He does. | just don't let emotions
cloud my judgment."
Staring at the broken vase shards, he let out a chuckle. "You're really heartless, aren't you?"
A sharp pain pricked at Grace's chest for no reason she could name. She didn't see how keeping a level head
made her heartless. She had simply chosen what she believed was the right outcome.
Love didn't have to be a shared tragedy.
She didn't bother arguing. Without looking at Ethan, she said calmly, "If | leave, Mr. Henderson Senior won't
hound you about marriage anymore. And | promise | won't cback."
The moment the words left her mouth, Ethan slowly approached her as he studied her expression.
Grace shifted uncomfortably and looked away.
In the next instant, he grabbed her chin. "I swear, you really are heartless."
The grip hurt, and her brows drew tightly together.
Ethan pressed his thumb hard against her lips, rubbing away the trace of blood.
She grew even more uncomfortable. She raised her hand to push him away, trying to put sdistance
between them.
All of a sudden, he cupped her face.
"Don't test my patience, Grace," he said quietly but intensely.
Her hand faltered. She didn't know what would make him let go of his anger.
Then, he answered it for her. "Marryand I'll keep you safe."
Grace flinched hard. She shoved him away as she staggered a few steps backward. She was genuinely
frightened. Her face had even gone pale.
Turning around, she flung open the bedroom door and rushed downstairs. When she reached the first floor, she
bumped into Tim.
Tim didn't greet her, and she didn't say anything to him either. She strode out of the house and made her way
toward the guard booth.
Palm Bay was massive-almost absurdly so. But she was too lost in her thoughts to care. When she finally got to
the guard booth, she knocked on the closed window.
"Hello, can you open the gates for me, please? | want to go out."
There was no answer.
She moved to the towering iron gates, gripping the cold bars with a sinking heart. Was Ethan actually planning to
keep her locked in here? The thought made her chest tighten. s
Defeated, she slumped down somewhere nearby. The streetlights were dim, making her look especially small
and fragile in the gloom. She suddenly thought of Levi and how Ethan had shown no mercy when dealing with
him. s
At his core, Ethan was ruthless. He only seemed easygoing because of his quiet
nature. That calm demeanor had fooled her.
She had rushed out without thinking, wearing nothing but a flimsy set of pajamas she had randomly grabbed
from the villa. And now, the breeze gent a chill through her, making her shiver.
s
However, she didn't want to go back. Just the memory of Ethan's gaze made her
skin crawl. She felt hunted.
word
word
mmMwWLIII0fiflo&1
mmMwWLIII0fiflo&1
mmMwWLHI0RAO&1
mmMwWLIII0fiflo&1
mmMwWL1i10f1ifl0&1
mmMwWLIiI0fiflO&1
Visit our social media platform to read fascinating stories every day and connect with the community!
