Chapter 182 Returning to Tranquil Heights and Spending an Intimate Night 1
Grace had just finished calming Taylor down, and it was already pushing nine.
She was about to hop in the shower when Juniper showed up, looking all kinds of messed up. Grace yanked her inside and whispered, "What's got you here so late?"
Juniper's voice was all shaky, and after a bit, she finally blurted out with teary eyes, "I ran into Frank tonight!"
Grace was floored. After a beat, she led Juniper to the living room and handed her a warm towel to clean up.
Juniper clung to Grace's sleeve, mumbling, "Grace, I'm scared Brent's gonna find out about my past. I'm scared he'll care."
She had told Brent she'd been with other guys and had an abortion, but Brent didn't know it was Frank.
Grace lowered her head, wiping Juniper's face.
She softly said, "Brent thought long and hard before going after you. He actually knows about all that stuff and even asked me. I didn't hide it from him, Juniper. He knows it was Frank."
Juniper started crying, trying hard not to wake Taylor. Her sobs were muffled.
She'd always had so little and kept losing. She never dared to hope for much, let alone that a guy like Brent could accept her messy past.
She leaned into Grace's arms, her voice barely a whisper. "Even though he was married and had kids, compared to me, his life is so perfect!"
The Morgan family was a big deal in Vesper City, loaded for generations. Brent's life was just too good!
Grace got it and gently patted Juniper's back, silently comforting her.
In the early hours, Brent flew from Vesper City to Evergreen City and snuck into Grace's place in the dead of night.
Downstairs, a black Bentley was parked, with a man in black inside—it was Henry.
Henry couldn't sleep and just wanted to be close to Grace, even if it was just to peek through the window. Maybe in the morning, he could also see Taylor, but instead, he saw Brent, Grace's overnight guest.
Henry sat there, stone-faced, watching Brent go upstairs and into Grace's place, but he couldn't do anything. Because Henry and Grace weren't married anymore!
In the dim car, there was a glint in Henry's eyes. Some feelings come too late. When he wanted to hold on, he found couldn't have it all.
Henry didn't even want to think if another guy had already taken his spot.
On the day they'd agreed on, Grace came downstairs holding Taylor.
Henry was already there, leaning against the Rolls-Royce. Rain had soaked his black trench coat, but he didn't seem to care.
Seeing Grace come down, he quickly walked over.
He handed the umbrella to Grace and scooped Taylor into his arms. When he held Taylor, his anger eased up a bit.
Taylor cupped Henry's face and planted a sweet kiss on him.
Henry's face softened a bit.
He buckled Taylor into the child seat, then swung open the passenger door and gave Grace a deep look. "Hop in!"
Grace slid in and sat next to him.
Once inside, Henry couldn't help but steal glances at her. Grace was rocking a dark long dress, her golden hair slightly curled and cascading over her slender waist, oozing that mature woman vibe.
Henry stared for a while, and Grace noticed, softly saying, "Drive!"
Henry snapped out of it and gently pressed the gas pedal.
They didn't chat much on the way. The only sounds were the car's hum and Taylor's off-key singing from the back seat.
Out of nowhere, Henry chuckled, "Just like me! I'm tone-deaf too."
He then shot a glance at Grace.
That little moment brought them a bit closer. No matter the love and hate, no matter the distance between them, they had Taylor, and for her, they had to keep it together.
Half an hour later, the Rolls-Royce Phantom rolled into Tranquil Heights.
Grace's eyes got a bit misty as she stepped out. Tranquil Heights looked the same, but the people inside had changed.
Taylor leaned against Henry's chest, her voice tiny. "Daddy, why is Mommy crying?"
Henry's voice was low. "Mommy's mad at Daddy."
Taylor didn't get adult stuff. She just looked at Grace, seeing her sad and teary.
Grace quickly pulled herself together.
The servants at Tranquil Heights were all Henry's people. They knew Grace and Taylor were coming back today and were on high alert. Seeing Grace, they called her Mrs. Montague, still as respectful as ever.
Grace gave a faint smile. "Just call me Ms. Windsor."
The servants didn't dare to change it up.
Henry's expression was complicated, but he went along with Grace, "Do as Grace says."
Henry took Taylor around for a look.
Grace didn't want to seem all buddy-buddy with Henry, so she headed to the kitchen to whip up a beef pizza for Taylor, her fave.
Behind her, Henry watched quietly. Grace bustling around the kitchen was just like old times.
Back then, she always loved messing around in the kitchen. She wasn't as mature and capable as she was now. She didn't have a career back then; she was just Henry's wife.
Henry's heart ached. He couldn't help but walk over and hug her from behind. He touched her through her clothes.
Grace was a bit distracted, and then the minty scent of him filled her senses, hot and burning, warming her soft flesh and stirring her desires.
"What are you thinking about?" Noticing her distraction, he turned her around and pressed her against the counter, kissing her.
Grace was on her period, and Henry could tell right away.
He looked up at her, his gaze deep and unreadable, filled with meanings she couldn't quite grasp.
Outside, the rain started pouring harder.
Henry lowered his head, wanting to kiss her again.
Grace pushed him away, her voice light and hoarse. "Not here!"
Henry stopped, his heavy breathing showing how much he was holding back. After a moment, he let go of her and leaned back against the wall, pulling out a cigarette from his pocket and placing it on his lips but not lighting it.
Henry's blue eyes were filled with an unknown anger as he looked at her.
After a while, he asked softly, "Is it that you don't want to do it here, or you don't want to do it at all?"
Grace turned her face away, her tone slightly cold. "You know the answer!"
"Know what?" Henry was about to move closer when a servant hurried in, catching Henry and Grace mid-conversation. She cleared her throat awkwardly and said, "Mrs. Aurora Montague is here! She insists on seeing Ms. Taylor Montague and won't leave."
Henry looked at Grace.
Grace's expression was uneasy. Aurora's appearance brought back memories that made her heart ache just thinking about them.
Henry gently patted her shoulder and said softly, "You go upstairs and check on Taylor. I'll go see her."
The rain fell like a curtain.
At the entrance of Tranquil Heights, Aurora paced back and forth anxiously, with a servant holding an umbrella following her.
Both of them were getting soaked.
Aurora didn't care. She just wanted to see Taylor. After a few years, Taylor must have grown taller and looked a lot like Henry.
The black wrought-iron gate slowly opened, and Henry walked out with an umbrella.
He wore a white shirt and black trousers, looking indescribably handsome in the rain.
Aurora hurried to meet him. "Henry, let me see Taylor. I'm her grandmother! I even brought her some homemade treats."
Aurora quickly motioned for the servant to fetch them.
But Henry stopped her with a calm voice. He spoke softly, "Don't bother! I won't let you see her! Grace and Taylor are my wife and child; they have nothing to do with you!"
Aurora was stunned.
The servant holding the umbrella for her couldn't help but call out, "Mrs. Aurora Montague!"
Aurora pushed her away, letting the rain drench her face and body. The rain made it hard for her to keep her eyes open, but she still stepped forward and grabbed Henry's collar, her voice heart-wrenching. "Henry, what are you saying? Do you know what you're saying? How am I not her real grandmother? I truly care for her!"
Henry let Aurora push him.
The rain fell like a curtain, and Henry said softly, "It was on a rainy day like this that Neil left us! But you forgot you still had me. We could have had a good life, but your heart was only with Neil!"
With that, Henry turned and walked away.
The black gate slowly closed in front of Aurora, just like Henry's heart closing to her.
Aurora stood there, dumbfounded. Suddenly, she burst into tears. She knew that Henry hated her.
All these years, he hadn't returned to the Montague family Manor, hadn't spent a single holiday with Aurora. He spent New Year's at Tranquil Heights, as if Aurora wasn't his mother.
Yes, she was still Aurora, but she had completely lost Henry.
And all of this was Neil's fault. If he hadn't left them, how would she and Henry have come to this point?
Aurora cursed Neil. But the more she cursed, the more it showed how much she loved him. Neil was a thorn in her heart that could never be removed.
When Henry returned, Taylor was already awake, and Grace was holding her in the dining room, feeding her fruits.
Taylor was munching away happily.
Hearing the noise outside, Taylor wrinkled her little face and innocently said, "The person outside is so noisy! Doesn't she have a home?"
How could Henry explain adult matters to Taylor? Feeling uneasy, he walked over and gently patted Taylor's little head, then looked up at Grace.
Grace's expression was indifferent. The unexpected event had dampened their mood. Taylor was very happy, but Henry and Grace didn't have much of an appetite.
After dinner, the rain poured even harder. Henry suggested that Grace and Taylor stay the night, saying, "Taylor can sleep with me, and you can stay in your old room."
Grace could see that Taylor really wanted to stay, so she agreed after some thought.
After three years, spending the night again at Tranquil Heights, Grace felt complicated and couldn't sleep.
At five-thirty in the morning, Grace couldn't help but get up. She put on a light wool shawl and went downstairs, intending to get a carton of milk from the kitchen, but she didn't expect to see Henry there.
Henry was leaning against the refrigerator, lost in thought.
Seeing Grace, his blue eyes tightened, and his voice was hoarse. "Why are you up?"
Grace responded, "I wanted some milk."
Henry stood up, seemingly to make room for her. Grace softly thanked him and opened the refrigerator to get the milk. But as soon as she grabbed the milk, Henry hugged her from behind.
His touch was much more intense than in the afternoon.
Touching her through her clothes, he always knew what she liked, and he knew how to make her feel good.
Grace let out a muffled groan.
Henry's blue eyes fixed on her face, his voice hoarse. "To your room?"