Chapter 212 Grace, He Gave You Everything!
The sales associate swung by with two steaming cups of joe. Grace didn't touch hers; she was laser-focused on Esme.
Esme took a deep breath, her eyes wandering back to old memories, and started, "It was Celeste who hit me up back then. She said Henry wanted to cut a deal with me."
She took a sip of her coffee, her fingers shaking a bit.
With a bitter smile, Esme continued, "I hated his guts at the time. But Celeste threw out a number I couldn't ignore. A multi-billion dollar project? I was hooked! Later, Celeste dragged me to the hospital to sign the papers. And I saw Henry; he looked way worse than when you saw him later. He was just lying there, barely able to move. But Grace, you know what? His eyes were so calm, like he was totally at peace with everything."
Esme's voice was tight with emotion.
Grace's eyes were already misty, but she forced herself to keep listening.
Esme paused, then went on, "I signed the contract and got the project. I played the part of his girlfriend in front of you, just like he wanted! That time at Tranquil Heights, you must've felt so humiliated. But did you know, Henry couldn't even sit up straight in a wheelchair then. He was in the bedroom, listening to your every move!"
"He heard you come and go!" she added.
"Grace, you must've figured out why he ended up like this! Yeah, he gave half his bone marrow and plasma to save Taylor. From the moment he got on that operating table, he knew what was coming!" Esme continued, "And there's one more thing you probably don't know! Celeste told me Henry had written his will early on. If anything happened to him, the Montague Group wouldn't go to Taylor or Avery, but to you, Grace!"
"Grace, he left everything to you!" she said, her voice breaking.
Grace sat there, silent. She didn't notice when Esme left; she only realized her coffee had gone cold when she took another sip.
Outside the big window, the rain was coming down hard.
Just then, the sales associate came over and said softly, "Mrs. Montague, Ms. Rodriguez mentioned you should change into some dry clothes before she departed."
Grace shivered, feeling a chill run through her body, but she wasn't up for changing. Instead, she reached into her purse and pulled out a card to leave as a tip and compensation for the carpet.
When Grace left, she was in a fog, and the sales associate stood there holding the card, stunned.
Suddenly, Grace turned back and asked the sales associate softly, "Did you just call me Mrs. Montague?"
The sales associate mumbled, "Yes."
Grace's lips quivered, and she looked a bit lost. "It's been ages since anyone called me that. Can you say it again?"
The sales associate found it odd but, for the tip, said, "Mrs. Montague!"
Grace's expression was a mix of emotions.
Before the sales associate could react, she had already stepped into the pouring rain outside. She was shivering, trying to flag down a cab.
Cars zoomed by, and she waited in the rain for half an hour.
The rain kept coming, and the night swallowed the last bit of light.
Henry sat quietly in the living room. To his left was a medical report. The latest drug had some benefits but wasn't a long-term fix.
Lucas had just left, saying the new drug was still being worked on and that he shouldn't lose hope.
Henry wasn't about to give up, but he had no clue when he'd be able to use his right hand or get out of the wheelchair. No one had any answers.
He was in a foul mood, and the staff usually knew better than to bug him, but tonight was different.
From the courtyard, he heard the faint sound of a car pulling up, followed by hurried footsteps. Mira knocked urgently on the door, exclaiming, "Mr. Montague, Mrs. Montague is back!"
Henry assumed it was Aurora.
He replied calmly, "Have her wait in the dining room downstairs. I'll be right down."
At the door, Mira didn't respond.
Henry frowned and was about to wheel himself out to check.
The door opened gently.
Grace stood there, soaked to the bone. Normally, she was the picture of grace and beauty, but now she looked like a mess.
She didn't seem to care. She just stood there, looking calm but with her chest heaving, lips trembling, and her whole body tense like a bowstring.
Henry sensed something was up.
He looked at Mira and said softly, "You can go now."
Mira hesitated but eventually wrung her apron and went downstairs.
After Mira left, the rain outside kept pouring, making the air inside feel damp. Henry's handsome face showed no expression under the light, and his voice carried a hint of openness. "Come in and close the door."
Grace walked in slowly, the thick door blocking out the storm's noise, making the space feel unusually quiet and peaceful.
When she looked at him again, her eyes were full of emotions.
Henry saw right through her, his tone taking on a hint of sternness, just like that night at Tranquil Heights. "Come a little closer."
Grace felt a bit overwhelmed, but she still walked towards him step by step.
When she was within reach, Henry pulled her onto his lap.
Their posture was just as compromising as that night, but Henry's expression was even sterner. He showed no emotion, nor any desire, purely as if to humiliate Grace. "Are you sure Owen is aware that you went to your ex-husband's house in the middle of the night, Grace?"
"He knows!" Grace's voice trembled as she said this.
Grace reached out to touch Henry's handsome face, from his features to his neck, and then his body. She almost touched every inch of him.
Her eyes filled with tears. "Henry, I know everything now!"
She asked him why he didn't tell her, why he hid it from her, why he used Esme to deceive and anger her, to drive her away!
Henry calmly retorted, "Aren't you doing well now?"
Grace was stunned.
Henry grabbed her hand and pulled her closer.
His refined face was close to hers, their faces almost touching, his breath hot on her lips, but his words were harsh. "Isn't it better than being with a cripple?"
"Henry!" Grace wasn't scared off by him. She even wrapped her arms around his waist and kissed him.
The soft touch made Henry momentarily dazed.
Grace murmured, "Don't say that! Henry, I won't let you say that."
She seemed to have made up her mind, gently wrapping her arms around his neck, kissing him tenderly and passionately, even pressing against him for a deep kiss.
Henry didn't reject Grace, but he didn't accept her either. Under the light, his eyes were dark and inscrutable as he watched Grace in his arms. Her clothes were all wet, revealing her curves, making her look extremely seductive.
Henry certainly felt something, but he wouldn't allow himself to feel it. As Grace tenderly embraced him, he grabbed her slender wrist and pulled her into his arms, starting to play with her roughly, back and forth, as if to crush her in his hands.
He wasn't gentle!
The way he treated her had no tenderness, almost as if she were a cheap woman.