Chapter 290 Henry, Can I Trust You?
Grace woke up in the hospital.
The lights above were way too bright, so she shut her eyes again. When she finally adjusted, she saw Henry by her side, still in his suit, probably having rushed over from work.
His eyes were red and tired.
Grace turned her head to the big window. The moon was shining, and she softly asked, "What time is it?"
"It's 1:00 AM." Henry's voice was rough. He leaned in, gently touching her face, his eyes locked on hers.
They had been together for a while, shared a lot, but now it felt different. Henry's gaze wasn't just affectionate; it was tender. The more gentle he was, the more it hurt.
Elodie had become a thorn in her heart.
Grace lay there, her head on the white pillow, listening to Henry's soft breathing. They stayed quiet for a long time before she finally asked, "Is what they're saying online true? Is our marriage really unhappy? And was Elodie real?"
Henry had heard it all from Taylor when he got there.
He should be thankful Grace was willing to talk about it instead of keeping it all inside.
But he knew no woman would be okay with this.
Henry knew what she was getting at. She was worried he had feelings for someone else and maybe even questioned if their relationship was just a sham.
Grace was pulling away.
Henry thought for a moment, then walked to the window. He wanted a cigarette but held back. When he spoke, his voice was strained. "Grace, we've been through a lot, but I never loved Elodie. It was a misunderstanding from the start, and before you lost your memory, we were very much in love."
He said the last part heavily, almost losing it.
The memories of Elodie hurt both of them. Because of Elodie, he had let Grace down so many times. He felt deeply sorry for her; it was a debt he could never repay.
He admitted it but didn't go into details.
Grace blinked lightly and asked, "Henry, can I trust you? Trust that we were really in love before?"
Henry turned around, the darkness behind him making him look somber.
After a while, he softly said, "Yeah, you can trust me. It's true."
Grace smiled faintly, but a tear slipped from the corner of her eye, soaking into the pillow.
She said she believed him, but once a relationship had impurities, it was no longer pure. Grace knew deep down that rather than choosing to believe Henry, she had no choice.
They had two kids who had been through a lot. She couldn't just ignore their feelings and cause a huge scene with Henry over a woman who was already dead.
Grace held back.
Henry slowly walked over, half-kneeling in front of her, gently caressing her face.
After a moment, he leaned in to kiss her.
But Grace turned her face away, softly apologizing, "Henry, I need time to accept this—to accept my identity, our relationship, and our future. Now, I know that Taylor and Avery are my children, so I need to make my own plans. And Serene Petal Dining is my hard work; I can't just abandon it."
Henry didn't speak.
Grace continued, "I don't want to be your personal secretary anymore. I want to be myself again. Henry, if you can't accept that, then we..."
Henry quietly looked at her and slowly said, "I accept."
Grace looked at him in surprise. She thought Henry would want her to return to the family and handle household chores. She could tell that Henry liked seeing her do housework for him.
Henry smiled faintly, "We are a couple; everything can be discussed."
After he finished speaking, he gently stroked her long hair.
Grace didn't reject him. She softly leaned back on the pillow, but Henry could see that she was pulling away.
He could understand how she felt. A very charming man suddenly became her husband, with a questionable past. Any woman's infatuation would fade, and even her physical attraction to him would disappear.
That was why she avoided his kiss just now. A person's physical response was the most telling.
Henry didn't push her. He told himself that after everything they'd been through, just being together now was a blessing.
But it still hurt that Grace kept him at arm's length because of Elodie.
Late that night, Grace fell asleep, exhausted.
Henry, though, couldn't sleep. He slipped out of the room, walked to the end of the corridor, and stood there for a long time before shakily pulling out a cigarette and lighting it.
The window was half-open, and he was only wearing a thin black shirt, but he didn't care.
Henry stood alone in the dark, silently smoking and tasting the bitterness of unrequited love. Grace had once said she felt like she had stolen this relationship, but in reality, it was he who had stolen it.
Now that Grace knew about the past, Henry felt like fate had decided his punishment wasn't enough.
Henry gave a sad smile. Even though it wasn't enough, he didn't want to let go.
The next day, Juniper came to visit Grace in the hospital.
When Juniper pushed the door open, Grace looked up at her.
They locked eyes, both tearing up. She knew this was Juniper, her best friend.
Juniper stepped forward and hugged her.
Juniper, usually so fiery, was now cautious. She checked Grace over, worried she might be hurt.
Grace was fine, and Juniper was relieved.
She tried to hold back but couldn't help choking up. "When I heard you were back, I wanted to come see you right away, but I was afraid I'd upset you. Grace, I'm so happy! You know, when you had the accident, I almost went crazy."
Grace had forgotten everything, but she gently touched the hearing aid behind Juniper's ear, feeling a pang of heartache. She guessed Juniper had been through a lot.
Juniper held her hand, eyes full of tears. "Don't worry, I'm fine now. Stop thinking about the past. Lucas said thinking too much would give you headaches. I'll tell you everything."
Juniper didn't mention Frank. She only talked about marrying Brent and how he had passed away, leaving her single now.
Finally, she said softly, "Julia is with me. Don't worry. Besides, we can be together again."
Grace was deeply moved. At this moment, Juniper remembered her purpose, wiped her tears, and said, "Grace, I know you feel uncomfortable, but you and Henry truly loved each other later on. After you disappeared, he searched for you for a whole year. If it weren't for the kids, I feared he would live in the mountains forever, or worse, do something drastic."
Juniper tearfully urged Grace, "Just move on."
Grace whispered, "I know."
But matters of the heart were never so easily explained.
Just then, Clara came in with some soup. She had heard Juniper and Grace talking from outside and couldn't help but wipe her tears, but she didn't go in.
Clara couldn't bear any more blows. Oliver was not doing well at all. She sincerely hoped that Grace and Henry could live happily.
Clara couldn't hold back her tears. The hospital room door opened, and Grace slowly walked up behind her.
Grace hugged Clara and buried her face in Clara's back, crying and apologizing.
Clara turned around and hugged Grace tightly, tears streaming down. "Grace, I was so scared!"
The night before Grace was discharged, Henry still came to be with her.
She wasn't really cold to him. Instead, she showed a polite distance, like a couple married for years who treated each other with respect.
Henry tried to please her, bringing Avery along to cheer her up.
When Avery was around, Grace was different. She'd hold him, read to him, and play little games. Meanwhile, Henry would sit nearby, working.
Late at night, after Avery had fallen asleep, Grace carefully tucked him in.
Under the light, she looked at Avery's face. He looked a lot like Henry but with a bit more refinement.
Henry came out after taking a shower and saw her gentle expression.
His heart stirred, and he couldn't help but hug her from behind, whispering, "How about moving into the villa when you're discharged tomorrow?"