Chapter 50
Grace felt a wave of panic under his intense gaze, but it also ignited a stubborn streak deep within her. Why should she have to explain herself to him?
She pressed her lips together, turned her face away, and chose silence.
To Damian, her silence was as good as an admission that the gift was for her boyfriend.
A surge of inexplicable emotion rose from within him. The humiliation and frustration from being publicly rejected by her a few days ago now transformed into sharp anger.
He grabbed Grace's wrist with such force it felt like he might crush her bones, ignoring the shocked stares of the store employees, and dragged her to a deserted fire escape outside the store.
With a loud sound, the heavy door of the fire escape slammed shut behind him, cutting off all outside noise.
In the dim, narrow space, the atmosphere instantly became tense.
Grace was pinned against the cold wall, Damian's tall frame looming over her, his hands on either side of her, trapping her between him and the wall.
It was an aggressively dominant stance, and Grace could clearly feel the heat radiating from his chest.
"Let me ask you again, who is it for?" His voice was low and dangerously hoarse.
"None of your business." Grace lifted her head, defiantly meeting his gaze, even though her heart was racing.
"None of my business?" Damian let out a cold laugh. He reached out, gripping her delicate chin, forcing her to look at him.
"Grace, you really surprise me." He leaned in slowly, his nose almost touching hers, his warm breath on her face.
"You go out of your way to seduce me, and then you sneak around buying intimate gifts for another man. What, you have a boyfriend but still want to flirt with other men? Does it make you feel accomplished to keep me as a backup?"
His last words, spoken softly, felt like a poisoned dagger stabbing into Grace's heart.
Humiliation and anger welled up in her eyes, tears threatening to spill over.
She could endure Adele's coldness, John and Ethan's exclusion, but she couldn't stand his baseless accusations.
"You're a jerk!" She struggled fiercely, pushing and kicking at him. "Let go of me! Who I buy gifts for is none of your business! What right do you have to judge me?"
Her struggles were insignificant against his strength. Instead of letting go, Damian tightened his grip.
Seeing the stubborn tears in her reddened eyes, Damian felt a strange pang in his heart, as if a bucket of cold water had doused his anger, extinguishing most of it.
He clicked his tongue in frustration, loosening his grip on her chin slightly, his tone softening a bit, though it still sounded harsh.
"Why are you crying?"
Grace ignored him, turning her head away as tears finally spilled down her cheeks.
He stared at the tear tracks for a moment, then finally released his hold on her.
He stepped back, creating some distance, but still blocked the doorway, not letting her leave.
The fire escape fell into a dead silence, broken only by Grace's suppressed, faint sobs.
After a long while, Damian spoke again, his voice awkward and stiff, even to himself, "Stop crying."
He fished a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, pulling one out and holding it between his lips, but didn't light it, just bit the filter in frustration.
Grace wiped her face with the back of her hand, not wanting him to see her in such a state.
Seeing her stubborn yet aggrieved expression, Damian's irritation grew.
He took the cigarette from his mouth, crushed it, and tossed it into a nearby trash can. Then he turned and opened the fire escape door.
"Let's go," he said curtly, walking out first.
Grace hesitated, unsure of his intentions.
Damian hadn't gone far before he noticed she wasn't following. He turned back impatiently, grabbed her wrist, and led her back to the store.
The store clerk, seeing them return, especially noticing Grace's red eyes, looked awkward and unsure, but maintained a professional smile.
Damian, however, seemed oblivious, pulling Grace straight to the display of the royal blue tie she had been looking at earlier.
He glanced at it and scoffed, "Too flashy, what kind of taste is that?"
Without waiting for her reaction, he dragged her to a separate brand display area at the back of the store, where more sophisticated and high-quality ties were showcased.
"What color does he like?" he asked without looking back.
Grace, caught off guard by the sudden question, answered instinctively, "He likes something bold."
Damian sighed, his eyes scanning the ties before settling on a dark gray silk tie.
It had a subtle, elegant sheen under the lights, with a discreet, intricate brand logo embroidered in matching thread.
"This one," he told the clerk, his tone leaving no room for argument.
Then he turned to Grace, looking down at her as if informing her, "Give him this."
Grace's heart skipped a beat when she saw the five-figure price tag on the tie.
"I... I can't afford it," she said quietly, trying to pull her hand away in embarrassment.
Damian tightened his grip, not even glancing at her, and pulled out his wallet, handing a card to the clerk.
"Wrap it up."
"Damian!" Grace protested, "I don't want your stuff!"
"It's not for you," Damian gave her a sidelong glance, his tone indifferent. "Consider it an early gift for your so-called boyfriend."
"Think of it as compensation for me taking you away."
His words were still sharp, but Grace couldn't ignore the possessiveness and dominance in them.
She watched him swipe his card, his profile sharp and focused, feeling a mix of emotions.
Soon, the clerk returned with the beautifully wrapped gift box and the card.
Damian took the box and unceremoniously shoved it into Grace's arms.
"Take it."
With that, he finally let go of her hand.
Grace held the luxurious box, feeling it burn in her hands.
"I don't want it."
"Take it and you can leave," Damian cut her off, his tone cold and detached, turning to walk away without another glance.
Grace stood there, watching his tall, imposing figure disappear into the crowd of the mall.