Chapter 116
Grace's POV
At eight o'clock in the evening, I finally returned to my apartment. After a busy day, I had violated my agreement with Alex to have three video calls daily. I felt somewhat guilty and uneasy.
I went to the kitchen first to prepare a simple dinner, then dialed Alex's video call.
The phone rang several times, but no one answered.
He might be in a meeting.
Just as I was about to hang up, the call came back. Alex's face appeared on the screen, with an elevator interior in the background.
"Sorry, I just got out of a meeting. I was in the elevator so I didn't get it," he explained.
I carefully observed Alex's expression. He looked tired, with faint dark circles under his eyes, but his mental state seemed fine.
"Are you overworking?" I asked with concern.
Alex gazed at the camera, the corners of his mouth turning up slightly. "I'm not tired, look carefully."
I reached out to gently touch Alex's face on the screen. Even through the screen, I could feel his warmth.
"Tell me about today's business battle," Alex said.
I took a deep breath. "Things went smoothly. Richard and his father have been completely expelled from the group. I restructured the entire management and appointed an interim CEO."
I paused, then reflected: "I'm probably really a woman with an extreme desire for revenge and ruthless methods."
Alex could detect the exhaustion in my tone, which reflected the complex emotions in my heart.
He looked at me affectionately. "Grace, truly ruthless people don't think of themselves as heartless or merciless."
His brow furrowed slightly, his eyes showing distress. "You don't need to care about others' judgments. If you didn't have the ability to fight back, the Harrison family wouldn't show you any mercy."
Alex said firmly: "Even if you're the most vengeful person in the world, I still love you deeply."
I was amused by him and asked playfully: "Then if you hurt me in the future and I retaliate against you like this, would you still like it?"
Alex answered without hesitation: "I would like it."
Then he asked back: "So if I hurt you in the future, would you also be ruthless and heartless to me?"
I looked at him through the screen. The question hit deeper than I expected. "That depends," I said, my voice steady. "Are you going to lie to me like Richard did? Use me for your own gain and then throw me away when it's convenient?"
"Never." The word came out fierce, immediate. Alex's jaw tightened, and his voice dropped to that commanding tone I'd come to recognize. "No matter what pressure the Morgan family faces, no matter what business interests are at stake, I will never betray you. That's a promise I'll keep until my last breath."
I reached out, my fingertips touching the cool surface of the screen where his face was. My voice came out shakier than I intended. "My coldness, my calculating nature – I save all of that for the people who've hurt me. But you, Alex..." I paused, swallowing hard. "You're the one person I'm willing to drop every defense for. The one I want to walk through life with."
God, when did I become this vulnerable?
"You're shivering," Alex observed, his voice gentle now. "Are you cold?"
I glanced down, realizing I was still in my work clothes from earlier. "Just tired, I think. It's been a long day of corporate restructuring and media management."
"Go take a hot shower," he instructed, but there was tenderness in his command. "I'll wait here. We're not ending this call until I know you're properly settled for the night."
I smiled despite myself. "You're very bossy for someone who's supposed to be in important meetings."
"Making sure you're okay is the most important thing in my world." His words were simple, but they hit me like a physical blow. When was the last time someone said that to me and meant it?
---
Half an hour later, I emerged from my bathroom in my silk pajamas, my hair damp and skin flushed from the hot water. Alex was still there on my laptop screen, though I could see he'd moved to what looked like his hotel room. He was reviewing some documents, but his attention immediately snapped to me when I appeared.
"Feel better?" he asked, setting aside his papers.
"Much." I settled onto my bed, propping the laptop on my nightstand. "You didn't have to wait."
"I wanted to." He studied my face through the camera. "Remember to blow-dry your hair properly. I don't want you catching cold."
I laughed, reaching for my hair dryer. "Yes, sir. Anything else, Dr. Morgan?"
His expression grew serious, almost reverent. "You know what? Even through this screen, even with terrible hotel wifi, you're still the most beautiful woman I've ever seen."
The way he looks at me like I'm something precious...
I felt heat rise in my cheeks as I plugged in the dryer. "Flattery will get you everywhere, Mr. Morgan."
"It's not flattery if it's true." He leaned back in his chair, watching as I began to dry my hair. "Don't mute the call. I want to hear every sound of your evening routine."
Something about that simple request made my heart skip. He wanted the mundane details, the ordinary moments.
As I worked the dryer through my hair, I caught Alex's expression on the screen – completely focused on me, a small smile playing at his lips. Like this was exactly where he wanted to be, even from thousands of miles away.