Chapter 78 Grace's Smile Provoked Henry
After seeing Elodie off, Henry headed back to the master bedroom. Determined to fix things with Grace, he decided to call her down for dinner. It had been ages since they shared a meal.
Opening the bedroom door, he noticed the gifts he had given her tossed in a corner, like his feelings were discarded. He knew Grace did it on purpose. She was giving him a taste of his own medicine.
It was just tit for tat.
He heard muffled sounds from the walk-in closet, indicating someone was packing. Henry rushed over. As expected, Grace was carefully packing a suitcase with her essentials.
Henry watched, feeling a pang in his chest. Acting on impulse, he gently grabbed her wrist and led her to the nearby sofa. "Where are you going?" he asked, his voice urgent.
Grace met his gaze, noticing the genuine concern in his eyes, a stark contrast to his usual demeanor. She gently caressed his face. "Finished talking with her? Comforted her?"
Henry's frustration bubbled up. He grabbed her hand to stop her. "I'm arranging for her to get treatment overseas," he snapped.
Grace looked surprised, then smiled. "Hiding her away! That's good!"
Henry bit her lip lightly. "Don't twist my words."
Grace's eyes turned cold. "Is it twisting, Henry? You have no relation to her, so why do you keep helping her? Why stay by her bedside? You two hug in private, so sweet and affectionate, and you call it a misunderstanding?"
Henry noticed a photo clutched against his chest. It showed him asleep on a hospital sofa with Elodie resting against his shoulder, capturing a tender moment.
Anyone looking at the photo would think they were a couple! Elodie's eyes were filled with love, a crazy affection that couldn't be faked!
Henry was sure he had never had an affair with Elodie. "Where did this photo come from?" he asked.
Grace stayed silent, her intentions hidden. Henry sensed the photo wasn't a ploy from Elodie but something Grace had acquired. She intended to use it in their divorce.
Henry tore up the photo and stood up. "I won't divorce! Not even in death!"
He walked to the door. Behind him, Grace's voice was as cold as his. "Henry, whether we divorce or not doesn't matter to me anymore! Loving someone means thinking of them no matter how far away they are. Hating someone means even if you sleep in the same bed, it's just a dream apart!"
Henry paused, his fingers on the doorknob. "Then let it be a dream apart," he whispered.
'At least Grace will be by my side and in my bed,' he thought.
They ended the day on bitter terms, skipping dinner. That night, they lay side by side in bed, backs turned, lost in their own thoughts.
At dawn, Henry woke up. Reaching out, he found the pillow beside him empty; Grace had left.
He stared at the ceiling for a while, then got up, washed his face, and went downstairs. The maid stammered, "Mrs. Montague left very early!"
Henry turned and headed upstairs, tightening his robe. He suddenly stopped. "Did Mrs. Montague drive herself?"
The maid quickly replied, "Yes! She carried her own luggage too!"
"She's got guts!" Henry muttered, then went back to bed. The pillow still had Grace's faint scent, which tugged at his soul.
Her scent, a mix of cleanliness and a hint of body wash, comforted him. Whenever they were close, he loved nuzzling into her hair, savoring the moment. Just thinking about it made him restless.
While washing and changing, he wondered if it was Grace's delicate body that was so enticing, or if he just had a high demand. The more he thought about it, the angrier he got. She hadn't called! He pondered, 'Is she really going to keep giving me the cold shoulder?'
Grace landed at Harmony City Airport at noon.
Owen had asked her for help with a problem at a site in Harmony City. Owen had got enough on his own plate, so he asked he needed Grace to fly over and resolve the issue.
Grace went to the site first, communicated with the person in charge, and after initial negotiations, she checked into her hotel.
At a single suite of the Sunrise Hotel in Harmony City.
Grace put down her luggage and called Owen. "Owen, rest assured, I've negotiated with them, and the final result should be good."
Owen was pleased. "I knew I found the right person! You handled it perfectly, Grace. You've been a great help."
Grace smiled. "Just some simple matters! You're too kind, Owen."
After chatting a bit more, Grace realized she was hungry. It was already five in the evening.
Outside the window, the sunset was beautiful.
Feeling at ease, Grace grabbed her wallet and headed to the restaurant. In a twist of fate, she ran into Lucas.
Lucas was probably there for a medical conference, accompanied by several colleagues. They were getting the hotel's buffet.
Lucas saw Grace and was momentarily stunned. He said a few words to his colleagues and walked over to her. Under the chandelier, he gazed into her eyes and said softly, "What a coincidence! Meeting you here."
Grace smiled faintly, her eyes shimmering with emotion. "Yes, what a pleasant coincidence indeed!"
The scene was moving. Lucas, full of vigor, and Grace, delicate and graceful, gazed at each other with complex emotions. This moment was captured by someone, and Henry saw it as he scrolled through his Facebook.
In the president's office of the Montague Group, Henry sat on the gray sofa, looking at the picture of Grace and Lucas. Her faint smile was beautiful, her eyes seemed to hold little stars.
Henry's finger brushed against the screen. Grace's radiant smile lingered in his mind, a rare sight that had been absent for too long.
He thought, 'Was meeting Lucas really that joyful?'
Henry started dialing Grace's number, only to be met with the same cold, unyielding response. Despite his repeated attempts, the call wouldn't connect, echoing a frustrating pattern.
He paused, reflecting on how Grace must have felt the same frustration trying to reach him in the past, dialing his number in vain.
Henry hung up and pressed the intercom. "Prepare the private jet for Harmony City."