Chapter 70
Richard's POV
I returned home in the morning with an exhausted body. My head was pounding.
Mother was waiting in the main sitting room, still in her robe. Her face was pale with fury.
"Where the hell have you been?" She stood as I entered. "I've been calling you all night!"
"Handling the situation." I collapsed into a chair. "Laura's gone. I sent her out of the country."
"Gone?" Mother's voice rose. "Richard, that woman committed a crime! She can't just disappear!"
"She can and she has." I rubbed my temples. "I'll hire the best legal team money can buy. We'll settle out of court if necessary."
"You're protecting her." Mother's voice was ice-cold. "You're protecting a criminal."
I looked up at her. "If you hadn't been constantly pressuring Laura, threatening Emma, making her life hell, Laura never would have been desperate enough to do this!"
The slap came so fast I didn't see it coming.
My cheek burned, but I didn't flinch.
"How dare you." Mother's voice shook with rage. "How dare you blame me for that woman's criminal behavior. Are you really going to destroy this family for some meaningless woman?"
Before I could answer, I heard the soft tap of a cane on marble.
Grandmother Aria appeared in the doorway, supported by her walker.
"You sent Laura away?" she asked quietly.
"Yes."
"And Grace? How do you plan to explain this to her?"
I hadn't thought that far ahead. "I'll figure something out."
"If Grace hadn't left home, Laura wouldn't have taken advantage," Mother couldn't help herself. "And Grace somehow won all those major contracts. A woman can't be that successful without using certain... advantages."
"Mom, Grace isn't like that. I know her character better than anyone."
Grandmother's sharp eyes moved between us. "Is Grace planning to divorce you? Is that why she moved out?"
"I... I don't know."
"Don't lie to me, Richard." Grandmother's voice cut through the room like a blade. "Laura lived in this house for extended periods, didn't she?"
I froze. Mother's face went white.
"How did you—"
"I'm old, not blind." Grandmother moved closer, her cane tapping ominously. "I've lived through seventy years of family drama. I know the signs." Her eyes locked on mine.
---
Aria's POV
Grace might have moved out because she sensed the ambiguous relationship between you and Laura.
Margaret stepped forward, wringing her hands. "Mother, you have to understand. It's all Laura's fault. She's scheming and manipulative, always trying to control Richard and destroy his marriage."
Pathetic. Margaret always found someone else to blame.
"Is that what you think?" I turned my sharp gaze to Richard. "Laura acted alone?"
Richard's jaw tightened as he remained silent.
I studied Richard's face carefully, knowing he was hiding something. After seventy years of family politics, I could smell deception from a mile away.
"Richard, you need to apologize to Grace immediately."
His head snapped up. "What do you mean?"
"I mean you need to apologize to your wife and bring her home." I kept my voice steady and authoritative. "It's clear that Laura's scandal is the root cause of Grace's distance from you."
Richard's face darkened. "Grace has been cold to me for a month. This isn't just about Laura."
"Don't be naive." I tapped my cane again. "A woman doesn't just walk away from a marriage without reason. Laura's presence in this house, her obvious attachment to you—Grace isn't blind."
Margaret opened her mouth to defend her son, but one look from me shut her up. The hierarchy in this family was crystal clear.
"You will call Grace," I continued. "You will apologize. And you will convince her to come home."
"Grandmother—"
"This is not a request."
---
The Phone Call
I pulled out my phone and began dialing Grace's number.
The phone rang twice before a sleepy voice answered.
"Hello?"
"Grace, dear."
There was a pause, then I heard rustling. "Oh! Grandmother, I'm sorry, I was still asleep. What time is it?"
I glanced at my watch. "Just past seven, darling. I hope I didn't wake you."
Good. She sounded genuinely surprised, not hostile. That was promising.
"No, it's fine. Is everything alright?"
Through the phone, I could hear her moving around, probably getting out of bed.
I softened my voice, channeling every ounce of grandmotherly warmth I could muster.
"Grace, I've been thinking about you. When I used to visit Starport, I always stayed at your place, remember? The staff here is so clumsy compared to your gentle care."
"Grandmother..." Her voice was cautious.
"I miss having you around, dear. You've always been like my own granddaughter. Sometimes I think I care for you more than I do Richard."
I watched Richard's face as I said this. He looked uncomfortable, shifting in his chair.
"That's very kind of you to say."
Grace's tone was polite but distant. She wasn't buying it completely.
"I know there's been some tension between you and Richard lately," I continued. "But family disagreements happen. What matters is that we work through them together."
"I appreciate your concern, but—"
"Grace, I think there's been a misunderstanding about this whole Laura situation."
I could feel Richard's eyes on me as I carefully constructed my narrative.
"You see, dear, what happened was really just a case of jealousy and miscommunication. Laura is an unmarried woman of a certain age, and I think she became envious of your happiness with Richard."
The silence on the other end told me Grace was listening carefully.
"She acted out of spite, trying to cause problems in your marriage. But Richard had nothing to do with her schemes. His heart has always belonged to you."
Lies. But necessary ones.
"The truth is, Grace, you might have misunderstood Richard's relationship with Laura. He was just being kind to an old friend. You know how generous his heart is."
I heard Grace take a deep breath. When she spoke, her voice was steady.
"Grandmother, I think you're misunderstanding the situation."
Richard leaned forward, tension radiating from his body.
"What do you mean, dear?"
"I mean that Richard and I no longer have any relationship at all."
The words hit us like a thunderbolt.
I responded with a slight tremor in my voice. "Grace, you can't say things like that. You're married! Even if you're considering divorce, you can't make that decision without the family's approval."
"Actually, I can." Grace's voice was calm, almost eerily so. "And I am."
Richard grabbed the phone from my hand. "Grace, what the hell are you talking about?"
"I'm talking about ending this charade, Richard."
Margaret couldn't contain herself any longer. "How dare you!" she shrieked into the phone. "You should be grateful to marry into the Harrison family! It's the best thing that could ever happen to someone like you!"
"Someone like me?" Grace's voice was dangerously quiet.
"Yes! And now you want us to grovel at your feet? You want fifty percent of Harrison Group? You want Richard to beg for your forgiveness?"
Richard snapped, pulling the phone back to his own ear. "Grace, you're being completely unreasonable. If this is really what you want, then fine. But don't expect—"
The line went dead.
Richard stared at the phone in disbelief. "She hung up on me."