Chapter 114
Just then, a nurse wheeled Alice out. Alice looked as pale as a ghost. The moment she spotted Carmen, tears spilled down her cheeks.
“Mom…”
Carmen’s heart broke as she pulled Alice into her arms. “Alice, you can try for another baby later.”
Alice gave a faint smile. “Yeah, there’ll be other chances. Stop being mad at Grace. I just slipped. It wasn’t her fault.”
Carmen’s blood boiled at how Alice was still defending Grace, even now. “Enough! Quit covering for her! She turned out like this because you’ve always let her get away with everything!”
She held Alice close, shooting Grace a look of pure disgust. “Grace, you’re completely out of your mind. I was going to lock you up at the Lambert residence, but you’ve outdone yourself this time. I’m having you committed to a psychiatric hospital. Maybe that’ll finally knock some sense into you!”
Grace locked eyes with Alice, who was slumped against Carmen’s shoulder. The corners of Alice’s mouth twitched ever so slightly.
Alice had bribed the doctors to fake the miscarriage. Every move had been carefully staged for this exact moment. Grace was done for, and as far as Alice was concerned, it served her right.
Her tears flowed harder as she gazed up at Yancey. “I’m so sorry, Yancey. I couldn’t protect our baby.”
Yancey stood there, stunned. The pregnancy had blindsided him, and now, the loss left him hollow. Without thinking, he pulled her into his arms. Her sobs twisted something inside him, but it was not enough.
A brutal idea took shape-if all of Druville believed Grace was responsible for losing the baby, the Hendersons would never let her marry into their family. It didn’t matter how serious she and Ethan were. Once word got out, their grandfather would shut it down.
Like always, Yancey said nothing. He just kept patting Alice’s back, offering empty comfort.
Grace had to act fast. If the Lamberts’ bodyguards showed up, she was done for. Without hesitation, she spun on her heel and tore down the hallway.
Carmen was seeing red and nearly fainted from fury as she called the family’s bodyguards to go after Grace.
Grace reached her car faster than she ever had, but as she sped away from the hospital, a chilling realization hit-she had nowhere to go.
Carmen knew where she lived. The bodyguards would be lying in wait the second she stepped through the door.
Grace couldn’t crash at Joanne’s either. Joanne was the only real friend she had left, and there was no way she’d drag her into this mess.
So, she pulled off onto a deserted back road and waited until nightfall. By 10:00 pm, the rain was pounding in sheets, but she still hadn’t figured out where to stay.
The downpour hammered the roof like gunfire.
Grace shifted the car into gear and rolled forward. She hadn’t gone two blocks when a deafening crash jolted the car.
The moment Grace saw the men stepping out of the black car, she knew they were the Lamberts’ bodyguards. She immediately bailed from her car and melted into the rush-hour chaos.
With traffic flowing non-stop, there was no way for them to give chase. Stuck across the street, the guards could only watch as she disappeared.
Soaked to the bone, Grace flagged down a cab.
“Where to?” the driver asked.
She crossed her arms, realizing she had nowhere to go. Pulling out her phone, she hesitated before tapping on Ethan’s number.
Since regaining consciousness, there had only been two who had shown her any kindness-Joanne and Ethan.
The call connected, but it was Tim’s voice that came through. “Ms. Lambert, what can I do for you?”
His voice was flat and cold, his disdain bleeding through every word.
It was always the same with Ethan’s inner circle. They treated Grace like some kind of disease that might infect their golden boy. Her throat tightened, and she hung up without saying a word.
She ended up at Velvet Eclipse, a place with enough clout that no one dared to cause trouble. But soaked to the bone, she couldn’t talk her way past the bouncer.
Just as the standoff reached its breaking point, Ethan showed up, flanked by his men. Even in a wheelchair, he carried more authority than any man on two feet.
Their eyes met, and something sparked in Grace’s eyes.
Ethan noticed her. One quiet word to his men and they retreated. He rolled past her without so much as a glance.
The hope in her eyes snuffed out like a candle in the wind, stabbing her straight through the heart. Still, she knew this place was packed with eyes and ears. Maybe Ethan couldn’t afford to be seen with her.
She lowered her head and was ready to leave when his voice rang out. “You coming or what?”
Grace’s head snapped up, hope flickering in her eyes as she stared at his back.
Ethan had stopped and was looking back over his shoulder. “Nowhere else to run?”
He read her like an open book.
Her mouth tugged into a wry smile. “Nowhere else to run and hunters on my tail. Mr. Henderson, mind if I lay low at your place for a few days?”
Ethan kept his eyes ahead, replying with nothing more than a grunt.
Grace hurried after him, her voice thick with gratitude. “Thank you. I mean it, more than you know.”
She climbed into the car, carefully shutting the door behind her. The luxury car’s leather seats only made her more conscious of how drenched she was. While she hovered with uncertainty, a towel appeared in her line of sight.
Grace looked as fragile as glass with that delicate face and those long lashes. But anyone who mistook her for a helpless damsel didn’t know the first thing about her. There was titanium in her spine.
She gave her hair a couple of rough swipes with the towel and exhaled hard. The car eased forward, slipping past the Lamberts’ bodyguards who were busy grilling bystanders outside Velvet Eclipse.
Grace’s face went pale, and she instinctively leaned toward Ethan. He caught her faint scent. Then, his gaze fell, landing on the faint marks. They were still there, like his medal.
Right now, she looked like a stray kitten out in the storm.