Edric’s lips curved into a smile as he turned to Thomson. “Come, say hi to Grace. You youngsters will have more to talk about with each other. Also, Grace, Thom’s popularity has been growing lately. With our support, he’s bound to become a top star.”

He grinned affectionately as he continued, “Imagine dating a superstar. That would certainly make you proud to take him out in public.”

A flicker of annoyance crossed Thomson’s eyes.

He had already been thoroughly prepped beforehand to behave well in front of Grace and make her fall for his looks. Once the marriage certificate was signed, he could do whatever he wanted-cheat on her, abuse her, and even drive her to ruin. Domestic violence wouldn’t lead to any serious consequences, after all.

What mattered was marrying her and gaining control over her, thereby keeping a leash on Liam.

However, upon seeing Grace’s face, his irritation yielded to astonishment. He hadn’t expected her to be so stunning-far more beautiful than any A-list celebrities. Sleeping with a woman like her wouldn’t be a loss at all.

The smile on his face softened, becoming unexpectedly sincere as he stepped forward and offered her his hand. “Hi, Grace. I’m Thomson.”

Grace stared at his hand for a moment before slowly reaching out to shake it. “Hi.”

Not far from them, Liam was growing increasingly anxious. He feared Grace might fall for this ploy. Unable to hold back, he called out, “Grace!”

Edric quickly pressed his arm down on Liam’s shoulder. “Liam, this is your sister’s personal affair. You really ought to stay out of it.”

Liam felt a wave of discomfort, coupled with deep disappointment in Grace. How could she be so easily swayed by every man she met?

Seeing the subtle shift in dynamics, Edric and his men were visibly pleased, their expressions smug with satisfaction.

“Thom, why don’t you spend more time with Grace these days?” he suggested casually.

Thomson settled beside Grace, feeling utterly satisfied. She was breathtaking, and all he could think was how badly he wanted to sleep with her.

“Alright, Dad. Don’t you worry,” he said.

Edric soon took his leave, leaving Thomson alone behind.

Ignited with rage, Liam pointed straight in his face and started cussing him out, “Get the fuck out of my house!”

Thomson didn’t even acknowledge him as he reached out to take Grace’s hand. “Grace, your brother wants us to leave. Let’s go. It’s still early. We can go hang out.”

Grace’s gaze remained on his face, a faint crease forming between her brows. It wasn’t that she was falling for his charm but there was something familiar about him, something that brought back whispers of a memory.

She rose to her feet and walked out without a word.

Thomson quickly followed behind, throwing a taunting glance at Liam.

He said, “Liam, your sister’s an adult. She has a life of her own, so you don’t need to worry about her anymore. Besides, your father just passed away recently. Aren’t you supposed to listen to her now? I’m confident that soon enough, she’ll ask you to hand over your shares to me.”

He said it with confidence because for a moment-just a moment-Grace had looked at him and faltered.

As Grace approached her car, a collection of broken fragments of memory drifted through her consciousness, yet they remained stubbornly unconnected.

Thomson stepped forward and gallantly opened the door for her. “Grace, where shall we go tonight?”

She turned to him, her gaze lingering on his face as her thoughts slowly came to rest. “Have we met before?”

Thomson paused for a split second before curving his lips into a smile. “No.”

However, he knew exactly why he was here. He looked too much like Yancey. That was the point.

Grace slid into the passenger seat and closed her eyes briefly as discomfort enveloped her. Leaning back, she murmured, “Just take me to a restaurant. I’m hungry.”

Thomson slid into the driver’s seat at once. “Perfect. A friend of mine owns a place nearby. The food’s pretty good.”

Grace had no interest in humoring his attempts at a conversation. All she wanted was a quiet moment to make sense of the disjointed images in her mind.

After she and Thomson left, Liam wasted no time in calling Yancey.

“Yancey, here’s what happened. Grace just went off with that man. I’ve no idea where they went or what they’re doing.”

On the other end of the line, Yancey could no longer keep his composure. Wasn’t she already dating someone? How could she fall for such an obvious trap?

He wanted to see firsthand just how good-looking that man could possibly be.

“Don’t worry, Liam. I’ll find her now,” he replied.

It had been a while since Yancey had indulged in the illusion that Grace was madly in love with him. Yet when he arrived at the restaurant

and spotted her sitting with

Thomson, he was momentarily flabbergasted.

Thomson bore a striking resemblance to him. If Grace no longer had feelings for him, why would she be drawn to a stand-in?

The realization sent a surge of exhilaration through him, and without hesitation, he strode forward as he called out to her, “Grace!”

Grace hadn’t expected to run into Yancey here. Judging by his appearance, his injuries had mostly healed.

Thomson had been attempting to charm her with idle talk. Upon hearing Yancey’s voice, he turned his head, and his expression instantly changed for the worse.

Yancey, on the other hand, was feeling triumphant. He directly walked up to Grace. “If you still love me, just come back to me. Why bother with a cheap knockoff?”

Grace had originally planned to use this quiet restaurant as a place to clear her thoughts, but the sight of Yancey only gave her a headache.

He leaned in close, his eyes brimmed with self-satisfaction. “And to think I almost believed you when

you said you had gotten over me You just couldn’t get past what happened between me and Alice, could you? Don’t worry. Once we’re married, everything I have will be yours.”

He lifted his hand, ready to swear some grand oath, but Grace had no interest in hearing it. Her gaze rested on Yancey’s face for a brief moment before moving to Thomson’s face for a similar duration.

Yancey was beaming with excitement, barely holding back his amusement. “So?

Now that the real thing is in front of you, doesn’t the imitation look completely

ridiculous?”