Chapter5
The days after surgery dragged on in an agony that felt endless.
Grace Miller lay alone in the hospital bed, watching the IV drip feed into her veins, the dull ache in her ribs and abdomen never ceasing.
Every dressing change felt like a fresh round of torture. The nurse’s hands were gentle, careful, but the pity in her eyes cut deeper than any wound.
“Please bear with it–it’ll be over soon,” the nurse whispered. When she stepped outside, Grace faintly heard her and a colleague murmuring in the hall.
“Poor thing… injuries this severe, and not a single family member came to see her. She even had to sign her own surgical consent forms.”
“Meanwhile, that Bella Hart in the VIP suite next door–just a couple scratches, yet Mr. Stone hasn‘ t left her side. I heard he even postponed billion–dollar deals just to stay with her.”
“Some people are just born to live differently.”
Their words stabbed at Grace’s heart, sharp and relentless. But she only closed her eyes, turned toward the window, and pretended not to hear’.On the day of her discharge, the sky hung low and
gray.
After signing the paperwork, she stepped out of the hospital doors and spotted a familiar car
waiting at the curb. Inside were a few childhood friends who had grown up with her.
“Grace! Over here!”
At their smiles, a sliver of warmth returned to her frozen heart.
That night, they dragged her to their favorite bar, insisting it was time to celebrate her “escape
from hell” and “new life of freedom.”
“Good riddance! Alexander Stone never deserved you in the first place!”
“Exactly! Our Grace has beauty, brains, and class. Without him, you’ll have suitors lined up from
here to Paris!”
“Damn right! Tomorrow I’ll introduce you to some fresh–faced guys who‘ ll make Stone’s frozen
poker face look like a bad joke.”
Chapter5
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Her friends cracked jokes and bantered, doing everything they could to cheer her up.
As Grace sipped her drink, she found herself smiling–genuinely–for the first time in forever.
Yes. Why should she destroy herself for a man who never loved her?
Midway through the evening, she excused herself to the restroom.
When she came back, the booth was empty.
“Waiter, where are my friends?” she asked, flagging down a server.
The young man hesitated, clearly uneasy, before pointing toward a corridor at the far end, where a lavish private room stood.
“Just now… a drunk woman demanded we find her company. She wasn‘ t satisfied with anyone- until she saw your friends. Then her men dragged them into that suite. The bodyguards were everywhere. We didn’t dare stop them…”
Grace’s stomach dropped. Her friends were well–known in their circles–no one would normally dare provoke them.
Unless…
Dread tightened its grip around her. She rushed down the corridor and slammed the door open.
Her worst fears were confirmed.
Inside, Bella Hart, reeking of alcohol, was tugging at one of Grace’s friends, trying to press herself against him. He looked furious, but he clenched his jaw, unwilling to lash out at a drunken woman.
“Bella! Let go of him!” Grace barked, storming forward to pull her away.
Just then–bang! The door flew open again.
Alexander Stone stormed in, his face thunderous.
He seized Bella’s wrist in a tight grip, his voice low and brimming with anger.
“Bella! What the hell are you doing in a place like this?”
Bella yanked free and glared up at him, her eyes glazed with drink. “I came here for men. And I’ve
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chosen them‘!”
“Enough! This stops now!” Alexander’s face darkened, and he reached for her again.
But Bella shoved him away, bursting into drunken sobs. “Why can you have fun but I can’t? You can
laugh with other women–spend hours alone in your office with that female client! Why can’t I come here and find someone myself?‘ ?”
His assistant hurried in, flustered. “Miss Hart, you‘ ve misunderstood! Mr. Stone was negotiating an important deal–strictly business. There was nothing inappropriate―”
“I don’t care!” Bella wailed, thrashing like a spoiled child. She reached again for Grace’s friends. “If you can be close to other women, then I can do the same!”
“That’s enough!” Grace snapped, fury finally boiling over. She planted herself in front of her friends like a shield. “Your games are your own business–but you will not drag my friends into
your mess!”
23
