Chapter 3
When Grace woke up again, all she felt was pain radiating through her entire body. With her memory still blank, she couldn’t quite piece together what had happened the night before.
She sat up, and the silk blanket slid off her, revealing hickeys and marks scattered across her bare skin. Even a fool would understand what had taken place.
Suddenly, forgotten memories surged to the surface. She had been drunk and slept with a charming stranger. Her face went pale with shock.
The sound of running water echoed from the bathroom. Grace felt like she was losing her mind. A one-night stand had been thrilling in the moment, but now—this was the aftermath!
In the heat of the moment, all she’d been thinking about was revenge, forgetting that she’d never done anything like this before. She had no idea how to face the awkwardness of meeting the man again the next morning.
Grace bent down, frantically searching through the scattered clothes for something to wear. Kicking aside his suit pants, she found her dress and bra. Yet, she couldn’t find her underwear.
As the sound of the running water began to fade, Grace didn’t hesitate any longer. Grabbing her heels, she bolted out of the room as if her life depended on it.
The bathroom door opened, and the man stepped out. He was still damp from the shower.
Upon noticing the overturned blanket, he understood that Grace was no longer in bed. The dark red stain on the sheets was an unmistakable, glaring mark.
He smirked. Did she really think she could escape?
There was a knock at the door, followed by Zane’s voice. “Uncle Cole, are you awake?”
The door opened, and Cole Jensen, Zane’s uncle, appeared in the doorway. A towel was wrapped around his waist.
Zane was surprised. There was a suspicious love bite on Cole’s neck and a clear tooth mark on his shoulder. It added a touch of sultriness to the otherwise cold and noble man.
“Uncle Cole, you… Last night…”
Cole’s expression remained indifferent. “I heard you got yourself a girlfriend? When are you bringing her home to meet Dad?”
“What girlfriend? Just someone to pass the time…” Before Zane could finish, his gaze landed on the broad expanse of Cole’s back, marked with scratches from a woman’s nails.
The room was in a state of utter chaos. The bed remained unkempt, while the floor was strewn with Cole’s belt and clothing. The trash can and bedside tables were cluttered with used condoms, adding to the disorder.
Zane froze in shock.
Cole was known for his impeccable self-discipline. Yet, he found himself a woman on his first night in Norelia, and she was undeniably wild.
“Uncle Cole, you…”
Cole casually picked up his trousers, and to his surprise, a woman’s underwear fell out of the pocket.
Before Zane could even register it, Cole quickly shoved it back in and shot him a glance. “Is it really that surprising for an adult to have some company at night?”
Zane quickly forced a smile. “It’s fine for others, but for you, Uncle Cole… It’s a bit unexpected. Sorry about last night, I had something on and had to turn off my phone.”
“No problem. I have a meeting today. Let’s meet up for a meal later.”
“Sure.”
“Are you bringing your girlfriend along?”
A flicker of discomfort crossed Zane’s face. “I told you, she’s not my girlfriend. Once I’m back in Jadewood, I’ll be having a marriage alliance with the Harper family. Those women outside are just for fun.”
His gaze dropped to the ring on Cole’s finger. For a moment, he felt a strange jolt. He found it looked exactly like the one Grace had prepared last night.
He had been too flustered to take a good look back then, and simple rings like that often looked similar. He was probably overthinking it.
“Uncle Cole, is there good news coming soon?”
Cole traced the cool metal of the ring ambiguously, a teasing smile on his lips. “Hmm. You’ll have a new aunt very soon.”
…
Grace stumbled home in a daze. Last night’s events felt more like a dream than reality.
She turned on the shower, letting the water pour over her as she scrubbed her skin again and again. But no matter how raw her skin turned, the marks he left refused to fade.
Her mind was flooded with the sound of his voice, low and ragged in her ear. “Be good. If it hurts, just bite me.”
There had been a tenderness in his touch, as if she were something precious.
Overnight, all her carefully laid plans had fallen apart. After learning Zane’s true nature, there was no way she could force herself to go through with the marriage alliance.
Even if she was ambitious, there was no way she could pretend nothing had happened after hearing Zane mock her with such disdain. Besides, she once believed that he was different from the other pampered scions, possessing a remarkable sense of self-restraint.
But watching him take an escort upstairs, Grace knew it was nothing more than a release of desire. It had nothing to do with love. In their world, there were countless ways to play with women, and he was just like the rest.
If their relationship had always been a straightforward marriage alliance, she wouldn’t have cared what he did behind her back. But after investing three years of her feelings, she could no longer look at Zane the same way.
The image of him kissing her flashed in her mind, and the realization that those lips had likely tasted countless other women filled her with a wave of nausea.
If she didn’t fight for her future, odds were he’d end up engaged to Nydia Harper, her younger sister. If she had to marry for alliance, then she needed someone with a higher status than Zane.
In Jadewood, the Jensen family reigned supreme. There were also eligible men in other families, but none quite measured up.
That was the main reason she’d agreed to get into a relationship with Zane in the first place. Without that kind of background, there was no way she would’ve been so blindly in love.
Grace sat with a furrowed brow. She had lost both love and a promising marriage. Three years of careful planning, and one wrong move had sent everything spiraling.
She drew the curtains shut and collapsed onto the bed in a daze. Sleep was clearly creeping in, but no matter how tightly she shut her eyes, it just wouldn’t come.
The feelings she had over the years weren’t fake. No one could walk away from something like that in a single day. Last night’s impulsive act of revenge gave her a temporary thrill, but now she felt empty and despairing.
The sound of the front door opening echoed through the hallway, and soon after, someone stepped into her room.
The curtains were drawn tightly, casting the room in darkness. Zane could only make out the small figure curled up on the bed.
The arrogance he displayed before his friends had vanished. His feelings for Grace were genuine. However, that feeling didn’t mean he was ready to marry the owner of a small company.
Even though her business had improved over the past two years, it still couldn’t compete with the Jensen family’s success. Fun and flirting were fine, but Zane would never risk his future for them.
“Grace, I’m sorry.” He apologized pitifully.
In the past, hearing him sound so aggrieved would’ve softened Grace’s heart. But now, cloaked in the darkness, she simply watched his performance in silence.
Grace asked hoarsely, “Why are you apologizing?”
Hearing that raw rasp in her tone, Zane was taken aback. He hadn’t expected someone as strong as her to cry. He must’ve really hurt her last night.
“It’s not that I don’t like you, Grace. It’s not that I don’t want this. I’m just 22. I’ve never seriously thought about marriage. I panicked, that’s all.”
“Then what about now? What’s your thought after thinking about it for one night?”
“Grace, your company is just starting out, and I don’t have a stable job either. It’s too soon to talk about marriage. How about we wait a few more years? I promise I’ll marry you before you’re 30.”
Grace sneered. “30? I’ll be an old woman by then.”
Zane’s heart skipped a beat. “No way! Grace, you’re beautiful and noble. Even at 30, you’ll still be a cool beauty. Age has nothing to do with it. It’s my fault, I made you upset last night. I should have been punished.”
He grabbed Grace’s hand and tried to slap his own face, but she quickly recoiled, feeling disgusted.
Her voice came coldly through the dim light. “You didn’t come back last night. Where were you?”
