Grace Lynch’s face froze for a moment, and she suddenly fell silent.
Because Eleanor Hollis was right, she initially held all the advantages.
If she hadn’t played those little tricks on Marcus and had truly cared for the child.
If she hadn’t treated Marcus like an idiot from the beginning, showing no restraint in front of him.
Would that child not hate her so much?
Unfortunately, no matter how much she regretted it, it was useless because things had already played out.
If she could do it all over again...
Grace glared at Eleanor, but whenever she thought of the child being Eleanor and Hugo Quinn’s, she couldn’t help but feel a burning jealousy.
The thought of Hugo and Eleanor tangled up in bed back then filled her with unwillingness and resentment.
Everything was supposed to be perfectly planned that night, so why did Eleanor end up with Hugo?
And her first time ended up being with that bastard Nathaniel Quinn!
She was unwilling, and every time she saw Marcus’s face, her resentment towards Eleanor deepened.
With such intense emotions, how could she possibly be good to the child?
If it hadn’t been for Hugo’s protection over the years, she might have strangled the child long ago.
Eleanor observed Grace avoiding her question, her gaze becoming increasingly piercing. ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ 𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭⚫𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘦⚫𝘯𝘦𝘵
"The secret you mentioned, is it about Marcus? Grace, you’ve always been smart. I guess you have a complex about Marcus, which is why you treat him poorly. Maybe Marcus isn’t your child, and you knew this from the start, so you’ve never shown any kindness."
She guessed correctly, and Grace’s eyes widened, eventually leading to hysterical laughter.
"Marcus isn’t my child, then whose child is he?! Eleanor Hollis, you stole Hugo, and now you want to take my child too? I’m not good to him because Hugo’s been so cold to me all these years — the colder he is, the more I take it out on the child. Ha, does that child’s existence bother you, seeing him remind you of me and Hugo in bed? Does it feel good to you?"
Grace intentionally said these words to provoke her.
She slowly approached the metal bars, a smirk on her lips.
"That time with Hugo was unforgettable — his whole body full of tension, whispering my name gently in my ear, arranging me in the positions he liked. Eleanor, what does it matter that you’re with him now? That man was with me for five years; we’ve been to bed more times than I can count. I’m already tired of it. If you like it, take it."
Realizing she’d never get out of here in this lifetime, Grace was ready to throw it all away.
Eleanor’s face turned pale, retreating a step backward.
Seeing her reaction, Grace laughed even harder.
"You care a lot, don’t you? Hugo’s great in that department. The first two years, we were at it almost daily. Eleanor, don’t tell me you thought Hugo and I were like you and Nathaniel, with nothing happening over five years. You really don’t understand men if you did."
Initially, Eleanor had the upper hand in this exchange.
But when Grace brought Hugo into the conversation, constantly flaunting their private matters, Eleanor ran out of rebuttals.
Indeed, with Nathaniel, five years with nothing.
But Hugo? How many marks had he left on Grace over those five years?
She wasn’t originally bothered, but with Grace’s constant reminders, her heart had suddenly grown sour.
In the end, she left there in a daze, Grace’s words resonating in her mind.
Even though she knew Grace had said those things to hurt her, she couldn’t help but believe some of it.
The thought of Hugo and Grace together in bed made her feel sick.
Back at the villa, Eleanor immediately went to fix her makeup, fearing her pale face might alarm Hugo.
Hugo knew she had returned and suspected she had gone to see Grace.
"Eleanor, what are you doing in the bathroom? Why aren’t you coming out?"
He knocked on the door from outside, his brow furrowing deeply.
Eleanor took a deep breath, telling herself not to care about Grace’s words.
Moreover, she and Nathaniel weren’t pure themselves, so why demand purity from Hugo?
Besides, at the time, Hugo and Grace were legally married, and it was normal for married couples to have something happen between them.
Eleanor slowly opened the door and then smiled.
"Nothing. Is your hand any better?"
Hugo seemed puzzled, but he nodded.
His body naturally healed faster than others, though he really wanted to stay at the villa with Eleanor.
But seeing Eleanor’s expression, she seemed eager to go to Grandeur.
"I have to return to work tomorrow. I’m new at Grandeur and taking such a long leave right after starting isn’t a good look."
After some thought, Eleanor finally said.
Hugo nodded, then pulled her as if to go downstairs.
"After work, I’ll continue staying at the original apartment. Now that Grace has been caught, no one should be a threat to me."
As soon as she finished speaking, she felt the air suddenly chill around them.
"Is staying here uncomfortable?"
Eleanor shook her head. Although she tried not to care, she probably did care at least a little.
For instance, every time she looked at that bed, she’d automatically imagine Hugo and Grace lying together.
"Then I’ll move in with you; it’s closer to the company."
Hugo said this, about to turn and leave, looking like he was angry.
Eleanor couldn’t refuse, so she had no choice but to follow him with a heavy heart.
"But there’s nothing of yours left there."
"I’ll have Lan Yancy move my and Marcus’s things back later. It’s convenient there, feels like home."
When he mentioned it feeling like home, Eleanor’s heart softened, and she stopped resisting.
The next day at the company, sure enough, she felt everyone staring at her and whispering.
She calmly sat down, checked her desk drawer, and then picked up some files to organize.
"Some people rely on their close ties with the CEO to blatantly skip work. Shows you, anywhere you go, connections matter. If you’ve got strong connections, you can come and go as you please without consequences."
A colleague remarked sarcastically, their words dripping with bitterness.
Eleanor pretended not to hear, but the person wouldn’t let it go.
"If someone else did this, they’d have been fired ages ago. I wonder how they even have the face to come back to work."
Eleanor slammed the file down on the table, staring directly at the colleague.
"You might want me fired, but clearly, the higher-ups don’t. If you’re uncomfortable, perhaps when you become the boss, you can fire anyone you like. Until then, tolerate working with someone you obviously dislike."