Grace sat there in a daze, hugging her knees and staring nkly into the vast space beyond the gates.

Meanwhile, inside the vi, Ethan crouched down and slowly picked up the shattered pieces of the vase. However, it was too broken, with some fragments reduced to powder. There was no fixing it. It was much like the rtionship he and Grace had.

Once the truth came out, everything would fall apart, and there would be no putting it back together.

When Tim pushed open the door, the first thing he saw was Ethan crouching on the floor, picking up shards of the shattered vase. Startled, he hurried over. "Mr. Henderson, let me take care of that."

Tim crouched to help, but the moment he looked up and saw the blood on Ethan''s forehead, his breath hitched. "Are you injured?"

Ethan simply shook his head. He didn''t feel any pain; he only felt a cold rush of emptiness bleeding through a crack in his chest.

Tim was about to go look for the first aid kit when he remembered he had just taken it away a few days ago. "I''ll go get a doctor to check on you."

Ethan gripped a shard of the broken vase in his palm. Suddenly, he let out a chuckle. "Tell me, where did I mess up?"

Compared to that hideous monster, where had he gone wrong? Losing had been his own fault in the past, but what was the reason for his failure now? The confusion gnawed on him.

Tim noticed the blood dripping from his palm. Urgently, he said, "You''re not in the best of health, Mr. Henderson. Please take care of yourself."

Ethan lowered his gaze, gently releasing the shard in his palm. A hint of regret shed in his eyes as he stared at the petals. The flowers were something she had given him, yet she had destroyed them herself. To her, no one else mattered except for that long-gone man.

Or perhaps, she would care one second and then not give a damn the next. It was like she could walk away from things whenever she wanted, and there was no reason strong enough to make her stay.

Ethan''s face went pale for a moment. He lowered his head, coughing.

Tim went to help him up. "Mr. Henderson, you should rest. I''ll clean this up," he said.

However, Ethan shoved his hand away and went to look for his medicine. He seemed fine on the outside, but there was a wild, frenzied look in his eyes. He was usually aposed person, yet deep within him, it felt like his darker side was starting to resurface.

In a hurry, Tim found the medicine on the nightstand and handed it over to him.

Veins were popping slightly on the back of Ethan''s hand. He shook out a few pills, then swallowed them. He copsed onto the bed, staring vacantly at the ceiling. In a low, strained voice, he uttered, "I want him gone... Gone forever."

"Mr. Henderson..."

Exhausted, Ethan closed his eyes and pursed his lips. "Did you find her legal documents?" he asked.

"Yes, I did."

After a soft hum in reply, he fell silent.

Tim wasn''t sure if he had fallen asleep, and he didn''t dare ask. He quickly cleaned

up the shards on the floor and swept the withered petals into the trash can. The magnolias had been stunning in their prime, but now, they were ruined.

Quietly, Tim left the room and shut the door behind him.

Grace sat outside all night. She was nning to wait for Ethan''s car to show up. Once it drove by, the iron gates would open, and she could slip out behind it. But by noon his car

still hadn''t shown up. It was as if he had anticipated her every move. Cóntent belongs to s

Grace''s stomach twisted with hunger, and the pain left her lightheaded: She forced herself back to the house. The door was open, almost as if it had been expecting. her She

e the entryway. As she nced into the living area, she saw Ethan there.  s

Sorted herself against

He was wearing a dark suit and had one hand propped on his face as he leisurely read the newspaper. He seemed to have shed his usual cold demeanor. He looked a little gentler now.

Grace bit her lip, silently changing into a clean pair of shoes before heading to the kitchen with her head hung low. There had been food in the fridge before Ethan returned, but now, it waspletely empty.

She walked around the kitchen again. Still, she found nothing. Her stomach was turning from hunger, acid rising with the pain.fn38a5 Chapters first released on find?novel/fn38a5

After taking a moment to steady herself in the kitchen, she stepped out, only to see that the coffee table in front of a than was stacked with food. He hadnt said a word, yet Grace felt like he had herpletely figured out-her actions, her

emotions, all of it.  s

Ethan was indeed a frightening man.