?Chapter 1090:

    Gracie nodded, wondering in her heart why such a lovely girl would be so fond of such an odd little creature.

    “It’s fine,” she said.

    The girl smiled, cradling her pet as she headed back to her apartment. Gracie noticed they lived on the same floor.

    Once inside her own ce, Gracie shrugged off her coat and headed to the bathroom to apply the ointment, hoping it would quickly ease the swelling.

    Just then, the doorbell chimed.

    She paused, wondering who it could be, and immediately thought of Ethan. After all, he was her only close friend in the city and the only one who knew her address.

    With a hopeful smile, she opened the door, only to find the girl from the elevator standing there, holding a cup of coffee and wearing an apologetic expression.

    The girl’s eyes briefly widened at the sight of the handprint marks on Gracie’s cheeks, a flicker of shock crossing her face.

    Quickly regaining herposure, she assumed Gracie had endured a rough day and chose not to pry.

    “Miss, I feel bad about my hamster startling you earlier. Please take this as an apology,” she said.

    Gracie nced at the coffee and epted it with a small nod. “You didn’t have to. It’s really alright.”

    The girl smiled, her gaze lingering on Gracie’s face for a moment before she hesitantly added, “My mom always says an ice pack can help bring down swelling.”

    Gracie touched her face self-consciously, feeling a pang of embarrassment.

    Thankfully, the girl didn’t linger and soon left. Gracie brought the coffee inside, set it on the table, and returned to the bathroom to continue applying the ointment.

    She rubbed it in gentle circles, but the pain persisted, and the swelling showed no signs of fading.

    “Maybe the medicine just needs time to work,” she muttered.

    Her stomach rumbled, prompting her to drink the coffee.

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    Her thoughts drifted back to the golf course, where Brenna had held her underwater, nearly drowning her. A surge of resentment toward Brenna welled up, coupled with a sting of hurt from Ethan’s indifference, leaving her feeling sad.

    Ethan was the man she had secretly loved for a decade.

    Tears rolled down her still-tender cheeks. Remembering the girl’s advice, she grabbed an ice pack and pressed it to her face.

    To her relief, the pain eased considerably.

    Her mind wandered back to the image of the hamster darting into the elevator in a panic.

    Suddenly, she had a brilliant idea about how to move in with Ethan.

    She was convinced he still cared for her. If he didn’t, given her actions against Brenna today and his protective nature, she would have faced serious consequences.

    Ethan hadn’t done anything to her or reprimanded her. To her, this was proof he still cared about her and was willing to overlook her mistakes.

    While she was lost in thought, her phone rang, snapping her back to reality. She nced at the screen—an unfamiliar number, though it had called her before.

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