?Chapter 1123:

    Gracie paced by her window, nerves raw and bracing for rejection. Lately, her own behavior hadn’t been ster; she could admit that she’d pestered Ethan too often with demands he had every right to ignore. Even she knew that her present request—crashing at his ce for a few nights—pushed the boundaries. Chances were high that Ethan was already asleep. If she asked Ethan toe pick her up, he would definitely refuse her.

    She steeled herself for every oue.

    She believed he probably wouldn’t answer at all.

    So, when the call finally connected, a rush of hope and relief crashed over her. “Ethan!” Gracie eximed.

    Elsa could not understand why Gracie would call sote and worried that something might have happened. “Miss Wilson, is everything alright?”

    When Gracie heard Elsa’s voice, her heart sank. It was not Ethan who answered her call.

    The disappointment was crushing.

    The urge to hang up swept over her.

    Words caught in her throat. “I… um, I…” She hesitated to tell Elsa her troubles.

    But then, she remembered how gentle Elsa had always been to her—so much warmer than Ethan, if she was being honest. Elsa had always made her feel wee, and she often thought Elsa might help her get closer to Ethan.

    With that thought, Gracie changed her approach, her voice bing emotional. “There are mice in my house! One crawled right onto my hand and bit me. I’m so scared; they’re everywhere. Please help me…”

    Elsa’s worry deepened as she heard Gracie’s trembling voice. “Now, now, don’t cry. Are there really mice in your house?”

    Gracie’s cries grew louder. “Every night, those mice keep chewing on my nkets and furniture. They squeak and scurry everywhere. I can’t stay here any longer. Elsa, please, could I stay at your ce for a while? I’m so afraid…”

    “Stay at my ce?” Hearing the request, Elsa was lost in thought. The idea seemed perfect. Brenna, with her sharp tongue and icy manners, was all wrong for Ethan. She didn’t like Brenna at all.

    She believed Gracie was better suited for her son.

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    “Of course, you can stay at my ce. I’ll go pick you up myself. Send me your address,” said Elsa, reaching for her car keys. “Ethan has had too much to drink and is in the shower, so he won’t be able to get…”

    A small smile yed on Elsa’s lips. She knew Ethan would object if he found out about this, but once Gracie was already here, he wouldn’t have the heart to kick her out.

    She ended the call, quickly changed her clothes, and slipped out the door.

    When Ethan finished his shower, he didn’t notice anything out of ce. He just grabbed his phone and went to bed.

    Within an hour, Elsa returned home, with Gracie trailing nervously behind.

    Uncertainty lingered in Gracie’s voice. “Elsa, will Ethan drive me away?”

    Elsa led her upstairs, her tone soothing as she spoke. “Don’t worry; he won’t. Ethan listens to me most of the time. He’s already asleep, so we won’t bother him. Let’s get you settled in, and we’ll talk about this in the morning.”

    Relief flooded Gracie, who was content just to be under Ethan’s roof; she believed he wouldn’t ask her to leave tomorrow morning.

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