Chapter 20 Gavin's Proud Disciple
Grace snapped back to reality and realized the car had stopped at a red light. She pulled her hand away from Henry's grasp, turned her face to the side, and said coldly, "Nothing."
Henry looked at her indifferent profile, feeling a bit uncomfortable. Suddenly, he remembered the early days of their marriage when Grace was just in her early twenties. Back then, she loved him deeply. Every night when he came home from work, she would run downstairs to help him with his briefcase and eagerly tell him about dinner. She would even prepare his bath before bed.
In the intimacy of the night, he would purposefully inflict pain upon her. Despite this, she would merely blush, holding onto his neck with fervor, and tenderly implore him to show more gentleness.
Initially, Grace's happiness was authentic and radiant. However, over time, her smiles faded, and she ceased engaging in playful interactions with him. She seemed to have finally accepted the fact that Henry didn't love her and slowly realized that no matter what she did, it was all in vain in his eyes, met only with indifference and disregard.
Grace remained considerate, but this consideration was more like Mrs. Montague's duty to her husband. There was no love, only obligation. As she had truthfully said when drunk, she had long stopped liking him.
Thinking of this, Henry felt very distressed. He turned his gaze back to the front of the car, not intending to speak to Grace anymore. The light turned green, and the black Bentley slowly started moving. Under the neon lights, the car's body was luxurious and dazzling.
Grace placed her hand on the car window, staring at the restaurant by the roadside, stunned. It was closed. Just a few days ago, it had opened, and she had played the violin there. Later, she met Lucas and Henry. Grace slowly turned her head, looking at Henry's profile. She finally understood why Henry insisted on driving her.
She spoke softly, "Henry, is this what you wanted me to see?"
Henry focused on driving and ignored her. It wasn't until they reached her apartment building and the car stopped that he turned to look at her and said, "Do you know who owns that restaurant?"
Grace had guessed, but she didn't say anything.
Henry let out a light snort, leaned back in his seat with a lazy posture, and said, "I don't know what Lucas's intentions are in helping you. But Mrs. Montague, don't forget you're still a married woman."
Grace gave a faint smile. Henry's intentions were not hard to guess, and he didn't hide them. It was just a man's possessiveness. Even if he didn't like his wife, he didn't want other men to have her, not even in their thoughts.
Reluctant to submit to Henry's demands, Grace hesitated to involve Lucas in their conflict. After thoughtful contemplation, she spoke with composure, "Our marriage should not entangle Lucas. Henry, please, do not pursue him."
Henry locked eyes with her, his gaze unwavering. After a brief pause, he lifted his hand and gently caressed her face. "I trust you, Mrs. Montague," he murmured softly. His attitude carried an indescribable feeling.
Grace felt unbearable and turned her face away. "I'm not!"
Henry looked at her for a few seconds. He withdrew his hand, sat up straight, and in a tone Grace had never heard before, seriously asked her, "Grace, if you could choose again, would you marry Lucas or me?"
Grace was taken aback by his question, sensing his reluctance to hear her response. Without further ado, Henry leaned in to open the car door for her and curtly instructed, "Get out."
As soon as Grace got out of the car, he stepped on the gas, and the black Bentley quickly disappeared into the night, out of her sight.
Standing in the chilly night air, Grace wrapped her clothes tightly around her, deep in contemplation about Henry's question. Henry asked her, if she could choose again, what would she choose?
Grace lowered her gaze, a faint smile playing on her lips as she mused, "In youth, you often pick the one you love, even if it hurts. If given a second chance, maybe she'd choose the one who cherishes her. But life rarely offers such choices."
Grace went upstairs, but Clara wasn't home. When she called, she found out Clara hadn't contacted Henry's villa either. Setting her phone aside, Grace figured the villa staff had probably made up the story to help her escape. She shrugged it off, deciding not to dwell on it.
With no work tonight, she took a shower and went to bed early. That night, she dreamed again of her early married life with Henry. In the dream, Henry was still cold to her, always speaking with impatience.
Awakened by her phone ringing, Grace reached for it. Unlocking the screen, she found a message from Henry: [Remember to see Seraphina tomorrow. I'll be waiting for you after work.]
How could Grace forget? Thinking about Elodie's wasteful fireworks display, Grace accepted the transfer and donated it to the animal shelter.
At one in the morning, Henry's car was parked by the roadside. Leaning back in his seat, he idly scrolled through his phone. Grace had received the $20,000 transfer. He thought she should at least acknowledge it with a reply.
In the past, she loved sending him messages, even if they weren't important. Those trivial messages, Henry had never replied to. Looking back, it seemed that after the Windsor family fell, Grace had stopped sending him such messages. She no longer lay on his neck like a puppy in bed, asking if he would ever like her.
It had been a long time, but he hadn't noticed because he didn't care about her. For the first time, Henry sat alone in the car, thinking about Grace and their marriage.
In the morning, Grace went to the hospital. She bought a lot of fruit, which made Clara happy, though she pretended to scold her for wasting money. "We haven't finished the fruit from a few days ago, why buy more!"
Nathan was in good spirits. Propping himself halfway up in bed, he remarked, "You should have some as well. The youngster is just being considerate."
These words brought tears to Clara's eyes. After chatting for a while, Clara found an excuse to call Grace outside to talk. "Yesterday, the hospital suddenly transferred Lucas to study out of town, saying he would be gone for a while! Grace, be honest with me, is this Henry's doing? Do you and Lucas have something going on?"
Grace was caught off guard. Recalling the previous evening when Henry had displayed his displeasure, she surmised that this was yet another caution from him. A chill crept into her heart. At that moment, she truly sensed Henry's possessiveness. It wasn't directed towards her, Grace, but rather towards the status of being Mrs. Montague.
Not wanting Clara to worry, she said softly, "Clara, don't worry, I know what I'm doing."
Having raised Grace, Clara was intimately familiar with her character. Consequently, she chose not to say much more.
Clara went back to the ward first, and Grace stood in the hallway. She looked down at her phone, wanting to apologize to Lucas, but after hesitating for a long time, she decided not to call. Maybe not disturbing him was the best way to protect him as an adult.
Grace stayed at the hospital all morning. After lunch, she planned to buy some violin strings. As she walked to the bus stop, a black Range Rover suddenly stopped beside her. The window rolled down, revealing a handsome face. It was Felix.
Seeing Grace again, Felix felt a mix of emotions. In the past, he didn't think much of Grace. He thought she would cling to Henry forever, but he hadn't expected her to actually dare to divorce Henry. And her appearance had changed from before. She had shed the Mrs. Montague look, now wearing a white shirt, black pants, and a black knit vest, looking natural and casual.
Felix stared at her delicate, beautiful face, so clean and elegant. For some reason, he impulsively said, "Where are you going? I'll give you a ride!"
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