Chapter 23 Juniper, why are you so nice to Grace?
Grace trembled in Henry's arms.
She was lost in the bad memories of the past three years.
Her body felt almost paralyzed.
Just as Henry was about to make his move, his phone kept ringing.
Annoyed, he glanced at the screen. It was Celeste. After a moment, he answered with a gruff, 'What's the matter, calling at this hour?'"
Celeste's voice was shaky with anxiety. "Mr. Montague, Elodie just arrived in Evergreen City!"
Henry frowned slightly. He looked at Grace before stepping outside to take the call, but Grace still heard Celeste's words.
Elodie was back in Evergreen City.
Henry finally let his mistress, Elodie, into the house, which was a huge slap in the face for Grace, the so-called Mrs. Montague.
After a couple of minutes, Henry came back, looking tense.
Elodie had made a big splash returning to Evergreen City, surrounded by reporters at the airport. She'd even managed to fall and break her leg again. Her parents told the reporters that the Williams family was connected to the Montague Group.
This was a major scandal.
Henry had to handle it personally and deal with Elodie too.
As he got dressed, he glanced at Grace lying weakly on the bed. "I have urgent matters. Don't wait up. I'll be back in the morning to see you off."
Grace turned away, silent.
Henry grabbed his coat, gave her one last look, and hurried out. Soon, the sound of a car starting echoed from the yard.
Grace knew he wouldn't be back tonight.
She couldn't help but think back. Every time Henry went to Harmony City to see Elodie, it tore her apart, keeping her up all night.
But now, Grace realized she didn't care anymore.
She didn't care about Henry's coldness, his cruelty, or any of his mistreatment.
Not loving Henry would make her feel so much lighter.
As dawn broke, in the VIP ward of Serenity General Hospital...
Elodie, in blue and white hospital clothes, leaned against the bed, looking at Henry with adoring eyes.
Henry sat on the sofa, scrolling through his phone.
He was checking to see if Grace had messaged him, but there was nothing.
Just then, Celeste walked in.
She leaned in to whisper, "The media coverage has been handled, Mr. Montague. You can rest assured nothing will leak."
Before he could respond, Elodie, lying on the bed, timidly spoke up, "I'm sorry, Henry. My father misunderstood our relationship. He thought we were in love and would marry, which is why he said those things."
Before Henry could respond, Celeste interjected, "Ms. Williams, have you forgotten Mr. Montague is married? Where did you get the idea that he's in love with you or would marry you?"
Normally, Celeste treated Elodie kindly, often using her to provoke Grace subtly.
But when Elodie tested Henry's patience, Celeste couldn't hide her disdain. The idea of a woman of such low status daring to entertain thoughts about Henry was intolerable.
Celeste was visibly agitated, and Henry gave her a stern look.
Recalling his last warning, Celeste pursed her lips and stepped back.
Elodie, picking up on the tension, had trembling lips and seemed on the brink of tears. "Celeste, you've misunderstood me. I never thought I was in love with Mr. Montague. I know he's married. He's been kind to me because I accidentally awakened him that year. I want to heal my leg and learn from Mr. Garcia. I don't dare think about anything else."
"Celeste, you won't stop me, will you?" Elodie added.
Celeste was on the brink of fury. It suddenly dawned on her—Elodie's cleverness was not to be underestimated. Every seemingly innocent word was a subtle dart aimed directly at her.
She looked to Henry, wanting to know his thoughts.
Henry, already in a bad mood late at night, and with the Williams family causing such trouble, naturally did not have a good expression.
He looked at Elodie's plain face and said flatly, "Before these issues are resolved, make sure your parents watch their words. They should know what to say and what not to say."
Elodie clenched her delicate fingers but kept her voice meek. "I understand, Mr. Montague."
Henry got up and left.
Outside, Elodie's parents, looking eager to talk, spotted Henry. But before they could say a word, he swiftly entered the elevator and left without engaging them.
Celeste shot them a glare and followed him inside.
In the elevator, it was just Henry and Celeste. The red numbers on the LCD screen kept going down.
Suddenly, Henry asked, "Why is Elodie at Serenity General Hospital? Grace's father is being treated there."
Celeste's heart skipped a beat. She quickly explained, "Mr. Montague, it wasn't my doing! By the time I got to the airport, Elodie had already been rushed to the hospital. She's scheduled for surgery tomorrow. Would you consider visiting her?"
As the elevator doors opened, Henry walked out first, leaving behind a remark. "I'm not a doctor."
Celeste followed.
Henry got into the car, and as the tinted windows of the black Bentley rolled down, he turned slightly to Celeste. "When Mr. Garcia arrives in Evergreen City, arrange for me to have dinner with him."
Celeste knew he wanted to introduce Elodie, but she couldn't help but add, "Mr. Montague, I heard Mr. Garcia has a student he's fond of. This might not work out."
Henry, looking down at his phone, seemed indifferent. "Who has caught Mr. Garcia's eye?"
Celeste forced a smile. "I don't know the specifics, but Mr. Garcia has publicly expressed his admiration for this violinist, saying he wants to mentor her."
Henry turned his gaze towards Celeste. After a brief pause, he spoke in a monotone, "Let's put Mr. Garcia's integrity to the test."
At 7:30 A.M., Henry returned to the Montague family manor.
The luxurious dining room was filled with the aroma of breakfast.
Aurora, dressed elegantly, sat at the dining table, instructing the servants. She glanced at Henry as he was about to go upstairs and stopped him with a cold tone, "She's already gone."
Pausing, Henry turned around and walked to the dining table. He sat down as the servants attentively laid out his napkin.
Observing Henry's silence, Aurora couldn't contain her frustration and snapped, "I heard you were handling Elodie's affairs late into the night. Henry, I don't want to intrude on your personal life, but there are rumors that you and Grace are headed for a divorce!"
She continued, "No matter how bad Grace is, she's still much better than Elodie."
Henry took a sip of black coffee and said to the servant, "Remember not to put cream next time."
The servant quickly acknowledged.
Henry then looked at Aurora, his tone flat. "I'm not planning to get a divorce. And I don't have any intentions towards Elodie either."
"But she does!" Aurora's face was full of disdain. "She's trying to marry into our family!"
Henry remained silent.
Aurora didn't want to strain her relationship with Henry too much. She picked up an invitation card and gently pushed it towards him. "Mrs. Young is hosting a dinner on Thursday. No matter what, you have to bring Grace to show a united front and dispel the divorce rumors."
Henry took the card and looked at it. It was from Amara Hernandez, the wife of Horizon Innovations Group's Caleb Young.
Caleb had recently initiated a project, and Henry wanted to bid for it. Assessing the situation, he believed he had a fifty percent chance of securing the project.
At this critical moment, the dinner party seemed particularly important. Without much thought, Henry said, "I'll take Celeste with me. I need her for a project I'm working on."
Furthermore, Henry didn't want Grace involved in business matters.
Aurora strongly disagreed, "Celeste is just a secretary, no matter how capable she is. It's not appropriate for a man to bring a secretary to a dinner party."
However, Henry had already set his mind on winning that project. His determination was unwavering.
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