Chapter 017 More and More Disorderly
When Grace got back home, it was already late. She placed the bottle of water Xavier had given her on the coffee table in the living room. Then she returned to her bedroom, took a shower, and lay down in bed.
Despite feeling under the weather, with an unsettled stomach, she quickly fell asleep because she had just pulled an all-nighter. She expected to wake up with a headache, but surprisingly, she felt much better than anticipated. She concluded, it must have been because of the lemon water she drank.
As soon as Grace woke up, she smelled the savory scent of food. She opened her door and saw a girl wearing an apron in the kitchen. It was her good friend, Angela Turner, a designer.
"Grace, you're finally awake. Breakfast is ready," Angela called out as she came toward her. "Is your water out? I wanted to make you something tasty. You never take good care of yourself when you're alone."
Grace thought, "Water outage?" She wasn't aware of any issues, but then her gaze fell on the table. The water Xavier gave her last night should have been there, but now it was gone!
"Where's my water?" Grace hurried over and asked in shock, "You didn't use the water on the table to cook the oatmeal, did you?"
"Was there something special about that bottle?" Angela had never seen Grace so anxious, especially over a bottle of water.
"Was it filled with gold?" Angela asked, bewildered.
"No, it's just a regular bottle of mineral water," Grace said, feeling inexplicably sad.
"Could it be from a secret admirer?" Angela asked with a bit of gossip in her tone.
"Of course not! It's just water. If you used it, then it's no big deal," Grace denied.
"You care so much about that bottle. Lucky for you, I haven't used it. I put it in the fridge," Angela said as she retrieved the bottle from the fridge. "Is this the one?"
Seeing the water was still there, Grace let out a sigh of relief, but she kept her composure. "It's just a bottle of water."
"Really? Then I might as well drink it!" Angela teased, pretending to take a sip.
Grace quickly snatched the bottle away. "Drink something else. I've already had a sip from this one!"
Angela was just teasing. She had no intention of drinking the water or competing with Grace.
Soon the oatmeal was ready. Angela served a bowl for Grace, along with some bread. They ate breakfast together.
"Whoever marries you is going to be one lucky person," Grace remarked, admiring Angela's cooking skills.
"Stop flattering me," Angela said, giddily.
"Angela, you've been holed up for quite a while this time. It's been almost a week, hasn't it?" Grace remarked.
Angela would often seclude herself for a couple of days when she needed inspiration for her designs. During this time, she wouldn’t go online, even if something significant happened.
“Hmm, I feel like I missed out on a lot lately. You get engaged and you don’t even tell me. Do you still consider me a friend?” Angela said, although she was aware that Grace had been engaged.
It was only when Angela went online that she discovered the news of Grace and Ryan’s engagement.
“There was nothing to tell. You know I wanted to call off the engagement. I knew it wasn’t going to happen, so I didn’t tell you,” Grace replied, nonchalantly.
“Did it affect you when Ryan walked out on your engagement?” Angela asked with concern.
“What could possibly affect me? Look how relaxed I am," Grace replied with an air of nonchalance.
“By the way, Grace, we have a family gathering in a few days. Come with me, will you?” Angela wasn’t especially thrilled about the upcoming event.
The Turner family had a complicated history. Angela had been mixed up at the hospital as an infant. She was only reunited with the Turners at the age of ten, but they had grown more fond of the adopted girl and paid less attention to Angela.
Angela was a true member of the Turner clan, and yet now she seemed to be an outsider to them.
“Of course! I’ll be there for you!” Grace immediately agreed to accompany Angela.
After a quick breakfast, Grace parted ways with Angela and headed for the office.
As soon as she arrived at work, Zach summoned her. In the chairman’s office, Zach was visibly upset, while Madison stood beside him, smirking triumphantly at Grace.
“Grace! What did you do last night? Why did you offend Mr. Reed? He called this morning to say he’ll never do business with Lewis Group again!” Zach grilled.
“You were supposed to renew the contract. I’ve even heard from Dad that you want my position. But with your skills, do you really think you can handle it?” Madison taunted from the sidelines.
Grace turned to Madison. “If you have the time, maybe you should start clearing out your office. After all, in a couple of days, you’ll be the one getting the boot!”
Madison just laughed to herself, thinking, “As if Grace could persuade Mr. Reed.”
“Dad, look at Grace. She’s so aggressive. She’s been after my job from the start. But I earned my position through merit. Everyone calls me ‘Genius at Perfume.’ Do I have a problem managing the fragrance department?” Madison defended her status.
Grace simply smiled, curious if Madison felt any twinge of guilt while making her claim.
“I went to finalize the contract with Tom yesterday. How did Ryan find out? Did you guys tell him?” Grace posed the question to the room.
Grace looked at Madison as she spoke. "Ryan sure acted like he was on a mission to catch a cheater yesterday, so it's obvious someone's been exaggerating the truth."
Madison avoided Grace's gaze. "If you didn't betray Ryan, why would you be afraid of him finding out?"
Madison continued, "Or is it that you actually wanted to entice Mr. Reed to sign the contract? But you were too unattractive and scared him off, so you offended him, is that it?"
"The corrupt think everything is corrupt," Grace replied. "Madison, seduction seems to be all you think about. How many people have you lured in? Or is that how you got your current position, by seducing men?"
Grace had an epiphany. "Oh, I forgot. Isn't seduction a family tradition for you? Your mother's strong suit, and you haven't learned a thing from her."
"You!" Madison couldn't counter Grace's words and turned to Zach with a look of distress. "Dad, how can Grace say such things about me? I'm just concerned about the partnership."
"Enough!" Zach slammed his hand on the table. "Grace, you're getting more and more out of line!"
"Did I say something wrong?" Grace looked at him, unruffled. She wasn't angry. Once she stopped considering them family, nothing they did was worth her anger.
Zach glared at Grace. "You agreed to this, but the contract isn't signed yet. How dare you insult Madison?"
"I said the contract would be signed, but I didn't say it would be today," Grace rebutted.
"Fine, I'll give you two more days!" Zach said.
"Okay," Grace agreed.
She left Zach's office and could still hear Madison's whiny voice behind her.
Madison threw herself into Zach's arms.
"Daddy, why did you just agree with her? You should punish her severely. Maybe she offended Mr. Reed on purpose. After all, this has caused the company losses, and she's not affected at all. She has always hoped for our downfall. I think it's her way of getting revenge!" Madison accused.
"I know she dislikes me and Mom, but Mom has been so nice to her. She's gone too far," she added.
Zach patted Madison's head. "Don't worry, Madison. The Lewis Group will be yours in the future."
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