Chapter 228 Confrontation With Patrick
Grace let out a sarcastic laugh. "You really don't know?"
Did Ryan think she was that gullible?
"I swear, I don't know. My dad told me. Grace, if you marry me, your mom's ashes will be safe!" Ryan pleaded.
"Ryan, you better hope your mom's ashes stay safe too!" Grace snapped and hung up.
Ryan held no significant status in the Montgomery family. It seemed Patrick was behind the disappearance of Grace's mom's ashes. But why? Was he trying to manipulate her? Did he want her shares or force her to marry Ryan? And did Xavier know about this?
Grace remembered Xavier hinting she should check on her mom. She'd been too busy and delayed. Had her mom's ashes gone missing since then?
Luckily, the shares hadn't been transferred yet. They were still her leverage.
Grace called Mason, who answered quickly. "Mason, it's Grace. Have my shares in the Montgomery Group been transferred to Patrick yet?"
"Not yet," Mason replied.
"Can we stop the transfer for now?"
"Yes," Mason confirmed. They'd managed to hold off the transfer despite pressure from the Montgomery Group.
"Thank you," Grace said.
"You're welcome."
Actually, Grace should thank Xavier; Mason was following his orders.
"Did Xavier know about this?" she asked.
Xavier knew the Montgomery family's nature and left her a bargaining chip.
"I'm not sure. You can ask Mr. Montgomery," Mason said, not revealing much.
"Got it, thanks."
Though Mason didn't say much, it was clear Xavier had helped. Grace felt she owed him.
Grace hung up, and the cemetery staff asked, "Miss, you..."
"Seal it up for now," Grace said, determined.
She'd get her mom's ashes back from Patrick. If he harmed them, she'd never forgive the Montgomery family.
Given Patrick's past actions, Grace feared he'd repeat them. Once she got Evelyn's ashes, she'd keep them with her, not in the cemetery.
Grace rushed back downtown. Patrick said he'd come to see her, and when she got to the studio, he was already there with Ryan.
Ryan, still on crutches, seemed to have a lot to say. "Grace..." he started but hesitated.
Grace ignored Ryan and glared at Patrick. She found him hypocritical and despicable. How could someone like him exist?
"Mr. Patrick Montgomery, do you have my mom's ashes? Isn't exhuming a grave a bit unethical?" Grace demanded.
Seeing Patrick made her feel even more repulsed than seeing Ryan. Ryan's wickedness was nothing compared to Patrick's.
Patrick wasn't surprised; he assumed Ryan had told Grace.
"Looks like you know. I had someone check, and that place wasn't good. Your mom was suffering there, so I had her ashes taken out and kept them temporarily," Patrick said nonchalantly.
"Grace, the Montgomery family has always admired you. Ryan likes you a lot. Why not reconsider the marriage? I haven't canceled the wedding. Marry him, and I'll return your mom's ashes," Patrick said, his tone brazen and unreasonable. Grace felt utterly disgusted.
Patrick always kept up a polite facade in public, appearing to be a wonderful person, maybe even a philanthropist. But Grace believed that the nicer someone seemed on the surface, the more ruthless they often were underneath.
"Mr. Patrick Montgomery, I still hold ten percent of the shares. As long as I don't agree, the transfer can be stopped, and you'll never get that ten percent," Grace said, using the shares as leverage. Ten percent would definitely tempt Patrick.
A flicker of something passed through Patrick's eyes. He wanted Grace to transfer the shares quickly so he could use Evelyn's ashes to force her to marry Ryan. Grace uncovering the missing ashes sooner than expected made him reconsider his strategy, but he remained unfazed. He was confident he could manage.
"As long as you marry Ryan, that ten percent will belong to our family. It doesn't matter if you keep them. I don't need that money," Patrick said.
"If you want your mom's ashes back, there's only one condition. The wedding goes on as planned, and you must publicly announce that you and Ryan are in love and want to marry him," Patrick added.
He didn't care about the public announcement of the broken engagement. It had somewhat restored the Montgomery family's reputation, and their shares had risen. If Grace publicly announced she wanted to marry Ryan, it would clear the Montgomery family's name and direct all the blame at Grace. She'd be seen as the one who broke off the engagement and then begged to marry into the family, which would greatly benefit their reputation.
"That's absolutely impossible!" Grace had worked so hard to break off the engagement. How could she possibly announce she wanted to marry Ryan?
"Grace, take your time to consider it. You have until the wedding," Patrick said calmly. "The wedding will go on as planned. If you change your mind, call me anytime. If you miss the deadline, I can't keep your mom's ashes for you."
Grace's eyes turned red as she glared at Patrick. What sinister intentions did he have for her mom's ashes?
This situation was beyond madness and fear; Patrick was a true devil, exuding a chilling aura of terror.
"Ryan, aren't there several stray dogs outside the villa?" Patrick turned to Ryan.
Ryan thought for a moment. "Are there?" There couldn't be stray dogs in their villa area.
Patrick said, "There's a new bakery nearby. Those stray dogs always hang around."
As he spoke, Patrick's eyes even had a hint of a smile, making him look like a kind elder. His facade was impeccable, but his words sent a shiver down Grace's spine. "What if we put the ashes in the buns? Would those stray dogs eat them?"
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