Chapter 043 Xavier Discovers Grace's Secret
Xavier propped Grace against the tub, then grabbed a nearby towel, dampened it, and wiped her cheeks. The white towel was stained with a dark tint leaving him perplexed.
Xavier had never been close with girls and didn't know their secrets.
Victor, on the other hand, was the quintessential ladies' man; he would probably have some answers.
Xavier called him, and it was loud on Victor's end, seemingly still out partying.
After a short while, Victor's voice came through from a quieter spot, "Xavier, what's up? I'm out right now, want to join me?"
"No thanks, just need to ask you something," Xavier said, bluntly.
"Shoot," Victor said, rarely did Xavier reach out for advice and he intended to take this seriously.
He described the situation to Victor about a woman who seemed to have some dirt on her face that just wouldn't easily come off, what should he do about it? He had just tried to wipe it off but discovered it was stubborn and challenging to remove.
"Xavier, did you bring a woman home?" Victor sounded as though he had stumbled upon shocking news.
"Don't ask what you shouldn't," Xavier replied icily.
‘Could it be Grace?’ Although Victor was incredibly curious, he didn't dare voice that question.
"Many girls wear makeup, and these days, cosmetics are very waterproof; you need makeup remover to thoroughly clean it off the face," Victor continued. "You've got to remove your makeup before going to sleep; otherwise, the residual makeup can seriously harm your skin."
"Got it," Xavier said curtly before hanging up the phone without mercy.
Makeup remover, huh? Xavier realized that he didn't have such a product on hand.
He called up Mason and requested that he purchase a bottle of makeup remover. Mason was incredibly efficient and quickly returned with it.
Xavier glanced at the instructions, poured the makeup remover onto a washcloth, and began to remove Grace's makeup directly.
Soon, the washcloth was dirty. ‘Was this the color of all women's cosmetics?’ he wondered.
Xavier continued to wipe Grace's forehead, cheeks, and chin. Soon, her face was clean. Her fair and soft little face was now bare before Xavier's eyes.
Upon clearly seeing her, Xavier's heart sank, and a rare flicker of surprise crossed his handsome visage.
Her cheeks were rosy against her fair skin, now freed from their usual dull and lusterless tone, without the heavy foundation and excessive contouring. The natural beauty of her face was so stunning that it left him in awe like she was a goddess that descended to earth.
‘This... was Grace?’ he questioned in disbelief.
This face was completely different from the one Grace typically showed yet was also the same face he had seen once before at a banquet.
At that time, he wondered why a woman he didn't recognize, who had been hassled by Ryan, would take cover behind him.
And despite knowing what Ryan had done with another woman in the restroom, she had come out to stop him.
Afterward, the beautiful woman vanished, only for Grace, as if she had just arrived, to follow him after less than two minutes.
The true Grace was the one who had been hiding behind her makeup all along, altering her appearance.
Xavier had seen makeup enhance people's beauty, but it was the first time he had seen someone deliberately make herself less attractive.
The most striking feature of her usual appearance was her expressive eyes. Those lively pupils were difficult to conceal.
He remembered thinking the last time that Grace spent so long in the restroom due to discomfort; now, it seemed more likely she had been hiding, anxious about her smeared makeup.
After Grace quietly turned off the lights and left early the next morning, without waiting for him to wake up. It turned out that all this was because Grace was hiding such a big secret.
His fingers, calloused from work, traced Grace's cheek, his eyes mixed with an inscrutable depth.
It seemed that the Lewis family was completely unaware of Grace's secret. He had heard that Ryan had recently been desperately seeking the whereabouts of that woman.
If he ever found out that Grace was that woman...
Grace soaked in the bathtub for a full three hours before she fell into a deep slumber.
Xavier picked her up and dressed her in the pajamas that had been prepared in advance.
It wasn't the first time Xavier had seen her body, so he changed her clothes, personally.
Whether it was the effect of the medication or not, Grace's skin was a rosy pink, almost enough to make Xavier lose his restraint.
But he was no beast; he wouldn't take advantage of someone in a vulnerable state.
After laying Grace on the bed, Xavier picked up the makeup that Mason had prepared.
Grace was hiding a secret and likely didn't want to be recognized.
Xavier didn't know how to apply makeup and had never done anything like this before; he watched a couple of videos, took the dark foundation, and patted it clumsily on Grace's face.
Worried it wasn't dark enough, he applied a few extra pats, leaving her face as black as charcoal.
Xavier frowned; this was the best he could do to restore Grace's appearance. It should be close enough.
After these preparations, he called a doctor to check Grace's wounds and dress them, while he went to take a shower.
By the time Xavier came back from his shower, the doctor had finished treating and dressed her wounds.
Grace only had wounds on the palms of her hands, thankfully they were not deep. With timely medication changes, and avoiding water getting in contact with her wound, she would heal quickly.
Xavier noted the directions for the aftercare and arranged for the staff to look after Grace before he went downstairs.
Mason approached with an iPad in hand, "Mr. Montgomery, everything has been done as you instructed."
On the iPad was surveillance footage of a room.
Several men were inside, all of whom had attempted to assault Grace in the restaurant restroom, including Tom.
The room was set up with cameras and the same incense that had been burning in the restroom.
Having inhaled the substance in the restroom, and even more so now, they were unable to control themselves.
Even amongst a group of men, they were beyond caring, seeking only to relieve themselves.
The scene was one of utter debauchery, with some crawling towards Tom.
Gasping for breath, Tom kneeled in a corner, terrified as people approached him, "Get away, back off! All of you, stay away!"
The men had lost all reason; now Tom, too, had been drugged. The door was locked, and he couldn't escape. His body was weak, like a fish on the cutting board, at the mercy of others.
Watching as the figure got closer, Tom collapsed on the ground, his eyes fixed on the surveillance camera mounted nearby. "I admit I was wrong, Mr. Montgomery," he gasped and begged. "I won't dare do it again. I had no idea that Grace was one of your people…"
He had been foolish, indeed. Xavier had previously warned him, yet, in a bid to work with Ryan, Tom had managed to cross Xavier again.
Xavier was a man of tit-for-tat justice.
When Tom had drugged Grace, Xavier had made sure they all got a dose of their own medicine.
Tom had wanted to capture Grace on video, so Xavier had simply set up cameras, allowing Tom to record to his heart's content.
The thugs Xavier hired were all towering and formidable. The sight of those men alone was enough to make Tom feel sick, but now it was his turn.
The man approached Tom, and following a brief struggle, Tom's eyes rolled back, and he fainted.
Xavier had no interest in watching the scenes unfold on his iPad. He shut the device off and handed it to Mason, his lips parting ever so slightly, his voice devoid of warmth. "Send the video to Mr. Reed later. Let him enjoy watching himself."
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