Chapter 442 Grace's Self-Made Cocoon
Martin, on the brink of packing his bags and leaving the room, found his path blocked by Jeremy, whose demeanor was awkward and hesitant. Martin raised an eyebrow and asked, "Jeremy, can I help you?"
"Mr. Martin, I'm sorry!"
Surprised, Martin looked at him. "Hmm?"
Jeremy, visibly uncomfortable and unaccustomed to apologizing, ran his hands through his hair and continued, "Sorry! Back in the States, I had someone kidnap you and... and drug you! I wasn't thinking straight, and I apologize."
Martin responded nonchalantly, "That's all in the past."
Jeremy hurriedly added, "Even if it's in the past, when you do something wrong, you’ve got to admit it. At first, I thought you and my sister... uh... Grace were a perfect match, meant to be. Now I see I was dead wrong."
It was clear that Grace was not up to Martin's caliber, and Martin remained silent, leaving Jeremy in confusion, scratching the back of his head with his eyes downturned as he explained further.
"My dad was pretty hands-off growing up, and my mom was too wrapped up in the family business to really keep an eye on us. Sure, the Koch household had plenty of maids and nannies, but for them, looking after us was just part of the job. There wasn't much heart in it."
Jeremy paused, a nostalgic glint touching his eyes as his thoughts seemed to drift away.
"It was my aunt who raised me, my two brothers, and my sister. The bond we have with her is way deeper than with our own parents. Her face was the one I saw when I took my first steps, when I tried my first solid food, when I headed off to school for the very first time."
Jeremy continued, "You might not know this, but the first person I ever called out for wasn't 'mom' or 'dad.' It was my aunt. Even though she was gone before I was five, there are some feelings that are carved into my very bones. For all these years, I've missed her terribly.
"After Grace was brought back to the Koch household, I was ecstatic. I figured since I couldn't repay my aunt directly, I'd pour all that love onto Grace instead. And honestly, I spoiled her rotten during this time. I wanted to give her nothing but the best this world had to offer.
"So, when Grace told me she liked you, I wanted to help make it happen for her. I didn’t see anything wrong with it—it seemed like the right thing to do. But looking back on it now, I see how wrong I was. I was arrogant, self-centered. I'm truly sorry for any hurt I caused you."
Jeremy unloaded all of this in one breath.
He was usually pretty eloquent and enjoyed talking, but this sort of emotion-laden confession was a first for him, and his ears burned red with embarrassment.
Martin just stared at him for the longest time before finally saying softly, "You're a good brother."
Jeremy's ears grew even redder, and he let out a couple of nervous chuckles. "I wanted to be a good brother, but it turns out I never got a chance to have a decent sister."
He was the youngest of the Koch family, constantly coddled by his older siblings who acted as if he’d never grow up. He was so excited to finally have a sister younger than him. He was thrilled, nearly giving her his heart on a plate. Unfortunately, Grace had no idea. It seemed... she wasn't truly sincere in her affection for her brother.
Martin clapped him on the shoulder in comfort. "Forget it, it's water under the bridge now. I forgive you."
Jeremy looked up, startled with joy. "Really?"
Martin withdrew his hand, nodding lightly with a soft hum.
Jeremy rushed to say, "Let's not let our personal issues with Grace affect our partnership."
Martin gave him a puzzled look.
Feeling embarrassed, Jeremy continued, "I was on my way to the study to see Grandpa and, uh, overheard you guys talking! I know about the broken engagement with Grace. It's over, and that's fine. I get it. But I hope it doesn't affect our current work together. You've shown exceptional talent in tech, far surpassing Hunter."
After his last conversation with Patricia, he was sincerely eager to develop his career, and Martin was without a doubt the best partner for that.
Martin stated flatly, "Business is business, personal is personal. I keep them separate."
"Great, great, great!" Jeremy said, pleased, and extended his hand. "It’s a pleasure doing business with you."
Martin firmly shook it, then promptly let go. "Pleasure doing business with you."
As Martin and Jeremy wrapped up their chat, and before they could leave, a dispute erupted upstairs, and immediately after, Grace was dragged down forcefully by Riley. Passing by Martin and Jeremy, she cast them a pleading glance.
"Martin, Jeremy... please, beg Grandpa for mercy on my behalf. I realize my mistake, I truly do... Martin, Jeremy..."
Neither Martin nor Jeremy paid heed to her pleas. They coldly watched as Riley handed her over to a servant, instructing them to confine her to her room.
Martin reminded him, "Angie shares some blame, too."
Riley responded, "I've looked into it. Angie was manipulated by Grace! Grace deliberately sent Angie to fetch clothes on her behalf, then timed someone with a similar build and profile to leave her room. Angie innocently complied, never suspecting that Grace would take advantage of her earnestness."
Jeremy expressed in anguish, "How could Grace turn out like this? If Auntie knew, she would not rest in peace."
Riley gave no reply. But in his heart, he agreed with Jeremy. Surely, if Auntie knew what her daughter had become, she would be heartbroken.
The dust settled on the matter. The night was too far gone; Martin was invited to stay until dawn before departing.
As Patricia brought home an award and Martin and Grace called off their engagement, it felt like fortune had knocked twice. That evening, Martin slipped into Patricia's room to privately savor the dual victories.
Patricia arched an eyebrow, teasingly asked, "Called off the engagement? No more snooping around? Grace is quite the knockout. Are you sure you're okay with letting her go?"
Martin pinched her cheek a little too firmly. "Cut the sarcasm. This was the perfect chance to break things off. It may not be so easy next time."
Patricia chuckled, propped herself against the headboard with a pillow, and casually crossed her legs.
Martin moved closer, wrapped a long arm around her waist, and planted a kiss on her neck. "See? Called it quits and came straight to you."
Patricia playfully pressed her palm against his lips and pushed him away.
Undeterred, Martin sat beside her, "Was it Charles?"
"Mm-hmm!"
Patricia nodded, then continued, "I knew she wouldn't let it go, so I had Charles install a signal jammer app on my phone. As long as she's with me, all electronic gadgets will go haywire."
She had only meant it as a precaution. But she hadn't expected Grace to actually record anything. Fortunately, she was prepared. Otherwise, the image Shane and Jeremy had of her would have been tarnished.
"She really did herself in there! I've dug up everything on the Koch family. The person who colluded with Hunter last time might just—"
Before he could finish, the phone on the nightstand buzzed. Patricia glanced at the incoming call.
It was Hunter.
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