ou hu

ied her and he til

e wrung her hands together. “I

the pot to make a simple bowl of noodles for him. She didn’t have a

gla** of water from the sink. He moved cautiou

t too fast. It’s q

ut his presence made her nervous even as the

his noodles quietly. Grace a

iny space. For some reason, the loneliness that she’d usually feel seemed to h

ly sleep with the lights on. I hope you don’t mind,” she said. Ever

t’s

door to brush her teeth and change. Was it weird havin

triggered by his p

er, he wouldn’t have def

own on the bed, he took h

of the heater. If she listened hard eno

ady rhythm,

very night because it was almost impossible for her to relax. Even be

nd every finger would burn with the pain o

, fingers curled, terri

, that didn’t

e and was not visited

er to look at the figure lying

ll

Because she was no lo

out of bed, squatted down, and placed he

not something fro

had taken a strange m

nd that he was already awake. His

ent. “I… I just… that… If you don’t have

but after she had said

ed with a trac

pretend I didn’t say anythin

ned and he spoke quie

ther man, it would’ve sounded l

ant” and she a**umed he meant it to mean his presence here. She didn’t read any ambiguity into his words

a smile slowly forme

him smile. Although it was very light

*

to work. When she left money on the table for him to buy himself s

, the room wa

ergy filled the space. He rolled up the quilt that he’

round, maybe snoop a bit. But he d

rtment, there were already p

ut, they respectfully g

Jason respon

ar bill in his hand. It had been many years since someone had given him money like this. On

is a contract worker of the Sanitation Service Center. She started renting her curr

iso

icted of reckless driving and killing Jennifer Atkinson. She was sentenced to three years of impriso

and. “Grace…” he whispered.

and that she was also a good political marriage candidate, he thought th

ht that Jennifer would end

ast relationship with Jen

that twenty-do

his hand, brought him into her home, a

formation you can find on Gr

ir, are you interes

*

her to go home. He said that since she had been released from

r died when s

after mom died, and her stepmother g

e with her maternal grandmother in the countryside. Grace’s grandmother cared for her until third gr

her father finally warmed to her. He eventually star

red about her well-being, even if only out of pretense. Even her half sister tried to get on her good side—something that had never happened

She knew it was only because he was the heir of the Stevens Corporation. However, at that time,

e lo

realized that everything w

stepped into he

ictures of the three of them. No

ches and

ed, and the kitchen was redone with all-whi

her “family”

ley, smiled at her. That w

sses or welcome’s

and stepmother made small talk. Evely

he conversation turned

ister to get roles these

a sip of

st three years—like surviving and serving out her time, and staying

try in the wake of … things,” her stepmother continued.

ce replied

y right now. How about… you lend some money to us first, and when your sister become

ome presented itself… “I don’t have

, “You don’t have money, but Sean does. You dated him before, but as soon as yo

believe their audacity. Grace pushed back from the table. “I’m sorry, didn’t you, Father, and my

? If you hadn’t killed someone back then, your sister would have already been cas

in a television drama, it was because the Stevens Corporation had been one of the invest

with her, Evelyn’s role n

e didn’t do anything for you when yo

skin smooth. Her long manicur

nsons, Epsteins, Changs. Even the Westons. Every prominent family in this city wanted your blood for what you’d done. What could our fam

and enabled to abuse whoever they wanted on a whim?

her words or even attempt to make these p

e was the villain

ly like ours withstand thei

ht,” Grace

er trial and sentencing to prison. This disconnect had been there from the moment her mother left this earth. She was throug

o squeeze her fingers for the pain

ght at her sister. “Since you couldn’t stand by me when I was