Chapter 35
Chapter 35:
Gracie stepped out of the notary public office and exhaled deeply, as if releasing weeks of pent-up tension.
The sun washed over her face, warm and liberating. She arched her back in a lazy stretch. “What a re p>
The word died in her throat. Her arms froze midair as a shadow fell across her. Her pulse skipped. Forcing a wry smile, she said, “Fancy running into you here p>
“Not exactly. I came here for you.” Brayden’s face—sharp lines and restrained elegance—rarely betrayed emotion. But when his gaze fell upon Lia, something in his eyes would undergo a silent thaw.
He caught Gracie’s wrist and steered her toward the sleek Maybach waiting by the curb.
“Gracie…” Phoebe started, stepping out of the SUV, but Charlie moved in front of her like a wall. “You’d do well to stay out of a husband and wife’s business p>
Standing by the road, Phoebe stared at the motionless Maybach, worry etched across her face, powerless to help.
Gracie landed hard against the leather seat, her body jolting as the door slammed shut behind her. A faint crease marred her otherwise composed brows.
The driver wordlessly exited the car, lighting a cigarette and leaving the confined air thick with silence—and tension.
Brayden turned toward Gracie, his expression as cold and unyielding as marble. “What are you plotting this time?” he asked, his tone sharp enough to cut. His piercing stare never wavered, as if determined to read every flicker in her face.
Gracie let out a soft, irritated breath and murmured, “You really do have eyes everywhere, don’t you p>
“What was that?” he snapped, narrowing his eyes.
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Gracie squared her shoulders as she faced him head-on. “Our agreement spells it out: neither of us gets to meddle in the other’s business. You’re crossing that line p>
Brayden studied her in silence. Beneath the defiance burning in her eyes, he found no trace of deceit—only fierce conviction and the raw frustration of someone fighting for the work that defined her. Had he gotten her wrong all along?
He leaned back against the seat, his posture easing a little. “Still, you shouldn’t have pulled Theo into this—or turned it into a fight between him and your father p>
“I was just protecting myself. They made their own choices p>
Gracie rubbed at her wrist, her tone calm but final. “If that’s all, I’ll go before this gets any more complicated p>
She opened the door and slipped out, climbing into the waiting SUV by the curb. Only when she saw the Maybach remain still in the rearview mirror did she let out a quiet breath of relief.
She had taken a gamble—counting on Brayden’s sense of justice, on his unwillingness to let family ties cloud his judgment.
And against all odds, her bet had paid off.
Still, she’d need to reinforce that fragile trust, she realized, a quiet plan already forming in her mind.
In the Maybach, Charlie slid into the passenger seat. He asked carefully, glancing back through the rearview mirror, “Should we notify Theo that Alan might move the funds at any moment p>
Brayden’s gaze darkened, Gracie’s words reverberating in his thoughts.
After a long pause, he said quietly, “No need. Gracie’s right—the decision rests with Theo and Alan p>
He couldn’t afford to violate the agreement. In the ruthless tides of the corporate world, misplaced sincerity only invited exploitation. Gracie’s actions weren’t defiance—they were self-preservation.