Chapter 16
Love?
Grace couldn’t help laughing and shaking her head. “If I still had feelings. for him, I wouldn’t be pretending we’re strangers.”
She took a deep breath, her voice firm. “Right now, I just want to let go of my past and start over.”
“What’s your plan once the gallery opens?” Jeffrey asked.
Grace leaned on the bar counter. “I haven’t figured that out yet. I’m thinking of traveling. Jonah suggested I might want to have further studies, but I’m not sure what I’d study. Maybe I’ll just take a year to see the world.”
Jeffrey watched her, mesmerized. Even in the dim light, she stood out, catching all his attention.
Actually, they met each other long ago.
Way back when, when Grace was living with the Simpson family, they had crossed paths.
Jeffrey remembered being totally smitten by her smile the first time he saw her. When she disappeared, he had actually begged his parents to help look for her.
No luck, though.
Then, three years ago, he ran into her at a party in Elmeburg.
She wasn’t dressed to impress, but he spotted her right away.
Chapter 16
This felt so familiar. It felt like being thrown back more than ten years.
After that, Jeffrey told Jonah about it, and that was how the Simpson family found Grace.
But even though they knew who she was three years ago, the Simpson family thought she was happy and didn’t want to mess with her peaceful life.
Jeffrey had to keep his feelings to himself because she was already with someone else. As long as she was happy, that was all that mattered to him.
Over the past three years, whenever the Kaufman and Parrish families had problems, it was the Simpson family and Jeffrey who helped them out. These two families wouldn’t have been able to handle everything without them.
But Jonah and Jeffrey didn’t expect that everything would change when Lucile came back three months ago.
Grace, who they had protected so carefully, was bullied by the Parrish family and Antonio. They even wanted her corneas.
So, they had Harley talk to Grace, letting her know who she really was and giving her a choice.
“Fiona.”
Fiona Simpson was Grace’s name in the Simpson family.
“Yes?” she responded.
Jeffrey finished his drink, looking at her. “Did you know we had childhood betrothal?”
Nancy had mentioned it, but she didn’t force it, so Grace hadn’t thought much about it.
Chapter 16
Now, at the mention of it, her heart skipped a beat. “W–What are you saying?“”
After spending time with him, she had to admit that Jeffrey was a great mentor in painting and a really nice guy.
But…
“If I said I wanted to marry you, what would you think?” Jeffrey asked.
Grace paused. “Jeffrey, I’m not ready to start a new relationship right now, and we’ve only just… met, right?”
Jeffrey said, “No, we’ve known each other for a long time.”
Hearing this again, Grace just stared at him in a daze.
She didn’t know why, but every time he said that, even with a smile, there was a hint of sadness in his eyes that made her heart twinge.
Seeing her hesitation, Jeffrey smiled, “I have feelings for you, but it’s your call. If you’re not into it, I’ll wait. It doesn’t matter how long it takes.”
That night, on her way home, Grace thought she saw Antonio in the rain, but she didn’t stop..
She had no clue how Antonio got her number, but he called her in the middle of the night. “Grace, I’m sorry… I love you…”
