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Kiss-Fantasy Fiction

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KISS: Read & Write Romance

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💔💔💔The day Grace was released from prison, two men were waiting for her. One of them sent her to prison, and the other one convicted her.<br /> <br /> The snow was very heavy that day. They looked like two snowmen waiting outside the prison.<br /> <br /> Grace vowed in her heart, she’d make everyone pay the price for putting her there.<br /> <br /> &quot;Get yourself a job and be a good person out there.&quot;<br /> <br /> That’s what the warden said to Grace as he opened the gate and set her free. <br /> <br /> Grace nodded. Through the iron bar on the prison window, she could see two black cars parked out of the gate. Waiting for her. <br /> <br /> One of them was Grace’s ex-boyfriend, and the other one was her childhood best friend.<br /> <br /> In front of them, two men from her past… Jacob and Sean.<br /> <br /> The two men stood quietly in front of their cars, snow falling gently from above<br /> <br /> Sean held a black umbrella and stared at the gate as it slowly opened. Jacob kept looking at his watch.<br /> <br /> They looked exactly as they did the day she went to prison. Tall, handsome, strong. If they hadn&#039;t sent Grace to prison and told the other inmates to “take good care” of her, maybe she’d run into their arms. <br /> <br /> Three years ago, Grace went to confront the richest girl in town Lily Atkinson for her cruelty, and her sister Jennifer was also there. In an unfortunate turn of events, Jennifer died in a car wreck. Although it was a terrible accident, everyone put the blame solely on Grace. <br /> <br /> Lily dragged her sister’s lifeless body out of the burning car and called the police. Sean arrived soon after. <br /> <br /> Lily sat on the ground and cried out, &quot;Sean, your girlfriend killed my sister!&quot;<br /> <br /> Sean&#039;s first reaction was to push Grace down onto the ground in case she ran away.<br /> <br /> But Grace was already hurt from her own injuries in the accident, and she was too weak to resist. What’s more… she was pregnant with Sean’s baby. <br /> <br /> Then Jacob rushed over, his eyes bloodshot as he questioned Grace, still laying on the ground. “Grace… how could you do this?” <br /> <br /> She couldn’t believe it. The two most important men in her, now thought she was an evil monster. She didn’t get the chance to explain the truth before the police took her away in handcuffs.<br /> <br /> Her heart took yet another blow when she walked into court and saw Jacob on Lily’s side, serving as her lawyer. <br /> <br /> Jacob argued to the court that everything was Grace’s fault. And they believed him. She was convicted of reckless driving and involuntary manslaughter and was sentenced to three years of imprisonment.<br /> <br /> After the judge announced her sentence, he walked past her and said, &quot;Grace, you deserve this. Everyone has to pay for their mistakes.&quot;<br /> <br /> Once in prison, she quickly realized that life behind bars was going to be brutal. She was beaten by other inmates in places cameras couldn’t see so the guards never interfered. Her cell mates would grab her by the hair and shove her into toilets. She had bruises and cuts all the time. But she was stubborn, and never cried. That only made them beat her harder.<br /> <br /> One night, they even broke the bones in her fingers, one by one. She felt helpless and alone, with no one to turn to for help.<br /> <br /> At first, Grace didn&#039;t know why she was targeted. But after a while, she discovered the real reason. Grace sucked up to one of the female guards in prison, washing her feet, giving her massages, and even doing her laundry. Finally, she gained her trust, and she told Grace the truth. <br /> <br /> &quot;You poor little thing… Someone paid us to beat you.” <br /> <br /> Grace knew immediately who was responsible.<br /> <br /> The man who she loved. The man who she thought would never betray her. The man who swore that he would always protect her. <br /> <br /> Sean Stevens. <br /> <br /> She stopped dead in her tracks when she saw their cars outside the gates. Grace begged the warden to let her leave from the back entrance. She couldn’t bear to see their faces. <br /> <br /> What if they still hated her? What if they wanted to hurt her even more?<br /> <br /> To them, I’m nothing. I can’t fight back against them. Grace thought to herself. <br /> <br /> Grace remembered her confrontation with Lily Atkinson. Lily stood in front of Grace while holding her dog and shouted, &quot;Did you know? My dog is worth 70,000 dollars. Bet that’s more than your grandfather’s life is worth.&quot;<br /> <br /> Grace was three when her mother died, and her father remarried and abandoned her. After that, her grandfather raised her all by himself. <br /> <br /> He worked night and day collecting junk, just to get enough pennies scrap by. <br /> <br /> When Grace was in junior high, they moved to the city from the countryside and lived in a small rental apartment. Her grandfather told her that they could make more money in the city because there was more junk to collect. <br /> <br /> But Grace knew the true reason why her grandfather wanted her to go to school there.<br /> <br /> The girls in the city had shiny hairpins, and Grace wanted them too.<br /> <br /> Grace’s grandfather once stood outside a small jewelry store for hours, before finally going inside to buy a shiny new hairpin for Grace. He wanted her to fit in, and be just like every other girl.<br /> <br /> The school she attended offered financial aid to students from lower-class families. Grace’s teacher Mrs. Green helped her apply for it. That’s when Grace met Jacob, Mrs. Green’s son. The two became fast friends. <br /> <br /> Jacob had the best scores at school, and he occasionally helped Grace with her studies. Because of him, her grades quickly improved.<br /> <br /> Grace’s grandfather was very grateful to Mrs. Green for helping his granddaughter. He had no money to repay her, so he offered to help tend her garden. <br /> <br /> Mrs. Green lived in a small cottage. After school every day, Grace’s grandfather tended the garden while Jacob and Grace did their homework and played in the yard. <br /> <br /> Once, Mrs. Green joked to Grace’s grandfather, &quot;Your granddaughter is so sweet and adorable. Maybe she and Jacob will make a cute couple someday.&quot;<br /> <br /> He rubbed his hands nervously and said, &quot;We’d be lucky to have Jacob with us. He’s a gifted boy.&quot;<br /> <br /> Jacob blushed deep red, but he kept his head down and pretended not to hear. <br /> <br /> Later, Grace was accepted by a top university, and her grandfather returned to the countryside. He didn&#039;t let Grace go back with him, but sometimes she would visit secretly. <br /> <br /> That’s when Grace saw him begging friends for money to cover her college tuition. <br /> <br /> Her grandfather always did his best to give her everything. She vowed in her heart that she would grow up to be a rich lawyer, so he would never have to work again. <br /> <br /> He was the best grandfather that anyone could have asked for, but then… he died.<br /> <br /> The year after graduating from law school, Grace started dating Sean Stevens. His family was rich and powerful, a well-known name. Suddenly, her father wanted to be in her life again. <br /> <br /> The day she took Sean to meet her grandfather, he said to her, &quot;He is a good man. You should keep him.&quot;<br /> <br /> He held her hand and patted it. &quot;Now that you’re with a rich man, you need to look the part. Wear beautiful clothes and jewels. Otherwise, his family will look down on you..&quot;<br /> <br /> Afterwards, her grandfather continued to collect junk to make money behind her back. Grace told him not to, many times. He was getting too old, and she was worried about his health. But it wouldn’t be poor health that took him away…<br /> <br /> It was winter, three years ago. He was tackled by an unleashed dog in the park when he was collecting junk.<br /> <br /> He fell headfirst on the concrete, blood spilling everywhere.<br /> <br /> Grace would later find out; it was Lily&#039;s dog. The one she said was worth 70,000 dollars.<br /> <br /> Her grandfather was rushed to the hospital, but the damage was already done. He became paralyzed. <br /> <br /> Grace owed a lot of money to the hospital, so she went to Lily for compensation. It was her dog after all. <br /> <br /> Lily stood in front of Grace and said arrogantly, &quot;You are Sean’s girlfriend? What, you didn&#039;t get money from him, so you came crawling to me?&quot; <br /> <br /> Everyone knew Lily had always liked Sean. But he chose Grace over her, and she hated her for it. <br /> <br /> &quot;My dog&#039;s leg is broken because of your idiot grandfather, I should be the one asking you for money!&quot; She sneered down her nose, and said, &quot;You and your grandpa are just a bunch of country bumpkins. You’re both worthless!&quot;<br /> <br /> Grace couldn’t hold back the rage inside her. She slapped Lily across the face. <br /> <br /> The two started to fight, pulling and clawing at each other. Jennifer, Lily’s sister, saw this and came to help. <br /> <br /> By this point, Grace was already pregnant, too weak to fight them off both, so she ran to her car to drive away. Jennifer and Lily chased after her in their fancy convertible. The car chase was too fast, and it spun out of control. That’s when the accident happened. <br /> <br /> After her arrest, Grace didn&#039;t even try to escape. She knew she was doomed, so she cried to Sean and Jacob from across the courtroom, hoping that at least one of them could take care of her grandfather.<br /> <br /> But they were on the side of Jennifer and Lily. <br /> <br /> Inside the prison, she was informed that her grandfather had been discharged from the hospital, because he couldn’t afford to stay.<br /> <br /> He was an old man, and now paralyzed. He didn’t want to be a burden to Grace anymore. A few days later, she was told he took his own life. <br /> <br /> That same day, Grace laid alone on the ice-cold ground in her cell, and lost her baby.<br /> <br /> She couldn&#039;t save her grandfather… or her baby. Her whole family was gone.<br /> <br /> Some time later, Lily went to see her in prison. <br /> <br /> She whispered to Grace, &quot;My dog is trained. Do you really think he tackled your grandfather by accident?” <br /> <br /> Trained dogs know nothing, only to follow their owner’s orders, and his owner’s heart… was cruel. <br /> <br /> Grace had a lot of time to think while she was in prison. She blamed herself for the death of her grandfather. Lily would’ve never harmed her grandfather if she didn’t date Sean. She wasn’t a good granddaughter to him. Just a piece of garbage.<br /> <br /> If she could turn back time, she wouldn’t want any shiny hairpins or any nice dresses, and she most certainly wouldn’t want Sean Stevens. <br /> <br /> The only thing she wants… is just to have her family back. <br /> <br /> But they were all dead. <br /> <br /> Chapter 1<br /> <br /> Grace opened her eyes and woke up from her daydream with a gasp. It was another dream of everything that happened all those years ago. Or, more like a nightmare.<br /> <br /> She looked down at her calloused, misshapen hands. After three years of imprisonment, and the multiple fractures to her bones, her hands would never look or feel the same way again. <br /> <br /> They healed oddly because the prison doctors hadn’t bothered to properly reset them. Her joints looked distorted, and she still had residual pain and nerve damage. She still struggled with some more complicated movements, and her fingers ached especially when it was cold or humid outside. It was a constant reminder of her time behind bars.<br /> <br /> Grace flexed her hands and breathed deeply. <br /> <br /> It’s okay. You’re okay. <br /> <br /> Today is a new day. <br /> <br /> She repeated the mantra as she stood up and resumed working. <br /> <br /> Sometimes, the memories were too much for her. <br /> <br /> She’d lost more than just her freedom in that accident. Her future. Her boyfriend. Her grandpa. Everyone and everything she’d cared about was gone in an instant. <br /> <br /> Jennifer Atkinson was the daughter of one of the most powerful families in the country. She was even engaged to Jason Reed—the richest man in the city. <br /> <br /> It’s okay. You’re okay. <br /> <br /> Today is a new day. <br /> <br /> You don’t need anybody.<br /> <br /> Grace finished mopping the cafeteria, wiping the sweat off her forehead.<br /> <br /> She caught a glimpse of herself in a mirror on the wall. She wore the bright-colored work suit of a janitor, her long hair tied into a simple ponytail. Her delicate face was slightly reddish due to the cold weather, and her mouth was pressed into a thin line. <br /> <br /> If you were to only look at her face, you’d think she had just graduated from college. But the glow of youth and innocence was gone. She’d seen how cruel the world could be. <br /> <br /> The eyes that stared back at her were old, far older, and duller than they used to be.<br /> <br /> She sighed and rolled her cleaning cart toward the exit. <br /> <br /> With an eye on the time, she moved quickly and efficiently to clean the rest of the building. <br /> <br /> The life of a janitor wasn’t glamorous, but after she left prison this was the only job she could find. <br /> <br /> As she packed her things to leave, she heard two people watching the news on their phones.<br /> <br /> “Did you hear? Lily Atkinson is engaged to Sean Stevens!” <br /> <br /> “God, she’s so lucky! She’s basically a superstar and rich already, , now she is going to marry into the even wealthier Stevens family.&quot;<br /> <br /> Grace shuddered, and then she hurried out of the office building.<br /> <br /> She took a deep breath, and repeated her mantra again, pushed the thoughts of her ex-boyfriend and his new fiancée far from her mind.<br /> <br /> This time of year, the cold winter wind blew harshly, sending pain through her hands. <br /> <br /> She had forgotten to grab her coat on her way out, too fixated on escaping any more ‘good news’ about the happy couple that made her life hell.<br /> <br /> Suddenly, a Ferrari stopped in front of her. Three men and a woman got out of the car, all obviously drunk. <br /> <br /> One of the men looked at Grace, and through his drunken haze he recognized her. “I know you! You’re Sean’s ex-girlfriend, aren’t you?”<br /> <br /> Grace paled. The man in front of her was another trust fund baby in Sean’s social circle. She cussed out once when he made a pass at her, knowing she was dating Sean. She searched her mind for his name: Christopher Peterson.<br /> <br /> In hindsight, many of Sean’s friends were elitist creeps. She should’ve paid more attention to that. Birds of a feather do flock together. <br /> <br /> &quot;Aren’t you supposed to be a lawyer?&quot; He walked towards her with staggering steps. <br /> <br /> Another man stepped forward after Chris. Grace didn’t recognize him. “Hey, didn’t you know? She went to jail after killing the Atkinson girl.&quot;<br /> <br /> “Ha, look at her rags!” The woman pointed at her clothes and laughed. &quot;She’s just a poor janitor now!”<br /> <br /> Chris stepped closer, alcohol on his breath. “Pretty girl like you… There are better ways for you to make money. You should come with me tonight. Beats sweeping the streets.&quot; <br /> <br /> He held out his big, fat hand and the other three burst into laughter.<br /> <br /> But Chris wasn’t asking permission; he was already moving in on Grace. She flinched away from his hand, but there was a building right behind her and he was blocking her exits. He grabbed her arms and pressed her against the wall.<br /> <br /> It was late at night, and no one passed by this part of the city. <br /> <br /> She screamed but she knew there was nothing left inside the building who could hear.<br /> <br /> Chris’ friends got back into the car. They didn’t care what he did to her. <br /> <br /> She tried struggling and pushing against his chest. He got angry, and knocked her head back against the wall, dimming her vision. <br /> <br /> He wrapped a hand around her throat and tightened, while she clawed at his arm. “L-let me go…”<br /> <br /> Grace kicked out hard, kneeing him in the crotch. <br /> <br /> He growled in pain, then backhanded her so hard her ears started ringing. <br /> <br /> When she kicked again, he jumped backward, and it was just the chance she needed. Grace slipped from his arms and took off running. <br /> <br /> Christopher blocked the way back into her building, so she had no choice but to run down the street. <br /> <br /> Construction on the road limited the traffic and the late hour ensured there was no one to help her—or to hear her scream.<br /> <br /> She heard the sound of a car engine starting and tires screeching, and she knew he hadn’t abandoned the chase. She stuck to the sidewalk thinking she could evade them, but when she turned down a side street, the car jumped the curb and followed. <br /> <br /> When she came out the other side and circled back down the next street, thinking she could run back to the office for safety, the car cut around her and clipped her, sending her to the ground. <br /> <br /> She collapsed and struggled to lift her head off the pavement. <br /> <br /> Chris leapt out of the car. His two friends fanned out on either side. She could only make out their shadows, headlights blinding her. <br /> <br /> She scrambled to stand as Chris shook his head at Grace. “You didn’t think I&#039;d forget the way you insulted me, did you? You told Sean what I did to you, and it cost my family millions!”<br /> <br /> He advanced on her like a predator. “But Sean isn’t here to protect you anymore...” <br /> <br /> Grace finally got back on her feet, but she was slow, still disoriented. <br /> <br /> When Christopher lunged, her body couldn’t react quick enough, and he pinned her to the concrete. <br /> <br /> “Stop! Let go!” Grace cried on the top of her lungs. <br /> <br /> “I think you should listen to the lady.” A cold voice said from behind them. <br /> <br /> Chris froze. Grace turned her head to the man standing beside them. She didn’t know where he came from. <br /> <br /> “Mind your own business!” Chris told him. He wasn’t scared of the man. It was three against one. <br /> <br /> Grace whimpered. She had no reason to think this newcomer would risk himself for some stranger on the street. And if he did, she had no doubt he would lose…<br /> <br /> Terrence Klein shifted in the driver’s seat and considered his options. <br /> <br /> His boss, Jason, had approached the scene near the sports car in the middle of the road. A woman on the ground and the three men above her. <br /> <br /> He glanced around, gauging if there were any traffic cameras on this deserted stretch of road or if there were any other bystanders who might witness Jason committing a crime. <br /> <br /> Terrence had seen his boss lose it before. He only hoped he wouldn’t go too far.<br /> <br /> But he knew Jason, and what he was capable of. <br /> <br /> This was going to be bloody. <br /> <br /> Jason wanted to be alone tonight. But these goons with the ferrari had disturbed his peace. And by the looks of it, they were tormenting an innocent woman.<br /> <br /> Every year on this day, Jason always closed this whole road and drove along it by himself, wearing his old clothes from his younger days.<br /> <br /> No one dared to ask him for his reasons.<br /> <br /> Even Terrence, who had worked for Jason all these years, didn&#039;t know the reason why. <br /> <br /> But he never questioned his boss. Not even now, as he watched Jason lift a heavyset man with ease and slam his head against the wall over and over.<br /> <br /> He got out of the car.<br /> <br /> Beating up some thugs was one thing. Killing them… that wouldn’t be so easy to overlook. Or clean up.<br /> <br /> And the men on this road were driving a Ferrari, and wore designer clothes and watches. Which meant they weren’t ordinary street thugs. They had money.<br /> <br /> He saw his boss pull the man on the ground off the woman and began punching him over and over, until his face was twisted and bloody. He started toward Jason and then paused when just as suddenly, his boss stopped his attacks… Because the woman on the ground told him to.<br /> <br /> “Stop. Please.” Grace touched the stranger’s arm. &quot;He’s had enough. If you keep doing this, he’ll die.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;So?&quot; the man said. But despite his protests, he let Chris go, who slid down the wall. <br /> <br /> Grace was stunned. It wasn&#039;t until this moment that she really was able to see the man clearly.<br /> <br /> He was handsome. With dark eyes and a strong jaw. Full lips and a strong body. <br /> <br /> His hair was longer on top and just slightly messy in the most perfect way. <br /> <br /> When Chrisgot to his feet, the man took a menacing step toward him.<br /> <br /> “Don’t,” she said. “He isn’t worth it.”<br /> <br /> The man’s dark eyes returned to her. He had killing intent in them, as if these people&#039;s lives meant nothing. <br /> <br /> Grace took a deep breath. &quot;It’s not worth being imprisoned for a lowlife like him.&quot;<br /> <br /> The man didn’t move or say a word, but she sensed him relaxing. <br /> <br /> Chris ran to grab his injured friends and get back into his car. “You’ll pay for this!” he screamed.<br /> <br /> Grace didn’t know if he was addressing her, the stranger, or maybe both. <br /> <br /> But she wasn’t scared. There wasn’t much he could do that she hadn’t already experienced in prison. <br /> <br /> The woman who’d been with these bastards stuck her head out of the car. “Wait… I think I’ve seen that guy at a party before…”<br /> <br /> The other three men looked at her like she was insane. One asked, “Are you crazy? That’s just a random homeless guy.&quot;<br /> <br /> Grace understood their confusion. <br /> <br /> The man—her savior—wore old ragged clothes. He looked… as broken as she did. <br /> <br /> This was not a rich person like them . His jacket was threadbare, and his face looked haunted by his past.<br /> <br /> Chris peeled out with his buddies. Grace watched the car as it disappeared down the street. When the road was once again quiet, she looked back at the man. <br /> <br /> She hesitantly said, &quot;Thank you… for saving me back there.&quot;<br /> <br /> He grunted in response. <br /> <br /> He walked across to the other side of the road, he sat down with his back against a brick wall.<br /> <br /> It was cold and windy. And the temperature was due to drop even lower. If this man had nowhere to stay, he’d freeze to death out here.<br /> <br /> Grace started walking over to him. He’d saved her life. She couldn’t leave him here alone.<br /> <br /> “Hey, it’s pretty late. Aren’t you going home now?” She crouched down to him. “Where is your family? Do you have their phone number? I can help you call them and ask them to pick you up.”<br /> <br /> He slowly raised his head and Grace saw… pure darkness.<br /> <br /> It was the same darkness she’d seen in her own eyes too many times. <br /> <br /> The kind of darkness that spoke of nothing to live for. No hope. <br /> <br /> &quot;If you have nowhere to stay,&quot; she said softly. “You can come with me.”<br /> <br /> Grace did not expect to bring a stranger back to her apartment. She wasn’t impulsive by nature, and she certainly hadn’t dated anyone or even considered hooking up with a man since being released, especially after her experience with Sean.<br /> <br /> But this man had saved her from a horrendous situation. She shuddered at the thought of what could’ve happened if he wasn&#039;t there. <br /> <br /> Those men, the three of them were soulless… and how could that woman watch on while she was beat up? As an attorney, she would’ve fought hard to see all of them in prison for their crimes or complacency in it. But life had taught her that the innocent rarely prevailed. <br /> <br /> And life was never fair. <br /> <br /> So why bring this man home?<br /> <br /> Perhaps she wasn’t ready to concede just yet. <br /> <br /> Her apartment was small, just one room with a small kitchen and bathroom. She grabbed a blanket from the closet and laid it on the floor. She took her pillow and placed it on the floor.<br /> <br /> “The bathroom is just through there,” she said.<br /> <br /> He walked in and closed the door behind him. The water kicked on a moment later. <br /> <br /> When the man came out of the bathroom, his hair was wet. He had washed his hair and face. His sleeves were rolled up.<br /> <br /> Looking at the man&#039;s wet hair, Grace fetched a towel and said, &quot;Bend over, please.&quot;<br /> <br /> The man eyed her suspiciously.<br /> <br /> &quot;I just want to help you dry your hair with a towel,&quot; she said. &quot;You could catch a cold.&quot;<br /> <br /> He still gazed at her, but after a few moments he asked in a deep voice, &quot;Are you really so concerned about me?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Yes.&quot; Grace did not avoid eye contact with him. &quot;After bringing you to my home, I don&#039;t want you getting sick.&quot;<br /> <br /> With his eyes taking her in like she was some oddity, he slowly bent over.<br /> <br /> Toweling his wet hair, Grace asked, &quot;What&#039;s your name?&quot;<br /> <br /> He remained silent for a long time. &quot;Jason,&quot; he said<br /> <br /> &quot;Jason.&quot; She repeated his name. It was a very common name, so Grace didn’t think much about it. <br /> <br /> “My name is Grace. Where do you live? Where’s your family?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;I don&#039;t have any family,&quot; he responded.<br /> <br /> She suddenly stopped. <br /> <br /> She knew how it felt to be alone.<br /> <br /> She had people before—but they’d turned their backs on her. <br /> <br /> &quot;Looks like we&#039;re in the same boat,&quot; she said with a bitter smile on her face as she continued to towel his hair dry.<br /> <br /> She rose and got a comb and came back to him. It felt so intimate, to touch his hair and smooth it away from his face. But this stranger—Jason—had risked his life for her. It was the least she could do.<br /> <br /> As she pushed his hair back, the true features of his face were revealed. He was a devastatingly attractive man. Strong jaw. Full mouth. Dark eyes. <br /> <br /> Eyes that were inches from hers and staring deeply into hers.<br /> <br /> “I…” she stammered, lost in his eyes. &quot;Um… Are you hungry?”<br /> <br /> He tilted his head. “What?”<br /> <br /> She wrung her hands together. “I&#039;ll uh… make you something to eat.” <br /> <br /> Grace moved to the tiny stove and threw some instant noodles and eggs into a pot. She didn’t have any meat, but she chopped what vegetables she had and added them too.<br /> <br /> She set the tiny table and poured them both a glass of water from the sink. He moved cautiously to take a seat when she set the bowls down.<br /> <br /> &quot;Be careful, it&#039;s quite hot,&quot; she said.<br /> <br /> She didn’t mean to treat him like a child, but his presence made her nervous. But at the same time, there was something incredibly calming about him. <br /> <br /> He lowered his head and ate his noodles quietly. Grace stared at him in silence. <br /> <br /> Normally, she’d come home and hate the feeling of being alone, confined in this tiny space. Now, the loneliness that she’d usually feel was gone. She felt somewhat… happy. <br /> <br /> After he had finished eating, Grace cleaned up his bowl and cutlery. &quot;I usually sleep with the lights on. I hope you don&#039;t mind,&quot; she said. It was an old habit from prison. Lights made her sleep easier, when she could see who’s coming.<br /> <br /> “That’s fine,&quot; he said.<br /> <br /> Grace took her pajamas into the bathroom and shut the door to brush her teeth and change. Was it weird having a man alone beside where she’d sleep? Yeah. Probably.<br /> <br /> But she didn’t feel scared by his presence. If he’d wanted to hurt her, he wouldn’t have defended her on the street. <br /> <br /> When she got out, he was laying on the pillow on the floor. <br /> <br /> The room was silent save for the sound of the heater. If she listened hard enough, she could hear each breath he took. <br /> <br /> It was a steady rhythm, peaceful even.<br /> <br /> Grace closed her eyes and focused on sleeping. This was her routine every night, because it was almost impossible for her to relax. Even being out of jail, at night she would always dream of her time inside.<br /> <br /> She would be beaten, shamed, and abused... and every finger would burn with the pain of being broken and the nails being torn off…<br /> <br /> She’d wake up screaming, fingers curled, terrified and heart-pounding. <br /> <br /> However, oddly, that didn’t happen tonight.<br /> <br /> She wasn’t visited by her usual nightmares. She slept until sunrise.<br /> <br /> As she awakened, she rolled over to look at the figure lying on the ground beside her. Still here.<br /> <br /> Was it because of him? Because she was no longer alone?<br /> <br /> Before she even knew it, she had gotten up, squatted down, and placed her hand on his cheek. Her hand felt warm.<br /> <br /> He was real.Not something from her imagination. <br /> <br /> Last night, she really had taken a strange man into her apartment.<br /> <br /> When she came to herself, she found that he was already awake. His beautiful eyes were fixed on her.<br /> <br /> &quot;S-Sorry.&quot; Her face heated with embarrassment. &quot;I... I just... that... If you don&#039;t have anywhere to go, you can stay here.&quot;<br /> <br /> She spoke in a hurry, but after she had said it, she felt relieved.<br /> <br /> His eyes widened slightly.<br /> <br /> &quot;If you don&#039;t want to, just pretend I didn&#039;t say anything,&quot; she added, biting her lip.<br /> <br /> His mouth finally opened and he spoke quietly. &quot;Do you want me to stay?&quot; <br /> <br /> If this had been said by a man like Chris, it would&#039;ve sounded different. It would’ve sounded wrong.<br /> <br /> But when the words came from him, it was just an honest question. She didn’t read any hidden meaning or intent into his words, and even if there had been, she realized her answer would be the same. Grace pursed her lips. &quot;Yes, I do.&quot;<br /> <br /> He stared at her, and a smile slowly formed on his lips. &quot;Good.&quot;<br /> <br /> This was the first time she had seen him smile. Although it was very light... It was beautiful.<br /> <br /> Jason remained at the tiny table while Grace got ready for work. She left money on the table for him to buy himself some food.<br /> <br /> He sat staring at the twenty dollar bill for a long time after she was gone. The room was eerily still. <br /> <br /> None of her light vanilla scent or somewhat nervous energy to fill the space. He rolled up the quilt that he’d slept on and then washed out the coffee cup he’d used. <br /> <br /> Normally he’d be tempted to look around, maybe snoop a bit. But he didn’t want to intrude on her space.<br /> <br /> After he was done, he stepped out of the apartment. There were several people waiting for him outside. <br /> <br /> They respectfully greeted him, “Mr. Reed.”<br /> <br /> &quot;Let&#039;s go,&quot; Jason responded faintly.<br /> <br /> A black Bentley was parked in front. Jason got into the backseat and looked at the twenty dollar bill in his hand. It had been many years since someone had given him money like this. On the contrary, for as long as he could remember, people only wanted to take money from him.<br /> <br /> Terrence met his gaze in the rearview mirror. “The woman who was with you last night is a contract janitor working cleaning offices. She started renting her current residence here a month ago, and was just released from prison two months prior.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Prison?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Yes, her name is Grace Cummins. She&#039;s the ex-girlfriend of Sean Stevens of the Stevens family. She was convicted of manslaughter in the death of Jennifer Atkinson. She was sentenced to three years of imprisonment and had her law practice license revoked,&quot; Terrence said as he carefully observed Jason&#039;s reaction.<br /> <br /> Jason kept his face even. “Grace…” he whispered. “Well, this is interesting.”

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