Chapter 92

Jason's face was devoid of emotion. Terrence, however, had seen this before. He remembered the tenderness in his boss's eyes during a phone call with Grace. Now, there was nothing.

"Mr. Reed, the car is waiting," Terrence said.

"Let's go," Jason replied flatly.

He hadn't initially wanted to attend the Stevens-Atkinson engagement banquet, but things had changed. Sean, Grace's former partner, was clearly out of the picture. Even if they wanted to reconcile, it would be nearly impossible. But Jason craved a flawless execution of his plan. He wouldn't allow Grace another chance with Sean, and tonight was the night to ensure that. How could this not be exciting?

Meanwhile, Grace finished dinner in her apartment and, with nothing else to do, browsed the internet. The Stevens-Atkinson marriage dominated the news and trending searches. Although tonight was only the engagement party, everyone knew this union of two powerful families was practically a merger.

Was a party truly necessary? Did the bride and groom need gifts? Absolutely not. It was all a spectacle—a display of wealth and influence likely designed to boost stock prices. People still loved fairy tales, and Lily was a celebrity princess. The wedding, no doubt, would be even grander.

Grace looked at the engagement photos released by the families. Lily, in a white dress, stood beside Sean in a white suit. To outsiders, they were the perfect couple.

The comments were overwhelmingly envious:

"Wow! Rich, handsome, and beautiful. A true power couple!"

"They're made for each other."

Lily's fans were vigorously promoting the engagement, calling it "the engagement of the century!" and "so romantic!" Sean had reportedly booked the entire most luxurious hotel in Emerald City and ordered 990,000 white roses for Lily—her favorite. He claimed Lily's purity and flawlessness reminded him of white roses. He'd also given her a 100-million-dollar villa, sparking envy across the internet.

But Grace didn't envy their money or relationship. Three years had passed since her breakup with Sean—a lifetime ago. In those three years, she'd been reborn. Jason had asked if she wanted to rely on someone, but she'd refused, fearing disappointment. That was true, but she also didn't want to be alone.

Her heart had been open once, with Sean. She'd relied on him, believed in him, but she'd been wrong. That didn't mean she had to live in fear, though. Fear of disappointment would only lead to disappointment and loneliness. To find her own happily ever after, she needed to be open to love again, willing to take the risk.