Chapter 5

Grace couldn't explain herself; seeing Joanne's exhaustion, she chose not to argue. Joanne placed fresh pajamas on the bed. "Your room has its own bathroom. Go shower and rest. I'm too tired to chat tonight." Grace nodded, murmuring, "Thank you." Seeing Joanne enter a bedroom, she knew the other was hers.

She showered, feeling more comfortable afterward. Just as she was drifting off, her phone buzzed. It was Liam Lambert. "Grace, I'm home for break. Alice's birthday is today. Why aren't you here? Mom said you ran away again. Seriously? Just come back. The housekeeper's cooking is awful; I miss your food. Mashed potato salad for breakfast, okay?"

"Alice cried. Come apologize. Aren't you tired of causing scenes? Yancey doesn't even like you. I'm embarrassed."

Clutching her phone, a sharp pain pierced her heart. It felt like the world adored Alice, while she was worthless. Even without her memories, the pain remained.

The next morning, she woke with dark circles under her eyes. She cooked breakfast, surprised by her skill. Joanne emerged, inhaling the aroma. "Bringing breakfast to Yancey again? How many meals have you made for him? Has he ever eaten one? A rich girl like you wasting time perfecting cooking to chase a man… You graduated and didn't look for a job. You spent years chasing him, getting only mockery. What's the point?"

Grace's hand froze. She wanted to say it wasn't for Yancey, but knew no one would believe her. Silently, she plated the food. Joanne's resume lay on the table; Grace glanced at it. "Joanne, I want a job. What did I study?"

Joanne stared at the food, frowning. "Grace, you're acting more convincingly than ever."

A bitter feeling welled up. Grace pushed a bowl of soup toward Joanne. "Just tell me." Joanne ate, sighing. "You studied finance, but Liam owns your family's company. You probably don't even know where the office is. Even Alice has ten percent of the shares, but you have nothing. You could have interned there after graduating, but turned it down to pursue Yancey. Now Alice's made a name for herself; no one remembers you exist."

Grace ate quietly, then said, "Then I'll work at Henderson Group. Ethan just returned, right? I want to pursue him."

Joanne choked on her soup. "You hated Ethan most? Since Yancey disliked his uncle, you followed suit. Every mention of Ethan disgusted you. Do you even know what he's like? He graduated from Haverford with a double degree at eighteen, founded a huge acquisition firm overseas at nineteen, and was a regular on Varnell Street finance covers. If not for the accident two years ago that crippled him, every woman in Druville would still adore him."

Grace recalled the compelling voice she'd heard. "What does he look like?"

Joanne searched and showed a foreign news photo. The man in the black suit, his shirt buttoned high, possessed a reserved, almost ascetic air. His gaze, cold and deep, was like a winter ocean, concealing unseen storms. It was the most breathtaking face Grace had ever seen, far surpassing Yancey's.

Joanne clicked her tongue. "It's a pity. After the accident, he never returned to Druville. No updates anywhere. Even injured, women still pursue him."

Grace sipped her soup. "Yancey said he's my boyfriend. I'm going to Henderson Group."

Joanne looked at Grace oddly, rubbing her temples. "Are you going for Yancey or Ethan? Do what you want. If you win over Ethan, I'll never criticize you again."