Page 68 of Bride Under Contract

It was after.

Grace caught a tiny glimpse of the future then—a life after Carter, all her problems seemingly solved. But he’d be gone.

She pushed the chair back and stood. ‘I’d like to take a break, please.’

She felt a little giddy, and the dim lights of the corridor did nothing to soothe her—they annoyed her, in fact.

She took the elevator down, and even if Kuala Lumpur wasn’t the best place for cool air, it was so vibrant, so alive, it was still a relief to be out of the formal surroundings, to watch the busy city, the people, the cars, the noise...

‘Grace.’ Carter had come out. ‘What the hell? If you’re going to storm out over every clause this is going to be a very long day.’

Her response was silence.

‘There has to be something in writing to ensure this remains between us, but I’m hardly really going to go after your wages.’

‘Violet’s been there for me every step of the way—and, believe me, given how I doubted her, it has nothing to do with obligation,’ she sneered. ‘That ran out a long time ago... It’s about friendship...love.’

She looked at Carter then, a man who actively turned his back on the things she treasured the most.

‘You couldn’t begin to understand,’ she said.

For someone who tried to be kind, she was possibly being mean now—but, hell, this morning had made her so.

‘I know you lost your family, and I can’t ever fathom how dreadful it was to lose them all in an instant.’

She stared at his granite features, saw now why he preferred the cold world of business, the towers, the noise.

‘But I lose my mother a little bit more each day, and my friend is there for me. A year or so from now you’ll be gone...’ Grace said.

Her voice trailed off as she glimpsed the devastation she might feel and, frantically not wanting him to see, she reminded herself that emotions—at least deep ones—were not, nor ever could be allowed.

‘What do I tell her?

‘Just say that we didn’t work out.’

‘Please...’ She gave a mirthless laugh. ‘That’s not going to work with Violet...’

‘Then it’s up to you to make it work,’ he warned. ‘This isn’t a game, or about placating friends.’

Grace swallowed as she suddenly got a front seat row to his ruthless edge as he very succinctly reminded her that this was a business arrangement, not a cosy deal.

She thought of her mother, reminded herself that was the real reason she was even sitting down to sign a contract. And yet there was a lump building in her throat.

Pulling herself away from the wall, Grace simply refused to let him see how deeply this was affecting her. ‘Oh, well...’ she shrugged ‘...at least I’ll be rich.’

‘And Grace...?’ He called her back, waited till she’d turned around. ‘If we do somehow manage to get past the NDA without you melting down, then we move on to the marriage contract. That won’t be getting signed today...’

‘What does that mean?’

‘It means there’s no need to argue every point or storm out.’ His eyes never left her face, and his voice was curt. ‘Some personal details will be raised—don’t get all offended, just make a note on the paper provided and we can discuss it between ourselves later.’

‘Fine.’

‘Grace, I told you right from the start you couldn’t tell Violet.’

‘I thought that meant while we were married.’ She looked at him. ‘I don’t even know if I’ll ever want tell her, but maybe in time...’

Carter arched his neck when she’d gone.

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