Chapter 12
Antonio pinned the leader of the thugs to the floor. Punches rained down on the latter. Beaten up with bleeding heads, the thugs begged for mercy.
“Sorry, Mr. Kaufman. You’re a forgiving man. Please let us go.”
“Get lost! If you come near her again, I’ll make you pay!”
Antonio’s voice dripped with rage. Scared, the thugs ran away immediately.
A crowd gathered at the staircase.
Without sparing the on–lookers a glance, Antonio helped Sofia up. “Are you OK?”
Sofia threw herself into his arms and cried, “I sprained an ankle. It hurts.”
Antonio’s eyes dimmed. He carried her in his arms, pressed through the crowd, and left quickly.
To protect Sofia, he raised his elbow and accidentally knocked Grace
over
Her head was wounded on the steps. Seeing the blood, the on–lookers were startled.
“Your head is bleeding! Hurry! Someone call an ambulance!
Grace winced from pain, with cold sweat all over
Warm blood flowed down her fingers, dripping on my eyelashes, feeling
like a load heavy.
Antonio left without looking back. Bitterness spread across Grace’s mouth as she watched him walk away.
Once, she cut her finger when she made soup for Antonio. He felt bad and insisted on sending in a doctor, afraid there might be a scar.
Grace thought he was making a fuss over it. However, Antonio lowered his head to kiss her hand and said softly, “Grace, I hold you dear to my heart. Now, you were injured. I’m hurting more than you are. We’re better off now. You don’t have to do these things anymore. Besides, there’ll be a ring on your finger. A scar isn’t pretty.”
Now, she was injured, but he turned a blind eye to it.
The ring he had promised was on someone else’s finger.
The ambulance took Grace to the hospital.
She registered, saw the doctor, and took the medication alone. It was almost midnight when she got home.
It hurt so much she couldn’t sleep. She turned and tossed in bed.
Antonio didn’t come home all night.
The next morning, despite the fatigue, Grace had to get up to change the dressing for her wound. Then, she saw Sofia’s new post on Instagram.
It was a video where Antonio massaged her foot and applied medication for her on one knee.
Grace watched it repeatedly with red eyes and drifted off
It was dark outside when she woke up.
Iler phone was vibrating beside the pillow. Antonio said an address as Soon
she answered.
“Room 703 at Orchid Restaurant. Come now.”
Grace got out of bed after a moment of confusion.
She freshened up and went to the restaurant.
The first person she saw when she entered the room was Sofia.
Red–eyed, Sofia looked like a pitiable, sad bunny.
Antonio stared at Grace silently with a meaningful, grave expression.
The room was quiet for a long while before Grace eventually broke the silence.
“What did you call ine here for?”
Antonio sat up, his fingers crossed, like a dominator.
“Grace, did you hire the punks to make trouble for her yesterday?”
Grace was dumbstruck.
She looked at Sofia subconsciously and captured the gloat flitting across the latter’s eyes.
Grace instantly realized Sofia had planned the whole thing.
She sneered, “I didn’t. I don’t know them. And this kind of thing is benenth me.”
Antonio’s expression didn’t soften, thought:
He looked down and said calmly. “Grace” when Seila abandoned me. It
was over between her and me. You’ve been with me for seven years. You should know you’re the one I care about. Now, the Conley family’s power has declined. Anyone can bully them. But I didn’t expect it to be you. You didn’t have to pick on her because of me.”
Grace’s heart tightened into a knot.
She recalled how Antonio had unleashed his agony at midnight, how she had traveled everywhere with him to visit famous doctors, and his silence. when he was told he’d never see again.
How proud he had been. Yet he had lost his vision forever for a girl.
For seven years, he’d lived in anguish. Grace went through everything with him when he was in despair. Nonetheless, now, Antonio glossed it over as if it had never happened.
Grace’s eyes brimmed with tears when she remembered Antonio’s stamped marriage certificate with Sofia. “Yes. We’ve been together for seven years. Why didn’t I know who you cared about until now?”
The look in Antonio’s eyes intensified. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Grace shook her head. She scoffed, “I’m only the daughter of a domestic worker. Am I capable and well–connected enough to pick on a rich girl?”
She had made her point as explicit as she could. But still, Antonio wouldn’t believe her.
Tired, Grace took a deep breath. She didn’t wanna say anything more
“If you don’t believe me, so be it. Let’s cut to the chase. What do you want?”
Antonio rubbed his forehead. “Apologize to Sofia Grace, you did something wrong. You should say sorry
Just then the silent, pitiful Sofia suddenly spoke.
“Apology isn’t necessary. If you’re really sorry, finish these glasses of alcohol.”
