Falling for My Contractual Wife

Grace locked eyes with Brian and then started pulling away. "Let me go!"

Brian gripped her hand tightly, as if he feared she'd vanish if he loosened his hold.

""You're really here!"

Grace pursed her lips and turned away.

"You were at the breakfast joint last time, right?"

Suddenly, Brian recalled the woman he met when that movie premiered. It clicked in his mind.

"You were at the cinema that day too!"

He remembered finding the woman odd. The movie wasn't that moving, yet she sobbed uncontrollably.

Because while others watched the movie, she was living her own

And she was the same person he bumped into outside the pharmacy.

The realization made Brian's grip tighten involuntarily. She'd already come back to Capern City, but she'd been avoiding him.

Just then, the man who'd been chatting with Brian approached, wearing a hard hat like he was overseeing the project. "Mr. Francis, who's this?"

Brian composed himself, but his gaze stayed fixed on Grace. "My ex-wife."

Grace pursed her lips, reluctant to acknowledge the label.

"Mr. Francis, you know we're done. There's nothing between us. Show some respect."

Brian's dark eyes gleamed, a faint smirk playing on his lips. "Who said we're done? There's unfinished business."

Grace pursed her lips, knowing he meant the child.

"Get back to work. Send me the project details," Brian said.

"Sure thing, Mr. Francis. I'll head out."

The man in the hard hat entered through the steel door.

Grace looked at Brian's hand, annoyed. "Can you let go now?"

Brian wasn't worried she'd bolt. She was right here. It was impossible to escape,

"What brings you here?"

Grace shot him an irritated look. "Why are you here?"

"I'm behind this tourist project. Just checking in."

Though Grace anticipated his response, she was still irked. Myrtle Peak held too many memories. "There's so many other places. Why here?' Grace thought.

III

J

58 Sat,

Thinking it over, she spat, "Why develop a tourist spot in the middle of nowhere?"

Brian narrowed his eyes, noting she dodged his question. "I like it. Now, why are you here?"

I grew up here," Grace muttered, descending the mountain.

Brian trailed after her. "You grew up here?"

Grace stayed silent, picking up her pace, clearly trying to shake him off.

But Brian's strides easily matched hers. He kept pace.

"Where's the kid?"

Grace was silent.

"Boy or girl?"

Still silence.

There was a familiar path. Grace remembered it led to the old house, so she headed that way.

Brian followed, voice stern. "Grace! Answer me!"

"I told you, the child's got nothing to do with you! Aren't you engaged to Louise? Why bother me?"

Brian had planned not to seek her out, but seeing Grace made him want to draw closer.

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