I've Been There Before (Grace and Caden) novel Chapter 180

Meanwhile, Caden was at the Shaw Manor.

“Welcome back, sir.”

Caden gave a curt reply and handed the woolen trench coat to Mr. Garcia. He asked, “Is the lunch ready?”

“The lunch has already been long ready. There are black chicken with herbs soup, sautéed lily bulbs and celery, and steamed whitebait and egg. All are made from the freshest ingredients.”

Caden nodded. “Prepare each dish, put them on a tray and give it to me.”

Mr. Garcia who was attentive and cautious in his work replied. “The dishes have already been placed on the tray.”

“Give it to me.” Caden carried the tray and went to the second floor. The sound of his car’s engine had caught Sam’s attention when he came back. Now that Sam no longer had the power, Caden only let him stayed at the manor until his retirement as an act to appreciate him as his past servant.

“Come and have your meal, Grace.” Caden placed the tray on top of the bedside cabinet and Grace was shocked as she never expected him to return at this point of time. “Why are you here?”

“The company’s idle these days and there’s not much things to deal with.” He took the bowl on the tray while saying and scooped a spoonful of black chicken with herbs soup. “Come. Have some soup first.” Gazing at the spoon which was brought close to her lips, she did not have any appetite though the smell of the soup was pleasant. “I’m not hungry.”

“Have a little.”

“I want to sleep now.”

“Sleep after you’ve had it.” Grace stared at the spoon with soup in it and went silent. She then extended her hand. “I’ll have it myself.”

Caden did not argue with her and he gave her the soup bowl. Watching the woman eating the soup one spoonful at a time though silent, there was a soft light in his eyes. Grace was very slow in her eating and after eating half of the large bowl of soup, she left the spoon in the bowl, looked up and shook her head at the man before her. “Full?” Caden inquired gently. She nodded. As for whether she was truly full or not, she had no idea either. She only wanted to comply with his wish, have some soup to fulfill the task so that she had an excuse to chase him out, cover herself with the blanket and refuse to see him again.

Caden slightly arranged the dishes on the tray and did not intend to leave sooner. He sat at the edge of the bed and his warm palm slid into the blanket, covering her tummy. He said with a gentle look. “Mr. Garcia is earnest and thoughtful in his work. Do eat more, so that a healthy baby belonged to you and me could be nurtured here.” A pail of iced water seemed to be poured down to Grace’s head and she felt that the blood all over her body had stopped flowing. She winced.

His palm was still caressing her tummy gently and she could hear his soft and tender voice. “Do have a sleep. I’ll let Mr. Garcia order the kitchen to make some more nutritious herbal soup.” A soft light appeared in his black eyes which had never been seen. His eyes fell on her tummy as if looking at an unbelievably precious treasure. “If the God shows its kindness, let’s take a family photo when the baby’s born, okay?” He gazed at her with a smile and gentleness seemed to spill from his eyes.

Grace lied on the bed. She listened to his words and watched his tender gaze, and a bright smile suddenly appeared on her expressionless face. She looked at his eyes and replied. “Sure.” Her soft tone of voice almost made people ignored her coarse voice. Caden’s eyes gleamed and his enthusiastic stare fell on her face. His heart started to pump hard. She had said ‘yes’! And she agreed to give birth to his child for him! Did that mean she was willing to forget the past and live a good life with him? “I’m tired.” Grace yawned with an exhausted look. “I’m going to the study room, do have a nice sleep.” Caden carried the tray and left the bedroom in high spirit.

Later during that silent night, the man’s affectionate calls were heard in the bedroom surrounded by dim, yellow light. “Grace, Grace, Grace…” That name had become the most pleasurable love talk. Grace hugged the man above her gently and that hug was the most direct catalyst for intimacy. Caden’s eyes gleamed more and more and his heart almost leapt out of his chest due to excitement. He kept on calling her name. Grace withstood all the attacks and her head was placed on his shoulder. Her arms were put around his shoulder and she let him enjoyed the intercourse all he wanted. There was a teasing grim smile on her face at the place where he could not see it.

She dozed off being exhausted and a wide chest entered her line of vision when she suddenly woke up during the midnight. She could not hide away her grim smile. She opened her eyes and gazed at the ceiling. She had not slept again for the rest of the night when she woke up in her sleep, just like those nights she had after staying here. How could she be carefree enough to sleep in his arms? She chuckled. She caught a glimpse of the outside of the window from the corner of her eyes. It was the iron fence that she was familiar with, yet the only difference with that place was this room was slightly luxurious.

He was still asleep and there was a little sweat odour from his body. Last night was no less a tough one---A bitter smile broke out on her pale lips and was hidden by the dark. She had adapted to his sleeping pattern and she closed her eyes pretending to sleep when the dawn broke. “Wake up, Grace. It’s morning.” He pushed her. Grace turned with a sleep-deprived look and replied. “I’m tired, can I not wake up? I still want to sleep.” She spoke with a twang and Caden was delighted as this woman had rarely acted affectionate to him. He then behaved benevolently. “Alright, you can continue sleeping. I’ll let Mr. Garcia heat up your meal, remember to eat after you’ve slept enough.”

Grace grunted as a reply. The blanket had covered more than half of her head and the hair had covered the other half, only a small part of her skin was showed. Caden’s gaze softened and he rubbed her hair. “Good girl.” The removal of load from the bed was felt and a tiny sound of the door being closed was heard after a while. The woman who was curling up under the blanket moved and pulled away the blanket that was covering her head. Her eyes were aloof without any weariness. She did not move and only got out of the bed and stood beside the window when she heard the engine starting sound of the car downstairs. She watched the car driving out of the manor with cold eyes.

A barely audible knocking sound was heard outside the door, as if the comer was afraid to alert someone with the sound. Grace walked towards the door barefoot and saw the old butler acting furtive. She glanced at him blandly and asked, “Where’s the thing?” Sam took out a white bottle from his pocket and said, “I only seize the chance to come up here during the gap when Mr. Garcia is allocating today’s tasks to the other people of the manor. Mister is alert against me therefore there won’t be many chance to come in contact in the future. This is the amount of a bottle.” He handed it to Grace.

Grace peered at the bottle and it was an extremely ordinary bottle. “Mr. Venus is thoughtful enough to use the bottle for vitamin C tablets.” She said with a transient weird smile and resembled an emotionless robot when she lifted her head once again. “Thank you then.” She closed the door after finishing her words, leaving Sam who was having a mixed expression outside the door.

Grace twisted the lid open and poured out a white pill. She put the pill in her mouth like yesterday and let it dissolved. The bitterness slowly spread out and she chuckled with some tears.

Child? The one who had sent her to prison back then actually wanted her to give birth to his child for him now?

She swallowed the bitter liquid which the pill had completely dissolved in her mouth together with the astringent and salty tears down her throat. While her mouth was filled with both the bitterness and the astringent taste, she tossed the whole bottle of “vitamin C tablets” into the drawer of the dressing table casually.