Chapter 4

"Jesse, help me," Nina begged, looking pitiful. "Grace, kneel down and apologize to Nina! If you don't, I won't forgive you, and you'll never see me again!" Jesse was furious, barking the command at Grace. He had used that trick many times. Usually, the moment he said it, Grace would become a puppet and obey him without question. But this time, it failed. She slapped him right across the face, then kicked him in the knee. He lost his balance and fell hard, ending up kneeling in front of Grace. Everyone around, including the hospital staff, stared in shock. Grace actually hit Jesse? Wasn't Jesse supposed to be her whole world? Had she lost her mind? "Grace, you—" Before he could finish, Grace had already grabbed a handful of his hair and spoke haughtily. "Who are you yelling at? Know your place. If you want to see me, you have to get on your knees. And..." She glanced at Nina before continuing, "Take your mutt with you and get lost. If there's a next time, I'll break your legs." Grace had a black belt in Taekwondo. Dealing with Jesse and Nina was a piece of cake. Jesse fumed. He was dead set on teaching Grace a lesson. But Nina tugged on his sleeve and pleaded, "Honey, save our daughter first. We need Clara's bone marrow!" Recalling his daughter, Jesse swallowed his anger and blocked Grace, who was about to carry Clara away. "Grace, as long as you let your daughter donate bone marrow to save Amelia, I'll marry you. Is that good enough for you?" He acted as though this was some huge compromise on his part. Now that he had said it, surely Grace would be moved to tears. Clara gripped her doll tighter. She wasn't afraid of Grace letting them draw her bone marrow. She was afraid Grace might marry this bad man. Grace sensed Clara's tension and patted her back gently to comfort her. Then, she stared at Jesse with cold disdain, looking him up and down. "Marry me? You wish. "Jesse, ever heard of being evenly matched? You're nowhere near my level. But you and Nina? You two are perfect. Like rats and roaches—disgusting and made for each other." Jesse's face twisted. He completely lost his composure. He relied on a woman to climb the social ladder. Everyone in their circle knew it. He had been mocked and shunned more than once. His pride was huge, and so was his insecurity. Grace's words crushed his self-esteem and trampled it underfoot. Jesse grabbed Grace by the arm and sneered. "Grace, you really think you're still the precious daughter of the Lawson family? "I heard Adrian's tired of you and already asked for a divorce. Without him backing you up, you're nothing but a pathetic loser!" He raised his hand to slap Grace. With Clara in her arms, Grace couldn't dodge. But after a moment, the expected pain didn't come. She opened her eyes and saw Adrian standing in front of her, clutching Jesse's raised hand. Then, she heard a crack. That was the sound of a bone snapping. Jesse's face turned ghostly white. His cries of agony echoed throughout the hospital. Adrian yanked Jesse closer. His dark gaze overflowed with a powerful threat. Countless emotions churned in his eyes as he snarled, "Who says she's a pathetic loser? She's my wife!"