In the Lap of Luxury

Grace lifted her glass and smiled. "Do you have proof?"

"I haven't found proof yet."

"You will." Grace looked at Lydia. "Where's Caleb?"

"He's got a new song, so he's in the recording studio."

After they had gone public with their romance, Caleb had taken charge and made sure that Lydia's identity was not revealed.

The only thing he could do in the ensuing uproar was to show everyone his skills.

The challenge would be good for him.

Xander listened to them talk and made sure to fill up Grace's plate from time to time. He had excellent table manners.

"Mr. Fulton, I'd like to make a toast to you. Gracie doesn't have a good temper, so please be more understanding of her."

Zoey lifted up her glass. She spoke with the confidence of someone who was like family to Grace.

"We're friends. You don't need to stand on formalities." Xander lowered his glass and looked at Grace.

"She has a pretty good temper."

Everyone immediately started teasing them.

Grace blushed.

"Mr. Fulton moves fast! Somehow, he managed to win our Gracie over. Got any tips?" Emily was on the lookout for gossip.

"Just a sincere heart."

The women fell all over themselves, laughing. "So cheesy!"

Xander knew that the women would have things that they wanted to talk about amongst themselves.

So, after a couple of rounds of drinks, Xander went out to take a call.

The moment he left, the room erupted.

"How far have you two gotten? Tell us the truth!"

"Will he stay in Pamore?"

"How's his technique?"

The questions got bolder, and Grace glared at them. "We haven't done that."

"What?"

"That..."

Her

"But there's peel.net

talking about and said simultaneously,

about the two of you living together!"

"You're living together, and you haven't done that yet? He has excellent self-control."

Grace was exasperated. "What do you mean he has self-control? Maybe I'm just hard to get."

The others burst into laughter. "That's impossible."

The noise was contained inside the room. Xander stood on the balcony, listening to Peter's report.

"The address Quentin gave was correct. Ryan is hiding in the slums."

"Are there a lot of people living nearby?"

"Yes."

"Lure him out before you strike."

He hung up, and Xander played absent-mindedly with the phone in his hands. Then he turned around and bumped straight into a familiar figure.

"Mr. Hawkins."

swnove

Benjamin was here on a social engagement and had come out for some fresh air.

He had seen Xander from afar. If Xander was here, then Grace must be as well.

He narrowed his eyes. "You and I seem destined to meet, Mr. Fulton."

Xander leaned lazily on the railing. "I don't agree."

"Hawkins Group has booked the room behind me consecutively for three years. We use it for social engagements. "Grace often came here when she was my secretary. Was she the one who brought you here today?"

Benjamin's words were pointed.

Xander did not care. He stayed still. "It's just a room. If you want to change, then I don't mind. I'm not that territorial." "You like taking other people's leftovers, don't you, Mr. Fulton."

Xander looked up sharply, and his entire demeanor became menacing, as if he had just unsheathed a sword.

"How could you call someone you love 'leftover'? You deserve to lose to me, Mr. Hawkins." Benjamin's brow furrowed even more deeply. "That's not what I meant. To me, Grace is different!"

"Is she? Then what have you done for her?" Xander straightened up lazily and walked over to him.

"On Black Friday, if you hadn't

planned that incident on the

nov.net

highway, I would have gotten there on time. Mr. Walker wouldn't have been able to kidnap Grace S

Benjamin shuddered slightly.

"Don't you think you owe her an explanation?"