In the Lap of Luxury

Xander found her endearing, so he laughed gently and comforted her. "It's been hard on you. You'll have to endure it for a while, but avoid meeting him if you can." As Grace's anger subsided, Xander spoke again. "Turn on the camera. Let me see."

Grace had been speaking excitedly, but she froze for a moment when she heard his request. She looked at Shawn. Strangely, she felt like she was cheating. "I'm about to go to bed. I don't look good right now."

Xander thought that she was just being coy. "I've seen you in all kinds of states. Come on, be good. Let me have a look at you."

"I really don't look good. I'm tired." She persisted.

The issue was that Shawn was still there. It would be awkward for both of them.

Xander didn't insist anymore and just told her to rest early. He asked her to turn on her video for him the next day, and she agreed at once.

By the time she hung up, ten minutes had already passed.

Shawn came in from outside. "Mr. Fulton is very concerned about you."

Grace felt a little uncomfortable. "I'm sorry for neglecting you. I'll make it up to you next time. Thank you, Shawn, and please don't tell anyone else."

"Of course."

Shawn packed up his things and got ready to leave. Grace suddenly said, "Wait."

He stood still and turned to look at her. She looked extremely embarrassed. "Um... could you help me into the bedroom? I can't walk right now."

Her ears had turned bright red. Shawn's ears felt warm as well. He hadn't thought much about it earlier, but now he was very aware that they were going to be in close contact with each other.

As he walked with her in his arms, he could feel the warmth of her body on his. The veins in his neck bulged.

Grace's bedroom was very big, and its interior was decorated in a simple but feminine style. There was a subtle fragrance in the air.

Shawn put Grace on the bed. His palms were hot, and his lower abdomen felt as if it was on fire.

He got up quickly. "Do you need anything else?"

"No." Grace buried half her face in the blankets. "Shawn, I want to tell you something."

"What is it?" He went closer to her to listen.

"You look really good with a mask on. I'm sure you look equally good without it too."

Grace spoke earnestly. "I'm not

being sarcastic. I'm serious. I think that you're a very charismatic

person, and no one would ever judge you for your looks. At least, D wouldn't."

As his gaze bore into her, he frowned slightly.

She thought that he didn't believe her, so she raised her hand as if she were swearing an oath. "Really! I really wouldn't!"

Shawn laughed lightly. "I had reconstructive surgery after the accident, so I'm not hideous. It's just that I can't accept myself like this."

He noticed that Grace was indeed perceptive and had sensed his discomfort. It seemed that he hadn't been wrong about her.

"Shawn, we shouldn't judge a book by its cover. Even when it's ourselves." She spoke slowly and sincerely.

"Thank you for your advice, Ms. Lewis."

Grace laughed out loud. "Can I see?"

There was a flash of surprise in Shawn's eyes. He had never shown his true face to anyone after being disfigured, but for some reason, he felt that he could trust Grace.

He seemed to think of something, and he raised his hand to take the mask off. "Okay."

Grace didn't look away. His face wasn't particularly handsome. There were scars, but he still looked very manly.

There were clear traces of the reconstructive surgery, but the faint lines at the corners of his eyes gave off a sense of righteousness.

Grace just couldn't tell what he had looked like before he had been disfigured.

"You're not ugly." She spoke from the heart, and she sounded oddly affectionate. "Why aren't you able to face it? Keeping the mask on must be very tiring."

Shawn put it on again, and there was a cold glint in his eyes. "Perhaps it's because I haven't put down the chains in my heart."

Grace didn't overstep her boundaries and refrained from probing further.

When Shawn left the villa, he no longer felt frustrated, and his footsteps were swifter.

There had been a Maybach parked outside to the right of the villa. When

Shawn walked out, he was justa he

time to see its tail lights disappear around the corner.