Chapter 1

Prologue

The day Grace was released from prison, two men were waiting for her.

One of them sent her to prison, and the other one convicted her.

The snow was very heavy that day. They looked like two snowmen waiting outside the prison.

Grace vowed in her heart, she’d make everyone pay their price.

***

“Grace, get yourself a job and be a good person out there.”

The prison guard opened the gate and told her so.

Grace nodded. Through the iron bar on the prison window, she saw two black cars parked out of the gate. Waiting for her.

They were Jacob’s Benz G-Wagon and Sean’s Porsche Panamera.

Heavy snow has caused total chaos on the roads. Jacob and Sean were standing quietly in front of their cars.

Sean held a black umbrella and stared at the gate. Jacob kept looking at his watch.

One of them was Grace’s ex-boyfriend, and the other one was her childhood best friend.

How affectionate and caring they looked! If they hadn’t sent Grace to prison and told the other inmates to “take good care” of her, maybe she would be moved to tears.

Five years ago, Grace went to confront Lily Atkinson, and her sister Jennifer Atkinson was also there. In an unfortunate turn of events, Jennifer Atkinson died. Although it was a terrible accident, the court still decided to sentence Grace to three years in prison.

Lily dragged her sister’s lifeless body out of the car and called the police. Sean arrived soon after.

“Sean, your girlfriend killed my sister!” Lily sat on the ground and cried out.

Sean’s first reaction was to push Grace down onto the ground in case she ran away.

But Grace was already too weak to resist because she’d also been hurt. What’s more… she was pregnant with Sean’s baby.

“How could you be so evil?!” When Jacob rushed over, his eyes were blood shot as he questioned Grace.

Before Grace could explain to the two most important men in her life, she was handcuffed by the police.

In court, Lily’s lawyer was Jacob, Grace’s childhood best friend, another blow to her heart.

Jacob blamed everything on Grace. She was convicted of reckless driving and involuntary manslaughter and was sentenced to three years of imprisonment.

“Grace, you deserve this. People have to pay for their mistakes,” he said.

When Grace first got into prison, she was beaten constantly. She was beaten in places without security cameras and had her nails pulled out. She was yanked by the hair and pressed into toilets. Her back was always being kicked, and it was bruised all the time.

They even broke the bones in her finger, one by one.

At first, Grace didn’t know why. She was always stubborn and didn’t cry when they hit her.

But after a while, Grace found out why they picked on her exclusively. Grace sucked up to one of the female bosses in prison. She would wash her feet, give her massages, and even do her laundry. Finally, she gained the trust of the female boss, and she told Grace why.

“Girl, you poor little thing. Someone paid us to beat you.”

Grace knew who it was then in that instant. Sean.

This was the man who ordered two hundred drones to spell out “I LOVE YOU” in the night sky when he was pursuing her.

He said, “Grace, I will protect you from now on.”

***

Upon seeing their cars outside the prison gates, Grace begged the prison guard to let her leave from the back door, to avoid seeing either of their faces.

Besides, what if they were still angry with her and wanted to take their revenge?

I am nothing compared to them. I can’t afford to provoke them, but at least I can hide. Grace thought to herself.

In a trance, Grace remembered her confrontation with Lily. Lily stood in front of Grace while holding her dog and shouted, “My dog is worth 70,000 dollars. How much is your grandfather’s life worth?”

When Grace was three, her mother died and her father remarried. He abandoned her so her grandfather raised her all by himself.

Her grandfather worked night and day collecting junk and empty bottles for recycling.

When Grace was in junior high, she moved to the city from the countryside and lived in a small rental apartment. Her grandfather told her that they could make more money in the city because there was more junk to collect.

But Grace knew the true reason why her grandfather wanted her to go to school in the city.

The children in the city had shiny hairpins, and Grace wanted them too.

Grace’s grandfather once stood outside a small accessories store for hours, then he finally went inside to buy the expensive shiny hairpin for Grace.

the school offered financial aid to students from poverty-stricken families, Grace’s teacher Mrs. Green helped her apply for it. That’s

best scores at school. He occasionally helped Grace with her studies. She was clever and studious, so her grades improved

very grateful to Mrs. Green, but he didn’t have any money, so he offered to help

lived in a small cottage. Her grandfather swept the garden

grandfather, “Your little granddaughter is so beautiful and adorable. How about she and Jacob make a

too good. We don’t deserve him,” he rubbed his hands nervously

he didn’t even dare to raise

went back to the countryside. He didn’t let Grace go back

him begging friends for money to

Grace vowed in her heart that she would grow up to be a top

was the best grandfather that anyone could have asked for, but

***

and powerful Stevens family. Suddenly, her father wanted to be in her life again, all

young man. Bless you

was what her grandfather said the day she took Sean to meet

now. A big girl should have beautiful

junk to make

times. He was getting too old, and Grace

was a winter three

dog in the

the spot and was rushed

She said it was worth 70,000

sent to the ICU. Due to a

lot of money to the hospital, so she went to Lily

money from him, so you came

is broken because of your idiot grandfather, I

grandpa are just a bunch

didn’t hold back. She really couldn’t. So, she slapped

was Lily’s sister, saw this

two girls as she was pregnant and weak, so she got into her car and wanted to drive away, but

the police. She didn’t even try to escape. Her grandfather was in the hospital,

kept shouting Sean’s and Jacob’s names. Grace hoped that

they were on the side of Jennifer

grandfather had been in the ICU for 15

want to be a burden to Grace so

the

her grandfather… or

was locked up in prison, Lily went

been obedient.

know anything, he only followed his owner’s orders, and

Grace because

think while she was in prison. She blamed herself for

a good girl. Grace knew then it was just a dream because she was not a good girl like her

hairpins or any nice dresses, and she most certainly wouldn’t

only thing she wants is just to

***

opened her eyes suddenly. Only then did she realize that she had been dreaming of what had

down at her

and multiple fractures and broken bones,

fingernails had grown back, but the prison doctors hadn’t gone out of their

distorted, and she had residual

many fine movements that she couldn’t perform

especially when

hands

It’s okay. You’re okay.

a new

as she stood up and

the memories threatened to

lost more than just her freedom in that

future. Her boyfriend.

about was gone in

she’d accidentally killed was the daughter of one of the wealthiest and most powerful families in the country. What’s more, she was the fiancée of Jason Reed—the most powerful man

It’s okay. You’re okay.

is a new

You don’t need anybody.

finished mopping the

wearing the bright-colored work suit of a sanitation worker with her

face was slightly reddish due to the cold weather, and her

her face, you would think she was a student who had just graduated from

seen how cruel the world could

eyes that stared back at her were old, far older, and duller than they should

rolled the cleaning supplies toward

few

hadn’t meant to drift off to

eye on the time, she moved quickly and efficiently to clean the rest

after she left

she heard a colleague watching the news on her

and a daughter of a rich and powerful

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