Chapter 30

Grace’s gaze darkened as she walked, her new bag slung over her shoulder. Joanne followed behind, asking, “Are you really going to use that bag?”

“What’s wrong with it?”

Joanne shook her head, a hint of disappointment in her eyes.

“Joanne, let’s go. I want to check out my new place tonight. I'll make dinner, and we can eat together.”

Joanne gave a forced smile, “Sure, sounds good.”

After leaving the store, Velena immediately called Yancey. “Yancey, I heard your uncle’s in the hospital. What’s going on?”

Yancey didn’t even know what was happening. All he knew was that Grace had caused a scene in the VIP lounge at Velvet Eclipse, humiliating Sloan. He had heard that Julian had gotten involved, but Sloan wasn’t willing to explain why Hendricks was in the hospital.

He had asked Hendricks himself, but he only said it was Grace’s doing – Grace really was a troublemaker, causing problems everywhere she went.

Yancey was already irritated. He didn’t like Life’s side of the family much, especially his aunts Olivia and Yelena. The greed in their eyes was enough to make anyone uncomfortable. They often asked for money, but at least Grace had handled them well lately – he hadn’t heard from them in a while.

Then out of nowhere, they were calling again.

Yelena sighed in rebellion, but her tone turned harsh as she mentioned Grace again.

“That Grace is acting like she’s cursed. She just took my 4-thousand-dollar bag and insulted me, even tried to stir trouble by saying you told her to do it. Yancey, you should talk to her and get my bag back.”

So that was what this was about.

Yancey lit a cigarette and took a few puffs. “I see. She just got out of the hospital, so she’s probably in a bad mood. I’ll call her later.”

Yelena’s eyes gleamed with satisfaction. She knew that bag would eventually come back to her.

Grace had just arrived at her new house when she received Yancey’s call. She opened the door and answered in a neutral tone.

“Aunt Yelena told me you stole her bag. Grace, you're really going off the rails.”

Grace’s head throbbed in pain, and her heart felt sour. She took a deep breath and asked, “Is that why you called me?”

“Isn’t this worth mentioning? How long are you going to keep making scenes?”

Even if she was trying to get his attention, this was getting out of hand.

Follow new episodes on the CrushnovelS.Com

Grace ended the call, immediately blocking him from contacting her again.

She placed the groceries she had bought on the bar counter and said to Joanne, “Make yourself comfortable. The fire should be here soon. I had the cleaners come by this afternoon, and everything’s sanitized and nice and clean.”

The original owner had great taste, and the apartment was perfect for a woman. It was about 1,500 square feet and was quite spacious.

Joanne pressed her lips together, her smile fading slightly. After a long pause, she asked in a hoarse voice, “Are you living here by yourself?”

“Yeah, I moved out of the Lambert residence,” Grace replied.

“Who was that on the phone? Was it Yancey? It’s your first night in the new place. Don’t you want to invite him over for dinner?”

Grace couldn’t shake the feeling that Joanne was way too interested in her personal life.

“Joanne, I told him. Please don’t bring him up around me again. It’s so annoying.”

Joanne gave an awkward smile as she sat down on the nearby couch.

“After all those years, you really need one?” she asked.

“I was blind for love before. Now, I know what I’m doing.”

An hour later, Grace had opened a few boxes. As soon as they finished eating, the furniture from the mall arrived, which she placed around the living room and bedroom. The decorations made the place feel warm and cozy.

“Joanne, do you want to stay the night?” Grace asked.

“No, I still have to go to work later.”

Grace personally escorted her downstairs, and on her way back, she bumped into a woman with wavy, voluminous hair.

The woman smelled strongly of alcohol. Her appearance looked polished from head to toe.

They lived on the same floor, and Grace realized this woman was her neighbor. Her name was Selene.

Selene seemed a little unsteady, so Grace instinctively reached out to steady her.

She looked at Grace with a drunken haze in her eyes. “Moving out is a good idea. I don’t know how you managed to stay in that house for so long. By the way, have you slept with Yancey yet?”

Grace was taken aback by the abruptness of the question.

Selene leaned against the doorframe, looking every bit the seductress, every gesture oozing allure.

“Are you still a virgin? No wonder you’re chasing after a married man like that – they lose interest once they’ve had a taste. You’re still chasing him around, so it’s obvious.”