Chapter 3 The Truth Unravels

The SUV drove down the dim streets, the engine rumbling under them, as Grace's thoughts raced. She couldn't help but look in the rearview mirror every few seconds, hoping-praying-that she was mistaken. But there it was again. Henry's car. Tailgating them like a shadow in the night.

Her stomach curled into clusters. What's he doing?

"Lucas," she eventually said, her voice shaking, but resolute. "You are making a mistake." "You have no clue of what you are doing."

Lucas focused on the road; his mouth closed. He did not answer, not even a flash of recognition.

The tension in the air was heavy, like a storm about to erupt. Grace did not want to exhibit her worry, nor did she want him to know how disturbed she was by Henry's appearance. But she couldn't ignore it. Not when the man she was supposed to be using for her revenge was so close, so dangerously close.

Lucas's voice broke through the silence, harsh and cold. "Do not try to bargain yourself out of this", Grace. Do you think I am unaware of what you have been doing? "You are not the only one who has been playing a game."

Grace's heart skipped a beat after hearing his remarks. She opened her mouth to argue, but he interrupted her before she could.

"Don't think this is just about you and me." "This is more than that," he said, pressing his hold on the steering wheel.

Grace gulped hard, attempting to make sense of what he said. "What do you mean, bigger than that?"

He glanced at her for the first time since they began this wild journey, his gaze piercing and cruel. "Your fiancé, Henry, is not the man you believe he is. And your family's involvement in this? It's far deeper than just a simple betrayal. It's a goddamn conspiracy."

Grace stumbled, stunned by the sheer confidence in his voice. "What are you talking about?"

"Henry has nothing to do with this."

"Oh, he does have everything to do with this," Lucas replied, sounding disdainful. "Do you think he's the saint he claims to be? He's using you, Grace. He's leveraging your need for vengeance to obtain exactly what he wants-your name, your family's influence, and all you've built."

The word hit her like an arrow to the heart. She gazed at him, too astonished to respond, as the gravity of his allegation set in. "You're lying."

"I'm not lying," Lucas said, his tone hardening. "I've known for months. And if you are too blind to recognize it, then you are the one who has been deceived."

Her thoughts were filled with perplexity and doubt. How could she be so trustful? Henry was supposed to be the answer to her pain. The man who would help her take down Lucas and prove that she wasn't the one at fault. But now... now everything she'd believed was crashing down around her.

The SUV jerked as Lucas made a sharp turn, cutting through the streets with practiced ease. Grace clung to her seat, trying to steady herself as she processed the bombshell Lucas had just dropped.

"But why would he do that? Why would he go this far?" she asked, trying to piece everything together.

Lucas's jaw tightened again, his eyes darkening. "Because he wants a similar thing to everyone else does. Power. Control. And he'll do anything to obtain it, and it includes abandoning you."

Grace's thoughts raced. It wasn't enough, but the jigsaw pieces were beginning to fit together. Not yet. She needed answers, but more importantly, she needed to know whether she could rely on Lucas again-if they could ever re-establish their relationship.

"Why didn't you tell me this before?" she said, her tone warming despite herself. "Why did you abandon me to contend with all of this alone?"

Lucas's expression eased slightly. "Because I wasn't certain who I could rely upon. Five years ago, you made it obvious that you did not want me. You cared less regarding the true story. So I had to approach it in a specific way. I had to be assured I was correct about you before explaining to you any of this."

Grace's throat stiffened as his words touched her more forcefully than she expected. She never wanted to acknowledge it, but she believed he was correct. She had cut him off when he needed her the most. She'd made her decisions, and now they were coming back to hound her.

Just as she was poised to start talking again, the SUV came to a sudden halt, pulling both of them forward in their seats.

"What the hell-?" Grace began, but Lucas's voice cut her off, urgent and low.

"Stay down," he ordered, his eyes darting to the side.

Through the tinted windows, Grace saw it-the flash of headlights. It was Henry. He had caught up with them. The hunt was on, and it wasn't all about her anymore.

"Get out of the car," Lucas said, his tone low and forceful.

"What?!" Grace gasped, turning to him, her confusion evident.

"Do it. Now."

Lucas opened the door and dragged her out, his grasp solid around her hand as he took her to the back of a tiny alleyway. Grace's heartbeat pounded as adrenaline elevated, flowed through her bloodstream. This was it. This was really happening.

Henry's car came to a halt only a few feet away, and Grace's breath hitched in her throat as she watched him jump out, his face infuriated.

"You think you can run, Grace? You think you can do this to me?" Henry's voice was like ice, and the menace in his eyes was unmistakable.

Grace stepped back instinctively, but Lucas moved in front of her, standing his ground as he stared down at Henry.

"I'm not running anywhere, Henry," Lucas said, his voice full of authority. "But you are."

Henry sneered, his lips curling into a smile. "You think you can stop me? You think you've won?"

Lucas didn't answer. Instead, he reached under his jacket and drew out a pistol, its cool metal shining in the low light.

Grace's breath caught. This was real. This was happening.

Henry's sneer faltered, but he did not withdraw. He stood firm, his eyes narrowing. "You wouldn't dare."

"I would," Lucas said, his voice calm but deadly. "Now get in your car and leave."

A tight quietness lingered in the air, heavy with danger. Grace could feel her pulse beating in her ears, and her body was still in position.

Henry paused, his gaze shifting between Lucas and the pistol before turning away with a grumble.

As Henry hopped into his car and drove away, the excitement slowly faded, leaving Grace standing there, breathless and terrified.

"Are you okay?" Lucas asked, his voice soft but concerned as he turned to her.

Grace nodded with her throat tight. But she was unable to eradicate her belief that the most awful thing was still to come.

Grace's phone rumbled in her pocket as they paused in the alleyway to collect their breath. Her hands trembled as she struggled to remove them.

It was a message from Henry.

"We both know you're not done with me, Grace. I know things about you, things you haven't told Lucas."

Grace's stomach dropped. She looked at Lucas, but before she could speak, his eyes clouded.

"What is it?" he inquired, his tone soft.

Grace hesitated. But there was no turning back now.

She showed him the message.