Never Looking Back: The Heart Wants What It Wants

"Are you attempting to seduce me?" The man's voice was cold with anger.

Pinned against the bed, Gracie Jones boldly reached up, her fingers tracing a path from his abdomen upward.

She could distinctly feel that at her touch, his muscles tightened immediately.

Her finger halted at his lips, highlighted by her stark wine-red nail polish.

"Yes, are you open to the idea, Waylon?"

The man restraining Gracie was Waylon Hughes, the uncle of her ex-husband.

With a half-smile, Waylon took in her fearless yet poised expression. "Doesn't it worry you that my nephew might find out?"

"He's already my ex," Gracie said, her smile subtle.

Today marked the official end of her marriage to Lorenzo Hughes.

Waylon's face hardened at her words. Releasing her neck, he said sharply, "I'm not interested in you. Leave."

Gracie quickly wrapped her arms around his neck, her voice a soft murmur in his ear, saying, "Waylon, interest isn't just spoken about; it's proven by actions."

Gracie's warm breath against his neck caused a blush to rise to his ear.

He swallowed hard.

Gracie's hand continued its exploration of his abdomen. "You might say one thing, Waylon, but your body seems to disagree."

Heat flooded Waylon's lower abdomen. A tingling sensation spread from the place Gracie had touched.

It was a feeling he had never experienced before.

Waylon grasped her roving hand, his tone firm. "There's a price to getting close to me."

Overcome by his desires, he pressed his lips to hers, her sweet, floral scent enveloping them.

Gracie's clothes were quickly removed...

As Waylon was about to advance further, Gracie stopped him. "Waylon, can you promise me one thing?"

The desire in Waylon's eyes dimmed slightly as he momentarily paused.

Gracie eventually disclosed her true motives.

"Proceed."

Hearing the edge of displeasure in his voice, Gracie tenderly kissed his neck, trying to calm him. "I need you to remove Lorenzo from his position as Chief Executive Officer."

The man facing Gracie was not just the leader of Jorvine's most influential family, the Hughes, but also a key figure in the national economy.

For Waylon, her request was manageable.

"After your divorce, you're no longer a Hughes. Why should I act against Lorenzo for you?"

As Gracie was about to distance herself from Waylon, he continued, "Pick something else."

"Well, then... At the banquet tomorrow night, I want you to..." Gracie murmured something into his ear.

"Alright." No sooner had he consented than Waylon moved closer, pushing aside all else to hold her passionately...

When Waylon woke up, he felt rejuvenated, as if he had savored something extraordinary.

It was the first night in six years he had slept without the aid of sleeping pills.

Turning to his side, he found a cold pillow with a note on it.

Waylon picked up the note nonchalantly. "Dear Waylon, don't forget our agreement!" It was signed off with a smiley face.

The crooked handwriting brought a chill to Waylon's gaze.

He was intrigued to see what Gracie was planning.

Reaching for the phone, Waylon called his assistant, Greg Reed. "Greg, there's something I need you to take care of."

Gracie left the hotel and drove straight to a quiet cemetery in the suburbs.

Approaching a gravestone, she crouched down and stared at the name on it - Paulina Hughes, her beloved daughter.

"Paulina, Mommy misses you so much."

Paulina had been afflicted with dilated cardiomyopathy at its most severe stage. They had waited a year for a heart donor, only for Gracie to discover that Lorenzo had redirected the donor heart to his lover's son, who needed an urgent transplant following a car accident. Without Gracie's knowledge, Lorenzo had signed away their claim to the heart.

The son of Lorenzo's lover survived, but Paulina passed away on the operating table at five years old.

On the very day of Paulina's cremation, Gracie returned home to find Lorenzo kissing his lover passionately, completely oblivious to her presence.

It was then that Gracie overheard Lorenzo admitting that she had always been just a stand-in for his real love.

At that moment, everything became clear to Gracie.

Their marriage had been nothing but a facade; she was merely a substitute for Lorenzo's true affection.

Even the illusion of Lorenzo as a loving father was shattered; he had completely disregarded Paulina's life.

Ironically, even after they had finalized their divorce the day before, Lorenzo was still unaware of Paulina's death.

"Paulina, Mommy promises, they will pay for what they've done."

Lorenzo was an illegitimate child of Lanny Hughes, the second son in the Hughes family.

Supported by Lanny, Lorenzo's career had ascended swiftly.

Gracie knew that to bring Lorenzo down, she had to start at the root - with the Hughes family.

And the real power with the Hughes family was no other than Waylon - Lanny's younger cousin, Lorenzo's uncle.

As a distinguished and noble figure in Jorvine, everyone showed him respect.

Gracie was aware that leveraging Waylon's influence was the key to depriving Lorenzo of everything he valued.

As the night unfolded, the moon cast a gentle light over the surroundings.

Tonight marked the occasion of Lorenzo's promotion banquet.

In the luxurious hall, under the glow of opulent crystal chandeliers, dignitaries and elites were lavishing praise on Lorenzo.

"Mr. Hughes, you've received the highest votes in the board election. It seems the president position is surely yours! Let's toast to your future success."

"Indeed, Mr. Hughes, with your ascent to the top of the Hughes Group in just under six years, you've shown yourself to be an exceptional talent! We all depend on your leadership going forward."

Lorenzo acknowledged each compliment individually, casting meaningful looks toward his beloved, Norene Bailey, who was across the room.

Gracie, clad in a sophisticated black gown, stood quietly in a corner, sipping her red wine and watching them with a faint smile. She wondered, if Lorenzo were to lose everything, would Norene still remain by his side?

Gracie finished her wine just as Norene approached her with a provocative air. "Gracie, I owe you for playing your part with Lorenzo over the years, helping to shape such a fine man. Do make sure you attend our wedding soon."

Gracie's hand tightened around her wine glass, nearly enough to break it, yet she responded with unnerving calmness. "There's no need. Only rats scavenge through the trash."

Norene detected the bite in Gracie's words, her face flickering with emotion before smoothing over.

"Oh, and I appreciate the donor heart for my son. Do you know why Lorenzo chose to save my son over your daughter?" As Gracie stayed silent, Norene continued, "Because I told Lorenzo that Gavin is his son."

The revelation from Norene's mouth ignited a fierce desire in Gracie to make her pay dearly.

However, the sharp sting in her palm snapped her back to reality.

Among the evening's attendees were police officers; any impulsive act could jeopardize her plans for revenge and potentially land her behind bars.

Was Norene trying to provoke her in this way?

Gracie decided to let Norene have her way - for now.

Gracie discarded the broken wine glass into the trash and pulled a USB drive from her purse.

"Here's a video from last month showing Lorenzo betraying me. I'm sure the journalists outside would love to see it."

Norene's face fell at Gracie's announcement.

"Did you install cameras at home?" Norene was uncertain whether they had been under surveillance.

Gracie folded her arms. "I thought we might be robbed, and I wanted the police to help catch the thief. Is that an issue?"

Norene found herself without a response.

This was Lorenzo's night to celebrate his promotion. A scandal like this could ruin her chances of becoming the president's wife.

After pondering for a short while, Norene managed a forced smile. "After all the years you've spent with Lorenzo and even having a child together, how can you stand to destroy him?"

The mention of her daughter caused Gracie a deep, piercing pain.

"Smack-"

The sharp sound of a slap turned every head in the room.

Gracie said calmly, "I think I just dealt with a pest, right, Miss Bailey?"

Norene, a hand on her cheek, was boiling with anger. But when she thought of Gracie's USB drive, she could only swallow the humiliation and grudgingly responded, "Yes, there was a fly. Thank you, Mrs. Hughes, for taking care of it."

Since Lorenzo hadn't announced their divorce yet, he had invited Gracie as Mrs. Hughes.

The crowd resumed their chatter.

Meanwhile, Norene seethed with rage internally. Once she married Lorenzo, she vowed to see Gracie behind bars.

"Norene, are you alright?" Lorenzo, sensing the tension, came over quickly, his expression filled with concern.

Norene, looking distressed but composed, replied, "I'm fine, Lorenzo. There's no need to worry about me. It was an accident."

Lorenzo's gaze turned cold and scornful. "Gracie, you were the one who wanted the divorce. Do you still think you have grounds to be jealous?"

Jealous? Was that really what Lorenzo thought she felt?

On their daughter's surgery day, Lorenzo claimed a business obligation required his attention, yet he was at the hospital for a heart transplant for Norene's son.

On the day of their daughter's cremation, he fabricated a meeting to cover up his affair with Norene.

And on the funeral day, he left home early and completely disregarded Gracie's calls.

It was only when Gracie messaged him about the divorce that he promptly replied with a simple "Okay."

Gracie masked her deep-seated rage behind a calm facade. "Lorenzo, which eye of yours perceived jealousy? Don't think too highly of yourself!"

Her cutting sarcasm seemed to momentarily shake Lorenzo, invoking a twinge of discomfort. He averted his eyes. "Have you brought the USB drive?"

Handing over the USB, Gracie watched as Norene's realization dawned late.

"Lorenzo, you requested her to bring this USB?" Norene asked, alarmed.

"Yes, it's for some work documents. I needed her to bring it over," Lorenzo replied.

Norene's anxiety flared as she stared accusingly at Gracie. Had she been deceived by Gracie all this time? Did she take the slap for nothing?

Before Norene could react further, a board member took to the stage. "Ladies and gentlemen, tonight we announce a pivotal change in our executive lineup. Based on our strategic needs and thorough evaluation of individual performances, we are promoting Mr. Lorenzo Hughes from CEO to President. He will assume full responsibility for the group's operations and future growth."

Lorenzo strode confidently onto the stage next to the board member.

Meanwhile, Gracie's hand, having crushed a wine glass, was now dripping blood, which was blending indistinguishably with the carpet's red.

Norene taunted her, "Gracie, soon I'll be the president's wife. What kind of price do you suppose you'll have to pay for that earlier slap?"

Gracie smirked slightly. "A president's wife who rose by seducing a married man? Perhaps you should be the one paying the price."

Ignoring Norene's darkening expression, Gracie looked away, her gaze returning to the stage.

She held onto the hope that Waylon would fulfill his promise. At that moment, a secretary rushed onto the stage, interrupting the proceedings with a whisper to the board member.

The board member's expression turned to one of surprise. "What? Mr. Hughes is here?"