Free Web NovelChapter 40: Why Didn’t He Tell Me?
Liam accepted the envelope and gave Harrison a brief, indifferent glance.
"That’s all." Frank immediately understood and retreated without another word.
Liam looked down at the envelope.
Ten thousand dollars.Her unpaid wages... and compensation.The matter was settled.
Frank still apologized, His face wore a humble smile, but bitterness flickered deep in his eyes.
"Much obliged, Mr. Sterling," he said stiffly. "I’m truly sorry, Miss Cole."
Just before walking away, his eyes drifted toward Grace one last time.
Regret. resentment. and lingering greed flickered across his face.
What a waste.
He had seen her vulnerability and believed she would eventually have no choice but to submit to his demands.
Now that hope had vanished completely.
With this young man standing behind her, framk knew he would never have another chance.
Grace stared at the thick envelope in her hands, unable to believe it.
She had spent days making desperate phone calls, filing complaints, and even standing outside the company with a protest sign, only to be ignored and humiliated.
Yet Liam. had solved everything with a single phone call.Her eyes slowly reddened.
"Liam.. thank you," she whispered, her voice trembling.She quickly counted out five thousand dollars and held it toward him.
"Please. Take this. I wouldn’t have gotten any of it back without you."Liam smiled and gently pushed her hand back.
Keep it, Grace. You need it far more than I do.Grace froze, her grip tightening around the cash.She looked at the young man before her, her heart overflowing with gratitude.
"Then... let me treat you a nice meal some day, she said softly. "It’s not much, but... I’d really like to thank you properly."Liam nodded with a warm smile. Okay
Her clothes were soaked after hours beneath the blazing afternoon sun.
"Grace, you’re exhausted," Liam said gently. "Let me walk you home so you can get cleaned up. If you stay like this, you’ll end up getting sick."
Grace hesitated before giving a small nod.
Right now, Liam was the only person who had offered her a helping hand when everything else in her life seemed to be falling apart.
When they arrived at her apartment building, Liam’s expression darkened.
Bright red paint had been splashed across the front door and walls—a familiar warning from debt collectors. The hallway felt cold and lifeless.
Inside, the apartment was almost empty.Most of the furniture had already been taken away after the court auctioned off nearly everything the family owned.
Grace lowered her head with an embarrassed smile."I’m sorry you had to see this," she said softly.
"The apartment will be repossessed soon. Nathan and I will have to find somewhere else to live."She excused herself to take a shower.
A short while later, she returned wearing a simple white blouse and a pair of black slacks. The plain outfit couldn’t completely hide her mature figure, yet there was nothing flashy about her.
She still looked gentle, elegant, and quietly composed despite everything she had endured.The two sat across from each other, talking over cups of warm tea.
As the conversation continued, Grace gradually lowered the walls around her heart.
"Nathan has changed..." she whispered, forcing a bitter smile.He barely talks to me anymore. After what happened today... he said I embarrassed him.
Her voice broke.A tear slipped down her cheek, followed by another.
The pain of losing her husband, her home, and now her son’s understanding is becoming too much to bear.
Liam remained silent for a moment.Instead of trying to comfort her with empty gestures, he simply looked at her and spoke in his usual calm, steady voice.
Don’t carry everything by yourself."He paused before adding,you can rely on me.
Grace looked up at him with admiration, at her lowest point, when nearly everyone had turned away from her, this young man had stepped forward without asking for anything in return.
Warmth slowly spread through her heart.Alongside her gratitude, another unfamiliar feeling quietly took root.
Before Liam left, they exchanged numbers.
Standing at the doorway, Grace watched his figure disappear down the hallway.
For reasons she couldn’t explain, the apartment no longer felt quite as cold as it had that morning.
As Liam walked away, a faint smile crossed his face.Helping Grace had completed more than just another mission.
It had earned something far more valuable
her trust.And in Liam’s eyes, trust was often the beginning of everything else
That evening, Monica Harper gave Claire a call.Claire, Monica said with a teasing laugh, "you’re not going to believe what I just heard."
Claire was in the middle of her evening skincare routine, applying a face mask with practiced care.
"What happened?" Claire asked calmly."Liam Sterling bought an internet café."Claire’s hand paused.He actually bought one?
"That’s not even the interesting part." Monica chuckled. "Victoria was one of the first people he told."A faint ripple crossed Claire’s composed expression.
For reasons she couldn’t explain, the news left an unexpected emptiness in her chest.
She had assumed, perhaps a little selfishly, that she held a special place in Liam’s life after everything they had been through.
Apparently, she wasn’t the first person he wanted to share his success with.He told Victoria?" Claire asked quietly.
Looks that way.Monica laughed.You sound disappointed."
"It’s nothing like that."
"Really?" Monica teased. "Because if someone didn’t know better, they’d think you were jealous."
Claire fell silent.Jealous?The word lingered in her mind.She wasn’t jealous.At least, that’s what she told herself.
Yet the thought of Liam sharing his success with victoria before telling her left an uncomfortable feeling she couldn’t ignore.
Monica’s voice softened.I was just teasing. Still, we should stop by Rage Quit Café sometime and congratulate him properly."
Claire nodded absentmindedly.That sounds like a good idea."After ending the call, she remained seated before the mirror, quietly staring at her reflection.
Yet her thoughts were occupied by a young man.A helpless smile tugged at the corner of her lips.Why didn’t he tell me?
