Five Years Wasted Now They Beg Her Back novel Chapter 87

The conference room door closed behind her, shutting out all the muffled whispers and complicated stares.

Grace took a deep breath, finally forcing down the storm of emotions swirling inside her.

She had won.

But she felt no joy, only a bone-deep exhaustion.

She returned to her small office, collapsed into her chair, and stared at the perfect molecular model on her computer screen, silent for a long time.

From OrionVale to the Arclight Research Institute, it felt like she was trapped in a repeating cycle.

Being questioned, being slandered, and then fighting back with undeniable proof of her skills.

When would she finally be able to just do the research she loved in peace?

Her phone vibrated.

It was a message from Damien.

[Is it over?]

Just three words, but they felt like a steady hand, smoothing away all her anxieties.

Grace’s fingertips paused over the screen before she typed a single word back.

[Yes.]

He replied almost instantly.

[What do you want for dinner tonight? We should celebrate.]

Celebrate…

Grace looked at the word, and her eyes began to well up.

Over the years, she had achieved so much, but no one had ever said that word to her.

To the Hart family, her success was something they took for granted, even viewed as a threat.

To Ethan, her career was merely a diversion for his boredom, something that could be sacrificed at any time.

Only Damien.

This man cherished every ounce of her effort.

Grace sniffled and typed her reply.

[I’d like… a special kind of noodle soup.]

“Ms. Hart…”

Grace neither embraced nor pushed away this sudden wave of enthusiasm.

She knew it wasn’t her they respected, but the irreplaceable value she had demonstrated.

People could be so pragmatic.

Meanwhile, Jarrow City's high society was set abuzz by a sudden piece of news.

[BREAKING NEWS! Ethan Ward, CEO of OrionVale Group, divorces wife Grace Hart and is set to swiftly marry his former sister-in-law, Lilian Hart!]

Damien had instructed someone to leak the news.

There was no embellishment, only a statement of fact.

But the truth is often more damaging than any fabricated story.

The news sent shockwaves through the community.

Soon after, more details about Grace’s past were “leaked” by “insiders.”

[Did you hear? Mr. Ward's ex-wife donated her bone marrow to save him back in the day!]