Please Me Daddy (Gracie) novel Chapter 177

Charles, and my family

Grace

“Okay, see you later, Grace.”

I turned slightly at the sound of my name and nodded with a polite smile. “See you later.”

As the elevator doors began to slide shut, my eyes drifted to the side without thinking, and that was when I saw her.

Katherine was leaning casually against the wall of the elevator, her posture relaxed, her lips curved into a pleasant smile. But when her gaze met mine, something sharp glinted in her eyes. It was brief, but I saw it.

The doors closed completely, cutting her off from view.

I stood there for a moment longer than necessary, my fingers tightening around the strap of my bag. Something about her unsettled me. Even though her smile was perfect, even though she hadn’t said anything wrong, the way she looked at me felt wrong.

It felt like a predator studying its prey, searching for ways to toy with it.

I shook my head, lifting a hand to my temple. “You’re overthinking, Grace,” I muttered under my breath. ” She didn’t do anything wrong. Don’t judge a book by its cover.”

That was always my problem. I thought too much. I read too deeply into things that probably meant nothing. Even so, the uneasy feeling lingered in my chest as I turned and walked down the hallway, repeating the same words to myself, despite my instincts quietly screaming at me to stay alert when I was

with her.

When I reached Apollo’s floor, that familiar feeling hit me almost instantly. I walked toward my desk outside his office, set my bag down, and glanced around. Without realizing it, I smiled.

My eyes drifted to Apollo’s office. The light was on, but he wasn’t inside.

I missed this.

I missed how I used to sit here, stiff and nervous about every small mistake, hyper–aware of his presence behind that door. How I could feel his gaze even when he wasn’t looking directly at me. How his touch had always made my heart race, filling me with a mix of anxiety and excitement I didn’t know how to handle.

Being with him had changed me. It showed me that life wasn’t meant to be lived on autopilot, stuck in the same routine every day.

Routine.

‘The word made me pause.

I tilted my head slightly, my thoughts drifting somewhere unexpected.

Charles, and my family.

Everything had been so chaotic lately that I hadn’t even spared them a thought.

It felt strange to realize that. They used to be my entire life.

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Charles, and my family

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I wondered how Charles was doing. He was a complicated man, someone who never truly understood himself, but he wasn’t a bad person.

Even though he had hurt me, I genuinely wanted what was best for him. Still, I knew that if we stayed connected, even as friends, it would only end up hurting both of us. And yet, despite everything, I couldn’t stop myself from worrying about him.

Instead of calling him directly, I reached into my bag and pulled out my phone to call one of his friends. I had her number because she and Charles worked at the same place, and she used to call me whenever Charles got drunk and needed someone to take him home.

The phone rang twice before the call connected.

“Hi, who is this?” her voice came through the line.

I took a deep breath before answering. “Hi, this is Grace.”

There was a brief pause, then her tone changed immediately. “Oh my God, Grace. Hi. How are you? It’s so nice to hear your voice.”

I smiled faintly. “Same. Um… sorry to bother you, but I wanted to ask about Charles. Is he okay?” I asked, then added, “Please don’t let him know I called.”

She went silent for a moment. When she finally spoke again, her voice was careful. “Oh, you didn’t hear.‘

My brows furrowed. “Didn’t hear what?”

She sighed softly. “It’s understandable. They’ve been trying to keep the news under wraps, so only a few people know. But I’ll tell you since you’re worried about him.” She paused, then spoke slowly. “Charles and his family went bankrupt, Grace.”

I froze.

My grip on the phone tightened, my eyes widening as her words sank in. “What?”

“The Andersons are in ruin,” she continued. “They’re drowning in massive debt. Not only that, they embezzled a lot of money. When the embezzlement was discovered, the FBI got involved, but the crimes were pinned on Charles. He’s in prison now.”

My breath caught in my throat.

“No way,” I whispered.

My mind spun in disbelief. The Andersons, one of the most powerful families in the country was ruined? And Charles was arrested? Why would he be involved in embezzlement? That guy had no backbone; he wouldn’t do anything like that.

What the hell was going on?

“”

“I know what you’re thinking, and yes, Charles is innocent. It was his father who did everything, but he made his son take the fall. There’s nothing we can do, Charles wouldn’t tell the truth.” She sighed again. Look, I know what Charles did was wrong, but please, forgive him. I wanted to tell you earlier, but he wouldn’t let me. He was scared you’d get dragged into this mess. He’s really sorry for what he did, Grace.”

274

Charles, and my family

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I stayed silent, my thoughts tangled in knots.

Over the past few days, no one had disturbed me. There was not a single message, or a single snide remark. Even Charles, who usually went out of his way to be annoying, didn’t bother me. At first, I thought he’d simply given up, but it was more than that.

I swallowed, my fingers tightening around my phone as unease crept up my spine. What happened to them? No, that wasn’t the right question. The real question I should have been asking was who did this to them?

The Anderson family wasn’t something that could be ruined overnight. They had money, connections, influence. People like them didn’t just disappear unless someone far more powerful stepped in. And there was only one person I knew who could do something like that so easily.

Apollo Reed.

My chest tightened, and I was about to ask more questions when a sudden tap landed on my shoulder.

“Oh God.” I gasped, startled, almost dropping my phone as I spun around.

For a split second, I expected to see Apollo, his sharp eyes fixed on me. But instead, it was Chase.

He stood in front of me, brows raised, his expression a mixture of confusion and curiosity as he studied my face.

“Who are you?” he asked bluntly.

“Huh?”

“Don’t act like you didn’t hear me,” Chase said, narrowing his eyes. “Who are you, and why do you look kind of familiar? Why are you here? Nobody is allowed on the top floor without permission.”

I sighed softly, touching my face instinctively. Right. I had removed my disguise. I glanced at the phone still in my hand, then hung it up and looked back at Chase.

“It’s me,” I said calmly. “Grace.”

Chase froze.

“Grace?” he repeated, staring at me like I’d just told him the sky had turned green.

I nodded. “Yes.“.

He lifted a finger, pointing at me. “T–that’s impossible…

I leaned closer, lowering my voice. “Ten million dollars.”

The moment the words left my mouth, his expression shifted. He knew only I could know that amount, after all, it was the money I had mentioned after the first night with Apollo, back when I thought he was joking.

Chase looked me over slowly, then broke into a wide grin.

“Oh my God, Grace!” he exclaimed, clearly shocked. “I can’t believe it’s you. You look gorgeous.”

“I thank you.‘

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Charles, and my family

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He kept staring at me for a moment longer, still visibly amazed, before suddenly glancing at his watch and cursing under his breath.

“Fuck, I forgot. I was supposed to call you.‘

“Call me for what?” I asked, confused.

“A meeting,” Chase replied quickly, already turning on his heel. “It’s important. Mr. Apollo and several executives are waiting for you.”

My heart skipped.

Apollo.

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