Please Me Daddy (Gracie) novel Chapter 23

**Across Distant Skies Lies Hope Waiting To Be Found by Kade Rowan Flint**

**Grace**

“Grace! At last, you picked up. It’s Charles.”

A chill ran down my spine, and my heart sank into my stomach.

I instinctively pulled the phone away from my ear, my thumb hovering over the red disconnect button. The number was unfamiliar, a line I didn’t recognize. Of course, it was. The moment everything crumbled, I had blocked him. I had sworn never to answer calls from unknown numbers, knowing deep down that it would eventually lead to him.

Taking a deep breath, I steeled myself and brought the phone back to my ear. My voice came out flat, almost icy. “Don’t call me again, Charles.”

“Wait! Please don’t hang up. This is important. It’s about my family.”

I hesitated, my lips pressing into a thin line. “And what does that have to do with me?”

Charles let out a heavy sigh, as if I were the unreasonable one. “My father is furious, Grace. The video… it reached him. And now he wants to teach you a lesson.”

My stomach twisted into knots.

“You know what kind of man my father is,” he added hastily. “He’s not someone you want to provoke. He’s dangerous.”

His words hit me like a punch to the gut.

He was right; I knew all too well.

When Eleanor had first warned me after reading the articles, I had brushed it off. I thought Charles was nothing like his father. I believed I had already faced the worst. Growing up with my own parents was a nightmare I wouldn’t wish on anyone, not even someone I once loved. But then I met Charles’s father, and suddenly my own family didn’t seem so terrifying anymore.

That man was a force of nature.

Wealthy, cold, and utterly ruthless. His fortune was tainted, stemming from shadows where no decent man should tread. He had connections to the mafia, and even his own family quaked in his presence.

And I hated to admit it, but I was scared of him too.

“Damn it,” I muttered under my breath.

“I’m telling you this,” Charles continued, his tone earnest, “because despite our fights, I still care about what happens to you. This video has already tarnished his reputation. He won’t take this lightly. I fear he might actually do something—”

“I get it,” I interrupted sharply, cutting him off before he could finish. “I don’t need to hear any more!”

“Grace, I know you’re angry. I would be too. But I promise you, I’ve changed. I’ve severed all ties with Mark; I haven’t spoken to him since that day. I want to be a good man for you, I swear it. I’ll devote my life to you, just like I promised. Our wedding is next week—”

“What?” I exclaimed, disbelief flooding my voice. “Our wedding? Are you out of your mind? How many times do I have to say it? There will be no wedding!”

“Grace, we’ve had our rough patches, but I truly believe we can fix this. I was confused, lost. But I’m not anymore. I want to be with you. You make me happy.”

I couldn’t help it; I burst into laughter, his hopeful tone only adding to my amusement. “See? You’re laughing now. You’re not mad anymore. It was just a mistake. I understand that now. And you—”

“You’re right,” I said, a bitter smile creeping onto my face. “We all make mistakes.”

He exhaled, relief evident in his voice. “Yes. Exactly. A mistake. One stupid, impulsive moment. But what we have is real, Grace.”

I smiled, though it didn’t reach my eyes.

“You know what else was impulsive, Charles?”

“What?” he asked eagerly, the tension in his voice palpable.

“I made a mistake that same night.”

“Huh? What mistake? It doesn’t matter. Whatever it was, I forgive you.”

“Is that so? Even if I slept with a stranger?”

Silence fell on the line like a heavy curtain.

“His body looked like it was carved by the gods.”

“He ate me like I was his last meal on earth.”

I chuckled softly to myself, the amusement bubbling up.

She had no idea I was listening, and that made it all the more entertaining.

The elevator dinged, and I stepped out, my expression returning to its usual flatness as I walked down the corridor toward the hospital room. As I approached, I could hear voices drifting from inside.

“What have we done? I’m really scared.”

“Don’t be scared. Just act normal.”

I opened the door without a knock, their conversation halting abruptly, followed by awkward coughs that filled the silence.

I chose not to acknowledge them, my gaze landing on the girl in the hospital bed—unconscious, pale, and fragile.

The father cleared his throat, trying to regain control of the situation. “You’ve been trying to meet us. Now what do you want? No matter what you say, we won’t listen to you.”

I slowly turned to face them, striding over to the couch, where I sat down with a casual elegance, crossing one leg over the other, my fingers laced together in a deliberate manner.

“What gave you the impression that I came here for a friendly chat?”

They flinched at my words.

“Do I look like someone you can toy with? Are you truly that desperate to meet your end?”

The woman had been close in her analysis, but she had made one critical mistake.

I am not a pawn.