Two dayster, Grace could finally move around freely. She''d spent the past week as Ethan''s "sleeping pill", barely moving in bed. After a long, hot shower in the morning, she told him she was leaving Palm Bay.


    Ethan sat on the couch with the morning paper, his expression unreadable.


    She quickly exined, "Regarding Amity Hospital in the suburbs, I was supposed to convince the director to relocate, but my injuries slowed me down. I''ll take care of it in the next few days. And, Mr. Henderson, you''re not firing me, right?"


    His grip on the newspaper tightened before he looked up. A week of good sleep had worked wonders, and he looked much better. "Who said I was firing you?" he asked, his voice t.


    She let out a relieved breath, her face lighting up with a smile. "Thank goodness! I''ll head to the hospital right now and get it done."


    She''d ignored Maria for a week, and now it was time to face her. Plus, she needed to figure out what had caused the car ident.


    As she drove off, she reached for her phone, which had been dead for a while. After quickly charging it, she saw that no one had messaged her-except Selene, who''d asked why she hadn''t been hometely.


    The message was three days old, so replying felt pointless. Just as Grace was heading to the hospital, her phone buzzed again. "Why are the Lamberts saying you''re dead?" Selene asked.


    Grace raised an eyebrow and shot back a question mark.


    "Good to know you''re not dead. It''s not easy finding friends who actually get me," Selene replied. "Oh, and the Lamberts are already picking out your tombstone. Alice is in charge, and she''s taking it pretty seriously."


    Grace was speechless, but with Alice in charge, it wasn''t surprising at all. If anyone would be happy about her supposed death, it was Alice. She''d probably throw a party to celebrate.


    She asked Selene to look into Alice''s recent bank transactions, and sure enough, she found that Alice had transferred arge sum of money overseas to a Vendaria ount.


    Vendaria was a mess, and no legitimate business would get involved there. When the police told her the culprits had fled there, it all made sense.


    She gripped her phone and checked on Sloan, who was still unconscious. Alice wasn''t taking any chances-she''d meant to end him with that stab. Even with the Sidler family rushing in, they had missed their chance.


    Alice had the Lamberts wrapped around her finger, and her acting was wless- finding any weakness in her would be nearly impossible. The only clue left was her adoptive parents. Was it true, as the Lamberts imed, that Alice had grown up in abuse?


    As Grace headed to Amity Hospital, Alice went to Henderson Group with a project proposal. It was a partnership for a development project, but the proposal seemed designed to cater to Henderson Group''s interests.


    The project had been the Lamberts'' focus for two years. Quentin had spent months working tirelessly to secure the deal, but now, sidelined by health issues, he wouldn''t have expected Alice to hand it over to Henderson Group so easily.


    Henderson Group hadn''t been involved in the project before, as Quentin had worked hard to secure the deal.


    But now, with the project about to begin, bringing them in felt like handing them a golden opportunity. The contract heavily favored them, and to top it off, Alice had taken over as project lead, recing Quentin.


    When Tim received the proposal, he looked at it for a second, then asked again, "You sure this came straight from Lambert Group?"


    "Yes. Ms. Alice is now leading the Lambert Group as the acting CEO."


    Tim couldn''t help but wonder if Alice was using this as a wedding gift. He ced the file on Ethan''s desk with a grin. "Mr. Henderson, this is like free money. Are you interested?"


    Ethan barely looked at it before answering, "I''m a businessman, Tim. What do you think?"


    Tim quickly closed the file. "Alright, I''ll handle the details. Alice is the point person for this project."


    Ethan nodded, not putting much effort into the contract. A proposal full of favorable terms wasn''t worth his time.


    When Tim walked in instead of Ethan, the spark in Alice''s eyes immediately dimmed. She had worked under intense pressure from the higher-ups to hand the deal to Henderson Group, but she couldn''t even meet Ethan in person. She had spent hours getting ready today, betting on a love-at-first-sight moment.


    Thanks to his experience in Ethan''s world, Tim knew exactly how to y the game. "Ms. Lambert, you look stunning today. It''s rare to see someone as elegant as you in a business setting."


    Though it was just a politepliment, Alice''s face lit up with a smile. "Mr. Bet, you''re too kind. This project is just a small gesture. I''m eager to meet with Mr. Henderson more often and see ourpanies grow together."


    "Naturally," Tim replied.


    The deal went through without a hitch, but Alice''s expression soured once she got into the car. She''d never been alone with Ethan, and she couldn''t imagine how fast her heart would race if she were.


    With Yancey letting her down, she had to make her move on Ethan the man who always seemed just out of reach. Her eyes gleamed with determination, and a sly smirk tugged at her lips.