A Marriage of Convenience
ed Grace had
tablet, resuming the few hour
cocoon of comforting warmth, carrying the faint scent of
nst the screen, the muffled clicks
sudd
cation tone pi
t
itched to silent the mo
im, Grac
sleepy annoyance, her lips-a perfect shade of crimson-pur
resting on her lap, barely
l was messa
aking her squint. She quickly lowered i
a Ro
end. Her bus
nnoyingly fast a
usband'
know be
et out
have expe
ction, and Raphael's return
at interested
quick resp
ng, she sent anothe
re questions, restrained her curiosity for
ooch you mentio
an businessman in luxury cosmetics.
ainst the edge of her phone as
man family-it wasn't a stretch to assume
ave acquired
man-having to part wi
ingering silence an
? Don't tell
ace's lips. Her fingers
ppier. I got paid, AND
an
nd Clara had bu
G had built a reputation shrouded in mystery-no advertising, no i
crecy wasn'
ause of Gr
hoice but to keep her identity as
ned caught the eye of a philanthropist and went on to set the r
pulted Élan G in
al production, the brand's
wouldn't even n
ny would be ful
ucha
y her
t up in venting her lingering frustration toward Dana through
thmic tap-tap-tap of her nails aga
at her from the
essed into
he turned off his ta
bottle of water, he
lly register that she
on him just as his Adam's apple mo
aught for a
bottle down, she had alrea
two years ago-she found herself distr
gid seriousness, was undeni
c nose. Deep-set eyes, cold and
moving through the city's financial circles, th
Westminster-a living
mposing, Yet r
aightened
fo
de, certain her typing mus
ut to offer a po
l spok
told you I wa
e was lo
polog
efully-if she was upset, ther
e habit of reporting hi
s her husband, h
. Her normally unshakeable, compos
eally. She had long understo
stil
of silence, she
e you stayin
ther accusatory nor pa
neu
oth
sferred back to
pa
taying ind
nt to the ear, yet Grace's mind w
ing here-
y
een calculatin
ld be fully independent, free
longer, their lack of emotional connectio
use was
marriage that had spent mor
would b
t
m back
ntire year of p
er, making public appearances, navigat
alone was
temple, half-burying
't expected
't look
, she looke
rough the Seventh Arrondissement, stree
ked his phone, tapping
ce was still l
t listed all the
ruthf
being 'Mrs. Sterling'
powerful as his, Raphael had neve
on
ke D
ots, and they lived by those outdated rules a
be approved by the fa
media posts ha
d attention-seeking as
are occasions where she final
ed to some level of restriction growing up, but being contr
was the most importa
ch
three
ne was appr
rivalry, Grace couldn't help
sole heir. There were two other brothers, pl
how most powerful families wor
her, Grace a
ck
thers. No half-siblings
ready secured his position as
ood, she
r person
ds a
imagine a lif