I've Been There Before (Grace and Caden)

When Grace was going out, she saw again under the old banyan the man in while shirt and casual pants.

She was a little surprised, "Mr. Cordon."

She had not seen him for quite some time.

And today he showed up again.

"Hey, hungry?" The man under the tree walked forward and reached to hold her hand. Grace wanted to avoid but Franklin looked at her, "You know that your strength is much smaller than mine, right?" The connotation was that she didn't need to make a useless try.

"Get on the car. I have been busy recently and I miss the beef noodles made by Noah. Accompany me."

Grace raised her head to look at Franklin in silence and then got on the car...No matter what she wanted to tell him, maybe she should wait until he finished a bowl of noodles.

During the way, they didn't talk.

Franklin didn't say anything. He was now a totally different person from the big boy that Grace used to know.

She peeked at Franklin, who was driving, for several times.

Grace was more positive about her assumption...Franklin didn't look well. Though his face was still charming and clean, his eyelids were swollen and the dark circles below his eyes were so deep, which both couldn't be hidden. They got off the car. Just like usual, Grace followed Franklin into the beef noodle restaurant.

When they were eating, Franklin's phone kept ringing with nonstop messages.

Grace was thinking that she would lay it out with the big boy beside after the meal.

"Mr..." She put down her chopsticks and was about to speak.

Franklin's phone on the table began ringing again.

This time it was not a message. Franklin looked at the phone and his brows tightened. Then he picked up the phone and stood up, saying to Grace, "Wait a minute. I need to answer this." Then he walked outside of the restaurant in haste. Grace looked outside and saw that Franklin seemed to be arguing with someone while kept walking around. She was a bit confused. When Franklin came back, Grace blinked her eyes and clearly observed the anxiety and anger in his eyes. His brows frowned tighter.

"Mr. Cordon, what happened recently?"

Franklin didn't expect that Grace, who had always been silent, would ask him such a question.

He raised his head, "Why?"

"It's just...that I think you have a lot in your mind recently."

After saying this, Grace regretted immediately... Whatever was going on with Franklin or what did he have in mind was none of her business. Besides, she was about to lay it out with him. Whether his confession of love for her was true or not, Grace had decided that she shouldn't pull an innocent person down in hell with her.

But Franklin was amazed by her question. He looked at Grace who was hanging her head and felt a bit of happiness...Was Grace showing concern for him?

"Nothing." His brows eased up a bit and there was more softness in his eyes. He said, "It's just business in the company. You don't need to worry. I can manage it."

"Okay..." She thought now that it was not something serous, she should seize the chance and tell him what she intended to say, "Actually, I want to tell you..." about my past.

It was the familiar ringtone again. As this ringtone came out, Grace could clearly sense that coldness devoured the big boy beside her. Franklin said, "Grace, let me take you back first. I have an unscheduled meeting in company today."

Franklin glanced at his phone but didn't pick up. He just let the phone keeping ringing in the noddle restaurant. Then he dropped a red bank note on the table and grabbed Grace's hand before taking her back to his car.

After getting on the car, Franklin thought of what she was trying to say before, "What were you saying before? You want to tell me about what?"

"..." I wanted to tell you about my past. The woman in shotgun intended to say so. But then after some thought, she hesitated and decided that now that she was going to tell him anyway, it didn't have to be now. And Franklin seemed to have an emergency, so she changed her words and said, "It's not something important. After you have dealt with your problems, I will tell you by then."

Softness appeared in Franklin's eyes...Somehow, the woman was beginning to care for him.

Whoever Caden was for her and whatever happened between them in her past life didn't matter to him. Companion was the longest confession of love. He believed that as long as he stayed by her side, she would get used to his existence and companion someday... Then what was in the past would remain in the past and became a short story in the corner of her memory.

But if Grace had known what was in Franklin's mind, she would never be softhearted and delay the time.

"I have been busy...recently. Grace, take good care of yourself and I will come to you soon. Before that, please protect yourself and do not get hurt. Promise me."

Grace's heart was beating fast. She looked down at the big hand covering her small hand, and felt touched somehow... How could she not be touched by what he said?

Someone was telling her: Protect yourself and do not get hurt.

Grace looked up at the face of Franklin. In her throat, there was a strong urge asking her to tell him everything. She wanted to tell him all about her past and let him see clearly who she was and what kind of person she was...She wanted to tell him the truth...and peel herself off layer by layer to show him the most horrendous side of her.

Out of this urge, she wanted to do it now.

"Mr. Cordon, I am Grace James from the James family!" She plucked up her courage, closed her eyes and shouted to him.

Yes, she shouted to him. Her heart was beating so fast now. If she didn't seize this chance to tell him now, she was afraid that she would never have the courage to do so.

She stressed that she was from the James family. Then she gritted her teeth and decided that now that she had said that, she better just told him everything, "I was in..."

"Puff." Franklin let out a smile. He kissed on her lips sightly and said to her by ears with a gentle voice, "Of course I know you are Grace James. No matter what you did, I love you, Grace."

In confusion, Grace slowly opened her eyes and saw the sunny smile on Franklin's face. His teeth were white and shiny. There was softness that she couldn't look straight at in his eyes. She said in confusion, "Mr. Cordon..."

"Get off now. After I handle everything, I will come look for you."☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐