I've Been There Before (Grace and Caden)

Caden left while bringing Grace along. Leon was caressing his chin listlessly at a quiet corner of the James house which contrasted with the bustling noise inside. He crooned. "Is that Grace?"

The 'Grace' today gave him a complete different feeling. His dark eyes gleamed feeling interested and his thin lips pursed. He plunged his hands into the pockets of his suit trouser and left the yard languidly. "Guess who I saw today?" He walked towards his car which was parked at the roadside while making a call to Franklin. "You'll never guess who."

"Since I can't guess it out, I shall not ask." Rumbling noise was heard from the speaker and Franklin was replying casually. "Leon, do you want to have fun here? The new girl from HJ Club is interesting." Leon ignored him and said, "It's Grace. I saw Grace at the James ! house."

There was a moment of silence from the other end of the phone, and the man's cheerful laughter was heard. "Who? Her? You have no idea, Leon. I've already been bored of that kind of woman, and you call me just to tell me about her?" Leon sighed softly. "Is that it? Frank? If you really think that way, why did you keep on hanging out in the red-light district?"

Franklin chuckled. "You're funny, Leon. I am that kind of person after all. Just pretend that I've bumped my head and have gone temporarily out of mind." He started to become impatient and continued. "Alright, I'm still in the middle of the fun. If there's nothing else I'm going to hang up."

He then heard Leon's low voice when he was about to hang up. "I suppose you know Wei'ai? The James family has organized a banquet today when in fact they're auctioning Wei'ai. Caden Shaw has lent Grace 400 million and Wei'ai has been bought by Grace. Frank, think about it. Grace who is filthy in your eyes has taken over Wei'ai, don't you lose to her in the end when you're even the young master of the Cordon family." Franklin directly hung up the call without giving him a second notice this time when he finished his words. Leon opened the car door, boarded the car and drove it away. He had done everything he could. As for whether Franklin would escape from his decadence, it depended on the amount of power released from the heavy bomb he deployed.

His expression was slightly mixed when he thought of Grace and there was a slight regret in his eyes. "I'm sorry for taking advantage from you, Grace." Yet he would not regret to take advantage from a woman whom he did not hate nor hold a grudge to as long as Franklin was able to regain himself. After all, that woman was nothing. His thin lips pursed and there was a sense of apathy under his gold-framed glasses and decorous look. A businessman cherished benefits more than relationships with people. He was a businessman, and the core of a businessman was apathy.

"Please..., as long as that guy, Frank is able to regain himself..." No matter how Franklin's misunderstanding towards Grace deepened or how much injustice Grace suffered due to his words... The curvature of the corner of his lips lacked any sensibility and that had disclosed his attitude---he was willing to trade Grace for Franklin.

Meanwhile at HJ Club, Franklin had been pulling a long face the moment he hung up the call. He was sitting at the side and his decadent friends were eating and drinking. Yet the euphoric ambience could not cheer him up.

"Frank, which lady are you thinking of until you're that absent-minded? Our buddies are calling you in for a drink." A young man with chestnut short perm approached him while grinning. He hung his arm over Franklin's shoulder and held a glass of whiskey in his hand. "Come, Frank. Drink this!"

Franklin suddenly stood to his feet and swirled his hand, making the glass fell from the man's hand and snorted coldly. "Who's your buddy? And you're whose buddy?"

The man was startled yet he smiled the next moment. "Oh, come on. Everybody, look, our young master's telling joke again---"

He was then interrupted by Franklin with a chuckle. "I only drink some beer with you and now you approach me and make me your buddy? Sorry to say, my mom did not have so many 'sons'. The point of flattering depends on others' mood. It's okay to drink with you during a good mood but don't you pretend to be buddies when the mood's not great." He sneered, took out a pile of cash and tossed it down. "Since you've kept me company for the enjoyment all these days, this meal would be my treat. Have fun." He moved his slender long legs and left the cabin after finishing his words.

The moment he left and closed the cabin door, those guys who did not dare to complain in front of him started to swear and curse him. Yet Franklin did not care about that, he turned, shot a contemptuous glance towards the cabin door and took out a packet of cigarettes. He lit up a cigarette and took a deep sip, exhaling a billow of white smoke. There was still a length of the cigarette left from the newly lit end, yet his fingers let loose and the cigarette fell silently to the ground. He stepped hardly on it to put the fire out with his customized leather shoes and crushed it back and forth. His eyes went cold at once and he peered through the window with an unfriendly look. He lifted his foot which was stepping on the cigarette butt and started out with large strides.

The car was speeding along the road and was almost flying, yet he seemed to not notice it at all. His eyes were fixed at the front and he was stepping on the gas fiercely.

It was already midnight. A Maserati car swooshed all the way and finally stopped in front of the Cordon mansion. The car door was pushed open the moment the car went to a halt and Franklin hurried inside the house after getting down the car.

The housekeeper noticed the commotion and quickly opened the door of the main entrance, yet he paused when he saw the person outside the house and spoke. "Young master, old master has ordered not to let you in." Franklin had gone thin and his hollow-cheeked face wore an aloof expression. His voice was inexplicably coarse when he spoke. "I'm looking for grandpa."

The housekeeper then replied. "Please wait here, young master. I'll go ask old master." He went and returned, staring at Franklin with an awkward look. "Old master says he's already asleep..." Since it was Master Cordon who "said" he was asleep, how could he have truly slept? Franklin lowered his eyes and rumbled. "Alright."

"Should I send young master off...?"

"No."

The housekeeper then closed the door helplessly.

Franklin stood outside the door and turned back. He stopped in the middle of the yard, suddenly turned and slumped to his knees. Master Cordon was standing at the first floor when the housekeeper came. "Old master...who won't make a mistake when they're still young? Please---"

"There's no more business for you here now. Please go have a rest first." Master Cordon spoke blandly to chase him off without waiting for him to finish. He stood in front of the window when he was left alone and gazed at the shadow kneeling down underneath. He had placed high hopes on this grandson and he could not allow him to repeat his mistake over and over again.

"Do kneel down for some time." Master Cordon stammered to himself.00000000000