บท 54: Lust as love

On the other end of the hotel, Grace Wells's overwhelming feeling of anxiety reached its height. The more she tried to control herself and be composed, Ava haunted her every sense.

She wasn't sure how many times she fell down tripping herself and got hurt, she just focused on reaching Vance so that he could keep her safe from Ava Kelly.

"She is alive... She is alive... She will not let me live... Vance... Vance, she is alive. Av... Av... Ava is alive... Vance." She frantically cried as soon as she entered their suite.

'Thump' She tripped at the foot of the chair and fell down but that physical pain was nothing in front of her fear thinking about Ava is alive.

Vance Hays who was on the web meeting rushed out to see Grace wailing on the floor. "Sweetheart... Babe, what wrong? What happened to you?"

He carefully drew her to his arms embracing the delicate body. The worry and concern were apparent on his handsome face lacing his voice, "Grace, calm down, Sweetheart, Relax... Nothing is going to happen to you."

Grace cried non stop and wrapping her arms tight around his waist, burying her face on his chest, "Vance... Vance... She is returned... I saw her. She waved her hand at me. Vance, is she going to take you away from me?..."

Vance felt helpless but there was slight irritation in his eyes hearing her bring up Ava repeatedly. It wasn't easy for him to forget Ava and move on, bringing her up would only disturb his heart further away from Grace.

He had failed to realize he was in love with the sweetest girl he had ever met in his life but he always felt inferior around her. Like he wasn't right for her and she was too good to be true.

She was having a solution to every problem of him or the company just by hearing a line or two about it. And the whole group would appreciate her nonstop which he never got.

He was proud of her but there was something always ate him. So he started to stop her entering the company, didn't allow her to meet any male friends saying her parents wouldn't like it, and didn't support her getting dressed well.

Grace always made him feel manly, superior, and outstanding. With that, they had shared a bed on the day of the pre-celebration party of his wedding with Ava. His body urged for Grace while Ava avoided every kind of physical connection.

He labeled his lust as love and degraded Ava sweetly every single time.

'This dress is beautiful but you can't handle it.'

'This piece of jewel is marvelous, can you really give justice to it? Don't make people laugh at me.'

'This is designer wear, hard to pull off for you.'

And many more, he was breaking her confidence and was sweetly adding, 'You are lovely as you are.' But the more he tried to push her down to him, he never felt she was ugly or useless. Her single pure smile was bringing his self-confidence down the pit with a dense feeling.

He labeled his jealousy and inferiority as hatred.

His mind latched with his so-called love and his parents supported him to have two women. One for business and one for love but Grace wanted to be the legal wife and she threatened him to suicide in the wedding hall.

Going opposite to his family, he sneaked away on their wedding day.

He was on the seventh cloud when he got to know Ava was anxious in the wedding gown. He thought she loved him and he was going to break her but he got to know, Ava kicked the wedding dress away and threw the engagement ring out of the window, and without batting an eyelid or dropping a single drop of tears, she had left the wedding venue.

She didn't question him nor waited for his explanation or stopped when her parents cursed her in front of all the guests.

He was desperate to break her and see her beg him so he did his all to hear her beg him to spare her life. He wanted to satisfy his desire to hear her cry and see her helpless.

When they all killed her, he thought it was an end but it was just the beginning. He saw the real Grace Wells and realized the worth of Ava Kelly. He understood the difference between Love and Lust.

But he had reached the stage where he couldn't abandon Grace, Even though she had encouraged and helped him to put an end to Ava's life, she makes him feel happy and worth it. She makes him feel he is amazing and flawless.

Drifted off in the thoughts of Ava Kelly, he hadn't heard anything Grace was saying other than patting her back to calm her.

"You will not believe me unless you see her right... Let's go and check. You will know I'm not imagining. Vance... Vance please."

Vance tightly embraced her and breathed a sigh out. To make her believe she was just imagining the things and to make her believe Ava Kelly died in front of his eyes, he agreed, "Sweetheart, we will check. We will ask the receptionist and check the security footage, alright?"

Grace nodded as she sobbed. Vance helped her wear a beach dress, wiped her face, and helped her drink water. He did everything to make her feel special as she always makes him happy.

They went to the receptionist of the hotel and asked, "Excuse me, a friend of mine, Ava Kelly is staying in this hotel. She isn't answering our calls, could you please tell us which room she is in?"

The receptionist had a smile which was speaking of her professionalism without caring how attractive his face looked, "I'm sorry sir, due to privacy, we can't divert any information about our customers."

Grace butt in but she maintained her gracefulness, "She has very serious health issues, we are scared she might have fainted in her room."

The receptionist knows they weren't entering the hotel now to find the so-called friend. Even though she knew they were lying, she didn't want to take a chance about life. She wanted to inform the manager if there is really a customer in that name. "Please wait, I will look into it right now."

Grace and Vance thought it worked and waited for the receptionist who checked the log twice before looking at them. "I am sorry sir and Miss but there is no one in that name."

Vance thought Grace would stop there but she pulled him aside and said, "She might have changed her name. Photo... Check if you have her photo."

Vance would never in his dream tell her he has Ava's picture, "Why will I have her picture Babe? You used to be her best friend, check if you have."

Grace rubbed her forehead in regret, "I was scared during that time and deleted every picture of her including the group." She started thinking about what to do while Vance to stop her from overreacting. "Her social media!" Grace excitedly said and fished her mobile but Vance said, "Her pictures were taken down from the internet."

Grace buried her frustration saying through her gritting teeth, "Her grandfather is overprotective of her. That b*tch had such a good life."

Vance wanted to tell the real truth of her family but he preferred to keep it to himself and not to make her jealous.

"Ask her brother." Grace again came up with another idea.

Vance shook his head, "Why will you think he will help us? And what am I going to tell him?"

Grace chose the last resort, "Call the managing director and I want the security footage."

Vance didn't stop her because if she is really right, he wanted to see the beauty again and know who she is and if Grace just imagined, he wanted her to know she is overthinking and stressed out after losing their child.

Using Hays's family connection, Vance got all the half-day footage at his place. Even though Vance wanted to check, he sat indifferently. Grace is an extremely possessive woman when it's about him so. She wouldn't like it if he shows even the slightest interest in any woman.

Grace watched the screen intently without distracting even for a second.

After an hour,

"There she is... Vance, she is here."