Obsession His Runaway Bride (Noelle and Adrian) novel Chapter 78

Chapter 78. Done

Grace stepped out of the booth an hour later, her expression cool and composed, the subtle smirk of a deal well made still lingering on her lips.

But the moment she saw who was waiting for her, the smile vanished

It wasn’t Ryuji standing by the exit.

It was Marco.

Her jaw clenched, but she didn’t falter. Without missing a beat, she picked up her pace and strode right past him, heading straight for the exit as if he didn’t exist.

Marco wasn’t having it.

“Grace,” he called in a low but firm voice.

But still, she ignored him.

“Grace,” he hissed again while walking faster this time as he tried to close in on her.

Still, she kept walking, her heels clicking sharply against the polished floor as she pushed through the restaurant doors.

Marco was right behind her.

She made it to her car, yanking the door open and slipped into the backseat before he could catch up. She exhaled, gripping the edge of her seat, thinking she had finally shaken him off–until the driver’s side door swung open.

She barely had time to react before Marco slid in, his movements swift and fueled with irritation.

“Get out,” she snapped, already reaching for the door handle.

But before she could move, the engine roared to life.

The locks clicked into place.

And then they were moving.

Her head snapped toward him and glared.

“You had your turn to run,” he muttered, his hands gripping the wheel as he sped onto the road. “Now it’s my turn to talk.”

Grace scoffed and shook her head in disbelief.

“What do you want to talk about then?” she asked.

“Look, I’m sorry about last night. I–”

“Yeah. Anything else?” Grace spoke cutting him off.

“Grace–”

“Don’t call me by my name.” she interrupted.

Marco’s grip on the wheel tightened as his knuckles turned white.

“Fine,” he bit out. “What the hell do you want me to call you then? Boss? Miss Blackwood?”

Grace let out a humorless chuckle, turning her gaze toward the window. “Call me whatever you want. I don’t fucking care.”

Marco exhaled sharply as his patience began wearing thin. “Damn it, Grace. Will you just listen?”

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“Listen to what?” the seethed. “More of you telling me what I can and can’t do? More of you acting like you’re some noble fucking protector, but the second I get too close, you shove me away like I’m nothing? Like I’m some fucking mistake?”

she turned to him, her chest rising and falling with ragged breaths “Spare me the lecture, Marco. I don’t need you to tell me what already know.”

Marco remained silent, but his grip on the steering wheel tightened, the veins in his hands prominent from the force

“You think I don’t get it?” Grace let out a sharp, bitter laugh. “I do fucking do. There’s no need to slap the truth in my face again, because trust me…I’ve been living with it long before you ever said it out loud.”

Her voice wavered, but she pushed through even if her emotions began spiraling beyond control. “You loved my sister. Not me. And guess what?” She laughed again, but there was no humor in it just raw, aching pain. “I’m fucking sorry! Sorry that she’s gone. Sorry that I’m the one still standing here instead of her!”

Her chest constricted, but she didn’t stop. “Do you know what it’s like? To know that no matter what I do, I will never be enough? To be treated like an afterthought? To be compared to someone who isn’t even alive to fight for herself anymore?!”

Her voice cracked, and she turned away, swallowing the lump in her throat.

“She died because of me.” Her whisper was almost drowned by the hum of the car, but Marco heard it. He had always heard it, every time she blamed herself.

Her fingers curled into fists. Her nails bit into her palms so hard they threatened to break skin. “That’s why you’re always mad at me, right? Because every time you look at me, all you see is the reason she’s never coming back.”

Marco exhaled sharply and was about to oppose what she had just said.

But Grace wasn’t done.

“You think I don’t notice how you look at me? Like I’m some kind of stain you can’t erase?” She scoffed. “Like I’m a problem you’ve been forced to deal with for years?”

She sucked in a shaky breath and let out a bitter chuckle. “You know, I used to think maybe, just maybe, I had a chance. That one day, you’d finally see me for who I am instead of the shadow you’ve been resenting all this time.”

Grace eyes were filled with years of pain, anger, and disappointment. “But you did see me, didn’t you? Just not the way I wanted

you to.”

Her hands trembled, but she lifted her chin, refusing to let the tears spill. “Yes… I understood you loud and clear when you said it last night.” She added but somehow in a calmer tone now. “That you’re disgusted by me.”

She let out a shaky breath and shook her head as if trying to rid herself of the ache in her chest.

“I completely understood.”

“So pull the fucking car over!” she demanded.

But he didn’t slow down. He didn’t say a word.

“Did you hear me?! I said pull the fucking car over!” she yelled. When he still refused to listen, she snapped. Without thinking, she raised her foot and kicked the back of his seat, the force making him jolt forward slightly.

Marco cursed under his breath, the car swerving slightly before he steadied it. “Cut it out, Grace!” he barked, finally breaking his silence.

“Then stop the damn car!” she shot back, her voice filled with rage and frustration.

And maybe it was the exhaustion in her voice, the way she sounded so damn broken, that finally made him give in.

With a sharp, jerking motion, Marco slammed on the brakes.

The tires screeched against the asphalt as the car skidded to an abrupt stop at the side of the empty road. The sudden force threw

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Grace slightly forward, but she caught herself just in time.

The moment the car was still, Marco turned in his seat, his dark eyes burning with frustration. “There. I stopped. What the hell do you want from me, Grace?” he snapped.

But Grace was already humbling with the door handle. The second clicked open, she shoved the door and stepped out. Her chest was rising and falling with shallow, uneven breaths.

But Marco wasn’t letting her walk away that easily,

He cursed again, yanked the keys from the ignition, and followed her out, slamming the driver’s side door behind him. “Grace!”

“Grace!” He called again.

Still, she walked, her heels crunching against the gravel. She didn’t know where she was going–she just knew she had to get away from him.

“Goddamn it, Grace, stop walking!”

His voice was closer now, but she ignored him.

Then, suddenly, a strong hand grabbed her wrist and yanked her back.

She spun around, anger and pain colliding in her chest as she shoved at him with all her strength.

“Let go of me!” she shouted.

Marco didn’t budge.

“Not until you tell me what the hell you’re trying to do!”

Grace let out a bitter, breathless laugh. “What I’m trying to do?” Her voice cracked. “I’m trying to fucking breathe, Marco! I’m trying to get away from you!”

“Why?” he demanded. “Because you finally knew the truth?”

Grace let out a scoff as she clenched her fists. “Because I loved you, you asshole!”

“I loved you!” she shouted as her voice began breaking and her chest was heaving. “And you looked me in the eyes and said I disgust you.”

Marco froze.

But she didn’t stop.

She let out a shaky breath, a humorless chuckle slipping past her lips as she shook her head. “I should’ve known better. Should’ve seen it coming.” Her voice dropped to a whisper as if she was talking to herself.

“But you know what? You don’t have to push me away anymore. You don’t have to pretend you care.” She stepped back, her hands falling limply at her sides. “Because I’m done.”

And just like that, she turned away from him–this time, for real.

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Chapter 79: Blame

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Chapter 79: Blame