Chapter 12
From the day Grace left, Antonio kept that room locked up tight.
He kept checking his bedroom, making sure everything stayed just as Grace liked. After he redecorated her room, he also refreshed his own space.
The little bear by the pillow was a gift from Grace, bought with her school scholarship. It wasn’t worth much, but it was the first gift she ever gave him.
Antonio stood by the window and lit up a cigarette. When Grace was around, she never let him smoke, but now she was
gone.
“Uncle Antonio, smoking is bad for you. Try some gum instead!
“I got you lots of gum! You can surely quit smoking!”
Grace handed him a bag full of gum, and Antonio couldn’t help but grin. She had actually swapped his cigarettes for gum.
One of his cigarettes could buy a ton of gum, but all Antonio did was chuckle and pinched her cheek. “Okay, I will quit.”
Thinking of Grace eased Antonio’s worry, and he casually sipped warm water from his cup.
As soon as he lay down, he heard noises from the bathroom. Was Zelma taking a shower?
He didn’t care what Zelma was doing, but suddenly he felt a rush of heat in his lower body and his mouth went dry.
Something was off with that glass of water! He had been so lost in thoughts of Grace that he hadn’t noticed when the glass on the table got filled.
Antonio clenched his fists, frustrated, and forced himself up to take a cold shower.
“Antonio, what’s wrong?” Zelma hurried over, still in her bathrobe.
The strong fragrance made Antonio’s head spin. He pushed Zelma back, furious. “Zelma, have you lost your mind?! Pulling tricks like this!”
Zelma wasn’t angry. She just closed the door behind her, and the room was filled with the scent of a familiar body wash.
It was the brand Grace always used, light and subtle. Antonio had picked it up too when he was shopping with her, and nobody else in the house used it.
Zelma walked over to Antonio, her bathrobe slipping off her shoulders.
“If I don’t do this, how else can I get you to be with me?” Zelma smiled, pushed him down, and straddled him.
Zelma didn’t know Antonio’s feelings for Grace, but she knew using Grace’s things softened his attitude toward her.
“Zelma!” Antonio gritted his teeth, struggling to keep his desire in check as he glared up at her.
Zelma undid his belt and teased him with touches. The air
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Chapter 17
thickened with desire.
Zelma woke up the next morning to find herself alone, with a busted cup lying on the floor.
Every movement sent a jolt of pain through her body. Antonio had been acting strangely around her lately. If she wanted to secure her place in the Kaufman family, she needed to have his baby.
The Kaufman family in Wintervale valued bloodlines above all else. If she was carrying Antonio’s child, marrying into the Kaufman family would be a sure thing.
Zelma dragged herself to the bathroom, her body aching. Antonio had never been gentle, treating her like a toy for his pleasure.
Inside the Maybach, Rufus was seriously thinking about quitting. What kind of boss wanted to take a bath at 4:30 a.m.?
A bath at 4:30 a.m.!
Rufus was speechless, trying to keep his annoyance in check. “Mr. Kaufman, I heard Sir Kaufman is hosting a dinner tonight. I called you last night, but you didn’t answer…”
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