Chapter 16
A month later, Grace was notified to pick up her new ID card.
Bryce, because the old house in Wintervale was in bad shape, was temporarily staying at the Kaufman’s home.
After getting her new ID card, Grace immediately noticed the name on it, Grace Kaufman.
Bryce also took a look and said with some emotion, “It’s like fulfilling Sir Kaufman’s wish. He’s always been worried about
you.”
Grace nodded and ran into her high school head teacher as she left the police station.
“Grace? What are you doing at the police station? Is this your boyfriend? He’s quite handsome,” the head teacher, who was in her fifties, said. Looking at Bryce, she recalled Grace’s past with a touch of sentiment.
Bryce nodded and replied, “I’m here to help Grace get her new ID card. She has officially reconnected to her family.”
The head teacher nodded in realization. At the time, Barrett had made a big deal about this family recognition, and the whole Wintervale knew his granddaughter had returned.
Grace wasn’t young anymore. She had been through relationships, so she got Barrett’s intentions. Besides, Bryce didn’t correct being called her boyfriend.
The three of them chatted for a while, and Bryce checked his
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watch, realizing it was almost noon.
11
“Grace, how about having lunch at that seafood joint by the school? I’ve been craving it for ages. As a local, you have to show me around, right?” Bryce said, grinning.
Grace chuckled at his words and playfully nudged his
shoulder. “Mr. Huffman, you act like you haven’t lived here or something.”
In the car, Bryce thought for a long time before speaking up.
“Grace, can we talk about something? Could you please stop calling me Mr. Huffman? It makes me feel so old.”
“How should I call you?” Grace had always addressed him like this and she didn’t mind it.
“Call me whatever you like,” he replied.
There was a popular food street close to Wintervale High School, but the seafood joint wasn’t a usual spot for high school kids to hang out at noon.
Bryce got out and saw Antonio arguing with a woman he didn’t know.
“Antonio, is this your fiancée?” Bryce asked, taking a closer look at the woman who seemed somewhat familiar, but he couldn’t quite place her.
Meeting Grace and Bryce gave Zelma more confidence. Antonio had come to Wintervale without telling her, and she had been trying to get his attention, but he kept ignoring her.
In front of his friend and niece, even if Antonio didn’t like her, he had to at least act civil.
DAO
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Chapter 16
Zelma planned to go to Barrett for support when the time was ripe. In the entire Kaufman family, Barrett was the only one Antonio wouldn’t dare to upset.
“Grace, what brings you here all of a sudden?” Antonio asked, turning his attention to Grace and ignoring Zelma.
Grace noticed the engagement ring on Zelma’s finger, but it didn’t phase her.
“I’m here to have lunch with Bryce,” she said.
“Grace, what do you call Bryce?” Antonio asked, surprised.
Bryce quickly jumped in to explain, “I told her I didn’t like being called Mr. Huffman, so she changed it.”
If Grace called him Mr. Huffman, he would be an elder. If she called him Bryce, they would be equals.
Bryce’s intentions were obvious. Antonio was totally eaten up with jealousy.
At the table with four people, everyone had their own agenda.
Zelma was all over Antonio, serving him food and chatting like they were already family.
“Hey, it’s cool if we didn’t know each other before. Soon we’ll be family and get to know each other,” said Zelma.
With every word from Zelma, Antonio’s expression darkened further.
Finally, after about half an hour, he stood up and pulled Zelma to the bathroom.
apter 16
“Zelma, do you have a death wish?”
He had his hand on Zelma’s neck, watching her struggle with a deadpan expression.
“You’ve got three days to vanish from my life, or I’m leaving Benbury.”
