Chapter 1563: Black belt

It was true that Cassandra’s case was complicated, and a case like this was something many in the legal industry talked about. Grace had heard whispers since the case hit the news. So, even if she wasn’t intently following the details, she had no choice but to stay informed.

Out of curiosity, Grace assigned the case to her new associates.

It was just a mock trial. She planned to use it to assess their readiness before they take on their first solo case.

And she chose this case—Cassandra’s case—as the topic for them to cover.

While it was a high-level and complicated matter, she hoped to gain something from the experience.

Who could have known that someone would actually ask her to take on the case?

When Grace returned to the venue, the radar in her head suddenly went off like an emergency alarm. Snapping out of her thoughts, she searched for him among the crowd.

There, seated near where she had been earlier, was Haines.

Her eyes softened as she smiled, but before she could fully greet him, she noticed he suddenly looked away.

"Huh?" Deep lines appeared between her brows, and she frowned slightly.

Did I say something today that made him angry?

It wasn’t as though Haines was displaying clear displeasure. But after spending time with him, Grace felt something was off.

"Grace!" One of the ladies, along with a few, jumped to her side. "We were talking about your mysterious guy, and we thought we should go on a trip! Of course, we’re going to keep it a secret."

She leaned closer and whispered, "We’ll keep our mouths shut, we promise."

After all, the ladies already believed they "knew" the mystery man Grace was seeing.

"Heh." Grace let out an awkward smile, sneaking a glance at Haines. As usual, he was quiet but would casually engage in conversation as long as someone spoke to him.

She smacked her lips and turned to the ladies who had approached her. "You know what? I don’t think so. I just got a call about a case, and I want to take a look at it first. But maybe next time?"

"Aww..."

"I promise I’ll make it up to you, okay?" Grace nodded, wiggling her brows. "Anyway, I’ll just go greet some latecomers."

As Grace walked away, the ladies frowned, exchanging glances. They all watched her approach Haines, and in doing so, their suspicions grew. They had already met Haines because he seemed to be present whenever they were invited.

"Now that I think about it..." one of the ladies whispered, peeling her eyes from Grace, who had joined Haines and another man. "I think our suspicion is true."

"I heard he’s Hugo Bennet’s uncle," another one nodded, speaking quietly. "Maybe she’s trying to earn some brownie points since Hugo Bennet’s father couldn’t make it to her birthday."

"They look good together, don’t they?"

Someone stifled a squeal, thinking of Grace’s mature demeanor and Hugo’s bad-boy aura. "She’s right, though. He’s very handsome."

"He’s the type who throws you on the bed and rips off your clothes."

"Kyyaaah..."

The group muffled their squeals, chuckling at one another over their silly reactions. It felt like they’d suddenly reverted to high school, but then again, who didn’t enjoy a bit of juicy gossip and mystery?

Unaware of the gossip, Grace kept a civilized distance between herself, Haines, and the other guests. However, she couldn’t shake the feeling that Haines was deliberately ignoring her.

Squinting her eyes, she stole a look at his side profile.

’He really is upset about something, isn’t he?’

*****

Meanwhile...

Hugo might have been right—or wrong—but his words gave Kiara the slightest bit of hope. It wasn’t a big hope that could blind her, but it was faint enough she could hold on to.

She knew that by the time she heard from Grace again, she would be able to brace herself. After multiple rejections and "failures," she should have become numb to it.

Even so, her heart swelled with gratitude.

When they reached her home, Kiara jumped off the motorbike and quickly removed the helmet. Shaking her head, she looked up at him, eyes wide.

"Here." She handed him the helmet, her lips pressed into a thin, stretched line. "Thank you, Hugo."

Hugo clicked his tongue as he took the helmet, tilting his head and winking at her. "You’re welcome."

With that, he adjusted the helmet while Kiara stood beside him, just outside the apartment complex where she lived.

"By the way," he muttered as he finished adjusting his helmet, glancing back at her. "This place isn’t very safe. I know it’s close to your warehouse, but there are still a lot of gangs around here."

Kiara smiled back at him, the tired expression she had worn earlier replaced by something brighter.

"As long as they don’t have guns, I’m fine," she chuckled. "It may not look it, but I’m a black belt."

"You?"

"Mhm!" Kiara raised her arms in what seemed like a combat stance. "How do you think I’ve survived in a place like this?"

His brows furrowed, his eyes filled with doubt. He was certain that, if not for her hoodie, a strong gust of wind could blow her away. Kiara didn’t look like the type of woman who knew martial arts or combat moves.

Not like the women in his unit, not Mint, not Penny. All those women shared one thing in common: trained muscles.

"Well, if you’re comfortable here, it’s not like I can help you find a better place, even if I insist," he shrugged, not dwelling on it. Without another word, he pulled down his visor and bent over, preparing to leave.

But just as he was about to take off, Kiara suddenly clasped his arm. Her action stopped him, causing him to turn his head, his gaze not visible through the tinted visor.

Her smile faltered slightly, and she awkwardly released his arm.

"Tha—" She cleared her throat and forced a smile. "Thank you again. I mean it."

Since Hugo was already wearing the helmet, his visor down, she could only see her own reflection in it. When he nodded, she smiled more genuinely, taking a step back.

Vroom!

As she watched him ride off, a shallow breath escaped her. "I should also thank CEO Bennet."