Chapter 1565: What scare you?

Apparently, being jealous was also something to be celebrated, according to Grace.

Elated that Haines was just "a bit" jealous, Grace dragged him in for some wine. She hadn’t planned on having wine tonight, but since she was too happy, she ended up drinking more.

"Hehe." Grace giggled, lounging on the couch with her head resting on his leg. "Jealous."

"..." Haines gazed down at her, studying her flushed cheeks. Her eyes squinted with glee as she chuckled to herself, teasing him.

A shallow breath slipped past his lips as he thought he shouldn’t have said "a bit." Even with that word intact, Grace seemed to have decided not to include it in what she heard.

"Were you that happy?" he asked, casually combing her hair with his fingers.

"Mhm." Her smile stretched even more, and she nodded. "I thought that you wouldn’t feel such a thing because you’re already very mature, but I guess that’s not a problem. You can be cute too."

With what she said, he didn’t know whether to laugh or feel insulted.

Grace closed her eyes, her smile still intact. His fingers, stroking her head, felt soothing—almost like they were lulling her to sleep. However, the dopamine in her body was stopping her from falling into a deep slumber.

For a moment, silence fell as Haines just studied her face. Even though the gossip at her birthday party left a bitter taste in his mouth, staring at her soothed whatever the gossip had struck within him.

"By the way..." After a while, Grace hummed. Her eyes slowly cracked open and met his instantly. "I might take that case."

His brows rose slightly. "What case?"

"The one on the news."

"That one with the Smiths?"

"Mhm."

"Why?" Curious, Haines tilted his head a little. "Did their team reach out to you?"

Grace shook her head. "Not them, but a friend of the defendant. Apparently, someone on Cassandra Smith’s side is working hard to help her, and that friend is an acquaintance of Hugo."

"That’s what he asked you to talk about earlier?"

"Mhm." She smacked her lips, keeping her gaze on him.

Haines studied her for a moment, then asked, "You agreed because he asked?"

"Would that make you more jealous if I said yes?"

"No." His answer was quick. "I’m just asking because you might be accepting it because... of us."

A shallow chuckle escaped her as she closed her eyes again. "My lover told me he believed she was innocent," she mumbled. "And I believe you more than any desperate friend out there or a nephew in need."

"But I didn’t tell you to take the case."

"I want to impress you, though," she pouted, partially opening her eyes. "If I get her out on bail when the Smiths’ lawyer couldn’t... it will be on TV. I want you to see me on television."

Haines was rendered speechless while she laughed as if the case were a minor one. Taking Cassandra’s case would also mean that Grace would be exposed to the media. Although she was already known in her field, media attention was a different story.

Grace, getting more attention, wasn’t what worried him. It was the fact that not all attention was good attention. Who knows whose eyes she would catch once she represented Cassandra? After all, that case was not just a high-profile case, but also a mix of political and power struggles.

"You don’t agree with my decision?" she asked, noticing his silence.

"It’s not that I don’t agree," he clarified. "I’m just a little worried."

"Why?"

"The political mix in this case doesn’t sit well with me," he expressed. "I’m afraid that you might get targeted."

"That scares you?" She blinked, and Haines didn’t answer immediately.

When he did, all he asked was, "Doesn’t it scare you?"

"Not one bit." Her answer was quick as she rolled to her side with her head still on his lap. Grace adjusted a bit to find a comfortable spot. "Will you sleep here tonight? I want to cuddle my jealous lover all night."

Ignoring the rest of her requests, he leaned back against the couch. His eyes on her back, he heard her mumbling her request for him to stay for the night. Nothing new, since she often offered him to stay, but Haines still went home.

"Don’t worry, though," Grace added in between her nonsense mumblings. "I’ll still have to call Penny and give her a heads-up. If she tells me no, then I won’t."

"Does her opinion matter that much in taking this case?"

Grace smiled subtly. "Of course."

"Why?"

"She’s family," she whispered. "For me, she’s more than just a client."

Penny was a friend, a sister, and also her future niece.

It was why Grace somewhat understood Kiara’s strong sentiments. If Grace were in Kiara’s position, she would probably do the same. However, the only difference was that Grace was licensed to fight her friend in court.

If this happened to Penny, Grace would fight tooth and nail—and even blood—to get her out of this mess.

Grace hadn’t realized it, but that was exactly what Penny wanted from her. It was exactly how Penny manipulated—or trained—Grace. A lawyer who could get her out of any kind of mess, including the vilest and unforgivable of crimes.

A moment of silence fell between them again, with Haines staring at her back.

"Then, if Penny agrees, which I know she would... and this doesn’t scare you in the slightest," he paused, playing with the tip of her hair. "What scares you, Gracie?"

"What scares me right now?" she repeated quietly.

Grace remained quiet before slowly pushing herself to sit up. She faced him squarely, looking deep into his eyes. It was as though she was buying time to think about what actually scared her at this point.

If a high-profile case where the defendant was at a disadvantage didn’t faze her, or the media attention that would follow after taking the case, wondering what could faze her was natural.

Her mouth hooked up slightly as she sighed. "What I’m more scared of is... the future."

"Hmm?"

"Not growing old together," she whispered, her eyes still locked with his. "The mere thought of it scares me more than anything else."