Dayton's pov
I sat in the back of the car, staring out at the city lights that blurred past. My tie felt too tight, like it was choking me. Dinner at the Hendersons' was finally over, but the words Grace threw at me in that dark hallway kept ringing in my ears.
"I already forgot everything about last night."
Liar.
She remembered every second. I saw it in the way her eyes flashed when she said it. She remembered my mouth on her skin, my hands pulling her close, the way she screamed my name. And she hated me for what I said the morning after. I hated myself too.
I told her she was easy.
I told her it was nothing.
I lied to her face because it was the only way to keep her safe from the mess I'm trapped in.
Lilian had been all over me the whole night. Smiling, touching my arm, laughing at things that weren't even funny. She's beautiful, sure. Smart. Rich. The perfect match on paper. Our marriage will join two empires. My father made that clear years ago. "This alliance is bigger than feelings, Dayton. You don't get to choose."
So I smiled back at Lilian. I nodded. I played the part. But my eyes kept finding Grace.
Even when she stood quietly in the corner, head down, serving food like she was invisible, I saw her. Every time she moved, I felt it in my chest. When she bent to pick up a dropped spoon, I remembered how her back arched under me. When she poured water, I remembered how her lips tasted. When she passed behind my chair, the air changed. Like the whole room tilted toward her.
After dessert, Lilian pulled me out to the garden. The air was cool. She pressed close, her hand on my chest.
"You've been quiet tonight," she said, voice soft and sweet. "Thinking about me?"
I forced a smile. "Always."
She laughed and leaned in to kiss me. Her lips were warm, practiced. I kissed her back because I had to. But it felt wrong. Empty. My mind was inside the house, watching Grace clear plates through the big glass windows.
She was wiping the long dining table now, slow circles with a cloth. Her hair kept falling in her face. She tucked it behind her ear the same way she did when we were in that hotel bed. My heart twisted so hard I almost walked back inside.
I wanted to run to her, Grab her hand, Pull her out of that house and tell her I didn't mean any of it. That kicking her out that morning killed me. That I only did it because if my father ever found out, he'd destroy her.
But I stayed rooted to the spot. Because I'm a coward. Because duty comes first. Because the son of Jordan Knight doesn't get to fall for the maid.
Lilian kept talking, something about wedding colors, but I barely heard her. All I could see was Grace alone in that huge room, cleaning up after people who treat her like nothing.
When we finally left, I looked back one last time. She was stacking plates, head bowed. I wanted to scream her name.
The drive home was silent. My father sat beside me, scrolling through his phone. He hadn't said much all night, but I felt his eyes on me every time Grace walked into the room. Like he was testing me.
When we got home, I went straight to my room and locked the door. I pulled open the drawer in my nightstand and took out the small velvet box I hadn't touched in years.
Inside was a necklace. It was a thin silver chain with a tiny star pendant. Simple. Not expensive. But I knew every curve of it.
I was twelve when I met her. Trina.
A business summit in Dubai. Three days of boring speeches and fancy dresses. I wandered off and ended up near the hotel pool. Some older boys cornered me, started pushing me around because my dad was rich and I was small. One of them grabbed me by the collar and dragged me toward the deep end. I couldn't swim well back then.
Then she appeared.
A girl my age, dark hair in a messy braid, wearing a simple blue dress. She didn't hesitate. She ran straight at the biggest boy and shoved him hard. He stumbled, let go of me. She grabbed my hand and pulled me away. We hid behind some plants, breathing hard, laughing like idiots.
That night there was a big ball at my parents' house back home. Same night her parents were killed. Same night I found this necklace on the ballroom floor, half hidden under a chair. I knew it was hers. I'd seen it on her neck by the pool. I kept it. Never told anyone.
She died that night. Everyone said so. Assassins. A rival family. Her parents gone. Body never found, but they said she was in the car too.
I closed my fist around the necklace.
Grace moves like her. I mean the way she tucks her hair, the way she lifts her chin when she's angry, the way she looks at me like she sees right through the mask.
It's stupid, Impossible even. I know that. Trina is dead. But my heart wouldn't let it go.
A knock on my door made me jump.
"Dayton."
It was my father. I shoved the necklace back in the box and slid it under some books.
He stepped in without waiting. His eyes went straight to the drawer. He saw everything.
He didn't speak at first. Just looked at the spot where the box disappeared. Then he looked at me.
"That girl," he said quietly. "Grace."
My blood turned cold.
"You know her."
It wasn't a question.
I swallowed. "No."
He stepped closer. His stare cut right through me.
"I watched you tonight. Every time she walked into the room, your eyes followed. When she was near, you stopped breathing. Don't lie to me, son."
I clenched my jaw. "I told you. I don't know her."
He stared for a long time. Then he nodded once, slow.
"Be careful," he said. "Some things are better left buried."
He turned and left. The door clicked shut behind him.
I stood there, heart pounding against my ribs.
I opened the drawer again. Took out the necklace. Held it up to the light.
The little star caught the lamp and threw a tiny spark on the wall.