Chapter 20

Adrianna greeted Grace, a shy smile playing on her lips. "Sorry for making you wait. I'm running a little behind."

"Don't worry about it. I just arrived myself," Grace replied.

From her purse, she retrieved a small white jar and placed it in Adrianna's hand. "This is the cream I blended for you. Apply it to that dark mark before bed,and you'll start to see the spot lighten up."

Bright hope flickered in Adrianna's eyes as she accepted the small jar.

Uncapping it, she caught a fresh, gentle scent with a hint of lavender soothing her senses.

"Do you really think this'll do the trick?" Adrianna asked, her voice trembling as she lightly touched the mark clinging to her skin.

Grace gave a quiet grin. "Stick with it for a month.You'll start to see the difference."

"That's awesome!" Adrianna said, nodding with excitement as a grin spread across her face.

She tucked the cream into her purse like it was something precious, her chest swelling with hope.

That dark mark had made her easy prey for cruel nicknames and side-eyes ever since grade school.Nothing from the drugstore ever lived up to its promise, no matter how often she tried.

Even so, there was something about Grace that made her want to believe.

In Grace's eyes, the problem looked easy to fix.

Adrianna was already imagining her skin clear and glowing.She could almost see it.

Later on, the two of them started shopping. Shopping was rare for Grace, and today felt like a treat.

They roamed through shop after shop, grabbing a few tops, earrings, and whatever caught their eye.

Grace picked up a smooth silk scarf for Julia. Adrianna found a fluffy pair of slippers for her grandma.

When Grace finally got back home, she heard voices drifting in from the living room as she unlocked the door.

She paused in the hallway, wondering about the unexpected voices.

Stepping inside, Grace's eyes landed on Gianna.Wasn't she supposed to be spending the week at the estate with Ethel? What was she doing here now?

Questions swirled in Grace's mind until Julia spotted her, coming over with gentle hands to relieve her of the shopping bags.

"You're back,sweetie."

"I went out with a classmate. We did some shopping,"said Grace without flinching.

Meanwhile, Gianna lounged on the sofa, idly snacking on grapes. The moment she caught sight of Grace's shopping bags, envy sparked behind her eyes.

She hated how all the attention kept drifting away from her. In her mind, it should've never left.

Julia, missing the sharp edge in the room, smiled like everything was fine. "It's nice having friends around.Don't spend all your time holed up at home."

She added with a light chuckle, "Just so you know,Ethel won't be home recently. So Gianna's staying with us for a while. You two can keep each other company."

Back in the day, Gianna used to drop by all the time.Julia,having no daughter of her own, treated her like

royalty.

Lately, though, Gianna felt that spotlight had shifted elsewhere since Grace's arrival.

Grace gave Julia a polite nod. "Alright. Thanks for letting me know."

"I made sandwiches. There are cheese and veggie ones, and a few with shrimp and corn. I couldn't decide what you liked, so i made a little bit of everything." Julia's voice was bright with pride.

Hearing that, Grace paused, and a gentle warmth crept into her heart.

Memories of her childhood spent in orphanage and with different foster families left her unfamiliar with the comfort of a real home.

That changed now, with Julia moving through the kitchen, treating her as if she had always belonged there.

"You didn't have to go through all that trouble," Grace said softly, barely lifting her gaze. "I'm not picky."

Julia just laughed and tousled her hair. "If it makes you smile, it's worth it."

Nearby,Gianna's hands balled into tight fists, her nails digging deep into her skin. Watching this unfold was

enough to make her stomach twist.

What kind of magic had Grace pulled on Julia? This was supposed to be her spotlight. Grace wasn't even family.Just some girl they let stay.

Julia's fragile health had always been the reason she never cooked. Even Rodger and the boys made sure she rested.

Yet now, she was in the kitchen like it was her stage.All because Grace walked in.

Every gesture, every smile, every bite of affection Julia handed over looked like something Gianna had been robbed of.

The frustration boiled over. She threw her voice across the room with fake sweetness. "Grace, Aunt Julia went through all that trouble just for you, even though she's not feeling great. Better eat up."

Her words sounded friendly, but the sarcasm was hard to miss.

Tension thickened around them.

Grace turned to her, lips curved into a slow, deliberate smile. "Relax, Gianna. If my mom makes me food, I'm finishing every crumb."

Gianna's expression went stiff.

Julia, completely unaware of the brewing feud,kept her gentle tone."Don't just stand there. Gianna, would you like some sandwiches too?"

With a grin as fake as a toy, Gianna waved her off. "No thanks. I'm cutting carbs."

A glare was all she gave Grace, thinking to herself that just seeing her was enough to kill an appetite.

Food was not the reason Gianna came today. Before Ethel left, she had pulled every string she could to score a stay at Rodger's house.

Secretly, she made a promise to herself-she would find a way to push Grace out of the Holden family,no matter what it took.