The next few days passed in a blur of avoidance, a dance of silence that left Grace feeling both liberated and trapped. She threw herself into her new role at Lockwood Industries, immersing herself in meetings that stretched into the late hours, poring over contracts that felt like a labyrinth of legal jargon. Each day was a battle to prove that she was more than just *Jake Lockwood’s daughter*. She was determined to carve out her own identity, to stand on her own two feet in a world that often saw her as a mere extension of her father’s legacy.
But despite her best efforts, she had barely seen Alex since that fateful night in the garden.
A part of her was relieved.
Another part of her was… disappointed.
She hated herself for that.
But it didn’t matter. Because even when he wasn’t
