Chapter 19

Lillian caressed Grace's back, gently rocking her.

"Calm down, honey. I won't let him hurt you anymore. We will think of something, just calm down, please", Lillian whispered, swallowing her tears, trying to stay strong for her little sister.

Lucas' mind was spinning Lillian's words to Grace echoing in his mind.

I won't let him hurt you anymore.

Anymore?

Slowly, as to not startle Grace, he walked toward two of them and knelt across Lillian.

Lillian glanced at him, her usually calm facial features creased in concern. She slightly pulled away, wiping her sister's hot tears as she kept on crying.

Lucas couldn't bear to see Grace upset like this. It felt like her tears were ripping his heart out.

"Grace?", he silently called her.

She flinched at the sound of his deep, warm, velvety voice.

She wasn't even aware he was here.

She couldn't stand for him to know the truth.

That nobody wanted her. Ever.

Lucas treaded lightly on her ground; his fingers reached for her palm. She shivered at his touch, tears choking her.

"Grace, it's okay. Cry it all out", he started to talk slowly so he wouldn't push any buttons that would break her.

He held her small palm between his fingers, gently caressing her knuckles, to try to show her that she is not alone.

That he is there for her.

"Grace, what's going on? You know you can tell me anything and that I will try my best to help you", Lucas gently tried to encourage her.

Grace let out a shaking breath, not daring to talk.

"Gracie", Lillian gently pulled away from Grace, but still warmly caressed her long hair "Talk to Lucas. He knows lots of influential people. Maybe he can help you", she said, her voice broken.

Lillian's words worried Lucas even more.

What did that pathetic excuse of a man do?!

Grace shook her head.

"I can't", she said, her sobs strangling her voice "I can't pull you in the middle of that mess", she bursted to tears again, causing Lillian to pull her in her arms again.

"Grace… if you don't tell Lucas, then I will", Lillian said in a strong tone of voice, but Lucas noticed how she swallowed hard, trying to keep her tears at bay.

Grace pulled away from her sister, watching her in disbelief.

"Gracie… None of it was your fault", Lillian assured her "He still has a hold on you because you're letting him. Now maybe you can put a stop to it once and for all", Lillian held her sister's shoulders and kissed her forehead before saying "Now, I'm gonna take Gustave to meet the kids before they run inside and see you like this", it was only then that Grace noticed an unknown man standing at the doors of the living room, watching them without a word.

Wiping her tears, she weakly mumbled:

"I didn't know you arrived… I am so sorry".

Gustave smiled sadly.

"Think nothing of it. We will have plenty time to talk, Mademoiselle Grace", he said gently and noticed Lucas sending him a thankful glance. Gustave nodded to his cousin in understanding.

"Okay, honey?", Lillian peered into her sister's eyes that were red from crying.

Grace swallowed hard.

"Okay", she whispered in a small voice.

"Come on, lets get you up. Go sit in the living room", Lillian's heart broke at the sight of her usually happy sister so broken down.

Lillian fussed over Grace to help her up, careful of her injured arm. Eventhough she wasn't wearing sling anymore, her arm was still sensitive.

But, before she could even move properly, Lillian heard Lucas whisper:

"It's alright, Lillian. I got her", with those words, he helped Grace up on her feet, not even realizing that his words reached deeply into Grace's wounded heart and fresh tears bursted from her eyes.

Without even thinking about it, Lucas wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight as she sobbed in his chest.

"It's alright, Grace. Just cry. I got you. You are not alone. I got you", he gently whispered, hoping that his words will calm her down at least a bit.

He waited for a few moments before he gently pulled away and helped her get to the living room. He sat her down on the settee and grabbed a chair for himself.

Placing a chair in front of Grace, Lucas pulled out a handkerchief from his suit pocket and handed it over to her.

She accepted it with wobbling "thank you" and tried to take a deep breath in, but failing miserably.

"I'm sorry", she mumbled, her head down.

"No need to apologize. Cry as much as you need to. I'm not going anywhere", he warmly whispered, taking her hands in his.

Grace sniffed.

"I thought he moved away", she whispered, her voice broken.

"Patrick?", Lucas asked carefully. At Grace's nod, he asked "Wanna tell me who he is?"

Grace took a deep breath in and looked up at Lucas.

"Patrick is my ex fiance", she silently said "We were supposed to get married this summer. He told me that he is going on a business trip somewhere in May. I went on with work and preparations for the wedding", she let out a shivering breath "One day, I was making lunch for the kids when there was a knock at the doors. It was his Mother. She came to tell me that she and her husband are against our marriage and that it won't happen. She just left, giving no other explanation. I tried to reach Patrick, I went to the company he worked at and asked when is he

coming back", she swallowed hard "But it turned out that he wasn't on a business trip at all", as fresh tears rolled down her cheeks, she silently mumbled "He was on a honeymoon".

Lucas felt shock tearing his heart.

"Oh, Grace", he whispered, his thumbs gently caressing her knuckles.

Blinking tears away, Grace took a deep breath in before continuing:

"I didn't want to see him, nor hear what he had to tell me. He tried to get back to me like nothing happened. He followed me everywhere, didn't give me a moment of peace. I went to the police but they told me they couldn't do anything because he didn't try to hurt me physically", she let out a strangled breath, her voice crumbling.

Lucas felt something tightening in his chest, his breathing accelerating.

"Grace? Tell me the truth", as she avoided his eyes, Lucas gently and slowly caressed her palms and forearms in order to calm her down "Grace?", as she slowly looked back at him Lucas asked "Did he hurt you?"

Grace swallowed hard.

"He tried. He followed me one night when I was going home from the telegraph office. He pulled me behind the building and tried… tried…", she started to cry again "I was so scared, Lucas, I didn't know how to defend myself".

Lucas gently pulled her in a hug, his arms wrapping around her like a blanket of security.

He felt sick, furious. He wanted to find that miserable, pathetic man and make sure he never comes near Grace again.

She sobbed.

"I managed to push him away and ran as fast as I could, but he caught me. He ripped my dress saying that nobody wants me because I am a dirty orphan and that I should be grateful for him", she cried hard, hiding her face in Lucas' chest "When he said that something inside me snapped and I kicked him hard with my knee…ummm…between his legs", she added uncomfortably and Lucas felt a surge of pride rising in his chest at her bravery.

"He deserved it. It was good that you remembered to do it", he whispered encouragingly, still holding her tightly.

Grace swallowed hard before continuing.

"When I managed to come home, Lillian called the police and demanded that they arrest him", she shook her head with a sad smile "But, we didn't stand a chance. His Father is an influential businessman and he stopped it".

Lucas pulled away in shock.

"What?!", he breathed out.

"And now he is back. And he is after me again", Grace angrily wiped her tears and in the next moment she flinched in surprise as Lucas let her go and hurried toward the phone. She rushed after him "Lucas! Lucas, what are you doing?"

Lucas grabbed the phone.

"What's his last name?, he asked her as he picked up the phone.

"Matthews", Grace mumbled, watching wide eyed as Lucas spoke sharply to the centrale, asking to be connected to Chief of Police of Capital City.

"Chief Johnson? Governor Lucas Bouchard. I want you to issue an arrest order for Patrick Matthews right now. And let me know when he is behind the bars", he listened angrily to the voice on the other side of wire before snapping "On a charge of harassment and attempt of the sexual assault!", he took a deep breath in and said, his voice warning "I will personally come to see did you do your job. If you don't, you can pack your things and leave!", Lucas slammed the phone down, ending the phone call.

Grace stood a few steps from him, watching him in disbelief, her eyes filling with tears.

Lucas ran fingers through his hair before he slowly went toward her.

"Now, listen to me, Grace. Don't let anybody ever tell you that you are not worthy of happiness. Don't ever let anyone corrupt your heart. Don't ever let anyone make you think that you are not wanted or loved. Don't ever let anyone make you think that losing your parents marked you in a bad way. You deserve to have the best of everything. Never forget that."

Grace's lips shivered and no matter how much she tried, she couldn't stop tears bursting out of her.

Lucas quickly stepped closer to her and hugged her tightly. She held on for him for dear life as she cried, relief washing over her senses.

"It's alright, Grace. He will never hurt you again. I promise", Lucas whispered, holding her tightly.

Take it easy with me, please,

Touch me gently like a summer evening breeze,

Take your time, make it slow,

Andante, Andante

Just let the feeling grow.

Make your fingers soft and light,

Let your body be the velvet of the night,

Touch my soul, you know how,

Andante, Andante

Go slowly with me now.

There's a shimmer in your eyes,

Like the feelin' of a thousand butterflies,

Please don't talk, go on, play,

Andante, Andante

And let me float away.

I'm your music, I'm your song,

Play me time and time again and make me strong,

Make me sing, make me sound,

Andante, Andante

Tread lightly on my ground,

Andante, Andante

Oh please, don't let me down.

(ABBA - "Andante, Andante")