Author's note: Huge thanks to Avis Minter who actually wrote half of this chapter with me! Thank you so much!

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Elizabeth stepped inside the library and closed the doors, a smug smile on her face.

"Well…Fancy meeting you here. Isn't this place a little too calm for you?", Elizabeth asked, sarcasm dripping from every syllable she uttered.

Grace put on a humorless smile.

"It's a library. It is supposed to be a peaceful place", replied Grace, her voice firm.

Elizabeth nodded, walking beside a shelf, her fingertips brushing against the spines of books.

"Yes, but, that's not quite your cup of tea, isn't it, Miss Bennett? You strike me as someone who likes wide open spaces where there's plenty of space to make a spectacle", she stared at Grace, her eyes stormy.

A corner of Grace's lips curled up.

"Well, Elizabeth, when you love someone with your whole heart, you are entitled to make a GRAND spectacle and especially together, if the other person feels the same way", said Grace, her voice hard as a steel.

She could see on Elizabeth's face that she didn't expect that kind of answer. She paused her walk that reminded Grace of a vulture going after its prey.

It wasn't lost on Elizabeth how Grace emphasized the word "Grand".

She bristled, but a vicious smile showed up on her lips.

"What's that book you're reading?", she snatched the book from Grace's hand…

Only to lose all the colour from her face when she saw which book was it.

"Dangerous Liaisons" by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos.

Elizabeth threw the book at the table and stepped closer to Grace.

Grace didn't budge.

If she thinks I am scared of her, she is delusional!

"You think you can just waltz in here and destroy everything I worked hard for?! You with your innocent face, you may fool others, but not me!", Elizabeth snapped at her.

Grace shook her head.

"What on Earth are you talking about?!", she asked.

Elizabeth took one more step toward Grace.

"Do you know how hard I worked to earn Minnie's trust to let me teach Angela? And you just show up acting all nice and friendly and immediately get an approval!", Elizabeth all but spat the words.

Grace couldn't believe her ears.

"Are you serious?! Elizabeth, I have an experience working with blind children and if I could help her in any way, why wouldn't I? This is not a competition!", Grace spoke, her voice etched with disbelief.

Elizabeth let out a humorless laugh.

"And what about my students? Who told you that you could approach them last night?!", asked Elizabeth sharply.

Grace took a deep breath in.

"I don't know how any of that is your business, Elizabeth! You are not their Mother, I don't need your permission", Grace shook her head.

Elizabeth sent her a death glare.

"You were the one who orchestrated everything last night, weren't you?! You were the one who told him to go to my place and say all that! Tell me, Miss Bennett", she spat out "Knowing how much he hates lies, what did he say about you lying to the whole town about your connection to him?"

Grace stared incredulously at her.

"You're the one to talk! You lied to your students and the entire town about the break up, even had a nerve to thank kids for their support and protectiveness! Protectiveness from who?! From

a man who loved you back then?! What kind of a person are you?!", Grace's voice started to rise.

Elizabeth gasped for air.

"How dare you?! You have no idea what happened between Lucas and me!", exclaimed Elizabeth.

It was time for Grace to take two steps toward Elizabeth.

"Oh, yes I do. I do know, Elizabeth. And more than half of people in Hope Valley know it now. They know you wronged him badly and then let him carry half of blame while you walked around playing victim", Grace shook from the effort to stay calm "Face it, Elizabeth - more and more people, including your students, know what you did and you are losing the title of Belle of the city! I never lied to anyone about knowing Lucas except Fiona because I didn't know how much I could really trust her, but no one else even asked if I knew him. I wanted to know how people really felt about Lucas before he came back here. Lucas is the victim here!", Grace snapped, her entire body shaking from fury at this woman's lying "You used him for your personal gain, mainly to publish your book! He wanted to give you the moon, he wanted to give you everything, but you squashed his hopes and dreams, belittling everything he had done for you! The only lies that have been told came out of your mouth, Elizabeth. You pushed away and crushed the love of the best man in the world! And I've heard you're trying to crush Nathan as well. So, don't you dare to put this act of being the victim here because everyone is now learning the truth!! You threw away the perfect man and sent him off to the wolves!! I'm glad you broke up with him because if you didn't then I would have never met him! We wouldn't have fallen in love! Did you think he would fall apart and never fall in love again? So it's ok for you to have Nathan but he can't have a real love? You are pathetic Elizabeth! If you're not careful, you are going to wind up friendless, loveless and live in loneliness! Now I think you're just jealous! I just want to know how you could throw away a man that loved you like that? Lucas didn't deserve for his heart to be broken and to be sent off all alone. You have no idea what he went through in the last few months! He deserves complete, forever love and care for the rest of his life. He deserves to be treated as a hero for saving this town and Hope Valley should thank him for its survival. You need to let everyone know that you broke off the engagement, broke his heart, and took his dream of being Jack's father away. You need to stop playing the martyr in this situation, Elizabeth, because Lucas was the only one that had his dreams shattered by a woman he thought would love him forever!"

Grace gasped for air, not believing how much she said.

Elizabeth's face turned red.

"You think he loves you?! What do you know about love?!", she stammered, obviously lost for words, but not ready to admit how wrong she was.

Grace took a few deep breaths in.

Don't let anyone shake your self-confidence, Gracie, do you hear me?

I can breathe again. I can live again. I can love again. And it's all thanks to you, angel.

Grace swallowed hard, holding her tears at bay.

I love you, mon coeur.

Grace felt her throat tightening with emotions as she could hear Lucas' loving voice.

And at the next moment, she stepped into Elizabeth's personal space and stared at her eyes.

"I don't think so. I know so. I know that my Lucas loves me", she said, her voice not wavering one bit "And I love him. And I could never do to him what you did. Lucas is right, Elizabeth. You need help. You are obviously suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. You never recovered from Jack's death. I am sorry that you lost your husband, but that doesn't give you the right to go around and hurt and use people! You need to get help, Elizabeth", Grace's voice grew softer.

"Stop it!", Elizabeth snapped, her face pale as a sheet.

"Elizabeth", Grace spoke gently, like she was addressing a child in the orphanage "You have to go to your son. That little boy needs you. Why are you trying to hurt your own child? Why are you punishing him for your mistakes? Why did you send Jack away, not allowing him and Lucas to reunite? You know how much they love each other! Lucas even brought him a gift for his birthday! He loves that little boy!!"

Elizabeth fumed, her hands shaking.

"I said, STOP IT!", she hissed warningly.

Grace shook her head.

"Elizabeth, Jack needs you. He already lost his Father. Don't let him lose a Mother too. He needs a family, Elizabeth", Grace said gently.

And it was at that moment that Elizabeth yelled:

"A family? What would you know about a family?! You never had a family! Nobody wanted you! What makes you think you know what is good for me and my family?!"

Grace's entire world shook in front of her eyes as Elizabeth's cruel words hit her hard.

Her lungs constricted painfully, burning with unshed tears.

No.

I will not cry in front of her.

It was at that moment that the doors of the library slammed open and Grace gasped as she saw who was standing there.

Lucas.

"That's enough, Elizabeth!", he said in a low, warning tone of voice.

Grace shook her head as she glanced at the spiteful, bitter woman in front of her.

"I feel sorry for you, Elizabeth", she said silently "You lived a privileged, happy life and you have nothing to give. You're a bitter, selfish woman who doesn't know how to love. The only thing you know how to do is to cause pain to others."

And with those words Grace rushed out from the library not even noticing grown ups and children standing on the porch and in front of the library, obviously listening to everything that was being said.

Lucas moved fast, leaving the library in order to run after Grace.

But, Elizabeth ran after him, grabbing his forearm.

"Lucas! We need to talk!", she demanded.

But, Lucas yanked his hand away from her grasp, sent her a death glare that made her stumble back and exclaimed:

"SAVE IT, ELIZABETH!!"

Elizabeth gasped, stopping dead frozen in her steps as she watched him run after Grace.

The moment she was away from tge prying eyes, Grace burst to tears.

She heard Minnie and Mei Suo calling her name, asking what's wrong, but she didn't react. She just kept on running, her tears choking her.

What would you know about a family?! You never had a family! Nobody wanted you!

Grace felt sobs shaking her body as she ran down the street, not watching where she was going.

"GRACE!! LOOK OUT!!", she heard Lucas' scream and in the next moment she felt his hands pulling her out from the street and the car that was driving straight at her!

"GRACE!!"

She gasped, catching Lucas' forearms and in the next moment he pulled her in his embrace, hugging her tightly, gasping for air, kissing her hair.

She burst into tears as she hugged him back.

"I want to go home, back to Lillian. Back to the children. Away from that toxic woman!", she sobbed.

Lucas shook from fear of nearly losing the most precious person in his life. He hugged her more tightly, feeling her tears sending huge tremors through her body.

Grace cried bitterly.

"I want to go home. I want to go home", she looked up at him, shivering from crying "Take me home, Lucas. Please, take me home."

Lucas cupped her dear face and nodded before leaning down and kissing her longingly, lovingly, passionately, his thumbs caressing her cheeks, brushing her tears away.

"Sssssh, my love. Don't cry. I'll take you home", Lucas whispered against her lips as he kept on kissing her "Don't cry, my angel. Don't cry."

He dived in, kissing her passionately, not caring who was watching. The only thing he wanted to do was to show her how much he loves her, how much she means to him.

He gently licked her lower lip, begging for entrance and when she whimpered, he dived in, his tongue caressing her mouth with passion and love, causing her knees to buckle.

Lucas felt her sway on her feet and quickly caught her, holding her in his embrace firmly, so close to him that he could feel every soft curve pressing into his hard body.

He slowly pulled his lips away, but kept her body close to his. He leaned his forehead on hers and whispered, his voice etched with passion, love and fear of nearly losing her.

"All that heartache I felt when I board that train and left Hope Valley was worth it. All the pain I lived through after the break up was worth it… Because, if it didn't happen, I would never have

met you, my angel. You are my soulmate, Grace. You are my other half. You are the love of my life, sweetheart", he gave her one more long, sweet kiss and whispered "Lets go home, my love."