"Miss Harding, would you mind tying my shoelace for me? I really can't bend down."
I hesitated, suspicion flickering through me. But in the end, I knelt down.
That was when Julian's voice cut through the room, sharp and urgent.
"Grace, what are you doing in here?"
Before I could react, Grace let out a cry and her body pitched backward.
Julian rushed in and caught her just before she hit the ground. His pupils contracted to pinpoints.
"Gertrude, you've gone too far!"
"I didn't—"
His hand cracked across my face before I could finish, the force so brutal it whipped my head to the side.
Grace sagged against Julian's chest, her face drained of color, her voice choked with tears.
"Julian, don't blame Miss Harding. She just wanted a million dollars for her child."
"I told her that's our joint marital assets, and I don't have the authority to give it away. That's why she got upset and pushed me."
"She didn't mean it..."
Julian stared at me, disbelief flooding his eyes.
"A child? When did you have a child?"
"I actually thought you were sincere. Turns out this whole time, I was nothing but an ATM to you."
I opened my mouth to explain, but Grace beat me to it.
"Julian, let it go."