Sipping Love, Savoring Joy

I tracked Ethan down at the suburban villa in New Jersey.

It had once been his wedding gift to me. Now, it had been turned into their love nest.

The décor had been completely redone in Grace’s style, even the trees in the yard trimmed into the shape of two people kissing.

When I arrived, they were grilling in the garden, feeding each other mouth-to-mouth.

Grace spotted me and looped her arm through Ethan’s.

“Oh, sis, you’re here. Finally realized Ethan cares more about me? Couldn’t stand being ignored anymore, so you came to apologize?”

“Or maybe… you came for this?”

She stroked the Rosary Beads around her wrist with pride.

“I heard you spent a fortune—over a billion—to buy this. Must be precious, right? But Ethan loves me so much, worried about my nightmares, he gave it to me for comfort.”

“And this villa too. He gave it to me as compensation.”

Ethan pinched her nose affectionately, like she was a mischievous child.

“Anna, control your people. It’s bad enough you laid hands on me, but they nearly hurt Grace. If it happens again, I’ll feed them to the dogs.”

“As for the villa and the Rosary Beads—consider them your apology to Grace. Stop your madness.”

I couldn’t help but laugh.

Once, he had gone to every extreme to make me as insane as he was.

Every time I lost control, he’d beam with satisfaction, even delivering my enemies straight to me for torment.

And now, he despised my madness?

I pulled documents from my bag and flung them in his face.

“Ethan Carter, open your damn eyes.”

“That’s not a Rosary Bead. That’s our dead child!”

Back then, when Ethan had been kidnapped by rivals, I was eight months pregnant. I led men straight into their base.

They cut my baby—and my womb—out of me, turning my child into Rosary Beads.

Feigning death, I slit the enemy’s throat as my final act.

But the Beads vanished, no one knew where.

Ethan froze, staring at the papers for a long time before glancing at Grace.

“Grace, I’ll find you another, better Rosary Bead. This one…”

“No! You heard the seller. That child’s birth horoscope was unique, destined, sacred. Made into Rosary Beads, it brings peace and fertility. Nothing else could compare!”

“You promised—you’d make it up to me for losing my baby. I want this one. I don’t want nightmares anymore.”

“The doctor said my injuries were too severe, that it might be impossible to conceive again. Only this Rosary Bead can help me. Ethan, I want our love to have a child.”

Tears welled in Grace’s eyes.

And once she cried, Ethan was always on her side.

He turned to me coldly.

“The child has been dead so long. Having those Beads won’t change anything. Better Grace keep them than let them rot underground.”

“Ethan, don’t forget—that was your child too. All these years I’ve searched, desperate to lay him to rest. You know what I’ve sacrificed!”

His enemy had died with the secret, never telling me who had bought them.

Rubbing his temples in frustration, Ethan’s voice grew impatient.

“It’s just a dead thing. Why cling so tightly? If you want a child, wait until Grace conceives. I’ll even have it call you godmother.”

“As the father, I have the right to decide. And since Grace’s nightmares and miscarriages were caused by you, if your child’s bones can atone for you—then so be it.”