Having Grace

18.

Roman's P.O.V

To say that Grace behaved herself was correct, but a slight disappointment as well.

According to my reports, she had a boring weekend. Good. She stayed in all day Saturday, left early Sunday morning and stayed at a gym for three hours, went to a Cafe alone, back to the gym for another two hours and went home.

I couldn't fathom why she needed a gym. Grace wasn't chubby, she had no body fat. Her legs, her stomach and her arms perfectly toned.

I saw all that the other night, her sprawled out on my bed, in her underwear, her heel digging in to my chest.

I gripped the table. Focus! I told myself.

She went to work Monday and Tuesday, but left early on Wednesday. She hadn't been back in since. She hadn't left her house either the rest of the week.

Is she sick?

I stared at my laptop screen. It was on off line as I was hundreds of miles in the air.

I'll get to the bottom of this when I land. But for now, I'll let it sit like I did on Thursday and Friday.

She came to and left work on Monday and Tuesday with her father, but drove Wednesday.

I was expecting her to go out and party on. Even last night. But she didn't.

After landing and my luggage collected, I drove to the office.

It was eerie quiet and empty. Even though it's a Saturday.

I punched in the alarm code and unlocked the door, locking it again behind me.

The whole building was dark, minus a light here and there.

I made my way up to my office to collect the week's worth of documents that accumulated in my absence.

I strictly refused to do any work this week. I couldn't do it this week.

I kept myself out of public, away from my laptop through the day. It was something I was dreading at the end of every day. Seeing Grace's name or face splashed on the screen.

But it never happened. Just some photos of here entering and leaving the gym, the Cafe, her house and work. Plus photos of other people at her house like her sister.

But she kept quiet like she said she would. Like I told her to.

The elevator door opened and I saw the little lamp on at Katie's desk. I don't know why she leaves it on, it was something about her being superstitious.

I opened my office doors, leaving them open and went to my desk. I wouldn't be staying long. Just picking up the documents and going home to work there.

I picked up the large pile and left my office, back to the elevator.

I locked and alarmed the building again and got in my car.

It had been an emotional week for me. I had found out last week that my elderly grandfather was on his last stretch. I flew up north to visit him, helped take care of him, stayed at a cousins place and helped my aunt out with my grandfather.

I was only there for two days before he passed.

Yesterday was his funeral. I hadn't seen him in two years and I had let work take control of me. Burying my head in the paperwork and letting the time fly.

Now he is gone. He offered me years ago to stay with me on my mother's death, then his sons', my father. But I turned him down, saying I will be fine and too busy with the company. But I allowed myself to visit twice a year. Until I stopped visiting.

Now, he is gone.

I got home and stacked the paperwork in front of me in the study, sorting them out.

I picked up a cream envelope. Intrigued, I opened it and a letter and what looked like an invite came out.

It wasn't addressed to me. It was for Grace. I frowned. Why was this on my desk? Why hasn't it been delivered to Grace? Or bounced back to the mail section?

Obviously it must have arrived on one of the days Grace wasn't in. I read the invitation.

It was a formal gala. At a five star hotel. It had a plus one. Does Grace know about this? The envelope looked like it hadn't been opened till I ripped it.

I read the letter. She is being recognised as a leading volunteer and being rewarded from her donating her time and money.

Lucius from Finance did tell me last week she tried redirecting her wages back to me and he declined it. I hadn't told Grace I knew about that, but after another power move by me, I had her bank account hacked. The bank account that was on her file, the one her pay goes in to.

She hadn't spent a single cent out off it. Until she did.

The whole lot, right down to the last cent was transferred over to Charities Australia. That is where this invite came from. Grace had shut the account down on Tuesday. So any pay for this week to go in to her account, would bounce back and be declined.

The letter stated of what charities she donates to. I didn't know if it was time, belongings or money, but there were eighteen of them.

I looked at the invite again. Next weekend.

Maybe I could allow her to go. It was a fancy event. It wasn't a rave, a club, a house party. I know she wanted to attend that garden party and she missed out because of the incident on the stairs, but she did hit her head very hard as well.

I picked up another envelope as I leaned back in my chair and ripped it open.

I read the first three lines and snatched my phone.

I opened the phone book and pressed the person I was after.

"Mr Parker!" Came the nervous voice.

"Frank." I snapped at him. "What's this about a resignation?"