Twenty minutes after Spencer leaves and Mason heads out to meet his friends, Savannah, Mom, and I are left alone in the living room.

My aunt Nicole calls for the hundredth time. The woman is relentless when it comes to gossiping, and fishing out new elements for juicier pieces of news.

Heaving a sigh, Mom gives up and receives the call, leaving Savannah and me alone in the living room.

"I'm glad you two worked things out together and got back," she says, a smile tugging the corners of her mouth upward.

"So you don't hate me anymore?" I arch an eyebrow as I lean into my seat.

"I never did, I was just mad at you for hurting my brother. If he can forgive you, who am I to hold a grudge."

I look down at the floor, a wide grin spilling over my face as I nod.

"In fact, I should be thanking you, I've never seen Spencer so... happy and at ease," she softly says and my gaze snaps back to her.

Her brilliant blue eyes hold mine briefly. "I'm happy you didn't go along with the contract, I know it might not sound right... but it really would've hurt Spencer and I just didn't want to see my brother hurting anymore."

I bite my bottom lip and nod. "We've been through a lot, I guess all I want now is for us to have a peaceful, happy life."

She grins. "Any plans for the future, should I be preparing myself for another round of wedding planning?"

"Oh my God, no!" I exclaim, throwing my head back, making her giggle. "I've had enough wedding drama to last me an entire year. For now, we just want to..." my voice trails down as I try to find the right words.

"Enjoy each other's company with no problems?" she offers.

Beaming, I nod. "Exactly."

She tucks a strand of her curled hair behind her ear and her fingers fidget. "I was hoping if we could... if you could forgive me for my awful behavior towards you in the past. I really don't want things between us to be tense and for you to not want me around... I mean Spencer is-"

"I know Savannah! And I would never do that to either of you." I grab her hand and squeeze it reassuringly. "But I would love to have you more than just Spencer's sister, and as my friend." I smile at her.

"That'd be great," she says, mirroring my smile.

Before either of us gets the chance to say anything, one of the maids walks in, holding an envelope in her hand, and halts in front of me.

Savannah and I exchange a confused glance as the maid says, "Ma'am someone left this on the backdoor porch, for you." She holds out the crumpled piece of yellowed envelope.

"For me?" I ask with surprise.

"Does anyone know you're here?" Savannah turns to me, alarmed.

"No," I mumble as I get the envelope. In messy handwriting, my name is sprawled on it, and from the way the lines are uneven, whoever wrote this definitely didn't have a smooth surface in reach.

"Thanks," I dismiss the maid. She nods and walks away.

I glance at Savannah before hesitantly opening the letter.

"Maybe we should tell the officers," she softly suggests.

I unfold the paper inside and gasp.

'We both know what we want. Let's settle everything down quietly. Meet me tomorrow at ten at the address down below, if you don't want anyone else to join your father. If I find out you've told the cops or anyone else, you won't like the consequences.'

My eyes stay wide as I read and reread the letter, my mind refusing to grasp the meaning as icy panic settles in me.

It's from Benjamin. But how?

My gaze darts to the bottom of the page where the address is scribbled.

"What is it?" Savannah's voice startles me and I jump to my feet.

"Uh... spam, nothing." Dammit. I shake my head as her eyes narrow with suspicion. "Excuse me," I mumble and sprint out of the living room, paying no heed to Savannah calling my name from behind me.

I glance out of the windows as I pass them hurriedly. No one appears to be in sight. My heart pounds in my chest as my head spins with speculations.

How is this even possible?

He shouldn't have been able to drop this off in the first place and go unseen.

He's closer to us than we think. The horrifying realization sinks in.

In my dazed state, I hit something—someone—and almost fall down headfirst.

"Gracie, what's wrong?" Mom's worried voice pulls me out of my disoriented thoughts.

I shake my head. "Nothing," I lie. "I'm just tired. Is my room ready?"

Warily, she nods.

Without giving her the chance to question me further, I run up the stairs and go straight to my room.

Closing the door, I read the letter again as I pace up and down the room, chewing my bottom lip.

How did he place the letter here? With all the security and everything?

The more pressing matter is, what should I do?

I know going is not a good idea, but if he managed to come so close to us and stay undetected... he can also harm anyone of us with ease. Once again, I have too much to lose.

I rub my forehead and plop down on my bed, planting my elbows on my knees as I rest my head to my palm and clutch the letter in my other hand.

The longer I ponder over what's the right thing to do, the more confused I become.

I don't know how long goes by but after a while, I gradually near the conclusion of meeting him. Although the matter of keeping it a secret is still undecided.

A light knock on the door snaps me out of my thoughts. Spencer peeks inside and instant warmth washes over me as my heart happily skips a beat.

"I thought you were asleep, Kathryn said you were tired," he says as he walks in and shuts the door.

Swiftly, I fold the letter and shove it into my jeans' back pocket.

"You okay?" he asks, his brows furrowing as he sits down next to me on the bed.

"Yeah," I mumble and lean into him. Closing my eyes, I inhale his intoxicating scent. I let my mind go blank for a beat and forget the looming problem.

"Gracie, love, what's wrong?" Spencer's voice grows more concerned as he wraps his arms around me, pulling me to himself.

"It's nothing, I'm just exhausted," I sigh, relishing the feeling of being in his embrace.

His fingers dip into my hair and massage my scalp, soothing my senses. I bite my bottom lip to suppress my moan. Squeezing my eyes shut, I furl my fingers around his shirt and cling to him.

If Benjamin is so close, he must be aware of Spencer and me too... he can harm my Spencer too.

And what if he figures out I told someone about the letter? He's already going to spend the rest of his life in prison if the cops catch him... will he really go the extreme length of hurting and possibly killing someone?

I don't want to find out. The stakes are too high, I can't risk it.

"Did something happen when I was gone? Did someone say something?" he asks quietly, his voice barely above a whisper.

"No," I lie.

"Did saff say something-"

"No!" I straighten myself and meet his gaze.

"Then what? You were fine when I left." He anxiously searches my face.

"And what makes you think I'm not fine now? We spent seven hours on a plane, the exhaustion is catching up, that's it."

His brows pucker. "You're lying," he accuses, sounding hurt.

"I'm not," I insist, even though I know I shouldn't.

But their lives are on the line. I'll lie my ass off if it means Spencer, Mom, and Mason will stay safe.

I heave a sigh and rub my forehead. "How did it go with William?"

He eyes me warily before giving in with a deep exhale. "It could've gone worse."

My heart sputters and stops. I really can't put up with both Benjamin and William at the same time. "You mean it could've gone better too?" I hesitantly ask.

A small smile cracks his solemn expression. "You don't need to worry about him anymore."

I gasp and back away from him with surprise. "You mean..."

"It's fixed, he's not a problem for you anymore. He withdrew the allegation in front of me and called off the contract."

I cover my gaping my mouth before throwing my arms around him. "Oh my God! You did!" A relieved giggle bubbles out of me. "Thank you!" Pure bliss courses through my veins. One of my biggest obstacles is out of the way!

His arms tighten around me until I pull away. "What did he ask in return?"

Spencer shrugs dismissively. "It could've been way worse."

I raise my eyebrows expectantly.

"He wants to stay a part of my life... as my father," he mutters and rolls his eyes.

I bite my bottom lip to stop myself from laughing. "Such a terribly hard negotiation."

"Shut up," he grumbles, making me laugh.

I quiet down and his mesmerizing eyes bore into mine. "What's the letter Saff and your mom were talking about?" he pushes a stray strand of my hair behind my ear.

I school shocked expression to an indifferent one, hiding my surprise. I completely forgot they saw the letter in my hand.

"It was nothing," I say lightly.

He studies me for a moment. "Fine, where is it? I want to see it."

"I threw it away," I blurt out making his eyes narrow suspiciously.

"Why are you lying to me, Gracie?" He stands up and runs his hand through his hair exasperatedly.

Guilt gnaws my gut as I gingerly get to my feet.

"I'm trying to be as understanding as possible... I don't get it, is it something I'm doing wrong? Is it something I'm not doing? Is it because you still don't trust me and think I'll leave you?"

"Spencer, please."

"I saw that goddamn letter in your hand! You're lying to my face, again." He throws his arms up in frustration.

Ouch.

I avert my gaze and my fingers fidget until I clasp them together in front of me. "It's not what it looks like," I offer weakly.

"Really? Then what is it? It hasn't even been a full day we've been back and you're," he pauses, waving his hand around before sighing and shaking his head.

I glance up and meet his annoyed face.

Without another word, he turns around and strides to the door.

"Spencer, please," I call out weakly, tears burning my eyes.

He halts and shoves his hand through his hair before facing me.

I chew my bottom lip and gulp uncomfortably. Maybe I should let him walk out for now... to keep him away from Benjamin.

But what if I won't be able to win him back again?

I rub my forehead. Frustrated and confused, I meet his scrutiny.

"This isn't fair," he says at last. "And you know it too."

"I can't tell you about the letter," I mumble feebly.

"Why not?"

I lift a shoulder and look away.

He opens the door to walk out, but I stop him. "You promised me not to leave."

He slams the door shut and spins to me. "That was until you didn't start lying to me again."

"I-I... it's just for the best," I stammer.

He watches me for one long, hard moment. "It doesn't look like that to me." Pushing his glasses up his nose, he steps to me. "Let me decide too," he adds.

I shake my head.

Long beats of suffocating silence pass between us.

"No one was supposed to know about the letter," I say quietly. "Please, Spencer, it's for the best. Trust me."

His head tilts slightly, his brows furrowing and his eyes take on a calculating gleam. After a long moment, he speaks, "I trust you, I don't trust the content inside the letter."

"So just trust me." I hold his gaze.

Reluctantly, he nods and opens his arms. Without needing another word, I go to him and melt into his embrace.

"I'm sorry," he whispers.

"Next time I won't stop you if you try to walk out on me, but I won't ever talk to you again." I tighten my arms around him.

He grabs my chin, making me look up at him. "It won't happen again." Gently, he presses his lips to mine, kissing me ever so slowly.

I lose myself in the rush of sensations, letting it overtake my body and senses, and momentarily forget about my problems as his lips mold and move against my lips, weakening my knees. I cling to him and he tightens his arms around my waist, flushing me against his chest.

Warmth and serenity, excitement, and the fluttering of the butterflies in my stomach are worse than drugs. Addicting and taking me on a high I never want to sober up from.

Slowly he pulls away and kisses my forehead. "I'll be back for dinner."

My eyes widen with panic and I grab his hands. "Where are you going?"

"To change, Gracie, I don't have any proper clothes with me here." A small smile tugs the corner of his mouth.

Hesitantly I nod. "Fine, but you have to stay here tonight."

"I will," he answers with a grin, pecking my lips before striding out of the room.

I heave a sigh and run my hands through my hair, pushing it out of my face. When I can no longer hear his footsteps, I reach for my back pocket to fish out the letter to either hide it or destroy it before anyone sees but it's not there.

My eyebrows squish together with confusion. I check again, but the pocket is empty.

I try the other pocket on my backside and that's empty too. Frantically I glance at the bed, but it's not on it either. I survey the floor and still no sign.

How is it possible! Quickly, I look around the room, hoping it might have fallen off when I hugged Spencer—wait a second.

Spencer...shit!

Since when did he become so sneaky! I sprint out of the room and run down the hallway only to stop dead in my tracks, catching Spencer with one foot on the first stair and his other foot on the floor, and the letter in his hand.

His head slowly raises and fury glints in his blue eyes as he holds up the letter. "You were planning on going, weren't you?" he growls.

"Spencer-" I start but he shakes his head and marches to me. Grabbing my arm he drags me back to the bedroom.

"Is this why you didn't tell me? Are you fucking insane! Have you lost it!" he yells the second I close the door.

"He can kill you guys!"

"He doesn't have any resources! Gracie, for God's sake, think!" He shakes his head and folds the letter, shoving it inside his trousers' pocket. "Did you even think if you had left tomorrow, how I would've found you?" He waves his hand around, his face flushing with anger. "You know he's dangerous-"

"If he came here, left this letter, and went unnoticed, he can harm any of us whenever he wants."

He shakes his head. "No! Leaving a letter behind is way fucking easier than attacking someone! Gracie, please, stop being so unreasonable."

I cross my arms in front of my chest.

"You're not going anywhere," he asserts.

"I am, and I will go tomorrow," I snap.

His features twist with irritation. "I'm not letting you set a foot outside of this house."

"This is my shot to get rid of him!"

"And it's his opening to hurt you!" he shouts, breathing heavily. "No," he firmly states shaking his head.

I open my mouth to argue, to point out he's not even supposed to know, and he might already be in danger but the desperation glinting in his eyes halt me.

"I'm not letting you go. He can and probably will harm you. Gracie, please, I-I get it you want to be done with him, but this isn't the way." He pinches the bridge of his nose.

Slowly I go to him and intertwine our fingers together. "I know you're worried-"

He shakes his head. "No. If you knew, you wouldn't even be considering to go." He points at the door. "I still can't believe you were planning on hiding this from me! What if something would've happened to you?"

I sigh in defeat. "Fine, then what do you suggest? Do you have any better option for throwing him out of our lives?" I raise my brows challengingly.

Defiantly, he pushes his glasses up and purses his mouth. "Not right now, but give me till tonight, I'll come up with something. But you are not going anywhere."

I roll my eyes. "We'll see," I mumble.

"Gracie," he warns and I smile up at him glowering face.

"You know, you were the last person I expected to pull off something like that," I muse.

Confusion flashes across his features. "What?"

I place my arms around his neck and tangle my fingers behind his neck as I raise to my tiptoes. "Kissing me to distract me and get the letter."

He rolls his eyes and huffs, "Well maybe if you didn't hide stuff from me, I didn't need to come up with other ways." His hands snake around my waist.

I smirk. "It's still not fair."

"And hiding something like this from me is fair?" he fires back.

I sigh and peck his soft full lips. "Stop being so tense all the time," I murmur against his lips.

"I can't risk your life, Gracie."

"And neither can I risk yours." I tilt my head and hold his gaze. "I love you."

Finally, the corners of his mouth twitch upwards, softening his features. "I love you more." His lips brush a kiss on my forehead before he pulls me to himself and tightly hugs me, laying a hot kiss on my neck.

My breath hitches in my throat as his body molds over mine. I move my fingers between his curls, my body growing warm.

"I've come close to losing you too many times, Rae. I can't go through that, not now, not ever. Please, don't make me. I'm barely moving past the accident you had because of me three months ago." His arms tense around me, pressing me harder to him.

My heart squeezes painfully and I hug him tighter. "Spencer," I breathe out.

"I-I can't control my thoughts when your life is on the line," he says and pulls away to look into my eyes. "I'm sorry I lashed out, but I'm scared something might happen to you."

I splay my fingers on his cheek. "And I don't want anything happening to you, and my family."

"I'll find a way," he promises.

A small smile tugs at my lips. "We'll find a way."

He nods, smiling at last and capturing my lips in another slow kiss.

❦ ♥︎ ❦

The last conflict of the story is about to get solved =)

Any thoughts on what's going to happen next? Is anyone worried about any characters' life? xD Should anyone be worried? hehehe

Thank you for reading this chapter, I hope you enjoyed it, comment your thoughts (Especially about how Gracie and Spencer handled this problem), and vote if you enjoyed =)

The next chapter is going to be super exciting and dramatic. I can't wait to write and upload it ^^ Hopefully, it'll be up soon.

Stay safe, lots of love, happy reading ♡♡♡