Chapter 1288: Rebellion

Chapter 1288: Rebellion

Horace sighed silently, his words filled with concern for Grace. Deep

down, he hoped that Grace would become independent, unaffected by

anyone's words or actions, and never compelled to do things she

disliked due to threats or coercion.

Just like she is now, relaxed and true to herself.

A person can only love others if they love themselves enough.

Otherwise, constantly being asked to do this and that, they would

forever remain like a puppet with no life of their own.

If the parents of the Armstrong family grew old and Grace married and

had children as they wished, what would happen after they were gone?

What would she encounter? Would she have to endure a lifetime of

suppressing her true desires?

In truth, Horace never initially thought of being with Grace because he

knew very well that they were not on the same path. However, after

getting to know her, he discovered that she had a rebellious nature

deep within her, but no one was there to encourage her.

Being able to come this far and continuing into the future, he felt

fortunate and wanted to cherish it, while also helping Grace become

better.

Horace's concerns were not unfounded. After all, Grace belonged to

the Armstrong family and had been oppressed by Brody Page for many

years, developing certain habits.

Ayan spoke softly, “If you want Grace to live her own way, I have a

suggestion.”

"What is it?"

“Let her have more conversations with Camille. Through those

conversations, she will gradually understand that filial piety towards

parents doesn't mean blindly pleasing and obeying them. On the

contrary, her actions are not disrespectful towards her parents, as not

everyone is infallible, and not everything they do is wise.” Ayan looked

at Horace and continued, "Although Camille and Grace are not

particularly close, Camille has supported and trusted Grace since she

was young, pushing her forward. So, Grace has a high level of trust in

Camille. If you truly want Grace to become rational and clear-headed

after returning home, Camille is her best help.”

Horace nodded in agreement, but there was a solemn expression on

his face. He took a silent breath and spoke with a subdued voice, "Mr.

Simpson knows the Armstrong family quite well. Do you think if I marry

Grace, the Armstrong family would propose any conditions? Or would

they simply not approve?”

Ayan looked at Horace with surprise in his eyes and asked, "Are you

planning to get married?"

“I have that idea, but there are many obstacles ahead. Don't I need to

learn from Mr. Simpson?" Horace chuckled lightly.

Ayan said, "I can't share any experience with you on that matter. I'm still

trying my best."

The two of them were now in the same boat.

After salvaging the seafood, they returned to the hotel. Each of the

luxury private rooms had a dedicated kitchen, and a clean glass

allowed them to see how the seafood was processed and served.

Fresh seafood, after the simplest preparation, was indeed incredibly

delicious.

For the people present, it was much tastier than Western cuisine.

After lunch, they sat and drank tea for a while. Of course, they had

brought their own tea.

After finishing the tea, it was already afternoon.

Ayan had something to attend to, so he left with Kian and returned to

the hotel.

Once the two of them left, Grace and Horace planned to have a private

meeting later, without disturbing Horace's two sisters.

Grace and Horace didn't drive, they simply held hands and walked

away from the restaurant.

As they walked hand in hand, Horace asked in a gentle voice, "Are you

still adjusting well here?"

After meeting, they didn't have much time for such quiet conversations.

The process was always more passionate, so this slow-paced

atmosphere could only be found in moments like these.

Grace nodded lightly and replied in a soft voice, "At first, I wasn't used

to it, but then I gradually got used to it. Now I'm completely accustomed

to everything here. Maybe in a while, I won't want to leave.”

As she spoke, a bitter smile appeared on her face, revealing that she

didn't want to leave anymore.

Horace looked at her with great distress. His brows furrowed tightly,

and his deep eyes filled with a solemn gloom. In a low, hoarse voice, he

said, "Do you want to go back with me? This time!"

He emphasized the three words “this time" in his tone.

This caught Grace off guard, and she was somewhat surprised as she

asked, "This time?"

Grace seemed unable to believe it. After all, she never thought she

would be returning home so soon. She had just enrolled in an art class

because she wanted to excel like Camille and have her own hobby.

In fact, she had loved drawing since she was a child, but Page didn't

approve of it. So she had always suppressed her passion and chose to

follow Page's arrangements, liking piano and dance.

Over the years, she had put a lot of effort into these hobbies she didn't

really enjoy, and she had to excel at each one. Otherwise, Page would

be unhappy.

Now, Grace had encountered an opportunity to choose what she truly

loved, so she wanted to stick with it. With a hesitant and conflicted

expression, she looked at Horace and asked, "Do I have to go back

with you this time?"

Horace captured some emotions and unease in her gaze. He replied,

"Not necessarily. It depends on your own thoughts and decisions. If you

want to go back with me this time, if you don't want to stay alone

abroad anymore, then we can return to our country together. However,

you'll have to temporarily stay in Flento City or Dane City, and we'll still

have a long-distance relationship. The only difference is that I can visit

you frequently, accompany you. We can only go back to Hance City

together after I handle the matters of the Armstrong family.”

Horace would never force her or make a decision without giving her a

chance to consider. He said, "No rush, take your time to think. After all,

I still have to stay for a few more days."

Grace didn't respond immediately. She just nodded lightly, but her

expression grew heavier. After a few minutes had passed like this, the

two of them continued walking hand in hand.

Suddenly, Grace halted her steps, turned to face Horace, and said

earnestly, "Horace, I... I don't want to go back now."

Grace gathered her courage and refused. She explained, “It's not that I

don't want to go back with you. I just don't want to go back now

because even if we go back now, we'll still be in a long-distance

relationship, right? We won't be able to be together all the time, so it's

no different from the current situation abroad. Besides, I've enrolled in

an art class, and I want to learn and have a job related to my own

hobby. I also want to excel like Cami."

"Don't compare yourself to anyone. You are you, and you are uniquely

excellent. I'm glad you rejected my proposal. Actually, I was worried

that you would agree to go back with me just to make me happy and

fulfill my request. If that were the case, I think not long after, you would

also agree to the Armstrong family's request, just as you agreed to

mine!"

Horace held Grace's hand and instinctively exerted more strength. His

emotions were enough to convey how excited he felt in his heart.

Facing Grace, he sincerely said words that deeply moved her.

Grace asked, "So you support me, right?"