Two Reborn, One Throne novel Chapter 116

Grace was having a terrible day.

Not only had she opened the diner half an hour late, but she had also smashed her hand in the door.

The most infuriating part was getting supplies delivered. On top of paying for the ingredients, she had to pay an extra delivery fee for the guy to carry the boxes inside.

Twenty bucks. It wasn't a fortune, but it was the profit from an entire meal and a half.

In the past, she never had to worry about this. If the propane ran out, Arthur changed it. If they needed ingredients, Arthur bought them and hauled them inside for free.

Now, she was forced to do everything herself.

She argued with the delivery driver for a solid ten minutes, but he just snapped back, "I'm not your free labor! Bringing it from the curb into the store costs extra. You didn't know because Arthur knew! Why do you think he always went to pick it up himself? To save that fifty bucks!"

This is all because of her!

"Hey Grace, did you and the old man split? When I got here, my wife said Arthur is off selling catered lunches with another woman. Guess it's true. Actually, I drove past them earlier—business is booming."

"Arthur sure is lucky. The world keeps spinning no matter who leaves who, right? Look, next time you order, no matter who you buy from, it only goes to the door. If you want it inside, that's a twenty-dollar labor fee. Otherwise, who's paying for my gas?"

Grace told him to get the hell out.

She was so furious she actually swung a broom at him.

That spineless pushover was really out there selling lunches with that homewrecker Xanthe.

Where did that leave her?

The propane tank needed changing, the dishes piled up, and she had to pay extra for delivery labor. All these little expenses were adding up to a massive loss.

That homewrecker was actually stepping on her territory. When Loretta came back, Grace was going to give her a piece of her mind. If it wasn't for her meddling, would Grace be dealing with this mess?!

No, she couldn't lose. She had spent twelve years training her free laborer; she wasn't about to hand him over to someone else. She'd choke on her own blood first.

She had to get her pushover back.

On their first day selling catered lunches, Xanthe completely sold out. More workers from a nearby site even showed up later. Worried about whether the food would suit their tastes, she had only filled half of her usual containers.

Amber had suggested this strategy: test the waters on the first day, gauge the workers' preferences, and adjust the portions accordingly. This way, they could accurately project their future sales.

It prevented waste and guaranteed the food was always fresh. Once word of mouth spread, the customers would come flocking.

"Arthur, we sold everything."

Xanthe smiled shyly, looking exactly like a kid who had just scored first place on an exam.

Arthur had never realized that a forty-year-old woman could smile so innocently.

He actually thought he was too good for her.

Grace had her own pride. Fine, don't say hi. Let's see who breaks first.

Fuming, she shut the diner down early.

Back in her two-bedroom apartment, she stared at the cold, empty kitchen, the unwashed towels left by Lucian, and the unmade beds. A scream of frustration tore from her throat. She decided she shouldn't act out of spite; she needed to coax him back first.

Usually, when she closed up the diner and came home, she felt like a queen. She didn't have to lift a finger. She'd sit down, eat, and sleep. Someone else cooked, someone else cleaned, and someone else watched the kid.

It was absolute paradise.

Now, she was practically having a heart attack from the stress.

Whatever. For the sake of her comfortable lifestyle, she'd suck it up and coax him back. It wasn't like she hadn't done it before.

Grace opened the fridge and grabbed a slab of beef Arthur had bought at the market two days ago. She changed into a nicer outfit. If that pushover had half a brain, he'd be over here begging for forgiveness. If not, she'd just use returning his beef as an excuse to talk to him.

She was willing to compromise, but she wasn't going to throw her pride away completely.

Arthur was easy to manipulate. All she had to do was act a little sweet, and his defenses would crumble.

What Grace didn't know was that while she thought lowering herself to make peace would send Arthur running back to her like an eager puppy, she was about to get a massive reality check.