Chapter Text
“So what did that asshole say to you this time?” Rebecca asked in an irritated voice.
Grace tightened her grip around her glass of water, lowering her gaze. A traitorous blush spread across her cheeks under the intense stare of her colleague—and, incidentally, her friend.
“He said… he said that I’m frigid. That no… man would be able to put up with me for more than a month. And he criticized my looks too,” Grace replied, biting her lip and barely holding back tears as her fingers nervously tapped against the fogged glass.
Painful memories flashed before her eyes, pricking her heart like needles.
“Grace, it’s like I’m fucking a log.”
“How the hell did they even take you into the police? You’re so narrow-minded you can barely string two words together!”
“You should start taking better care of yourself. There are so many beautiful girls out there, and I’m stuck with some gray little mouse!”
Rebecca’s eyes narrowed more and more with every word Grace said. When Grace finished, Rebecca stayed silent for a couple of seconds, took a long sip of her juice, and finally burst out angrily:
“Please tell me you told him and his tiny dick to go to hell after that!”
She said it far too loudly, and Grace flinched in surprise. Sean’s cruel words instantly flew out of her head.
“Becca, please keep it down!” she whispered anxiously, glancing around.
They were sitting in a small cafeteria that practically the entire police station frequented, and lunch break didn’t concern just the two of them—every table was occupied by officers who could easily overhear them.
Right beside them, very close, sat—
Grace shrank in on herself, pulling her head into her shoulders.
Mr. Kennedy.
She groaned inwardly.
The last thing she needed was for him to find out what her ex-boyfriend had been saying about her and her skills in bed.
Rebecca followed her gaze and smirked, though she didn’t lower her voice.
“You didn’t answer me, Grace. And don’t even try to change the subject!”
“God, Becca, stop shouting!” Grace whispered in panic. She felt as if her whole body might burst into flames from embarrassment—it had suddenly become unbearably hot. Before Rebecca could continue, she blurted quickly, “We broke up…”
“Really? Finally!” Rebecca threw her hands up in relief, nearly clapping.
Grace, meanwhile, wanted to sink through the floor. She could practically feel the curious glances from everyone around them. Rebecca, on the other hand, didn’t care in the slightest, and for a moment Grace almost envied that kind of indifference.
“So! Now give me the details!” Becca, completely forgetting about her food, practically leaned over the table, fixing her brown eyes on her friend’s crimson face. “He must’ve screamed like a lunatic, since he’s a fucking hysterical mess.”
“No…” Grace didn’t know where to look under her probing gaze. She glanced to the right—and suddenly it felt like she’d been struck by lightning, her palms instantly growing sweaty.
Mr. Leon Kennedy, the head of her department, was looking at her.
No—not just looking.
He wasn’t taking his eyes off her.
Goosebumps ran down her spine and Grace snapped her head forward so quickly she nearly twisted her neck. It felt like she had been staring back at him for far too long. In reality, it hadn’t even lasted a second.
Rebecca, of course, noticed everything and whispered slyly:
“Don’t get distracted by our boss, Grace. Sure, he’s hot as the sun, but we’re having a serious conversation here!”
“I wasn’t distracted!” Grace whispered back irritably, though she swallowed nervously because Kennedy was still watching her.
How much had he heard?
She tried not to think about it—otherwise she’d definitely die of embarrassment.
“Why is he staring?!”
Rebecca, apparently, hadn’t heard her.
“So what happened? How did he react? I hope he felt like shit, because that’s exactly what he deserves!”
“Well…” Grace awkwardly tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, trying her hardest to ignore her boss’s burning stare. It wasn’t easy. “It wasn’t…”
“I hope Sean-the-asshole is crying into his pillow right now,” Rebecca said dreamily. The mere thought of Grace’s ex suffering was enough to make her happy.
“Um…” Grace didn’t know where to hide. She was afraid to tell Becca the truth, but she had no choice. Her friend wouldn’t let it go, and Grace couldn’t lie—nor did she like to.
“It wasn’t… I mean… I didn’t break up with him…”
There it was—the thing she had dreaded saying.
As if in slow motion, the satisfied expression slid off Rebecca’s face, replaced with disbelief and anger.
“Don’t tell me that—”
“Yes, Becca.” Grace pressed her lips together, intertwining her fingers and staring down at them just so she wouldn’t have to see her friend’s dark expression. “He… he dumped me.”
Rebecca didn’t respond right away, and Grace had to look up.
She instantly regretted it.
Brown eyes were flashing with fury. Her furrowed brows and twisted lips said louder than words that Rebecca was absolutely furious.
“That abusive piece of shit?!”
Alright—Grace had been wrong.
Now Rebecca was loud.
Grace leaned forward in panic, practically begging her to be quieter, but that only made Rebecca angrier.
“Don’t shush me, Grace! I can’t believe my ears! What I want to know is—if that bastard hadn’t dumped you, would you still be with him? And don’t you dare lie!”
“I… well… I…” Grace mumbled, bright red and wishing she could be anywhere but here.
Now the entire cafeteria was definitely staring at them.
But no one’s gaze compared to her boss’s.
She timidly glanced his way again—and froze like a rabbit before a snake, nearly squeaking in horror.
He had definitely heard everything.
His gray-blue eyes studied her thoughtfully, appraisingly. His fingers idly traced the rim of his glass, and his usually stern, emotionless features had softened slightly.
And his lips—those lips that drove every woman crazy…
Grace couldn’t believe it.
But she would swear that in just another moment, a smirk would appear there.
Grace felt like boiling water had been poured over her.
“He’s laughing at you. He thinks you’re a pathetic loser”, her low self-esteem sneered inside her head.
Grace didn’t even try to silence the unpleasant thought.
Because she was sure it was true.
Suddenly she wanted to run away. Better yet—hide in her little apartment and not come out for the next hundred years.
But she knew Rebecca wouldn’t let her even stand up until she got the whole story.
“Grace, hello! Don’t ignore me!” Rebecca snapped her fingers in front of her face. “You know me—I won’t drop it!”
“Becca, you already understand everything,” Grace said tiredly. She was so exhausted from being embarrassed that her voice sounded almost strained.
And her boss’s attention was driving her crazy.
She desperately wanted to end the conversation about her awful past relationship.
Oddly enough, Rebecca sighed heavily, squeezing her eyes shut and leaning back in her chair. She seemed just as tired as Grace—but for a completely different reason.
“Of course I understand. I’m not stupid,” Becca said with a sad smirk, making Grace’s heart squeeze. “But one thing I don’t understand is your absolutely terrible taste in men! Where do you even find these idiots? They’re terrible in bed too—otherwise I could at least try to justify them!”
Grace choked on the water she had been about to drink.
She quickly glanced at her boss and nearly groaned in relief—he had returned to eating as if nothing had happened, apparently forgetting they even existed.
As if he hadn’t been staring at her before, barely blinking, studying her with that sharp gaze…
“B-Becca! This isn’t something we should talk about here!”
“What’s the big deal?” Rebecca asked calmly, crossing her arms. “Tell me I’m wrong. Have you ever even had an orgasm?”
Grace’s face, which had only just returned to its normal color, turned bright red again.
At least this time Rebecca hadn’t shouted it across the cafeteria.
Grace shuddered.
“God, Becca is going to be the death of me”.
“Becca! I… I don’t want to talk about this!”
“You don’t have to. It’s obvious you haven’t,” her friend said seriously. “All your exes are complete losers. They couldn’t satisfy a nun.”
Grace let out a long breath and rubbed her forehead nervously. After a short silence, she finally voiced the thought that had been tormenting her for a long time.
“What if… what if you’re wrong?” she said quietly.
To distract herself from her embarrassment, she started pushing her fork through the now-cold pasta on her plate.
“What if… the problem is actually me?”
“What do you mean?” Becca’s eyes glinted dangerously, though Grace didn’t notice.
“I… I mean, what if I really am… the way they said?” Grace forced the words out. “Unattractive, frigid… a loser. I keep thinking that… maybe intimacy just doesn’t make any sense for me…”
“Grace, I never thought I’d say this, but you’re an idiot.”
Grace lifted her head, staring at Becca in hurt surprise. Her friend let out a dry laugh, and there wasn’t a trace of amusement in it.
“Becca, I’m serious…”
“Trust me, so am I. Out of all the things you could’ve doubted—like your terrible taste in men—you chose to doubt yourself? That’s insane!”
“But it wasn’t only Sean who said it…”
“Grace, I’m against violence, but right now I really want to smack you on the head!” Becca straightened up, resting her elbows on the table and propping her chin on her hands. “Let’s break this down. Every man you’ve dated had a completely average appearance. Actually, I’d say below average.”
“Well…”
“Don’t interrupt,” Becca cut her off, and Grace instinctively shut her mouth. “None of them had a proper job. One was a pizza delivery guy, another a courier, the third… did he even work? And in bed they were absolute zeros. Now let’s look at you. Sweet, caring, responsible—and ridiculously cute.”
“Becca!” Grace gasped, blushing again at the praise. “You’re exaggerating…”
“Not at all,” Rebecca said firmly. “You can’t even imagine how many men here have asked me for your phone number or asked whether you’re seeing anyone.”
Grace shrugged awkwardly. She couldn’t believe it. It sounded far too unlikely—though it was undeniably pleasant to hear.
“Then… why didn’t they just come up to me themselves?”
“That’s the thing—they did. But you’re always buried in work and you don’t notice anything else! On the one hand it’s admirable, but on the other… it’s pretty funny watching you completely miss every hint.”
“What do you mean?” Grace frowned in confusion.
“Just yesterday, when we were working on that report, baby Sam—bright red and stuttering—was trying to find out if you were free that evening. I almost died laughing when you calmly told him you’d try to free up some time and help him with the report he’s been struggling with all week. The poor guy looked so confused!”
Grace whispered a quiet “Oh God…” and buried her face in her hands.
Great. Now she felt both guilty and embarrassed toward Sam—the patrol officer from the precinct, a kind, slightly naïve guy. Not that she was interested in him romantically, but she definitely could’ve been more attentive.
Suddenly, the scraping sound of chair legs rang out.
From the right.
Grace went cold instantly and lowered her hands.
Completely absorbed in the conversation—and her embarrassment—she had completely forgotten about Mr. Kennedy.
Fortunately, he looked exactly the same as always.
The gait of a seasoned soldier. A stern, grim face devoid of emotion. Icy gray eyes revealing nothing. Light, slightly messy hair.
Apparently finished with his lunch, Kennedy was heading back to the precinct.
Grace fervently hoped he would simply walk past them.
But when she noticed his gaze directed toward their table, she realized—as usual—her luck had abandoned her and someone up in heaven clearly had it out for her.
“Ashcroft. Wilson.”
The low, slightly husky voice made Grace jolt upright, her body automatically tensing.
She couldn’t explain to herself why Mr. Kennedy’s mere presence unsettled her so much.
Maybe it was his cold detachment.
Or maybe it was his imposing figure that stirred an irrational fear inside her.
Every time Grace looked at the muscles and biceps stretching the fabric of his black shirt to the limit, she couldn’t help thinking he could break her with a single movement of his fingers.
And that thought made her uneasy.
Other women would probably think she was crazy for feeling that way. Even Rebecca would, if Grace ever admitted it.
They, after all, practically drooled over that muscular figure, sighing dreamily whenever he merely stood nearby or walked toward his office.
Of course, Grace wasn’t blind or stupid. Leon Kennedy’s beauty was impossible to deny. Frankly, he looked far more suited to a modeling career than to being the head of a special operations department.
But the persistent feeling that Kennedy was some kind of robot in human form—programmed to perform a specific set of actions—made his beauty seem cold and lifeless in Grace’s eyes.
And Kennedy’s personality only reinforced that impression.
“Yes, sir,” Rebecca’s suddenly coquettish voice pulled Grace out of her thoughts.
Apparently Kennedy had said something, and she had foolishly missed it.
Grace shyly raised her head—and immediately collided with those piercing, icy eyes.
Her heart instantly sped up, and she shrank back in her chair.
“Ashcroft, when your superior is speaking to you, listen. You can admire your nails later.”
The words, delivered in a tone sharp as a slap, froze her in place.
Her eyes widened, her breathing faltered. She felt the heat of shame climb up her neck and spread across her face.
“S-sorry, sir,” she murmured quietly, feeling utterly humiliated.
It took all her willpower not to look away from those cold gray-blue eyes studying her as if she were nothing more than a pitiful insect.
“Lunch break ends in ten minutes. No delays.” Kennedy said, his voice still as hard as before. His gaze pressed down on Grace like a heavy stone slab. “I wouldn’t have to repeat myself if you’d been listening. I hope that’s clear now.”
The lump rising in Grace’s throat felt enormous. She swallowed with difficulty before whispering in a trembling voice:
“Yes, sir… it’s clear.”
Just go. Please just go already.
This time, fate showed mercy.
Without another word, Kennedy turned and strode toward the exit with firm steps.
Grace let out a sigh of relief and finally relaxed.
Rebecca looked at her sympathetically and gently ran her fingers along Grace’s arm.
“Don’t worry about it, Grace. He nitpicks everyone over nothing. You just have to get used to it.”
“He gives me goosebumps,” Grace muttered gloomily. Her embarrassment had already been replaced by burning irritation. “And no, Kennedy only picks on me! What could he possibly have said that I absolutely had to hear? Does he think I’m an idiot who can’t tell the time? What nonsense. I’ve never even been late!”
Rebecca chuckled good-naturedly, which only annoyed Grace more.
“Yeah, yeah, nonsense. But the view of his ass makes up for everything that comes out of his mouth…”
“I don’t give a damn about his ass!” Grace snapped through clenched teeth.
Rebecca burst out laughing, nearly spilling the juice in her glass.
“Becca, it’s not funny!”
“Sorry, you’re just adorable when you’re angry,” Rebecca said after she stopped laughing, still grinning widely. “And it’s rare! Only Mr. Sexy can get under your skin like that.”
“Ha. Ha,” Grace muttered darkly, frowning.
Her hands clenched into fists as she added,
“More like Mr. Rare-Grade Jerk. Honestly, I don’t see what everyone finds in him…”
“Oh, come on!” Rebecca said, swirling her glass and looking at her with teasing disbelief. “You can feel however you want about him, but denying he’s ridiculously hot would be strange even for you.”
“So he’s handsome. So what?” Grace shot back coldly. “He’s… empty, you know? There’s nothing interesting about him besides his looks. Have you ever seen him smile? Joke? I can’t imagine spending more than a minute around him!”
After listening to the whole angry tirade, Rebecca simply shrugged.
“I’m perfectly happy just admiring his appearance. It’s not like anything more would ever happen anyway. So who cares what his personality is like?”
Grace rolled her eyes irritably.
Whenever Leon Kennedy was involved, any criticism aimed at him was completely ignored.
It amazed her how someone could be forgiven almost anything simply for having a pretty face—even a terrible personality.
What a waste of breath.
Rebecca set her glass down and glanced at her phone screen. Then she brushed her dark hair over her shoulder and slowly stood up.
“Alright, grumpy. Time to go. You don’t want us to get chewed out, do you?”
Yeah, except I’d be the only one getting chewed out, Grace thought irritably.
Still, she nodded, stood up, and obediently followed her friend.