Chapter 12

Grace groaned, rubbing her face as the heaviness of last night settled over her. Sleep had been elusive since her mind kept replaying Noelle’s tear-streaked face and trembling voice on an endless loop. The raw pain in her friend’s eyes had been gut-wrenching, leaving Grace with a hollow ache in her chest that hadn’t faded with the dawn.

Today was supposed to be the day. Noelle and Adrian’s wedding day. A celebration of love, promises, and new beginnings. But now, it felt like a cruel mockery of everything Noelle had hoped for.

Grace swung her legs off the bed, her bare feet meeting the cold floor. She sat there for a moment with her elbows resting on her knees, staring blankly at the unmade sheets. The silence in her mansion was deafening, almost taunting her with its stillness.

With a sigh, she reached for her phone on the nightstand, her fingers hesitating for a moment before unlocking the screen. Surely Adrian would have called or texted by now. He had to have n