Chapter 109: New Wheels
Liam arrived at the logistics company some minutes later to see how things are also going with her there he stayed near the back, watching.
Sandra was in the middle of the dispatch floor, speaking to two supervisors and a driver who had come in late. She didn’t raise her voice.
She simply cut through the excuses, reassigned the load, and moved on to the next problem. Efficient. Cold when she needed to be.
Then she turned and walked toward the office. Liam’s eyes dropped before he could stop them.
That massive, heavy ass moved with every step, thick and soft under the tailored trousers, jiggling that it made it hard to ignore.
Each stride sent a slow wave through both cheeks that held his attention longer than it should have.
OMG. She walks like that on purpose. This is the biggest ass I have ever come across in my whole life.
He looked away before it became obvious, then stayed another ten minutes to confirm everything was running clean, then left through the side entrance.
He was crossing the quiet street when a soft voice called his name. "Liam?"
He turned.
Grace stood a few steps away on the sidewalk. Soft features, not tall, the same gentle beauty she had carried even back when she still worked under Harrison.
She looked tired, but the moment she saw him clearly, a warm, grateful smile spread across her face.
"I thought that was you," she said, walking closer. "It’s really good to see you."
"Grace."
She stopped in front of him, still smiling that quiet, thankful smile she always wore around him.
"I never thought I will one day run into you.
He nodded once. "How have you been?"
"Busy. The company is stable now. But..." She glanced at her phone. "My son still won’t pick up. It’s been almost months I keep calling. He never answers."
"I’m sorry."It’s alright." She put the phone away. "I was just heading home. Do you need a ride?"
"Alright."
Her car was an older sedan, clean but clearly tired. She drove in silence for a while before speaking again, still carrying that quiet thankfulness in her voice whenever she looked at him.
They were on a quieter stretch of road when the car jerked hard and the engine made a grinding noise.
Grace’s hands tightened on the wheel. She managed to pull over before the vehicle died completely.
For a moment she just sat there, staring at the dashboard."Not today," she said under her breath.
They got the car towed to a small repair shop nearby. The mechanic inspected it, wiped his hands, and shook his head.
"It’s not a quick job. Parts will take time. You’re looking at a week minimum. Maybe longer."
Grace closed her eyes briefly. "Of course."
While she spoke with the mechanic about leaving the car, Liam stepped a few paces away.
He opened a discreet online vendor he had ssen before, filtered for immediate delivery, and found a matte-black Bodge Challenger listed at seven hundred and fifty thousand.
He paid in full, added the current location for drop-off, and arranged for the driver to leave the keys at the café across the street. The entire process took less than four minutes.
With the 5x MILF cashback, the System would return a large portion of the money anyway. His balance could handle it.
He walked back to Grace.
"Leave the car here," he said. "Come with me."
She followed, confused but trusting. He took her to the café across the street and told her to wait. She sat by the window with a cup of tea she barely touched.
Fifteen minutes later a man in a plain shirt walked in, left a set of keys at the front counter with a short note, and left without a word.Liam picked up the keys and returned to the table.
"Come on."
Outside, the matte-black Challenger sat at the curb like it had been waiting for them. Grace stopped walking when she saw it.
"Liam... what is this?" A car. Someone gave it to me as a gift. I can’t really use it right now, and you need one. So it’s yours."
She stared at him. "Don’t play with me."I’m not. The old car stays at the shop. You drive this now."
Her mouth opened, then closed. She walked around the Challenger slowly, . When she looked back at him, her eyes were slightly wet, and that same deep thankfulness from years ago was written all over her face.
"This is too much. I can’t accept something like this."You deserve it," he said simply. "That’s all."
He never told her the real price. She didn’t need to know.
Grace stood there for a long moment before she finally let out a soft, disbelieving laugh and pressed her fingers to her lips.
"You’re serious."
"Yes."
She took the keys with both hands, still shaking her head, and got into the driver’s seat. Grace drove carefully at first.
Every few minutes she ran her palm over the steering wheel and smiled to herself. The earlier tiredness had been replaced by a bright, almost fragile happiness.
She kept thanking him not just for the car, but again for Harrison, for the case, for everything he had done for her.
"I still can’t believe this," she said as they turned into her neighborhood. "You always show up when things are falling apart."
Liam looked out the window. "You needed a car."
"This isn’t just a car, Liam."
When they pulled up to her house neat, quiet, the kind of place that felt lived-in but lonely she turned the engine off and sat there for a second with both hands still on the wheel, smiling.
"Come in," she said. "I’m making you dinner. It’s the least I can do."
Inside, the house was warm. Grace moved around the kitchen with more energy than she had shown all day.
She pulled out ingredients, put music on her phone, and began cooking while humming under her breath. The volume slowly climbed.
By the time something was simmering on the stove, she was singing along to the lyrics, hips moving slightly as she worked.
She caught Liam watching her from the doorway and gave him a real smile."Don’t just stand there looking serious. Come dance with me."
"I can’t dance."
"Today you will." She walked over, took his hand, and pulled him into the open space between the kitchen and the living room.
The music was loud and upbeat. Grace sang the chorus without embarrassment, laughing when she forgot a line.
She placed his hands on her waist and swayed with him, still thanking him between verses, still looking happier than she had in a long time.
Liam let her lead for a while.
The house smelled like whatever she was cooking. The Challenger sat outside in the driveway.
And Grace, soft and smiling, kept pulling him a little closer every time the song changed.
The night was only getting started.