I've Been There Before

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Leon turned around and Grace was pushed into a room. She opened her eyes and got stunned, “Mr. Lo, why did you bring me
here?”
This was a similar private room with the one before.
Who is she? She is just a prisoner and she could never afford to get into another trouble.
Graces wanted to avoid everything that made her feel unsettled. She has got nothing left to pay off any debts now.
She quickly said, “Mr. Lo, if you don't need anything else, I shall leave now.”
However, her legs didn't allow her to walk fast. Her speed couldn't catch up with her desire to leave the scene and this
dangerous person. Therefore, the way she walked looked funny to Leon.
Grace headed towards the exit with a limping leg. Leon's hand was in his pocket. The pair of brown eyes hidden under the
golden frame glasses smiled while he watched her walking to the door. He did nothing to stop her as if she was a free man and it
didn't matter where she'd go.
Grace reached out her hand when she finally arrived at the door. She breathed a sigh of relief when she held the doorknob, and
pulled open the door in the next second. Lights came out from the gap between the door and the frame. The private room was

vacant so it was very dark. When lights hit her eyes, she closed her eyes subconsciously... “Ouch!”
The moment she closed her eyes and started to feel dizzy, she felt her wrist got grabbed and someone pulled her. It wasn’t a
vigorous pull but she was weak and her leg was limping. So, she fell to the floor.
Grace immediately raised her head. What she saw was a finely-sculptured face. Under the dim lights, the face wasn't as clear.
Suddenly, a hand reached out to her face.
“What...are you doing?”
She dodged.
“Stop moving,” Leon sounded gentle. He gave her a gentle command.
Grace’s face turned pale. Three years in the prison had transformed her from an arrogant lady into a pathetic and sensitive
person. Leon's voice was so gentle but she could catch the coldness hidden inside of his tone... And it is very much like how
Caden sounded!
Caden...Caden...Caden... They must be the same kind of person! He will hurt me! Grace panicked and tried to run away.
However, a voice came out from nowhere.
“I don't like a disobedient toy.”
Grace was stunned. Her face went pale. Under the dim light, she couldn't see anything in the dark environment, let alone Leon’s
face. All she saw was a blurry image of a finely-sculptured face in front of her... Mr. Lo? Caden? Mr. Lo? Caden?
Who? Who was that?
She couldn't think and started to have difficulty breathing. All that repeated in her mind was the name of Mr. Lo and Caden.
“A disobedient toy must be locked up and trained.”
That voice appeared again.
Grace shivered. Her whole body froze next so that she couldn't even move a little. Her eyes were wide open, and fears were in
her eyes... Caden, please don't lock me up!

“No! Don't lock me up! Don't lock me up!”
The name of Caden and the idea of locking her up made Grace went crazy. “Please, please, I was wrong. It’s all my fault. Please
don't lock me up. I'll never do it again!”
Leon was startled by Grace’s reaction and her waving hands. He took a step back and kept his feet, his gentle face then covered
in coldness. He was tall enough to grab Grace's waving hands in the air. He then shouted in anger, “Are you crazy?”
“Go away! Go away! I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. Sorry...”
No one has ever reacted this way to Leon. The switch of the lights was just beside him. He reached out his hand and pressed
the button.
Immediately, the room filled with brightness.
He was still very triggered. He controlled Grace’s movement with one of his one hand, and raised Grace's chin with another, “Are
you done? You crazy...”
“Oh my...” Leon stopped. He gasped the moment he got a good look on Grace's face.
The crazy look, the empty eyes... What happened to this woman?
Leon is clever. Since he was sure that they have never met each other before, she must have mistaken him for somebody else.
While he calmed himself down, he let go of Grace’s hands and took a step back to a safer range. You can't expect a man to slap
a woman to wake her up from her delusion, right?
The best way is to stay away and wait for her to wake up from her delusions.
The lights were dim in the private room. It was so quiet in the room. All that left was Grace’s mumbles.
Leon watched Grace mumbles at aside. Slowly, her mumbles became slower and slower until she became quiet. Leon then
walked and stopped in front of her as he stepped on the cold floor.
He reached out his hand to Grace. She dodged away subconsciously.
Leon chuckled, “Are you alright now?”

Grace felt embarrassed. She...sunk into delusions again.
“My apologies. I wasn't feeling well today. Sorry for startling you, Mr. Lo.”
Leon chuckled again. The next second, Grace felt warmth on her forehead. Leon said, “Stop dodging. I wanted to ask you,
where did the scar come from?” The reason why he brought her out of the private room was to have a good look at the scar.
What?
Grace was confused. She then answered casually, “I fell.”
“You fell?”
“Yes, it was from the fall.”
Right, the fall. What a ridiculous lie.
Grace looked down, “Can you let go of me now?” She wasn't used to showing people the scar or letting people touch it. Leon let
go of her and looked at Grace who quickly tried to cover up the scar with her fringe.
“Feeling self-conscious about the scar?” Leon chuckled, “Why don't you get rid of it through plastic surgery then?”
He had lost interest in keeping the conversation going. Leon then turned and ready to walk away.
“The scar isn’t my concern. It was what the scar reminds me of and it could never be erased.”
Suddenly!
Leon stopped. He remained silent for a second before he spoke.
“There was a woman once who said she could never get rid of her scar too. The reason she kept her bangs wasn't to cover up
the scar.”
Grace's heart skipped a beat. She understood the pain behind the words because she had been through the pain.
“Was she your lover? The one who said this?” Grace knew she shouldn't have asked too many questions, so she regretted the
moment the words came out of her mouth.
Grace, don't ever forget that you are a prisoner and a murderer!

“No, I don't love her,” Grace heard Leon answer, “But for me? I'm the one she loved. So, she is dead.”
“She loved me with all her heart. So she is dead and she died in misery.” Grace froze and looked at Leon. He sounded so calm
as if he was just telling a story of the others.
But Grace could hear the sound of his heart ripping from his calm voice.
She didn’t know what to say to Leon. She felt empathy for him. She reached out her hands and hugged him the way her brother
did when she got hurt as a little girl. She still remembered who she was and her identity as a prisoner. Grace gave Leon a
clumsy hug.
Leon froze. Then he heard a gentle voice.
“If she knows that you love her too, she will surely be happy in another world. After all, her biggest wish was for you to love her.”
When Grace was about to withdraw herself from the hug.
Suddenly!
A strong arm hugged her back. Leon's head was on her shoulder and she heard him saying,
“I'm sorry, Mildred. I love you, Mildred.”
Grace somehow felt relieved. This man had mistaken her with the woman he loved, just because both of them have a scar on
their forehead and said the same thing to him. Mildred, the woman he loved. The woman could never apologize or tell her how
much he loved her.
“Mr. Lo...”
Before she could finish her sentence, a cold voice raised from outside of the door, “Leon, let go of her.”
Grace's face went pale the moment she turned to the door.
Leon felt Grace was shivering. He looked at the door, then said, “It’s you. I see.” You are the guy she's been afraid of to a point
where she lost her mind.

Caden’s tall body stood in front of the door. His fine sculptured features are covered in coldness. He glared at Grace with his
dark eyes.
“Come here.”
Grace’s face was pale and her eyes filled with fear. Her knees went weak. Caden was now a cruel, cold, and frightening figure
for Grace.
Caden slightly squinted his eyes and his voice became even colder, “It seems like you never learn from your lesson.”
Fear stroked into Grace's heart the moment she heard Caden’'s word. She took a step forward.
A strong hand grabbed her. Leon looked at Caden with an insulting smile on his face, “She's not free to deal with you now,
Caden. Can't you see that she is accompanying me?”
Cracking sound of the knuckles came from Caden. There were inexplicable emotions in his dark eyes. He had his eyes locked
on Grace and ignored Leon. He then slowly walked towards Grace.
“Who gave you the courage to mess around with another man?” Caden questioned Grace coldly, “Do you want to go back to that
cage, huh?”
Cage!
No! No!
Her hands and head were both shaking. She didn't want to... She couldn't stand to be locked up in that place again! She wanted
to go to Erhai Lake and return her debts. “No...”
Grace cried out for help. The next second, everything went black and she collapsed.
“Are you crazy?”
“Get lost!”
Both voices came out from different directions. Two hands reached out to Grace to catch her.
“Go away!” Caden caught Grace in his arm. At the same time, he threw out a punch in Leon's direction.