Chapter 112 Chapter 112
He laid his whole heart before her once, gazing at her with humility and begging her to teach him what love was.
But she refused to teach him love and showed him through her actions what betrayal and hatred were.
"Grace, tell me what love is," he asked again.
She couldn't speak; she could only weep. Her free hands clutched his shirt collar tightly, and she pressed her head against his chest, sobbing and nearly collapsing as she called his name wildly. "Don't do this to me, Alex. You're pushing me to my death."
Her warm tears soaked through his clothes. As her warmth transferred to his body, her scent filled his nostrils, and the sound of her sobs reached his ears.
His heart softened.
He still hated her and her betrayal.
But more than that, he felt pain.
Benjamin suddenly lost all his strength; he was unable to push her away.
He braced himself against her and stood frozen, letting her cling to his shirt and weep bitterly in his embrace.
He knew this was just another one of her tactics, but he no longer wanted to punish her.
He released his grip and cupped the back of her head, pulling her close. Lowering his face to kiss her hair, he murmured hoarsely, "Come with me, Grace. Let’s go home.”
He had surrendered. Nothing else mattered—only that she come with him. Even if she tried to rip out his heart, he would hand her the knife as long as she stayed by his side.
Grace said nothing, only wept silently.
Nearby, Adrian groaned as he regained consciousness. When he opened his eyes and saw Grace nearly naked in Benjamin's embrace, rage consumed him. He struggled frantically and lunged toward them. "Fuck you!"
He cursed, catching Benjamin off guard and landing a punch squarely on his face.
Benjamin blocked the next punch.
Benjamin kicked Adrian hard, sending him crashing to the floor. Benjamin grabbed Adrian, slammed him face-first onto the coffee table, and swiftly drew a gun from his waistband. Without hesitation, he aimed it at Adrian's head.
Grace froze in terror, then lunged forward, clutching Benjamin's waist and pulling him back. "I'll go with you! Don't hurt him! Please!" she wailed.
Benjamin's features twisted into a grimace. He pressed the gun against Adrian's temple, ignoring Grace's desperate pleas. He flipped the safety off with his thumb.
But Adrian still refused to yield. His eyes blazing red, he shouted, "Grace, don't beg this monster! Don't beg him!"
What else could she do? Was she supposed to watch him die right before her eyes?
Grace finally stopped crying. She clutched Benjamin's legs and slowly knelt to the ground. "Alex, why did you come here? To kill us and vent your anger? Is that it? If so, then go ahead and shoot him. Then kill me. But if you don't want me dead yet, don't hurt him. Spare him. I'll go with you."
She was using her own death to blackmail him again!
She was offering herself to save that man's life!
Benjamin felt rage threatening to tear his chest apart. He lowered his head and gazed at her coldly. His voice was icy. "If he dies, you won't live either. Is that what you mean?"
Her eyes were red and swollen, yet she met his gaze calmly and offered him a faint smile. Her hand slid down his stiff arm and gripped his wrists. Slowly but firmly, she raised his gun and pointed the muzzle at her forehead. "Fire," she murmured softly. "Only when I'm dead will all this end."
His face turned ashen. Gritting his teeth, he slowly began to pull the trigger.
Bang!
The shot rang out, but it hit something else. Benjamin fired several more shots in a fit of rage, shattering the sofa's backrest, before stopping. He stood there, breathing heavily, fuming, and staring at her in despair and agony. He was unable to utter a word.
For a moment, the room fell deathly silent.
Michael burst through the door. Seeing that Grace and Adrian were both unharmed, he breathed a sigh of relief.
Benjamin's face was icy as he grabbed Grace's arm and dragged her toward the door. Adrian scrambled to his feet to intervene, but Michael blocked him. Without waiting for Benjamin's command, Michael landed several punches, knocking Adrian unconscious. Then, he hurried after Benjamin out the door.
Two cars waited in the dim shadows of the street. Benjamin dragged Grace into one before releasing her.
Michael caught up with them from behind, climbed into the car, and glanced back at Benjamin in the rear seat. Seeing no reaction, he ordered the driver, "Let's go."
The two cars pulled out one after the other and quickly disappeared beyond the town limits.
The winter night outside was silent, but the car felt even quieter.
Grace huddled in the corner with her head bowed and her knees hugged tightly to her chest, saying nothing.
Benjamin remained motionless, too, just sitting there and staring out the window in a daze. Trees flashed by on both sides of the road, their silhouettes reaching out like monsters lunging toward them.
Grace remained quiet, yet her heart was in turmoil.
For the first time, she felt lost.
The gunshot moments ago had shattered all her courage. After narrowly escaping death, she grasped the terror of mortality more fully, realizing that she, too, feared death.
She was nowhere near as strong as she had imagined.
What should she do next?
Should she continue fleeing?
Could she even escape?
Where could she possibly run?
Should she stay by Benjamin's side and hunt for every chance at revenge?
She didn't know. She instinctively glanced at Benjamin, only to find him watching her, too. His face was expressionless, betraying no emotion.
He said nothing, silently studying her for a moment before suddenly instructing Michael, who was driving, to stop the car.
The car pulled over to the side of the road. Benjamin glanced at her once more before instructing Michael to exit with him. The two stood outside the vehicle, exchanging words. Michael nodded repeatedly before turning to board the rear of the vehicle.
Benjamin then reentered the car, met Grace’s gaze, and abruptly began removing his clothes. Grace flinched, instinctively shrinking back. This reaction made him pause, his arm freezing mid-motion for a moment before he continued removing his suit jacket. He tossed it toward her and coldly ordered, “Put it on.”
She hesitated, then picked up the jacket and draped it over herself, muttering, "Thank you," as she did so.
The words left both of them momentarily stunned. She lowered her eyes, curling further into the corner. He merely smiled, turning his gaze back out the window.
After a long silence, he suddenly said, "Grace, I will kill you. Someday, I will kill you."
Even if she was his drug, he would kick the habit one day. He would kill her and end it all.
She said nothing, only keeping her head bowed in silence. After a long while, she murmured softly, "All right."
Whether because Adrian had alerted the police or Benjamin had planned it all along, he didn't send Grace back through normal channels. Instead, he took her on a detour through Eastern Europe before boarding another private jet and flying straight to Seattle. It was now mid-December, and the Christmas was fast approaching.
Benjamin drove her straight from the airport to a secluded villa. Without a word, he left.
The vast mansion housed only a middle-aged maid and several burly bodyguards. They guarded her around the clock in rotating shifts, with surveillance more intense than that for a serious criminal.
Grace felt numb. She ate three scheduled meals a day, went to bed as soon as night fell, and lay there, whether she slept or not, until the sun rose and a new day began.
On Christmas Eve, she approached the guard in charge and asked, "Could you please ask Mr. Norman for permission? I'd like to call my parents to let them know I'm safe."
The man just glanced at her, neither agreeing nor refusing.
That evening, Benjamin suddenly appeared, reeking of alcohol, and pushed open her door.
She had already climbed into bed. She sat up, flipped on the light, and watched him approach step by step. He stopped beside the bed and stared at her.
After a moment, he suddenly smiled and tossed a newspaper at her.
Surprised, she picked it up and looked at it.
It was a French newspaper dated several days prior. The article reported on a crime: a couple had been killed in a bomb attack at their home; the house and both of them had been blown to pieces.
Grace's hands trembled uncontrollably; she was unable to hold the paper steady.
No wonder he'd abruptly stopped the car, and called Michael out to talk. No wonder Michael hadn't returned with them—he'd gone to do this.
How foolish of her to believe he would spare Adrian and obediently follow him back all the way. She lifted her head and stared at him, her lips quivering uncontrollably. She opened and closed her mouth, but no sound came out.
Benjamin's lips twisted into a mocking smile. "Don't look at me like that. I keep my promises better than you do. Adrian isn't dead. The stand-in died." He chuckled again and continued, "But Adrian might as well be dead. His memories have been erased, and he's going to have plastic surgery to become a completely new person. He'll forget you and everything between you two, and he'll start a new life."
She froze, unable to speak for a long moment. Finally, a faint whisper escaped her lips. "Really?"
A rare flicker of satisfaction crossed his face. He nodded. "Yes, once he's fully settled into his new life, I might take you to see him. What about when he finds a partner and gets married? We could attend his wedding."
She lowered her eyelids, and after a moment, a faint smile touched her lips. "That sounds nice. Thank you, Benjamin.”
He pinched her chin and lifted her face to study her. “Thank me?”
"Yes, thank you." She smiled softly and replied, "As long as he can live well, what does it matter if he remembers me or not?"
Benjamin stared at her as if trying to gauge the truth in her words. After a moment, he gave up, snorting derisively and releasing her chin. He stripped and climbed into bed but didn't touch her. After lying there for a while, he suddenly spoke again. "As for your parents, don't bother calling to reassure them. They've long assumed you're dead."
She remained silent for a long time before softly replying, "All right."
This response finally provoked him. He rolled over and gazed at her with a cold smile. "Do you think life has no meaning anymore?"