Chapter 121 Chapter 121
Grace paused for a moment before turning around and sitting back down. Though she said nothing, her displeasure was evident.
The housekeeper continued bringing out dishes.
Benjamin took a few bites of beef, then looked up and saw Grace sitting stiffly and unmoving. He picked up a piece of beef with his fork and placed it in her bowl. "Eat more. Look at those two bites you've taken—not even a kitten eats that little."
Grace only pressed her lips tightly together. She abruptly stood up, said nothing, and turned to head upstairs. Her steps were steady at first, but as she neared the staircase, she began to run, rushing straight into the bedroom.
Benjamin slowly set down his bowl and fork, his face darkening. He rose and followed her. Before he reached the bedroom door, he heard Grace retching in the bathroom.
His steps faltered. He pushed open the bathroom door and stood silently watching Grace bent over the sink.
She looked disheveled as she rinsed her mouth with water. When she looked up and saw Benjamin in the mirror, her movements froze.
"What's wrong?" he asked indifferently.
She slowly straightened up, her eyes glistening from the tears that had formed while she was vomiting. "Nothing," she replied in a low voice. "I drank some milk on an empty stomach this morning, and my stomach feels a bit off."
He silently studied her for a moment before saying, "Come on, I'll take you to the hospital."
“No need. I'll be fine after skipping a couple of meals.” She smiled, cupped her hands, and splashed water on her face twice more. She roughly wiped her face with a towel and added, "You go downstairs and eat. I'll lie down for a bit."
She started toward the door, but he blocked her path, showing no intention of moving. She glanced up at him, her brows furrowing slightly. "I'm not going to eat. What are you doing standing in my way?"
He tugged the corner of his mouth, then grabbed her wrist firmly. "Come on. I'll take you to the hospital. You can't just tough it out when you're not feeling well."
Grace's expression hardened. She tried to shake off his grip, her voice cold. "I'm fine. I'm not going!"
Benjamin refused to let go, pulling her toward the exit. Her composure shattered completely. She was dragged to the bedroom door and clutched the frame desperately, refusing to let go. Panic-stricken, she cried, "Let me go! I'm not going to the hospital!"
Benjamin glanced back at her, then abruptly turned and scooped her off the floor, continuing toward the exit. His expression remained impassive as he said flatly, "Grace, stop this."
Her struggles were futile in his arms. By the time he carried her downstairs, she had accepted it and ceased her resistance. She stared at him coldly. "Benjamin, put me down." He ignored her and continued forward. She pressed on, "There's no need for the hospital. You were right—I am pregnant.”
His stride faltered, and he finally stopped and lowered his head to look at her.
Her eyes flashed with a vengeful, almost frenzied light as she told him in a cold, ruthless voice, "It's Adrian's. I'm carrying Adrian's child."
He said nothing, only stared down at her before resuming his silent walk out the door, still holding her.
Grace grew frantic and grabbed his collar. "What do you think you're doing? I already gave you the answer! What more do you want? Are you going to force me into having an abortion?”
He pressed his lips together and replied in a flat tone, "Let's go to the hospital for a checkup. First, we need to confirm whether you're actually pregnant.” He paused before continuing. "Rest assured, even if you are pregnant, I can't force you to have an abortion at the hospital."
She froze, looking at him doubtfully.
Benjamin curved his lips into a faint smile and added, "The hospital isn't mine. Besides, even if it were, doctors wouldn't dare perform abortions recklessly.”
She didn't believe him, but she had no other choice.
Grace studied him for a moment before saying coldly, "Put me down. I'll go with you."
He actually put her down and instructed the maid to fetch a thick coat for her. Only then did he take her hand and lead her out. Though Michael hadn't returned, another driver was available. Benjamin accompanied Grace to the backseat and directed the driver to head straight to the hospital.
It was the weekend, and the hospital was crowded even in the afternoon. Still, the pregnancy test was straightforward, and the results came back quickly. The word "positive" wasn't large, but it stood out with an eerie clarity. Benjamin stared at the paper for a long moment, motionless, before finally lifting his head to look at Grace.
She had already read the result in his reaction. Instinctively, she wanted to turn and run far away—to a place where Benjamin could never hurt her again.
But she knew that was just a fantasy. She had already fled halfway across the globe, yet Benjamin had tracked her down. Now, pregnant, where could she possibly run?
Her expression remained calm until Benjamin approached. Only then did she speak softly. "Alex, I'm begging you one last time. Let me carry this child to term, and I'll follow you with absolute loyalty."
He showed little reaction, merely studying her in silence. After a long pause, he took her hand and led her to see the doctor. The doctor's questions were routine, such as estimating the gestational age, before sending Grace for an ultrasound. The eight-week-old embryo was already the size of a grape, and the fetal bud and heartbeat were developing well. Seeing Benjamin constantly by Grace's side, the doctor assumed they were married. Seeing Grace's tense expression, he thought she was nervous and reassured her: "Everything's fine. It's all good."
After the checkup, Benjamin drove Grace back to the villa and left. There was no word from him until the third evening, when he finally reappeared. Grace was just about to eat when she saw him walk in. She stood up and looked at him timidly.
It was the first time she had ever shown such an expression in front of him.
Benjamin felt a slight twinge of pain in his heart. He slowly walked over and sat down across from her. He said softly, "Sit down and eat."
"What about you? Are you joining me?” she asked.
He smiled faintly and shook his head. "I've already eaten."
She said nothing more and slowly began her meal. He remained silent, too, simply sitting across from her and watching quietly until she finished her small bowl of chicken breast salad laboriously. Only then did he speak again, his tone as calm as before. “Grace, I cannot allow this child to be born.”
Grace stiffened and slowly lifted her head to meet his gaze.
Benjamin tugged at the corner of his mouth, holding her stare without flinching. "To be honest, I've been thinking about this for the past two days. In the end, I realized that I cannot accept the birth of this child. Not only can I not accept it, but the thought of you carrying another man's child makes me crazy. I feel an overwhelming urge to kill that man." He gave another bitter laugh before continuing. “Yes, I want to kill Adrian. I want to tear him limb from limb and grind his bones to dust.”
Fear and fury flared in Grace's eyes as she stared at him. Her lips trembled slightly and she was unable to speak.