Chapter 127 Chapter 127
Their flight went directly to Madrid. After they disembarked, someone met them at the airport and drove them straight to Alicante. Grace knew Alicante was a port city in southeastern Spain and a popular tourist destination with plenty of sunshine and pleasant weather.
She also knew that Dr. Willie, Benjamin's plastic surgeon, was based in Alicante.
Throughout the journey, she remained quiet, unable to fathom Benjamin's intentions. She couldn't tell if bringing her to meet Adrian was an unconditional concession or part of some ulterior plan.
By the time they entered the city, evening had fallen. The car took them straight to a house by the sea. As Grace stepped inside, she asked, "Did you live here during those two years?"
Benjamin raised an eyebrow slightly and nodded. "For quite a long time, yes."
He led her inside with practiced ease and briefly explained the layout of the rooms before looking at her with a half-smile. "How about taking a shower and getting some rest early? You should adjust to the time difference. I'll take you to see Adrian tomorrow. Can you wait one night?"
Grace ignored him and headed straight upstairs to the bathroom.
The wound on her leg had healed, and the stitches had been removed. To prevent infection, though, she had covered it with a waterproof membrane.
Even so, when she emerged from the shower wearing a bathrobe, Benjamin carefully inspected the area before relaxing.
Having slept on the plane, and with jet lag setting in, she felt no drowsiness. She tossed and turned restlessly in bed for a while before finally getting up and heading to the sofa to watch TV.
Shortly after, Benjamin followed her out, sat beside her, glanced at the TV, and casually asked, "Can't sleep?"
Grace nodded. "It feels like I'm dreaming."
He paused slightly, then smiled. "It's because you're excited to see Adrian, isn't it? That's why you can't sleep."
She fell silent at his words. After a long moment, she nodded softly. "A little."
He tugged at the corner of his mouth, saying nothing more. She stared blankly at the TV for a while longer before suddenly asking him out of the blue, "Is getting plastic surgery really that painful?"
"Are you asking me or Adrian?" he asked.
Grace thought for a moment and replied, "You."
He raised his eyebrows in surprise, then answered, "It was okay. After all, I look quite similar to Benjamin, so it was easy.”
"Did you learn Spanish back then?" she asked.
Benjamin wondered why she was suddenly so interested in his past self. Still, having someone to talk to about things buried deep inside was always a good thing. He replied, "What else? You think a street kid needs Spanish? Those two years were all surgeries and learning new things. It drove me crazy. I thought going back to eating bullet pellets would be easier.”
She paused for a moment before asking, "I never understood why he chose to swap you out."
"Because he didn't have much time left." Benjamin showed no intention of hiding anything, either because he was overconfident that Grace posed no threat or because he finally had someone to confide in. He curved his lips slightly and said calmly, "That man had a terminal illness. He'd also angered General Danjo by trying to cut ties with those illegal operations in Mexico. The Norman family was on the brink of collapse, so they had no choice but to swap me out."
He turned to look at her. "Anything else you want to know? Just say it.”
Grace studied him for a moment, shook her head, and replied, "Nothing."
The two of them continued sitting on the sofa, watching TV. As they watched, she slowly and uncontrollably drifted toward him. He turned his head and saw that she had fallen asleep. A smile touched his lips as he stood up, scooped her off the couch, and carried her back to the bedroom.
Grace slept until dawn. When she woke up, she heard him calling to her from the terrace: "Grace, come out."
Still groggy, she sat up in bed for a moment before wrapping herself in her robe and stepping out onto the terrace facing the street. Outside, daylight had fully broken. Across the street was the soft, fine sand of the beach. A cool, salty breeze blew in from the azure sea. Feeling a chill, she pulled her robe tighter around herself and asked, "What is it?"
Benjamin glanced back at her, a faint smile playing on his lips. He tilted his chin toward one end of the street and said, "Look over there."
Without thinking, Grace turned her head in the direction he indicated. In the morning light, she saw two figures slowly running toward her from a distance. They were a couple out for their morning jog. The woman appeared to be a local, but the man's face was distinctly familiar—tall and lean with sharp, refined features. It was Adrian. Though he had changed significantly, Grace recognized him instantly.
Grace froze, her gaze fixed on him as he drew nearer. Benjamin, running beside her, glanced at her, then suddenly called out to the runners passing the building: "Hey, Kathy!"
The woman running beside Adrian turned at the sound of his voice. Spotting Benjamin on the terrace, her face lit up with delight. She stopped, smiling as she greeted him. "Mr. Norman, you're here?"
As soon as Casey stopped, Adrian's stride halted too. He turned his head toward the terrace. Grace felt her breath catch as if her heart had stopped. In an instant, tears welled up in her eyes.
Adrian, however, wore a faint smile. His gaze lingered on her briefly before shifting away. He glanced at Benjamin beside her, then waved at them both. He continued jogging in place, waiting patiently for his female companion.
He didn't recognize her. He had forgotten her. He was no longer her Adrian.
Even though Grace had steeled herself for this moment, facing the reality was far more agonizing than she had imagined. Her fingers dug into the railing as if that grip alone could restrain her and command her to remain composed and simply stand there and watch him quietly.
Beside her, Benjamin continued chatting with the Spanish woman. Then he asked in Spanish, "Kathy, is this gentleman your patient or your lover?"
"Hey, Mr. Norman, you're such a rascal," Kathy replied with a laugh. She glanced instinctively at Adrian, and the affection in her eyes was unmistakable. Adrian smiled gently as he asked in English, "Your friend?" Kathy answered him in English and exchanged a few words with him before looking up at Benjamin again. "Mr. Norman, are you here on vacation?"
Benjamin smiled and reached out to pull Grace, who was stiff as a wooden statue, into his arms. "Bringing my wife on vacation."
"Oh, you're married?" Kathy exclaimed, surprised and delighted. She smiled and congratulated Benjamin, then turned to translate her words into English for Adrian, who was standing beside her. After hearing her translation, Adrian seemed somewhat taken aback, too. He turned to look at them, lingering his gaze on them for a moment longer before smiling and saying in English, "Congratulations."
Grace feared she might lose control and go mad. She didn't want to stay another second. She shoved Benjamin away forcefully, turned, and dashed into the room. Benjamin followed closely behind, grabbing her by the arm. Ignoring her struggles, he pulled her into his embrace. She clenched her teeth and said nothing, only crying and pounding him frantically. Exhausted, she lowered her head and bit his shoulder.
He held her tightly, unconcerned, and whispered in her ear, "Isn't this for the best? He doesn't remember you. He'll have a whole new life. He'll fall in love with another woman, marry her, and live a peaceful life. Grace, don't you think this is the best outcome?"
Yes, for Adrian, this was the best outcome. Yet she still hated him, hated him with every fiber of her being. The gates of hell closed slowly behind her. From now on, no one would be waiting for her in the light. The hand that could pull her to safety would never be there again.
She slowly released her grip and her head slumped limply against his shoulder. After a long moment, she said wearily, "Benjamin, you win. I want to go back. I never want to see Adrian again or hear any news about him.”
"All right," Benjamin replied. After a pause, he added, "When we get back, we'll build a good life together."
By the time they returned home in early spring, willow catkins were drifting through the air. Grace stepped off the plane and followed Benjamin back to their downtown apartment. After showering, she got straight to the point. "What about Vania? Are you planning to hide me forever or keep her a secret forever?"
He couldn't hide her forever, nor could he keep Vania a secret forever. Benjamin lay half-reclined on the bed, lifting his eyes to watch her quietly. "Give me a few days," he said. "I need to handle matters at the company first. Then, I'll deal with Vania."
Grace sat down on the edge of the bed. After a moment, she added bluntly, "How you handle it is your business, but there's one rule: You must not hurt her."
Benjamin chuckled softly. Reaching out, he playfully pinched her earlobe. “Say you seduced me, shift the blame onto you, and ruin your friendship. Would that work?”
Grace brushed his hand away, glaring at him sardonically. "You’d better not. That girl has a temper. If she decides her best friend stole her fiancé, she'll come knocking on my door. If you don't mind the scandal, go ahead and pin the blame on me.” She placed her hand on his shoulder, leaned in close, and murmured with a soft laugh, "When the time comes, I'll put on quite the show for you."
Benjamin never intended to shift the blame onto Grace. He already had plans for dealing with Vania; his words were merely meant to tease her.
Seeing her throw this tantrum, however, he found himself irresistibly drawn to her. He suddenly wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her down onto him. Lifting his head to kiss her cheek, he murmured hoarsely, unable to contain his desire: "Grace, I want you."
She stiffened, then pushed his head away with a huff. "Get lost, you rogue."
Such refusal was practically consent. He rolled over and pinned her beneath him. "I am a rogue," he answered shamelessly. His hand slid inside her blouse and gripped her breast firmly.
Her face flushed crimson, and a low moan escaped her lips involuntarily. The sound ignited him instantly, fueling his passion until it burned like wildfire and overwhelmed his control.
She pushed him away halfheartedly. Only when he was on the verge of release did she bite his ear and whisper, "No. The doctor said no intimacy for at least a month after the surgery."
He froze, calculating the time in his head. Only then did he reluctantly roll off her and lie beside her, panting heavily.
Unexpectedly, she turned to look at him, her eyes gleaming with triumphant mischief. Glancing at his swollen lower body, she asked with a teasing smile, "Is it... uncomfortable?"
He shot her a glare. Moments later, he lunged at her again, growling, "Forget it. I want you now."
This time, she was genuinely startled. She struggled fiercely and shouted, "No!"
"Use a condom!" he demanded.
She panicked. "No!"
He was only trying to scare her. He couldn't bear to hurt her again. He simply lowered his head to kiss her, starting from the top of her head and working his way down through her hair. She pushed him away, her voice trembling, "No, don't do this!" Panting and unable to control his desire, he stared at her like a hungry wolf. He reached out and pressed her legs together, his voice hoarse. "I won't go inside. I'll just rub against you."
But she still refused, shaking her head desperately. "No, no."
He was nearly driven mad by her. He seized both her wrists with one hand and pinned them above her head while caressing her cheek with the other. He kissed her lips incessantly and coaxed softly, "Stop this, Grace. I promise I won't go inside. I won't hurt you. Just listen to me. I really can't hold back anymore.”
But she bit her lower lip and looked at him pitifully. Her voice was full of grievance: "But I can't hold back either. It's not like you're the only one who wants this."
He froze for a moment, finally understanding what she meant. He felt a mix of laughter and tears; deep inside, he felt triumphant.
He stared at her blankly for a moment, then suddenly lowered his head and kissed her fiercely. After a while, he lifted his head and muttered, "You're my nemesis!" He released her, got up to take a quick shower, and then went to sleep alone on the sofa.