Chapter 132 Chapter 132
A river flows through Seattle, flanked by mansions owned by the wealthy. Benjamin's car and the vehicle of Clarence's assistant arrived at Clarence's villa one after the other. The assistant practically scrambled out of his car and rushed over to Benjamin with a panicked expression. He pleaded, "Mr. Norman, please calm down! This is all a misunderstanding—absolutely a misunderstanding!”
Zach stepped forward, grabbed the assistant by the collar, and yanked him aside. He raised his fist and punched the assistant hard, snarling, "Get lost!"
Benjamin strode forward swiftly, leading his men straight through the door. Inside, he shouted, "Grace!" in a harsh voice. His gaze darted around the room before he charged upstairs immediately. The room was hidden deep within and had a door that was distinctly different from the others. Without hesitation, Benjamin kicked the lock with all his might. The powerful blow sent the door crashing open. The deafening sound startled Clarence, who jumped and dropped the whip he was holding, causing it to crack sharply on the floor. He turned in shock, but before he could make out the intruder's face, a heavy kick landed squarely on his stomach. His bulky body flew backward.
Grace was inside, bound in a spread-eagle position in front of the bed. A blindfold covered her eyes, and her clothes had been torn to shreds, especially around her chest and hips, leaving her barely covered.
Benjamin's bloodshot eyes nearly blazed with fury at the sight. He lunged forward, tore through the leather straps binding her, and pulled her trembling body tightly into his embrace. His voice rasped, "It's okay, Grace. It's okay.”
The others followed closely behind. The bespectacled man glanced at the scene briefly before averting his eyes and reaching for a thin blanket to hand to Benjamin. Unexpectedly, Benjamin raised his arm to block him. Still murmuring soothing words to Grace, he held her close with one arm while removing his suit jacket with the other. He wrapped the jacket tightly around her and carried her upright into his arms.
"We're going home now," he said.
She hadn't uttered a sound, only clenched her teeth and trembled uncontrollably. Benjamin turned and walked out with her in his arms, occasionally lowering his head to kiss her hair, forehead, and cheek while murmuring reassurances. "It's okay. Don't be afraid.”
Glasses shot Zach a look, leaving him and two others to beat Clarence senseless while Glasses followed closely behind Benjamin. Then, he rushed ahead to open the door for Benjamin and asked cautiously, "Should we take her to the hospital?"
Benjamin felt Grace stiffen in his arms. He bent down again and pressed his lips to the top of her head, suppressing the pain that threatened to tear him apart. He coaxed her softly, "We'll go to the hospital to get you cleaned up, okay? Dr. Willie's clinic. We'll find a female doctor to help you.”
Her face was still covered by the eye mask, and her pale lips were marked with deep bite marks; some were still oozing blood. "No." She slowly managed the word, her voice hoarse and barely audible. After a long pause, she suddenly whispered his name: "Alex."
"Mm?" He leaned closer and replied, "I'm here."
"Are you satisfied now?" she asked abruptly, her voice cold. The words that passed her lips felt like knives, piercing his heart. "I'm truly sorry it took a year and a half for you to see this."
Benjamin froze, stiff as a board, as if a sledgehammer had struck the back of his skull. Darkness swirled before his eyes.
He dared not breathe for a long while, as the air felt like ten thousand steel needles piercing his chest, every inch throbbing with agony. He slowly closed his eyes. His thin lips were as pale and colorless as hers. Standing there, he held her trembling body, his arms and legs too weak to continue walking.
His men had already rushed ahead and opened the car door. Seeing him holding Grace without moving, they turned back in surprise and gently reminded him, "Boss?"
Only then did Benjamin snap out of his daze. Gritting his teeth, he strode toward the car, still holding Grace. He carefully placed her in the backseat and smoothed her clothes, wrapping her in his coat. His voice hoarse, he said, "Grace, I owe you. I'll pay you back bit by bit. Wait for me."
With that, he slammed the door shut and turned toward the house. Scared, Glasses rushed forward and wrapped his arms around Benjamin, pleading, "Boss, calm down. Whatever it is, we can talk about it later. Zach is already dealing with him. Trust me; he won't let him off easily."
"Let go!" Benjamin snapped coldly.
His men knew he was going back to kill Clarence. How could they dare to let go? Hearing this, they only held Benjamin tighter. "Think of Ms. Hill. The most important thing now is taking care of her. She can't handle any more shock. You cannot leave her alone in the car. Don't let anything else happen to her!"
These words seemed to strike a chord with Benjamin. His struggle to break free visibly weakened. The subordinate pressed on: "Take Ms. Hill to see a doctor first. Everything else can wait!"
Benjamin's face remained terrifying; his teeth were clenched so tightly that they nearly shattered. Finally, he resolutely turned and returned to the car, sitting beside Grace. He held her close and turned his head to kiss her hair repeatedly while calling her name over and over. "Grace, we're going home."
Glasses had already taken the driver's seat, afraid that Benjamin might change his mind again. He quickly started the car and drove off. They didn't go to the hospital; they headed straight back to the apartment. Benjamin carried Grace upstairs and laid her on the bed in the bedroom just as Dr. Willie arrived with a female doctor in tow.
The female doctor was Dr. Willie's junior colleague. Seeing Grace lying on the bed as still as a corpse, she gave Dr. Willie a meaningful glance, signaling him to take Benjamin outside. Dr. Willie immediately understood and lowered his voice to say to Benjamin, "Let's wait outside."
Benjamin showed no reaction. Dr. Willie plucked up his courage, reached out, and pulled Benjamin to the sofa outside. He glanced at Benjamin's expression, but he didn't dare say another word.
Benjamin sat down on the sofa, took a cigarette from the coffee table, and struggled to light it. He took just one drag before choking violently. Coughing until tears streamed down his face, he fell backward off the sofa and onto the floor.
Dr. Willie had never seen him like this before. He was utterly stunned and too frightened to approach; he just sat there, staring blankly. After an unknown amount of time, Benjamin's coughing gradually subsided. He sat on the floor for a while longer, his head bowed low. Finally, he pushed himself up with great effort, using the coffee table for support, and returned to the sofa. He leaned back, closed his eyes, and fell silent.
The room fell into a deathly silence; the atmosphere was so oppressive that it felt suffocating. Much later, as dawn began to break outside, the bedroom door creaked open. Dr. Willie's junior colleague emerged. Benjamin's head snapped up, his gaze locking onto the female doctor. His thin lips parted several times, but no words came out.
The doctor wiped the blood from her hands, exchanged a brief glance with her senior colleague, and turned to Benjamin. She said softly, "The patient's external injuries have been temporarily treated, and her emotional state has remained stable." She paused, her brow furrowing in concern, then continued, "However, the patient requested a sedative, saying she wants to sleep."
Benjamin remained silent for a long moment before finally asking, "Is she asleep?"
"She just fell asleep," the doctor replied. She hesitated briefly before adding, "Although the patient appears calm, I find this unusual state more concerning. It would be best to arrange for a psychologist to conduct a psychological evaluation as soon as possible."
Benjamin paused briefly before replying, "Understood."
Ignoring the two doctors, he rose and walked into the bedroom to check on Grace. She was asleep, her pale face serene and peaceful. He slowly knelt by the bedside and gently lifted the thin blanket covering her. He had seen those wounds before, yet now they struck him with renewed horror. Whip marks crisscrossed her body like snakes, starting from her shoulders and ending at her calves. Where the blows were lighter, only red marks remained. Where they were heavier, the skin was torn open.
Benjamin's hands trembled uncontrollably as he held the thin blanket steady. Grace's words echoed incessantly in his ears: "Are you satisfied now? I'm sorry it took you a year and a half to see this."
Regret.
For the first time, he felt regret.
Every wound screamed at him that he was the one who had brought her to this.