Chapter 136 Chapter 136
Grace gave him a puzzled look before finally saying, "That's best."
Benjamin wanted to coax her, but she showed no intention of continuing the conversation. She gathered the photos and placed hers and Vania's in separate bags. Then, she rose from the sofa and headed toward the bedroom. He didn't want to let her go like this. Without thinking, he called out, "Grace."
She paused and turned back, raising an eyebrow as if to ask what else he wanted.
He asked, "When are you going to meet with Vania?"
It was just small talk, but Grace grew wary. With secrets weighing on her mind, she became more suspicious. "It hasn't been decided yet. Why do you ask?”
Benjamin was focused on keeping the conversation going; his words weren't particularly well thought out. He replied, "Nothing, just asking. I'll have Michael accompany you when the time comes.”
"Alright." Grace agreed.
She turned to leave again, but Benjamin hurriedly called out to her once more. Feeling uneasy, she stopped and turned back to him. “What else?”
Benjamin couldn't think of anything else to say. He was just reluctant to let her go. He lifted his head and watched her for a long moment before asking, "You seem in a good mood today. Why is that?” He gave a faint smile, his hand unconsciously pressing against his chest, where he kept a photo of her. "I thought you'd be upset for a while after Vania said she wanted to cut ties with you."
Benjamin had no ulterior motives, but Grace was scared out of her wits.
She believed that Benjamin had figured something out. He was definitely suspicious about today's events.
She stood there calmly, though her mind was in turmoil. Instinctively masking her inner panic with a smile, she curved her lips at him before answering, "You don't know Vania. She just has a sharp tongue. The fact that she called me and asked for these things means that she still holds onto a sliver of hope. If I can coax her a little, maybe she'll calm down. Not only will she not cut ties with me, but she might even keep me as a friend."
Benjamin felt jealous of Vania. How dare she ask Grace to placate her?
Though this thought churned inside him, a faint smile touched his lips as he nodded. "Oh, I see."
She tugged at the corners of her mouth again before turning and entering the bedroom. Benjamin sat alone on the sofa for a moment longer, unconsciously pulling the photo from his pocket and glancing at it. His lips curled up almost imperceptibly before he tucked the photo back in his pocket. He got up and went downstairs to sleep in the guest room.
The next day, on his way to work, Benjamin handed the photo to Michael and said, "Get it copied. Make sure it's clear.” He paused, then added, "Without Vania."
Michael took the photo and glanced at it. Lost in thought for a moment, he blurted out, "Should I Photoshop you in?"
Benjamin froze, his face flushing crimson. He nearly stomped his shoe onto Michael's broad face, snarling, "Get lost!"
Michael, however, saw that it wasn't genuine anger, so he wasn't particularly afraid. Though he'd been kicked, a faint smile appeared on his usually expressionless face.
Before noon, Michael delivered the photo of Grace alone to Benjamin's office. He even framed it and turning it into an elegant desk ornament.
Benjamin gave it only a cursory glance and said nothing. Yet, throughout the day, his mood seemed unusually light. He treated his subordinates with warmth. Even when the engineering department reported a minor mishap and the responsible manager rushed over to apologize, Benjamin didn't lose his temper. Instead, he waved his hand dismissively and said casually, "Apologize if you must. Compensate if you should. Enough of this."
The manager felt as if he had been granted a pardon. After leaving Benjamin's office, he was nearly overcome with gratitude.
Grace remained quiet that day. Only after two more days passed and Benjamin hadn't taken any action did she call Vania to arrange a meeting.
Perhaps the previous incident had left too deep a psychological scar. Even in broad daylight and with Michael by her side, she avoided secluded places. Instead, she chose an open-air café in a bustling square.
Vania recognized Michael. The moment she saw him, she pointed to him and told Grace, "Tell this guy to stay away from us. Seeing him reminds me of Benjamin. It pisses me off."
Grace’s face flushed with awkwardness. "Vania..."
Michael didn’t want to put Grace in an awkward position. Without waiting for her instructions, he got up and walked away, stopping only at the very edge of the terrace. He positioned himself several tables away from them, deliberately choosing a spot where Vania couldn’t see him. He casually pulled up a chair and sat down.
Vania glanced back, satisfied that the distance was sufficient. She reached out directly to Grace. "The photos? Give them to me.”
Grace pulled all her photos from her bag and handed them over. Unable to contain herself any longer, Grace lowered her voice and asked, "What's going on here?"
Vania glanced up briefly before returning to leisurely sorting the photos. Her voice was rapid and hushed. "That question should be mine. Grace, what's going on? How did Adrian even contact me? He found Edi—yes, that Edi who pursued me! He sent me an email through his account!"
Vania glared at Grace. "What have you been hiding from me? What exactly did that bastard Benjamin do to all of you?"
Grace had no time to answer Vania, nor any desire to. Michael sat at a distance, sipping his coffee. Yet, his gaze kept darting their way, clearly wary.
She wore a resigned smile, as if enduring a spoiled girl's temper. Only when Michael looked away did she ask Vania urgently, “Where is he now? In Seattle?"
This "he" referred to Adrian.
"No, he's still in Spain," Vania replied, her words concise and clear. "He had someone else send me that porcelain doll. It passed through several hands. He told me to find a way to give it to you along with a message."
"What message?" Grace asked impatiently.
Vania replied, "Be patient. He'll come back."
Grace fell silent. The last time she had seen him was in Spain, where he had been with Dr. Willie's assistant, Casey. They had gone jogging together and looked intimate, like a couple.
If he hadn't lost his memory as Benjamin and the others had planned, why was he pretending to have forgotten her completely? Why was he still in Spain, staying with that plastic surgeon?
The answer was obvious—he was searching for proof that Benjamin was Alex. Grace told Vania, "Notify him immediately. Tell him to leave that place. It's dangerous."
"I can't reach him! He never gave me his contact info!" Furious, Vania lost control and slammed the photo onto the table. "What kind of mess did you create? Keeping me in the dark like some idiot!"
Her outburst drew stares from everyone nearby. Even Michael, who was far away, stood up and looked over. Grace was stunned, too, her eyes widening as she stared at Vania. Thankfully, Vania reacted quickly, catching herself just in time and forcing the rest of her words back down. "I treated you like my best friend, and you stole my fiancé! And you have the nerve to ask me to forgive you!"
Watching her friend put on such a dramatic performance, Grace found herself oddly amused. Sitting across from Michael, she quickly covered her face with her hands, faking embarrassment. "I'm sorry, Vania. I really didn't mean to."
Vania, sitting close by, froze, nearly cracking up herself. She forced her face to stay stern. Noticing curious glances from others nearby, she suddenly adopted a fierce tone and snapped, "What are you looking at? Never seen women argue before?"
Though people loved gossip, they feared bullies like Vania even more. Her shout silenced the onlookers completely. Some timid souls even got up and moved further away.
Only then did Vania turn back, fixing her eyes on Grace across the table. "Enough!" she snapped. "Stop pretending!"
Grace took a deep breath before lowering her hands. After a moment, she whispered, "It's not that we wanted to hide this from you. It's just...this is too dangerous. Someone like Benjamin? You should stay as far away from him as possible."
Vania wasn't an impulsive fool. She understood the meaning behind Grace's words. She had heard some of the rumors about Clarence's murder. Before, she would never have believed them. But ever since Benjamin cornered her outside her home that night, demanding Grace's whereabouts and nearly choking her to death, nothing he did would surprise her anymore.
Vania couldn't help but ask Grace, "Did he really kill Clarence and his family?"
Grace pressed her lips together but didn't answer. Instead, she said, "This has nothing to do with you. Why are you meddling?"
Vania hesitated, then looked at Grace cautiously and asked in a lowered voice, "Did Clarence bully you?"
Vania had heard rumors that Clarence had lost his mind and touched Benjamin's woman, enraging Benjamin. Recalling Benjamin's frantic search for Grace that night, Vania surmised that the "woman" might be Grace.
Grace's face paled slightly. She lowered her eyelids and replied casually, "Nothing much. He just whipped me.”
"Damn it! That bastard deserves to die!" Vania spat. If what happened that night was true, then Grace had encountered Clarence precisely because she had come out to meet her. Vania felt a pang of guilt, wishing she could have emptied her magazine into Clarence, too. She was almost grateful that Benjamin had taken out the beast first. "So, that bastard Benjamin wasn't entirely useless after all."