Chapter 156 Chapter 156
He took her hand and led her outside. After a few steps, she suddenly stopped behind him. He turned around and found her face streaked with tears. She stood there, looking at him, her voice trembling. "Adrain has your plastic surgery records from Spain. Vania went to the Meyer residence and retrieved your fingerprint files for me. I'm handing both of these over to you. Can you spare them?"
He knew exactly what they were, but he hadn't expected her to confess.
He pulled her close, cupped her face in his hands, and asked softly, "Grace, are you afraid?"
Grace was indeed afraid. She was afraid Benjamin would take revenge on Adrian and Vania. She was afraid he'd turn around and have them both assassinated, especially Adrian. A man as unforgiving as Benjamin would never allow that.
For a fleeting moment, she almost surrendered. She wanted to stop thinking about revenge and escape and just live out her days in hell alongside him. As long as the people she cared about were safe and could live in the light.
She was truly exhausted and on the verge of breaking.
Each day was spent in constant apprehension. From the moment she opened her eyes, she had to guess Benjamin's intentions and meticulously plan her every move and word.
What if she conceded? What if she surrendered? Who cared how much evil he'd committed? Forget what he'd done to her. Stop dwelling on right and wrong.
Life was only a few decades long. Wasn't any way of living better than no way at all?
When life became unbearable, wouldn't death be waiting for her anyway?
The emotional roller coaster was nearly crushing Grace. Even the strongest exterior couldn't withstand the pressure she bore, and it began to crack.
Her shoulders slumped and her head slowly rested against Benjamin's shoulder. In a raspy voice, she answered his question: "Benjamin, I'm scared. I'm really scared. I surrender. I raise my hands to you. I'll tell you everything I've hidden and kept secret. Just spare them. Spare Adrian. Spare Vania. Spare everyone connected to me."
Benjamin seemed startled, yet his face remained expressionless. He asked softly, "What else have you kept from me?"
Just as Grace opened her mouth to answer, Benjamin's phone suddenly rang. Startled, Grace flinched, assuming that Benjamin's men had captured Adrian. Panic seized her, and she clutched his arm tightly with both hands. In a trembling voice, she pleaded, "Spare Adrian. Don't hurt him anymore. Please.”
Her reaction left Benjamin with a bitter ache in his heart. He pulled out his phone, glanced at the caller ID, and gave a mocking smile. Then he explained, "It's Landon. It has nothing to do with your Adrian."
Grace froze, staring blankly for a moment before slowly releasing her grip.
Benjamin curled his lips in a sneer before pressing the answer button. He turned slightly to listen to the call. Benjamin only responded with a few measured "uh-huhs" to whatever Landon said before stating, "Then come back first."
He put away his phone and turned back to find Grace still standing silently in place, her eyes lowered as if lost in thought. After a moment, Benjamin said flatly, "Don't worry. I won't touch Adrian this time. But this is the last time. One more incident, and I'll chop him up and feed him to the fish in the river."
Her eyes remained lowered as she murmured softly, "Thank you."
He pressed his thin lips together and added, "What else are you hiding from me?"
Grace remained silent. Her fragile heart hardened once more. Biting her lip, she whispered, "There's also the disc. That video you recorded before—I've kept it all this time, planning to play it at the wedding."
Benjamin froze, his face instantly turning ashen. He never imagined Grace would stoop so low for revenge, exposing her most painful memories to humiliate him.
But she didn’t know that he wasn’t afraid of embarrassment. He only ached for her, wishing she would stab him with a knife rather than herself.
Benjamin's thin lips pressed into a line, and his veins pulsed furiously on his forehead. After a long moment, he regained control and demanded, “Where is the disc hidden?”
The disc was hidden in plain sight, tucked into the CD rack in the living room of the apartment.
Grace pulled it out and handed it to Benjamin. He took it without a word, snapped it clean in half with a sharp crack, and didn't stop there. He kept breaking it into smaller and smaller pieces until it was reduced to shards. He tossed the remains into an ashtray and lit them on fire. Only then did he look up at her.
Grace was watching him, too. "Are you sure it's completely destroyed? Do you even remember how many copies you made?”
Her words ignited him. The worst part was that she was right. He couldn't even begin to explain. All he could do was swallow his rage.
He grabbed her arm as she tried to leave. "If you ever want revenge, come after me directly. Even if you want me dead, I'll hand you the knife. But don't hurt yourself—it breaks my heart."
She knew it was all bullshit, yet she still felt a sting in her nose. Forcing a small smile, she replied, "Fine."
Three days later, Landon returned from Mexico. Benjamin had a meeting during the day and couldn't make it, so he sent Michael to pick Landon up at the airport. That evening, they went to Garma for a party to unwind.
Landon had tanned considerably. He chuckled when he saw Benjamin. When they were alone, Landon whispered, "Is Ms. Hill completely taken care of?"
If it could be settled so easily, she wouldn't be Grace.
Because of the Adrian incident, though, Grace had seemed much more docile these past couple of days. Benjamin tugged at the corner of his mouth in resignation and said flatly, "We'll take it step by step. Once she has the baby, maybe she'll gradually accept me."
"Women, you know. Just pamper and indulge them, and sooner or later, you'll have them wrapped around your finger." Landon grinned widely and added, "Oh, and I got a sapphire brooch over there. I heard it's from the British royal family. It looks pretty nice. Ms. Hill would look great wearing it. I'll bring it to her tomorrow. Consider it a wedding gift for you two.”
Benjamin didn't take it to heart, replying politely, "That's very thoughtful."
Landon, however, exaggerated his expression. "How could I not be thoughtful? I was the one who took Zach to cut off that guy's finger! Ms. Hill probably hates me to no end. If I don't smooth things over, what if she's in a bad mood one day?”
This actually made Benjamin laugh. He handed Landon a cigarette and chuckled, "She won't."
Landon caught the cigarette, tucked it between his lips, and grinned silently. After a moment, he grew serious again. "General Danjo is running into serious trouble. We should pull our people back while we still can."
Benjamin fell silent for a moment before nodding.
Just then, others learned that Landon had returned and came over to toast him. Landon cut the conversation short, content to drink with his friends. Benjamin joined in for a couple of rounds. An ambitious woman edged closer to him. Before he could respond, Landon shooed her away. "Get lost! Stop bothering him! If he goes back smelling like perfume, his wife will punish him!”
Everyone burst into laughter. Benjamin didn't seem annoyed at all. He just chuckled lightly and scolded Landon, "You get lost first."
The group partied late into the night before dispersing. Benjamin returned home but didn't dare disturb Grace upstairs. He showered downstairs first, then tiptoed to the bedroom to check on her. To his surprise, Grace was still awake, leaning against the headboard and reading. When she saw him push the door open, her gaze lingered on his damp hair before she spoke.
Though Benjamin hadn't done anything wrong, he felt a twinge of guilt. Then he recalled Landon's joke, and his mood lifted. He couldn't help but smile as he explained, "I showered downstairs so I wouldn't disturb you. I wasn't up to anything naughty." With that, he sat down on the bed as if nothing had happened and leaned closer to her with a soft chuckle. "Don't believe me? Smell for yourself. You'll only smell soap.”
Grace knew he'd gone to welcome Landon back. She had overthought things and couldn't sleep, so she got up to read and clear her mind. She hadn't expected him to misunderstand and think she'd been waiting for him.
His leaning toward her made her uncomfortable. She shifted away instinctively, murmuring sharply, "Stay away from me."
Benjamin wouldn't let such an opportunity slip by. Fueled by alcohol, he leaned in to press against her and called her name, "Grace."
Fearing he might act recklessly, she braced herself against him with both hands. Suddenly, an idea struck her, and she cried out urgently, "Don't press down on the baby!"
He stopped immediately, equally afraid of harming her. He shifted his body slightly and propped himself up with his elbow beside her.
He lightly shielded her, but his other hand lingered on her slender waist, caressing it reluctantly. He had accompanied her to try on the wedding dress just yesterday—her waist was still so delicate and slender, hardly resembling someone who was nearly three months pregnant. His hand gently rested on her lower abdomen. After pausing for a moment, he asked, "Where's the little one hiding? Why isn't your bump showing yet?”
Grace had been focused entirely on guarding against him, so his sudden question caught her off guard. She stiffened, unsure how to respond. After a long pause, she finally answered, "I don't know."
Benjamin only smiled. He leaned down to examine her flat belly closely. As he looked, he bent his head and kissed it. Grace quickly pushed him away, scolding, "Stop fooling around!"
"I'm not fooling around." He brushed her hands aside and lifted his face to meet hers. A smile played at the corners of his lips. "I'm just kissing my baby."
His lips touched her skin through the thin nightgown, hot against her. She flinched as if scalded, her body tensing abruptly.
He sensed it immediately, a secret delight stirring within him. His kisses became gentler and more insistent as they slowly traced upward along her front.
Grace's entire body stiffened like stone. Her heart was filled with disgust—not only for Benjamin, but also for herself. She had never loathed herself so intensely before—not only for herself, but also for the heart that fluttered within her chest at his tender kiss and for this very body.
Benjamin remained oblivious, his lips inching upward. After lingering briefly on her neck, they slowly climbed her delicate face, murmuring her name softly. "Grace."
Just as his lips were about to meet hers, Grace suddenly raised her hand and blocked him. "Enough!" She shoved him aside, ignoring his shock, and broke free from his grasp. She fled to a safe distance. "If you're in heat, go find someone else! Don't come bothering me!"
Benjamin looked up at her, puzzled.
Her eyes were filled with vicious defiance as she challenged him. “What? Are you going to force yourself on me again?"
He couldn't help but smile bitterly. Even if she weren't pregnant with his child, how could he ever force himself on her again? He studied her for a moment, then climbed to his feet and asked, "What's wrong? Why are you so angry?"
Grace knew she shouldn't lose her temper, but she couldn't control herself. She rolled over, buried her face deep in the pillow, and mumbled a vague excuse. "Don't touch me. When you touch me, I think of Wendy. It makes me sick."
Benjamin stiffened, momentarily at a loss. Some things couldn't be undone, no matter how much regret followed. He let out a bitter smile and whispered, "I regret it, too, Grace. Really. If I could go back, I wouldn't have done that."
But the world never offered second chances. Closing her eyes, she forced down her revulsion. "You can sleep downstairs tonight. I want to be alone." She paused, then added, "Give me a little more time. I'll try to sort myself out."
What could he say? He could only agree with a simple "Okay," and then he added, "I'll wait for you."
The next day, just before noon, Landon showed up at the apartment with several gifts, including the brooch. He looked like a guest who had made a special visit. Benjamin was at the office and Michael was out, leaving only Grace and the housekeeper in the apartment. Grace acted as if she barely knew him. Only after the housekeeper went to the kitchen to make coffee did Grace whisper sarcastically, "You've got some nerve."
"No choice—I couldn’t get through to the number you gave me," Landon shrugged, glancing toward the kitchen. He slid the velvet box containing the sapphire brooch toward her, then lowered his voice and spoke quickly. "He returned to the country on February 26th. There’s a small item hidden in the box’s lining. Once you find the USB drive, just plug it in, and the contents will copy automatically.”
Grace ignored the box, studying Landon instead. “Who exactly are you?”
Landon smiled. "The one who can help you cut down the Norman family tree."
Grace didn't press further, only asking, "How do I get it to you once I have it?"
"I'll be helping with the wedding preparations these days. Once you have the item, just complain about the decorations. That'll be my cue. Do it as quickly as possible. Many people will be attending the wedding, and closing the net promptly will yield better results.” He glanced at her again, his tone playful. "You won't suddenly change your mind and turn on me, will you?"