Chapter 31 Chapter 31
She moved down the dimly lit corridor with alluring grace, indistinguishable at first glance from the other women mingling there.
Only upon reaching the corner did she spot a waiter. She pulled him into a secluded spot, slipped several bills into his pocket, and asked with a flirtatious smile, "Which room is Vito in?"
The waiter froze for a moment, but showed no suspicion of her identity. His eyes flickered toward his pocket as he whispered Vito's room number. Grace flashed him a smile and swayed her hips as she strode straight toward Vito's room.
It was slightly smaller than the room she had visited last time yet still exuded extravagance. Inside, a dozen men and women were in the midst of a wild orgy. When Grace pushed open the door, the chaos continued unabated. Everyone assumed she was just another prostitute and paid her no mind until she moved toward Vito, yanked the girl clinging to him aside, and then Vito finally noticed her.
The girl pulled away froze in surprise, about to protest, but Vito silenced her with a single gesture. She said nothing more, only shooting Grace a resentful glare before shuffling aside.
Vito leaned back slightly, sizing Grace up. “Ms. Hill?”
Without hesitation, Grace leaned in close and whispered into his ear, "I'm pressed for time—let's keep this brief. If you're interested in Benjamin and Alex, come find me at this address. I'll be there for the next few days. Remember, don't call me. Just ask any H University volunteer for directions, and you'll find me.”
With that, she slipped a note into Vito's jacket pocket. Vito merely gave her a cold stare, a faint, mocking smile playing on his lips. "Ms. Hill, I believe I know far more than you do."
"Is that so?" She had already risen to her feet but turned back to face him. "If that's how you feel, then you're under no obligation to come. Consider me never having been here today." With a mocking smile, she turned and walked out, leaving the private room before Vito could react.
Back in the room, Gia remained unconscious. Her coat, handbag, and other belongings were still there. Grace breathed a sigh of relief. She quickly re-pinned her hair, wiped off the bright lipstick, and restored her appearance to normal. Only then did she approach Gia, undress her, take out her phone, and snap several photos of her half-naked body.
Grace emptied the glass of water, replaced it with fresh water, and waited for Gia to wake up. The sedative's effects didn't last long. After a short while, Gia slowly came to. She was confused for a few seconds before she quickly realized what had happened. Startled, she sat up abruptly and demanded, "What did you do to me?"
"Nothing much, just took a few photos." Grace replied casually, waving the photos on her phone in front of Gia. "Don't worry," she added. "I'll delete them as long as you behave yourself from now on."
Gia wasn't a naive schoolgirl. She quickly regained her composure and countered, "What exactly do you want me to do? What if I refuse?"
Grace answered, "Even if you disobey me, I can't really do anything to you. At worst, I'll send these photos to your parents and friends, fulfilling my duty as your teacher. Your parents are devout believers. Whether or not they'll still recognize you as their daughter isn't something I can control.”
Gia gritted her teeth in anger. "Don't you think this is going too far? I haven't done anything to offend you."
"Whether you've wronged me isn't for you to decide," Grace sneered as she picked up her purse and stood up. "I never wronged you either. Didn't you help others deceive me?"
"I didn't mean to!" Gia cried.
“Does that make any difference?” Grace scoffed and refused to listen to her explanations as she strode toward the door.
Gia refused to let her go. She lunged forward, yanked Grace's purse, and tried to grab her phone. "Delete those photos!" she demanded angrily.
Grace didn't struggle. She stood by the door and watched as Gia frantically searched the purse for the phone. Frustrated by not knowing the passcode, Gia couldn't unlock it. Grace took the opportunity to taunt her: "Don't waste your time. You won't get it open.”
A flash of fury crossed Gia's eyes. Suddenly, she slammed the phone hard onto the floor. She stomped on it viciously several times. Still not satisfied, she grabbed a bottle of water and poured it all over the shattered phone. Only then did she look up at Grace defiantly. "Don't worry, Ms. Hill. I'll buy you a new phone!"
Grace stared at her coldly, picked up the destroyed phone, and walked away without a word. Her pace was quick and her face was grim as if she were storming off in anger. But inside, she wanted to laugh out loud. That phone had tormented her for so long. Though she knew Benjamin wouldn't simply give up monitoring her, destroying it like this felt satisfying.
As she crossed the lobby, she hailed a passing waiter, slipped him a hundred-dollar tip, and said, "My name is Grace Hill. Please tell Isabella I had to leave early. I’ll thank her later."
With that, she hurried outside, unwilling to linger any longer for fear of further complications. Unfortunately, Murphy's Law states that things often go wrong in the worst way when there's even a chance they will. Grace had barely stepped through the door when she collided head-on with Benjamin before she could descend the steps.