Chapter 42 Chapter 42
He didn't answer and immediately hung up.
Grace was puzzled, but she couldn't call back to ask why. She returned to her room. Her colleague was about to take a shower. Seeing her enter, she asked, "Ms. Hill, would you like to use the bathroom? I'm covered in sweat after a busy day.”
Grace forced a smile and replied, "No, you go ahead."
Her colleague took her change of clothes inside, leaving Grace alone to stare at the TV and wonder what Benjamin might be up to. About thirty minutes later, she got her answer. Her colleague, fresh from the shower, received a call. After just a few words, her expression changed. She glanced at Grace, then shut herself in the bathroom to take the call.
When she came out, her face looked calm, but she clearly wasn't herself. She gathered her purse and belongings and said to Grace, "Ms. Hill, something's come up at home. I need to head back immediately. Could you cover for me? I'll try to be back tomorrow morning. If that's absolutely impossible, then please call in sick for me.”
"What happened? Do you need my help?" Grace asked.
Her colleague's eyes reddened briefly before she composed herself and shook her head repeatedly. "It's nothing, really. I just need to go home."
Her colleague hurried out. Grace walked her to the door and watched her figure vanish down the hallway. Still a bit dazed, Grace felt her phone, which she had left on the bed, vibrate. It was Benjamin again. His voice was cool over the phone. "Can you come up now?"
She bit her lip before answering, "Yes."
His room was a luxury suite arranged by the conference organizers and located on a very high floor. She rode the elevator up, holding the keycard he’d given her, but she still pressed the doorbell. To her surprise, Michael answered the door, still wearing that expressionless face. This time, however, he gave her a slight nod and greeted her, "Ms. Hill."
Michael was always by Benjamin's side whenever she met him. He must be his personal bodyguard, the kind who never leaves his side. This clearly showed that Benjamin valued his safety—or, perhaps, that he faced personal security threats, which was why Michael shadowed him so closely.
Michael stepped aside to clear the doorway and said, "Mr. Norman is waiting for you inside." With that, he closed the door and entered the adjacent room, shutting it tightly behind him. Clearly, he had no intention of paying attention to the interaction between Benjamin and Grace.
Grace crossed the foyer and continued inward, spotting Benjamin by the bar at the far end of the living room. He wore a white bathrobe and appeared to have just showered. He sat alone, sipping his drink. When he spotted her, he merely beckoned with a finger, instructing, "Come here."
She didn't refuse. She walked over, sat down on the barstool beside him, poured herself a drink without waiting for him, and asked, "Benjamin, can we have a talk?"
He seemed taken aback, surprised that she had sat down so readily to drink with him and she had proposed such a thing. He turned his head to study her. After a moment, he gave a mocking chuckle. "What could a lady and a client possibly talk about?"
She lifted her eyes to meet his, a faint smile touching her lips, tinged with resignation and self-mockery. "If we have nothing to talk about, then let's play a game. A game between a lady and a client. Surely that's possible?"
Her words piqued his interest. "What kind of game?"
Grace didn't answer immediately. Instead, she fetched several glasses, filled them with liquor, and lined them up in front of them. Only then did she speak. "It's simple. One person asks a question, and the other person answers. If you can't tell the truth, you drink."
It was a simple game, a stripped-down version of Truth or Dare that omitted the dare part entirely. Benjamin couldn't help but snort softly, glancing at her sideways with a mocking smile. “What do you want to know? Is Benjamin really Alex?"
Grace shook her head. "I already know the answer."
"Oh?" Benjamin's curiosity grew as his eyebrows lifted slightly. "Then what else do you want to know?"
She looked at him for a moment, then smiled and countered, “Not only are you afraid to tell the truth, but you're also afraid to drink, right?”
Unfazed by her provocation, he curled his lips in a mocking sneer and shot back, "There's another explanation. I am not curious about you whatsoever. You're right in the palm of my hand. You can't escape my control. Why would I need this game to get answers out of you?"
"I see." She nodded slowly and considered it for a moment before adding, "Then let's tweak the rules a bit. You don't have to ask; I'll ask you. If you answer, I'll drink. If you can't answer, you drink. Is that acceptable?”
He seized the opening, unable to suppress a soft chuckle. "How would you know if I'm telling the truth?"
"I trust you." Her expression remained calm as she softly said, "Benjamin, I don't think you'd deceive a woman just for a drink."
Her words caught him completely off guard. He stared at her in silence for a long moment before finally replying, "All right. Ask away.”
Keeping her eyes slightly lowered and avoiding his gaze, Grace asked, “What method did you use to get my colleague transferred? Will it harm her?"
Benjamin hadn't expected this to be her first question. Glancing at her with surprise, he answered, "Your colleague's husband was caught soliciting a prostitute, who brought two burly men to confront him. They demanded that your colleague bring money to bail him out." He watched her eyelashes flutter slightly. After a moment, he continued, "As for whether it harmed her, yes, I set this up. But her husband's visit to the prostitute wasn't his first. Would you call this harming her or helping her?"
Grace couldn't answer. After a brief silence, she picked up her glass and drank it in one gulp.
He narrowed his eyes, studying her, then smiled softly. "Not bad.”
"Thanks," she replied hoarsely, covering her mouth as if it would take her a while to recover. She reached for another glass, cradling it between her hands and rubbing it slowly, then asked her next question. "Will your revenge against me affect my family?"
He was still taken aback. He'd expected her questions to revolve around him, but instead, she asked only about her loved ones. "It depends on you. As long as you abide by our rules, I won't harm your parents or family. I don't enjoy playing games with a large group of people."
"That's good." She smiled back, exhaling slowly before raising the second glass and drinking it all at once.
The brandy was aged and potent. Drinking two full glasses in succession was no easy feat. After swallowing, she covered her mouth and held her breath, daring only to exhale after a long moment. This time, however, he didn't smile. He just observed her for a moment, then pushed a glass of ice water across the table. "I find the game more enjoyable when played slowly," he remarked. "Don't you agree?"