Chapter 49 Chapter 49
She ended up in the hospital with a mere fever and stayed for several days. Benjamin was so perceptive that he could see through her little scheme. Grace had anticipated this and didn't plan to hide it from him. She admitted, "You don't care about anything, but I still have to worry about my reputation. That morning, when I went back, I bumped into students. If something like that happened again, my reputation would be completely ruined. Luckily, I got sick—it gave me a reason to skip the hotel."
Without giving him a chance to respond, she cautiously asked, "So why did you call? What do you want me to do?"
Her nervous tone seemed to amuse him. He chuckled softly and replied, "I want you to fly halfway across the world to accompany me to a cocktail party."
Startled, she asked, “You're abroad?”
“Yeah, in Spain.” He paused, then complained, "Their language sounds awful—so noisy."
Grace paused, then countered, "Spanish is beautiful. Don't you think it's lively and full of spirit?"
"Is it?" he replied lazily. "I don't think so."
At least, not as lively as she described. Leaning lightly against the carved stone railing, he glanced back at the lavish banquet hall—a dazzling, chaotic scene of bustling activity. Fashionably dressed celebrities and aristocratic ladies mingled with refined gentlemen and ladies. Each played their assigned role flawlessly.
Benjamin suddenly missed the woman on the other end of the line. He missed her fierceness, her stubbornness, her forced composure at the card table, her confident cheerfulness in front of students, and her drunken, slurred whispers of "Alex" in the bathroom.
Alex—the name that had vanished; the name that would never be called again.
The call fell silent. As Grace wondered why Benjamin had called, Adrian pushed open the door and mouthed, "Everything okay?"
She gently shook her head, then waved him out. Once he had left, she realized that Benjamin had already hung up. She was startled. He had been unusually easy on her, making only this one inexplicable call. It was truly suspicious.
She sat alone, pondering for a long while, but she couldn't find any answers. Finally, she got up and left the bedroom. Adrian was watching TV on the sofa. When he saw her come out, he asked, "So, did your boss say anything?"
Grace shrugged indifferently. "What else could he say? He just asked if I could return to work soon under the guise of checking in."
Though it was a lie, it was also the truth.
The next day, Grace went to work and first reported to the department chair to sign out of leave. The economic forum had run its course over three days and concluded. The university had recalled all its personnel. Considering how smoothly things had gone, the department head spoke to her with unusual warmth. "Grace, you’re one of the key players in our department—we’re really counting on you to step up and take on more. Look, early in your career, it’s not just about the short-term wins. It’s about growing your skills and seizing every opportunity to learn. That’s how you build a strong future."
Grace replied, "Thank you. Rest assured, I'll dedicate myself to the Christmas gala.”
The chair nodded approvingly.
Returning to her office, Grace glanced at the bulletin board in the hallway listing the bonus recipients. As expected, her name was absent. No wonder the chair had advised her not to focus on short-term wins. Grace shrugged it off with a casual smile and walked away. When life itself was threatened and dignity was trampled, such things held little weight for her.
The phone in her office had been off for days. When she turned it on, she found a message from an old classmate.
It stated that Norman Science's origins weren't as pristine as they appeared. Rumor had it that their early companies either operated in high-profit industries or were shell companies set up for money laundering. It wasn't until Benjamin's father came to power that the company gradually moved away from those practices and began investing in real industries. After Benjamin took control of Norman Science, the company expanded into the finance and high-tech sectors. Within just six or seven years, it had grown into a major conglomerate.
Grace noticed the words "money laundering." Her classmate was offline, so she left a message: Money laundering? Where did the money come from? How did the Norman family make their fortune? Could you also check if there's anyone named Alex among the Normans' relatives or close associates?
No sooner had she sent the message than she heard someone call her at the door. Turning around, she saw Nathan. She tucked her phone under a book, gestured for him to enter, and asked, "What is it? Is something wrong?"
Nathan scratched his head nervously. "I just came to check on you. Are you feeling better?”
Another teacher in the office chuckled, teasing, "Being young and pretty has its perks—even with students like you. I'm great with my class, but they only come to me when they're in trouble. I could spend half a month in the hospital, and no one would notice.”
Nathan's face flushed red. Grace glanced at him, smiled, and ignored the joking colleague. Instead, she said to Nathan, "It's fine. Go tell the class not to worry about me anymore. Thanks.”
She was composed and deliberately interpreted Nathan's concern as coming from the entire class. Nathan relaxed, too, nodding in agreement. "Okay." Grace added, "Tonight is the final rehearsal for the Christmas party. Please try to attend. It's a group activity that requires everyone's cooperation.”
Nathan was a good singer and had agreed to perform a solo for Grace at the party. However, due to his many part-time jobs, he had rarely attended previous rehearsals, and several people had already complained to Grace about it. Now that she had brought it up again, Nathan quickly agreed. "Alright, I'll be there tonight!"
True to his word, he arrived early for the evening rehearsal. Grace was busy and only managed a quick greeting before heading backstage to oversee the sound system. When she returned to the front, a commotion had erupted onstage. Amidst the crowd, Nathan's icy voice cut through the noise: "Keep talking trash, and I'll slap you!"
A girl's shrill voice cut through the air: "You're the one with the filthy mouth! I'm just telling the truth—she came out of the elevator early that morning dressed like a man, and I wasn't the only one who saw it! Only someone blind like you would ignore the good girls who like you and insist on treating that bitch like a goddess!"
A sharp crack echoed, followed by the girl's shriek and the other girls' furious shouts. "Nathan! How could you hit her?"