Chapter 113 Chapter 113
Grace looked back at him with the same calm expression and asked, "What do you want me to do? Have a good cry? Or should I lunge at you, bite you a couple of times, and vent my anger? Benjamin, what would make you feel better? Don't make me guess. Just tell me, and I'll try my best to satisfy you."
He couldn't utter a word; he could only feel a sharp pang of heartache.
Benjamin glared at her angrily for a long moment before finally letting out a cold laugh. He rolled over again, refusing to acknowledge her.
Grace had almost braced herself for him to force himself on her. His unexpected reaction left her momentarily stunned. She sat quietly for a while longer before finally lying down, too, pressing herself against the edge of the bed and hugging her knees.
But she couldn't sleep, nor did she intend to pretend otherwise. She lay awake, enduring the night.
In the middle of the night, Benjamin stirred behind her. He got out of bed and left without looking back.
This time, he was gone for days.
The villa had no internet, television, books, or newspapers.
The maids and bodyguards were like zombies. Even when Grace approached them, they wouldn't acknowledge her.
Grace suddenly felt that Benjamin was treating her as if she were a wild beast—a wolf that needed to be tamed. The difference was that he wasn't starving or confining her. He was just subjecting her to cold violence.
But unless one was strong enough inside, this deathly loneliness could drive anyone mad.
Grace, however, remained calm. She ate and slept on schedule and spent her days practicing yoga, exercising, or doing nothing—sitting quietly for hours at a time as if lost in thought or deep meditation.
Sometimes she would rise early, wrapped in a blanket, to wait for sunrise on the eastern terrace. In the evening, she moved to the west-facing, floor-to-ceiling windows to watch the sunset.
After a month, both the maid and the bodyguard regarded her as if she were some kind of freak.
On the evening of the eighteenth day since Benjamin left, he finally came over again. He went straight to her bedroom and ordered, "Get up! Change your clothes. Come with me."
She didn't refuse. She climbed out of bed and found something to wear.
New clothes had been delivered earlier, filling her entire wardrobe with the latest designs from top brands. She idly browsed through them and asked, "Where are we going? What style should I wear?"
He stood in the doorway, one hand in his pocket. Glancing at her, he offered a faint smile. "Garma. Whatever you choose."
"Garma, Garma... That should be something flirty." She muttered to herself as she pulled a slim black dress out of the wardrobe. She held it up to herself, then grabbed a pair of sparkling high heels and changed right in front of him. After checking herself in the mirror, she was dissatisfied only with her short hair. She turned to him and said, "Mr. Norman, could you have someone buy me a few wigs? Preferably long ones with big waves."
Benjamin stared at her blankly for a moment, then found himself laughing in exasperation. “Alright.”
She sat back down at the vanity and applied makeup for a good half hour, fussing over it the whole time. Finally, she stood up, struck a few sultry poses in the mirror, and turned to him. Her face was covered in heavy makeup. "All done. Let's go."
He remained rooted to the spot, coldly appraising her. After a moment, he gave a mocking chuckle and turned to walk out. The car was parked right at the villa entrance. Michael, whom she hadn't seen in days, was waiting outside. He looked as expressionless as ever, but when his gaze met hers, it flicked away involuntarily.
Grace ignored him, bending down to slip into the car. She remained silent throughout the ride, her gaze fixed absently outside. Only when the car pulled into Garma did she seem to perk up. She pulled out her compact mirror for one last check of her makeup before stepping out. Then, surprisingly, she stepped forward and hooked her arm through Benjamin's.
Benjamin froze slightly and his expression darkened, but he didn't shake her off. He simply walked into Garma with a grim face.
It was the same private room as before, but there were several unfamiliar faces in the gathering. When they saw Grace arm-in-arm with Benjamin, someone started teasing them, laughing loudly, "Oh my god! And here we were foolishly preparing women for the boss! Look, he brought his own!”
Landon's voice cut through the crowd, his laughter laced with warning: "Shut your mouths tight. Not a word about tonight gets out. We don't want the boss' fiancée finding out.”
The others roared with laughter, but Xena, held close by Zach, was the first to sense that something was off. She tugged Zach's sleeve discreetly and nodded toward Grace.
Still rubbing the back of his head and laughing heartily, Zach misunderstood Xena's meaning. He leaned in close and whispered, "This is way more fun. Wendy was too green."
Xena rolled her eyes in exasperation, pinching Zach's arm hard and muttering, "You idiot!"
Meanwhile, Landon emerged from behind the crowd, ready to tease Benjamin again. When he saw Grace, he froze, studying her closely before recognizing her. His smile instantly stiffened. He forced a couple of dry chuckles before greeting her. "Good evening, Ms. Hill."
His words caught Benjamin's friends off guard.
Since Landon had gained Benjamin's trust and risen in status, few people had received such respectful treatment from him. Combined with that surname, everyone instantly guessed who she was.
While few knew the details about Grace, those who had heard of her understood that she held a special place in Benjamin's heart.
The lively atmosphere grew tense. Benjamin, however, remained calm and composed. He slipped his arm around Grace's shoulder and drew her before the group. "She will be my wife," he stated simply.
Grace reminded herself to smile. Her lips curved into a perfectly measured arc as if pulled by strings while she nestled in Benjamin's embrace.
Others might not know her temperament, but Landon and Zach certainly did. Zach stared at her for a long moment before snapping back to reality. Turning to Xena, he asked, "Did I just see a ghost?"
Xena pinched him again, discreetly pulling him toward the edge of the crowd. Once seated, she secretly texted Isabella: Ms. Hill is back.
After sending it, she realized she hadn't been clear enough, so she quickly added another message: With Mr. Norman.
Unfortunately, Isabella didn't see either message in time. By the time she did, it was too late—she had already told Wendy that Landon and the others were planning a bachelor party for Benjamin in Garma.
She hadn't shared this information to curry favor with Wendy. In fact, she'd taken a risk doing so.
Isabella had initially approached Wendy for the same reason she’d approached Grace: to use Benjamin as a stepping stone. But after spending time with Wendy, Isabella discovered that she was kind and treated her like a real sister.
So, Isabella started treating her like a little sister. She could see that silly Wendy had truly fallen for Benjamin. After learning that Benjamin was engaged to Miss Taylor, Isabella realized that Wendy was the only one kept in the dark about the truth. Feeling a pang of pity, Isabella thought for a long moment before finally letting Wendy in on the secret.
Wendy wasn't stupid; she just couldn’t believe it. She couldn't fathom Benjamin suddenly getting engaged to Miss Taylor. She knew Benjamin loved Grace deeply. Grace had deceived Benjamin before running off with her ex-husband.
It was precisely because of these things that Wendy had developed special feelings for Benjamin back then. She made excuses for his coldness, sympathizing with him, and fell in love with him.
She had evening classes, but she skipped them. She hailed a cab to Garma and, without alerting anyone, found the private room where Benjamin was.
The room was packed, and the revelry had reached a fever pitch. Benjamin had an arm around a woman and was surrounded by his friends, who were forcing drinks down his throat.
A loud voice boomed, "Ben, are you drinking?!"
The short-haired woman in Benjamin's embrace reached out to take the glass, but he stopped her. "Let me handle this."
The remark drew cheers from the crowd. Amidst the laughter, Benjamin tilted his head back and downed the entire glass in one gulp. Setting the glass down, he turned to glance at Grace beside him. However, her gaze was fixed on a distant point. Following her line of sight, he finally spotted Wendy standing behind the crowd.
He froze for a moment, unable to react, when Grace let out a low snort beside him. She jabbed his side with her finger and murmured, "Oh my god, your third wife has arrived."
Her words made Benjamin furious.
Nothing lived up to his expectations. He had imprisoned her, yet she showed no impatience.
He brought her here, and she dressed provocatively and conversed with ease.
She knew he was about to become engaged to her friend, yet she remained indifferent. Seeing Wendy, whom she had once risked her life to save, now reduced to his mistress, she displayed not a shred of shock or anger. Instead, she mocked him.
Benjamin's face darkened, but Grace, oblivious to the danger, waved at Wendy. "Wendy, come sit over here!" she called out warmly. "Sit on Mr. Norman's other side—he's got two free hands to hold both of us."
Not only Wendy, but also the usually open-minded people in the room were stunned by Grace's reaction. They all froze in place.
Only Zach chuckled awkwardly and remarked to Xena, "Look, that’s Ms. Hill's composure. Truly—"
Xena froze in shock, raising her hand to cover his mouth. The force was so sudden that it made a loud smack.
Benjamin's face darkened immediately. Without glancing at Wendy, he fixed his gaze on Grace. After staring at her for a moment, he let out a cold laugh.
Seemingly oblivious to his anger, Grace nudged him and said, smiling, "Go pull Wendy over here. She's being shy."