Chapter 129 Chapter 129
Grace shot him a glare. "Don't change the subject."
Caught off guard, Benjamin stood up awkwardly and headed toward the bathroom. "I'm tired. I'll take a shower and get some rest." He turned back nonchalantly and asked, "Want to join me?"
She had just pulled a small doll figurine out of the box when she heard this. Her composure shattered instantly. She flung the doll at him and snapped, "Go by yourself! Scrub yourself clean! Wash off all those disgusting smells!"
His amusement at her outburst was evident. He turned back, ignoring her struggles, and carried her forcefully into the bathroom. "Come on," he chuckled. "Let's wash together. No need to be shy." Intent on teasing her, he grabbed the showerhead and doused her with hot water. She scrambled to dodge the spray and cursed, "Benjamin, you bastard!"
He only laughed and tossed the showerhead aside. He leaned in and embraced her soaked body. He lowered his head to kiss her. At first, she pushed him away, pounding his shoulders. But gradually, her resistance ceased. Her hands limply hooked around his arms as she surrendered to his movements.
Desire surged through him. Breathing heavily, he asked, "We got everything checked today, Everything's fine, right?"
She didn't answer. Instead, she tilted her head back and silenced him with her lips.
It was the clearest answer he could have asked for, driving him nearly mad.
Which truly begets the other—love or lust?
Are they intertwined and mutually reinforcing, or are they utterly unrelated?
Benjamin didn't know, nor did he wish to know. In that moment, he only wanted to hold her tighter and touch her heart carefully.
On the third day back in Seattle, Benjamin arranged to meet Vania at a teahouse near her workplace. With remarkable composure, he recounted the events between him and Grace.
His version mirrored what he’d told Wendy: Grace had mistaken him for Alex, a death row inmate, and was determined to send him to prison. Yet he had fallen for her and pursued her relentlessly.
He left out only his true identity as Alex and his criminal activities, disclosing almost everything else, including how he pursued Grace relentlessly, pressured her into a divorce, and tracked her down across Europe after she escaped.
Vania was stunned for a moment before asking, "You said you didn't even know Grace? Have you been lying to me all along?”
He nodded. "Yes."
Vania gritted her teeth, finally forcing a curse through her clenched jaw. "Bastard!"
She stormed to her feet and dumped the entire cup of tea over Benjamin. Still unsatisfied, she raised her hand and slapped him hard across the face. He didn't flinch, taking the blow squarely. His head jerked slightly to the side from the impact, and it took him a moment to regain his composure.
The slap echoed so loudly that it startled Vania herself. Yet Benjamin remained utterly composed. He pulled out a tissue and dabbed the water from his clothes. His voice was calm. "Vania, I took that slap not because I owe you anything, but for Grace's sake."
He remained as composed and detached as ever. Vania, who had once been captivated by this demeanor, now realized for the first time that his apparent calmness and indifference came from a cold, ruthless core. Like Grace, Vania had also been a dominant figure since childhood. Hearing this, she couldn't help but sneer. "Benjamin, thank you."
"You're welcome," he replied with a smile.
Vania was so furious that she couldn't speak. She glared at him with hatred and hissed, "Benjamin, you just wait."
With that childish threat, she stormed out.
Benjamin shrugged it off with a casual smile. He pulled out his wallet, placed two large bills on the table, stood up, and left the private room. Instead of going to the company, he headed straight back to his apartment.
Grace was upstairs, curled up in a soft armchair by the window, reading. The afterglow of the setting sun enveloped her from behind, bathing her entire figure in a warm, tranquil glow. She was as serene as a painting.
Unconsciously, Benjamin halted, leaning against the doorway with his arms crossed. He watched her silently.
She happened to look up once and noticed him. She raised an eyebrow and asked, "Why didn't you say anything?"
He smiled and stepped forward. Bending down, he scooped her up from the armchair in one swift motion. He claimed the seat for himself while holding her tightly against his chest. "What book are you so engrossed in?" he asked.
She waved the book in her hand toward him. When she turned back, she noticed the finger marks on his cheek. She reached out and turned his face toward her, examining the marks closely. The marks were delicate, and she guessed they must have been left by a woman. A teasing smile touched her lips as she asked, "Which wife slapped you?"
"Vania," he replied flatly.
Grace froze. "You confronted her? What did you say?"
"Does it matter? As long as she blames it all on me, right?” Benjamin chuckled softly and pulled her hand down to hold it playfully in his. "Grace, as long as I'm around, your friendship with Vania will never be the same. Since that's the case, maybe you should try keeping in touch less often from now on. What do you think?"
She pressed her lips together, silent.
He smiled again. "Besides, some things are better left unknown to her, wouldn't you agree?"
She knew exactly what he meant. A mocking smile touched her lips. "Benjamin, are you blackmailing me again?"
"Not blackmail." He curved his lips slightly. "Grace, if Vania weren't your friend and you hadn't insisted that I not harm her, I wouldn't have let her slap me. Though her father has some influence, I have plenty of ways to make her disappear without a trace. You must understand that her being alive now troubles me far more than her being dead.”
A chill ran through Grace's heart. She believed him. A man who disregarded the law this much had likely killed countless people—one more or less made no difference. She hesitated for a moment before whispering, "Will she come after you?"
Benjamin raised an eyebrow and countered, "What do you think? Don't you know her temperament well?"
She lowered her eyelids. "Why not pin it on me? Two women fighting? At worst, it'll just look messy. Given her temper, she wouldn't actually do anything to me. The most likely outcome is that she'll cut ties with me."
He narrowed his eyes slightly and tilted his head to study her. "Are you thinking of me, or are you afraid she'll push me too far and I'll take it out on her?”
She told him the truth. "I'm afraid you might."
He gently cupped her chin, torn between affection and frustration. "You little rascal," he murmured. "Would it hurt to say something nice to placate me?"
Just as he started to complain, his phone rang. He pulled it out and saw Vania's name displayed. Benjamin chuckled and held the phone toward her. "Guess what she wants?"
Grace thought for a moment and replied, "Looking for me."
Sure enough, Vania was calling for Grace. Without any small talk, she addressed Benjamin directly. "I need to see Grace."
Benjamin said nothing, just handed the phone to Grace. Grace had barely said “Hello" when Vania exploded on the other end. "You're with that bastard, Benjamin? What the hell are you doing, Grace? After that weird call, you vanished without a trace! Do you have any idea how hard I searched for you? I even hired a private detective to look for you like a fool! I refuse to believe that bastard has someone watching you 24/7 and stopping you from making phone calls. The two of you are playing dangerous games, but don't drag us ordinary people into it, okay?”
She was clearly venting her frustration, and Grace was the target.
Grace remained silent, listening quietly. Only when Vania had shouted herself hoarse, finally stopping to pant heavily, did Grace speak. "Don't get so worked up. Let's talk in person, okay?"
After she had calmed down somewhat, Vania replied, "Alright, come out."
She gave Grace the name of a private club. Grace hung up and turned to Benjamin. She suggested, "You shouldn't show up, okay?"
He looked displeased and tightened his arms around her waist. "I finally made time to come back and have dinner with you."
She had no choice but to placate him. "We'll have plenty of chances to eat together later."
This soothed Benjamin. He released her but then added, "I'll drive you there."
“No need!” Grace refused instantly. Seeing his frown, she hurried to explain, "You don't know Vania's temper. I'll drive myself. Don't let her see you."
He studied her for a moment before nodding and letting her leave. Grace didn't dare entertain any other thoughts and drove to meet Vania. By now, she had lost Adrian. Though her parents were alive, they were worlds away. Only her friend Vania remained, and she wouldn't put her at risk.
Vania had arrived earlier and was waiting for her in the room.
Under different circumstances, the two friends reuniting after so long would have embraced. But this time, Benjamin stood between them like an invisible wall. Though Vania's emotions had calmed, her expression remained cold. She merely nodded slightly at Grace, gesturing for her to sit down. Then she demanded bluntly, "Grace, I need the truth from you. Tell me what's really going on here.”
"Exactly as Benjamin said." Grace replied.
This answer infuriated Vania. Suppressing her rage, she asked, "Does Benjamin have anything to do with that Alex guy?"
Grace remained calm. "No, I was mistaken."
Vania laughed bitterly and pressed, "So you misunderstood him, he inexplicably fell for you, and that led to this whole mess? Is that it?”
Grace pressed her lips together and answered, "Yes."
"But what the hell does that have to do with me? You two could have just played around on your own! Why drag me into this?" Vania stormed to her feet and shouted, "Just because I know you, just because I lent you my ID card, does that mean I deserve this? I was so focused on dating him. I was convinced I'd found a good man. I almost got engaged to him! Engaged!"
Grace was silent for a long moment before saying, "Vania, forget about this. Forget Benjamin. And don't tell your family about any of this."
"How could I possibly tell my family? How could I tell them that the man I fell for truly loved my best friend? That he never liked me? That he only agreed to the engagement to spite my friend?" Vania fired back at Grace, her eyes reddening until she finally broke down in tears.
Grace felt the pain, too, but she couldn't cry. Not only could she not cry; she had to remain detached. She pulled out a tissue and handed it to Vania. "This is just a misunderstanding," she said flatly. “No one could have predicted it would turn out like this. Benjamin didn't know I knew you when he went on that blind date with you. I only found out he was engaged to you when the two of you announced your engagement."
"Yeah, you're both innocent. I can only blame my own bad luck!" Vania sneered. She roughly wiped her tears and stared at Grace. "Grace, I won't say much more. Benjamin claims he forced you to stay with him. So, I'll ask you one thing. Do you want to leave him? If you do, I'll do whatever it takes to get you out, even if it means risking my life. He will never find you again."
Grace summoned every ounce of strength to force a faint smile. "He can't lock me up forever," she replied. "If I truly wanted to leave, I would have left long ago."
Vania nodded slowly. "All right, I get it. Grace, we've known each other for over a decade. Whatever happened before, from now on, we're done." Her face turned cold as she grabbed her handbag and started walking out.
"Wait." Grace called after her, pausing before adding, "Vania, forget about this. Forget Benjamin."
Vania was no fool. After hearing Grace repeat those words twice, she turned back with a mocking look and said coldly, "Rest assured, I won't seek revenge. The two of you are just two piles of dog shit. I had the misfortune of encountering you both, but from now on, I'll keep my distance. Stepping on you would only dirty my feet."
With that, she slammed the door shut and stormed out.
Grace remained seated with a bitter smile curling her lips. But as she smiled, tears welled up and spilled over.
With a self-mocking chuckle, she rose and went into the restroom of the private room to splash water on her face. Only then did she lower her head and leave. But just as she stepped through the door and took a few steps, she collided head-on with someone.
Her eyes were red, and she quickly bowed her head to apologize, not wanting anyone to see. But the man cursed and refused to let it go.
Hearing this, Grace couldn't help but feel angry, too. She lifted her head to look at him and said coldly, "Watch your language."
The moment their eyes met, they both froze. Grace regained her composure first. Her expression darkened instantly as she lowered her head and hurried forward. The black man reacted half a beat too late, reaching out to stop her. His cloudy eyes lingered greedily on Grace. A mix of surprise and delight was evident as he asked with a wicked grin, "Ms. Hill? Is that right?”