Chapter 135 Chapter 135
Grace hurriedly put the porcelain doll back on the far shelf and roughly wiped the tears from her face. She rose to open the door for Michael, clutching the photo album, and asked, "What is it?"
The tear tracks on her face were obvious. Michael glanced at her cautiously and asked, "Are you all right?"
She merely replied, "I'm fine. I just saw some old photos and couldn't help crying.”
Looking somewhat embarrassed, she added, "Don't tell him. It'll just upset him again."
Michael hesitated for a moment before nodding.
He couldn't help but steal a glance at Grace. Her face remained pale, and the tear tracks made her look fragile and haggard.
Yet, somehow, he sensed that she was different from before. He couldn't quite pinpoint what had changed. After observing her for a while, he decided it was probably because her eyes, freshly washed by tears, seemed brighter.
Grace noticed Michael studying her, but her expression remained composed. She went to the bathroom, splashed water on her face, and gathered the selected photos. Turning to Michael, she said, "Let's go."
The porcelain doll remained untouched on the nightstand. She hadn't moved it and hadn't dared to glance at it again.
Now, she longed to call Vania immediately to demand answers. Had Adrian contacted her? What had they discussed? Where was he now?
But she couldn't make that call. She couldn't arouse the slightest suspicion from Benjamin, lest it bring disaster upon Adrian and Vania.
Humans truly were the most wondrous creatures. In an instant, vitality surged back into Grace's body. The fleeting flash of light before her eyes had somehow restored her strength.
When Benjamin returned that evening, Grace sat cross-legged on the sofa, cutting out photographs.
Perhaps the phone call that afternoon had encouraged him, kindling a sliver of hope within him. Unlike before, he didn't ignore her. Hesitating slightly, he walked slowly over and stood behind the sofa, watching her.
The photos were all of her and Vania together—side by side, embracing, their expressions intimate.
She cut with meticulous care. Where the blade passed, the two girls were completely and forever severed.
"Why cut them apart?" he asked.
Her movements paused as if she had only then noticed his presence behind her. Yet she didn't turn around. She only replied softly, "We're breaking up. Naturally, everything must be divided cleanly.”
Benjamin picked up two photos at random and frowned. "Why cut your own arm?"
His question caught Grace off guard, leaving her speechless.
When two people are intertwined, separating them inevitably causes damage to one or the other. If she didn't cut her own arm, would she have cut Vania's instead? She turned to look at him, resignation in her expression, and explained, "Vania has a fiery temper. If I cut up her photos, she'd get angry.”
To her surprise, Benjamin gave a snort. "If you're breaking up anyway, why worry about whether she gets angry or not?"
Grace opened her mouth but found no words came out. After a long pause, she finally murmured, "You make such a compelling point that I can't even argue with it."
They hadn't spoken this much in ages. Benjamin felt a quiet thrill of delight, though he dared not show it. He kept a cold exterior, yet he moved unobtrusively around the table to sit beside her. He slowly began flipping through the photos of her and Vania. Back then, she had been so young, with a face full of innocence and a dazzlingly bright smile.
"You're much prettier than Vania," he suddenly remarked.
"Thanks," she replied without looking up.
As if possessed by some devil, he took advantage of her distraction to steal one of her most beautiful, smiling photos. He tucked it into his palm and pretended nothing had happened. Rising to pour himself a glass of water, he secretly slipped the photo into the inner pocket of his suit.
Despite his ironclad nerves—he could kill without blinking—this trivial act made his face flush and his heart race. His guilty conscience made him hesitate to approach, so he stood nearby, holding his cup and silently watching her.
She ignored him until she had finished cutting out all the photos. Then she set down the scissors. Looking up, she saw him still standing nearby and seemed somewhat surprised. "Need something?" she asked.
"No." He shook his head, gave her one last deep look, and turned to leave. But before he could step out the door, she called him back.
He spun around almost instantly, forcing down his excitement. His expression remained neutral as he asked, "What is it?"
She hesitated before asking, "Could you lend me some money? I owe Vania some money, and she wants it back. I've used up all my savings and don't have that much on hand right now."
“How much?” Benjamin asked, immediately regretting his words. He quickly pulled a black gold card out of his wallet, walked over, and handed it to her. "Take the card and use it. Charge her the interest, too."
Grace refused to take the card, pursing her lips slightly. "I don't need that. Just lend me a hundred thousand first. I'll pay you back later."
Upon hearing this, he became displeased. His expression darkened as he replied coldly, "I don't lend my money. If you want it, take the card. If not, then forget it.”
She spoke calmly, "Thank you. I'll find another way."
Benjamin wasn't about to back down either. He glanced at her, then sat down beside her again, crossed his legs, and twirled the black card between his fingers. "Go on," he said indifferently. "What other way do you have in mind?"
Her own savings had been transferred before her last escape. She did own a property, but it couldn't be sold quickly.
Her parents weren't around—they didn't even know she was still alive—and neither friends nor relatives could help her. He knew full well that besides him, she had no one to turn to.
She gritted her teeth. "I'll ask Landon or Michael for a loan."
He raised an eyebrow. “If you don’t tell me, they’ll lend you money the moment you open your mouth. But now that I know, you won't get a dime from them.”
Grace choked on her words and glared at him in irritation.
He didn't seem to care, even curling his lips into a smirk. "Think of another way."
She wasn't foolish enough to suggest a plan that he would inevitably ruin.
She shot him a hateful glance before snatching the black gold card from his hand. "Thanks," she said coldly.
Instead of getting angry, he smiled.
She was completely different today, making him reluctant to leave. Yet, there was no real reason to stay longer, so he casually made up an excuse. "What's up with Vania? Suddenly wanting photos and money?"
Grace’s heart tightened. She had been in such a good mood that Benjamin hadn't seemed as irritating as usual. She'd ended up talking to him more than she'd intended.
Not daring to speak freely, she lowered her eyelids and said coldly, "Don't go looking for trouble with Vania."
Benjamin hadn't intended to cause Vania any trouble. One phone call from Vania had reignited Grace's vitality, enabling her to speak with Benjamin so freely today. He felt like he should be grateful to her—why would he want to cause her trouble? He curved his lips into a faint smile and replied, "I won't. This is between you women!"