Chapter 137 Chapter 137
Grace lowered her eyes and offered no comment on the matter.
Truthfully, she was torn inside. Benjamin had killed Clarence, and she felt vindicated. Yet, the thought that Clarence's entire family had been wiped out because of her filled her with dread and guilt. Even if Clarence had deserved to die, did his loved ones deserve the same fate?
Then again, wasn't she innocent too?
She was a pawn in someone else's hands, barely able to look after herself, yet she still found room to pity others. She really had a serious case of the saint complex.
Grace pushed these jumbled thoughts aside and asked Vania, "Can I send an email to Edi's inbox?"
Vania shook her head. "Adrian said not to reply. Plus, the email he sent me had a virus and deleted itself after I opened it. I suspect that was an account he secretly hijacked. He probably won't check it again.”
Grace let out a soft "Oh," her disappointment evident.
Vania had already looked through all the photos once, so it felt awkward to look through them again. She gathered the irregularly cut pictures and tucked them into her bag. "Since he told you to wait patiently, then wait. Rest assured, if he sends me any news, I'll pass it on to you immediately."
At this point, there was nothing else to do. Grace nodded slightly, then suddenly remembered something. "Give me your card number. I'll transfer the money to you."
Vania froze, utterly speechless. “All right, stop messing around. I only brought up money because I was afraid you might miss my hints.”
“If you brought it up, you should offer it, lest he grow suspicious.” Grace said, pulling paper and a pen out of her bag and handing them to Vania. "Write down your account number. I'll transfer some money to you."
Hearing this, Vania finally agreed and wrote down an account number. She couldn't help but ask in a low voice, "Still thinking of running away?"
Run away? No, this time she wasn't planning to flee. She intended to take down Benjamin. Just as Landon had hinted, she would cut down the Norman family tree at its roots. She had to act fast before Adrian was exposed. Only then would Adrian face less danger and be safe. A faint smile touched Grace's lips, but she didn't answer Vania. It wasn't distrust; she simply didn't want to involve her further.
Seeing her expression, Vania didn't press further.
Their conversation had already gone on too long, and continuing it would have been unreasonable. Vania rose first, adding, "Good thing we weren't actually fighting. Otherwise, I'd have had to splash a glass of water on you—and I just couldn't bring myself to do that." She smiled at Grace, made no further excuses, and promptly grabbed her bag to leave.
Vania was always this decisive and straightforward. Grace watched her leave with a smile, then sat alone at the table, no longer wanting to leave.
Michael had noticed Vania's departure long ago and was ready to leave. But Grace remained seated, lost in thought and showing no sign of moving.
He didn't want to rush her, so he sat and waited. As he waited, inspiration struck. He turned away and discreetly called Benjamin. "Mr. Norman, Ms. Hill is sitting alone in the square. Miss Taylor has already left."
Within half an hour, Benjamin arrived. Grace remained lost in thought, watching the children play in the square. She was a beat late in noticing that someone had sat down beside her. She turned her head instinctively and saw him. She froze, staring at him in astonishment.
Feeling guilty, Benjamin didn't wait for her to ask. He pointed toward the City Hall building directly across the square and offered a deliberately nonchalant explanation: "I was over there taking care of some business and saw you here."
Michael had just approached when he overheard the exchange. He instinctively looked up, narrowing his eyes slightly. Across the vast square, spanning over a hundred meters and dotted with fountains and sculptures, he gazed toward the City Hall building. He couldn’t help but marvel inwardly: From that distance, you spotted Ms. Hill sitting at the café table? Mr. Norman, your eyesight must be incredible!
Noticing that Grace was also looking up at the building, Michael suddenly felt reluctant to witness the awkwardness his boss was about to face. Hesitating, he didn't approach to greet them, but instead turned and returned to his original table.
Benjamin, of course, realized the awkwardness of the situation. But he simply chuckled, smoothly changing the subject. "The weather is lovely today, isn't it?"
On this April afternoon, the temperature was just right, not too cold nor too hot, and the sunlight was perfect. It masked the icy sarcasm playing at the corners of her lips, leaving only a faint smile. "It is," she replied indifferently. Then she politely asked, "Would you like a cup of coffee?"
He seized the opportunity, nodding immediately. "I'll have one."
He waved over the waiter and casually ordered a coffee.
He wasn't particularly fond of coffee, but if it meant sitting across from her, he'd gladly drink anything. He looked up at her, smiling. "How did the meeting with Vania go?"
"Not bad," Grace replied, raising an eyebrow with a hint of mischief in her eyes. “She talked so much that her mouth went dry, and she finished her juice way too early. When she finally lost her temper with me later, she couldn’t even throw anything at me. She just slammed the photos she was holding. But they were all cut up—just pictures of herself. So, in the end, it was like she was just throwing herself around.”
What should have been an awkward scene was recounted with humor and wit. Benjamin wanted to laugh, but a bitter taste lingered in his mouth. "I’m sorry."
Grace shrugged, tugging at the corners of her mouth to show that it didn't matter. They said nothing more, just sat facing each other in silence. Unnoticed, the sun gradually sank toward the west. Though she was reluctant to leave, she stood up and said, "Let's head back.”
He could tell she didn't want to return to the apartment that felt like a cage. After taking a few steps, he suddenly said, "How about we eat out tonight?"
Her pace faltered. She turned to look at him, pursed her lips, and didn't refuse his suggestion. Instead, she asked, "Where?"
His heart filled with delight at her response. Forcing himself to remain composed, he walked slowly to her side. Fearing he might be tempted to take her hand, he shoved his hands into his pockets and said casually, "A nice place. After dinner, we can play cards."
Grace was an exceptional card player. With her sharp memory and cunning mind, she was unbeatable. Indeed, she was far more interested in cards than dinner. "Have you arranged for everyone?" she asked.
Though not a single person had been contacted yet, Benjamin nodded calmly. "It's all set."
As he spoke, he glanced casually—or so it seemed—toward Michael. Michael understood his signal. He gave an almost imperceptible nod and waited for a moment alone to quickly make the call. No matter where they were or what they were doing, as long as they were still alive, they would be at the card table tonight.
Grace ignored the subtle exchange between the two men and simply replied, "All right, I'll go."
She went to dinner with Benjamin first.
A place recommended by the president of Norman Science couldn't be bad. The ambiance and cuisine were both top-notch.
Yet, conversation remained sparse between them. She was focused on how to draw closer to Benjamin without arousing suspicion, and he was preoccupied with how to break the ice without repelling her.
They each had their own approach.
It was unclear how Michael had notified them, but barely halfway through the meal, Landon called, urging, "Are you coming or not? The guys are waiting. You're not chickening out, are you?"
Benjamin was impressed by Michael's efficiency, though he remained calm. “Be patient, I'll be there shortly." As soon as he finished speaking, he noticed that Grace's pace of eating had quickened noticeably. His tone shifted instantly, and he said gently, "Eat slower. There's no need to rush."
The person on the other end of the line played along, immediately mimicking a woman's voice and answering Benjamin in a sweet, coquette-like tone. "Got it. No rush here."
The phone volume was quite loud, and Benjamin hadn't pressed it tightly against his ear, so the voice came through clearly. He froze for a moment while Grace couldn't hold it in. She sprayed out all the soup she'd just swallowed, choking herself in the process and coughing uncontrollably.
Benjamin quickly reached out to pat her back. At first, he didn't notice anything unusual. But when her hand naturally rested on his arm, signaling him to stop, he froze. Suddenly, he realized that she hadn't resisted his touch that day.
She hadn't caught on yet and rasped, "It's fine. No need to pat anymore."
He withdrew his hand, dazed, and took a long moment to recover. Only then did she notice that something was off. She asked, "What's wrong?"
"Nothing." He forced a smile before adding, "Let's eat! Let's win their underwear!"
After dinner, they headed to Garma to play cards. Coincidentally, they bumped into Vito right outside the door.
He was with an extremely thin girl. Despite the sweltering heat, she wore a knit cap, a large mask, and sunglasses, completely concealing her palm-sized face. Such elaborate concealment only heightened curiosity, though. Even Grace, who was usually reserved, couldn't help but glance at the girl several times.
Benjamin seemed to read her thoughts, murmuring, "She's a celebrity." Noticing Grace's curiosity, he took her hand without hesitation. "Come on, I'll show you."
He pulled her toward Vito and his group. Vito had clearly intended to pretend he hadn't seen them, but now he had to step forward and greet them. He grunted, "Benjamin." When his gaze fell on Grace behind Benjamin, his expression shifted visibly with discomfort. He deliberately ignored her.
Unexpectedly, Grace remained perfectly composed. She greeted him, "Hello."
"Call him Vito," Benjamin interjected. His expression darkened as he turned to his cousin, his tone sharp. "You're old enough to know how to address people, aren't you?"
Vito genuinely didn't know how to address Grace. Thinking Benjamin was just looking for a fight, Vito let out a defiant chuckle and called out to her. “Ms. Hill.”