Chapter 146 Chapter 146
They finally located Mrs. Meyer at the third hospital.
She had suffered a stroke. Having already had one stroke, the sudden shock of learning about her granddaughter's death triggered a more severe attack. Though she had been temporarily saved, her condition remained critical.
When Grace arrived, Mrs. Meyer was still unconscious and attended only by a relative at her bedside. Noticing Grace's attire, the relative cautiously asked, "And you are?"
Grace hesitated, unsure how to respond. After a moment's pause, she replied, "I'm a friend of Officer Meyer's. He once helped me tremendously."
The relative nodded sadly.
Grace carefully inquired about Mrs. Meyer's condition and sat down by the bedside to keep vigil.
Michael dared not stray far and waited in the hallway outside. He kept peeking in through the door to check on her.
At around eight o'clock, he slowed his pace as he entered the room and handed Grace a lunchbox, whispering, "Please eat something."
Grace had no appetite and waved it away. "You eat it."
Michael looked at her, hesitated, then added, "Mr. Norman has called several times already. If you keep this up, I'll have to report it to him."
He pushed the lunchbox closer to her again and urged, "Eat something.”
Grace said nothing, lowered her eyes, took the box, and got up to eat in the hallway.
The contents were simple: a few sandwiches and warm milk. She forced herself to swallow bite after bite. Halfway through, Benjamin arrived.
His expression darkened as he glanced at her food. He snatched the box from her hands, tossed it in the trash, grabbed her arm, and yanked her toward the door.
She struggled weakly, unable to break free. "Benjamin," she whispered hoarsely. "Let go of me."
He turned back, staring at her coldly. "Grace, Wendy's death had nothing to do with you. Neither did Mrs. Meyer's illness. You bear no responsibility! Who do you think you are?"
Grace remained silent, staring back at him blankly.
His gaze made her feel suffocated. He pressed on: "Rest assured that even if they come seeking revenge, they'll come for me. It has nothing to do with you. Who are you trying to atone for?"
She still said nothing, staring straight at him. Her eyes resembled a nearly burned-out fire.
A layer of dark, heavy ash lay atop them. Yet, if that thin layer were swept away, a single gust of wind could instantly reignite the scorching flames within.
This was hatred—a raging fury held back only by sheer willpower.
Benjamin felt an overwhelming wave of despair wash over him. He slowly closed his eyes. When he opened them again, only calm remained. His voice was soft. "Come back with me. I'll arrange for someone to look after things here."
Grace didn't insist. Her gaze swept over his hand, and she said calmly, "Let go. I'll walk myself.”
He pressed his lips together and slowly released his grip.
After returning, she went straight to the bedroom and insisted on sleeping alone. In the dead of night, she suddenly sat up from the bed.
The room was dark; not even the bedside lamp was lit. By the moonlight streaming through the window, she fumbled for the pregnancy test in her bag and stared at it blankly.
The test line was as distinct as ever, darker than when she had seen it in the hospital bathroom that afternoon. The thing she feared most had happened, yet beyond a blank mind, she felt no further reaction.
There was no madness, no loss of control—not even a flicker of emotion in front of others.
Grace was unexpectedly calm and quickly devised countless methods to terminate the pregnancy, which was barely the size of a soybean.
Yet, after considering all these options, she was struck by an even stronger conviction: she couldn't simply discard this "soybean" so easily. She would use it to get what she wanted from Benjamin, and then she would dispose of it right in front of him.
This thought grew stronger and stronger, drowning out all her fear and rage. She couldn't stop imagining the scene, picturing Benjamin's expression when the moment came, and the thought alone brought her a sense of satisfaction.
But after the momentary release, she felt utterly alienated by this version of herself, chilled to the bone.
She couldn't resist dialing Adrian's long-discarded number. As she listened to the persistent busy tone, she whispered into the silence, "Adrian, I think I'm losing my mind. I might not make it until you come back."
She buried her face in her arms and wept silently. Exhausted from crying, she reached for her purse, intending to hide the pregnancy test inside. But her hand slipped into the side pocket and touched another phone. She froze, remembering that this was the phone Wendy had given her to return to Benjamin.
The phone was turned off, and she didn't know if it still had power. For reasons she couldn't explain, she pressed the power button.
Moments later, the screen lit up silently. She instinctively swiped it, only to discover that it was password-locked. Grace paused, thought for a moment, and entered "1109" from memory. To her surprise, it unlocked.
Grace froze, a vague sense of familiarity washing over her. She felt she had seen this sequence somewhere before. Closing her eyes, she strained to sift through every number she had ever seen or memorized. Suddenly, four digits flashed into view from an inconspicuous corner of her mind.
They were the numbers she'd seen in Alex's file, the date he'd been rushed to the hospital with acute pancreatitis.
Yes, that was the date tucked away in an inconspicuous corner of his file. It was also the day that Alex was swapped for the original Benjamin, becoming the president of the Norman Science, "Benjamin."
In other words, this date could also be considered Alex's birthday.
Grace didn't know why Wendy had chosen these numbers for her phone password. But, recalling Wendy's shy expression when she spoke them, it couldn't be mere coincidence—it must be connected to Benjamin.
A wave of nervousness washed over her. She gritted her teeth and think for a moment before resolutely climbing out of bed. Moving with quiet, deliberate steps, she slipped past the living room and stopped outside Benjamin's study door.
Not knowing if anyone was inside, she knocked twice on the door. Hearing no response and seeing that no one had stirred downstairs, she carefully unlocked the keypad and entered the four digits.
A soft click sounded, and the lock opened.
Grace froze, her hand still on the doorknob. She was unable to move for a long moment.
She took several deep breaths, inhaling and exhaling slowly until her emotions finally settled. Instead of entering the study, she closed the door behind her and went back to her bedroom to sleep.
The next morning, she got up as usual and went downstairs for breakfast without waiting to be called. Benjamin emerged from the guest room, his eyes slightly dark-circled. He stood silently by the table, watching her for a moment, before saying, "Don't go to the hospital today. I've sent someone to keep watch there. They'll notify you if there's any news."
Her expression remained calm as she met his gaze. "And I'm not allowed to go to the office either, am I?"
"Rest at home for two days. We'll discuss work later," he replied. He studied her deeply before adding, "I consulted the doctor. He said that early pregnancy can mimic cold symptoms. Don't take any medication without his advice for now.”
Grace looked slightly startled, then offered a faint smile. "All right."
Her docility genuinely surprised Benjamin. He gave her a peculiar look before turning to leave. At the doorway, he paused and turned back to study her for a moment. "Grace," he warned softly, "don't do anything reckless."
She simply replied, "All right."
He hesitated, then turned and walked out.
Once he arrived at the office, however, his mind was elsewhere. He couldn't focus on any of the documents. The letters seemed to float and dance before his eyes, and he couldn't make out a single word.
Benjamin set down his pen and sat with a cold expression for a moment. Then he called Michael in on the intercom. "Find someone reliable to shadow Grace," he instructed.
Michael paused, taken aback. After a moment's hesitation, he asked, "What about Isabella? She knows her place and is acquainted with Ms. Hill.”
Benjamin gave a slight nod. "Okay, then."
When Michael notified Isabella, she wished she had a broken leg to use as an excuse to refuse.
She forced herself to accept. Then she rushed to the apartment to accompany Grace.
Grace showed no resistance to her arrival, and she asked, "Did Benjamin send you to keep a close eye on me?"
Isabella dared not tell the truth. She replied, "Mr. Norman was worried you might be bored alone, so he asked me to come keep you company and chat.”
Grace didn't call her out on the lie. Instead, she said, "In that case, you don't need to stay with me. I'd like to be alone and read. Don't worry; I won't cause you any trouble."
Isabella dared not believe her. She agreed, "All right," but refused to leave. Instead, she plopped down on the corner sofa and gave a dry laugh. “Don’t shoo me away. I won't disturb you. You read your book, and I'll flip through magazines here!”
Grace merely smiled and paid her no further attention, lowering her head to continue reading her book.
In the afternoon, Michael suddenly returned and told Grace, "Mrs. Meyer has woken up. Mr. Norman asked me to come get you to visit her at the hospital."
Grace immediately stood up, gathered her things quickly, and followed Michael out the door. Only when she got into the car did she notice that Benjamin was already inside. Her heart sank as she asked him, "Mrs. Meyer couldn't hold on, could she?"
Benjamin didn't answer immediately. He studied her face and noticed the calm in her eyes, which made him feel uneasy. He pressed his thin lips together and softly said, "She woke up, but her condition isn't good."