Chapter 149 Chapter 149

Chapter 149 Chapter 149
Grace and Vania didn't come home until after dinner. Benjamin had arrived earlier and was waiting for them in the upstairs living room. When he saw her come back safe and sound, he couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. In a light tone, he asked, "So, what did you buy?"
She tossed all the shopping bags beside him. "See for yourself."
He wasn't curious about her purchases; he just wanted an excuse to talk to her. But she clearly had no intention of chatting, so he just said, "As long as you like it."
Her expression remained cool as she turned and went to the bathroom to shower. When she emerged, wrapped in a bathrobe, she found that he had followed her unnoticed. He was sitting on the sofa by the bed, flipping through an art book. Hearing her approach, he looked up and called, "Grace, come here."
Grace hesitated, drying her hair as she walked over. Before she could see the book, he pulled her down onto the arm of the sofa. His arm loosely encircled her waist. Ignoring her resistance, he asked softly, "What kind of wedding do you want?"
Only then did she realize that he wasn't holding an art book, but rather a wedding proposal from an event planning company.
The proposal was exquisitely crafted. He had already reviewed most of it and selected the sections he liked best to show her. "I think these are great. Which one do you prefer?”
He sounded utterly serious, with not the slightest hint of jest. Grace lifted her eyes to him, ready to deliver a few sarcastic remarks, but the words died on her lips. Instead, she curled her lips in mockery. "You choose." She paused, then added, "But I don't like outdoor venues. An indoor wedding would be better."
A lawn or beach wedding might be more romantic, but she didn't need romance now. She wanted noise; she wanted chaos. An indoor wedding would make it easier for her to get things done amid the commotion.
Unaware of her plan, he nodded slowly and flipped to the indoor wedding mock-ups. "What about these?" he asked.
Grace didn't answer. Instead, she asked, "Will your grandfather agree to let you marry me?"
Old Norman would certainly object, but Benjamin had no intention of seeking his approval. He smiled and gently rubbed her waist with his hand. Lifting his gaze to meet hers, he said with earnestness, "The more the Norman family bickers, the happier you'll be, right? Rest assured, as long as he doesn't die of frustration, he'll attend the wedding. Not just him—Vito, too. I'll invite every single relative and friend of the Norman family."
Things unfolded exactly as she’d anticipated. He thought her agreement to marry him was merely to unsettle the Norman family. He was unaware that she intended to uproot the entire family tree from its very foundation.
Grace said nothing, only bowing her head to wipe her dripping hair.
Benjamin glanced at her, tossed the sketchbook aside, and snatched the towel from her hands. She instinctively raised her arm to block him, but he pinned it down. "Stop fussing," he murmured, pulling her from the armrest into his embrace. He draped the towel over her head and began massaging her hair with just the right amount of pressure. Grace struggled but couldn't break free, so she gave up and let him dry her hair. After a moment, she said indifferently, "You're supposed to pat it dry with the towel, not rub it like it's straw."
His movements paused, and he chuckled softly. He wrapped the towel around her hair as she'd instructed and patted it gently. Then he asked, "Like this?"
She didn't answer, but she didn't nitpick either.
Silence filled the room. The floor lamp beside them cast a soft glow, illuminating her long brown hair and lending it a nearly metallic sheen.
Fresh from the shower, her hair carried a faint, refreshing scent that was deeply soothing.
Unconsciously, he paused, his gaze settling on her fair, delicate neck. He slowly leaned down and gently kissed the nape of her neck.
Grace was deeply absorbed in planning her next steps and completely unprepared. Only when his warm lips touched her did her heart skip a beat in fright. Without a second thought, she pushed him away and turned to glare at him, her disgust utterly evident.
Perhaps sensing that her resistance was too obvious, she quickly lowered her head again.
Benjamin froze for a moment, finally realizing that all the warmth had been his own fantasy.
He curved his lips, saying nothing. He simply stood up and left, not returning that night.
Grace knew he was angry. Reason told her to set aside her pride, avoid a cold war with him, and prevent her plans from being ruined.
Yet, her emotions were beyond her control. She despised and hated him more than ever, to the point where she could no longer pretend to be around him.
As they walked, they found themselves at the edge of a cliff.
A bottomless abyss lay ahead—one misstep would mean certain death.
They both knew this well, yet they closed their eyes and kept walking.
She had no other choice. Neither did he.
The next day at the office, Vito stormed over to Benjamin, seemingly having forgotten his earlier terrifying demeanor. He lunged toward his desk and bellowed, "Alex! Have you lost your mind? How could you marry that woman? You ruined her life—she hates you more than anything! How could she possibly have married you willingly?"
Benjamin remained impassive, his hands folded before him. He met Vito's gaze and said simply, "I know. She doesn't want to marry me. She just wants revenge."
Vito stumbled, staring at Benjamin as if he were a madman. "Then why are you still marrying her?" he demanded bitterly.
"Yes," Benjamin replied with a faint smile. "I'm still marrying her. I choose to.”
Vito was so furious that he couldn't speak for a moment. Forcing down his rage, he leaned forward with his hands braced on the table and gritted his teeth. “Alex! If you were still Alex, you could marry whoever you wanted. Even if you married an enemy or a whore, it wouldn't concern me. But you're not Alex now. You're the CEO of Norman Science! You're my cousin, Benjamin. So please, don't ruin my cousin's reputation. Don't make people laugh at him and mock him as a fool led around by a woman.”
Despite the harshness of his words, Benjamin didn't seem angry. He merely lifted his eyes to look at Vito indifferently. "I don't live my life for your cousin. Twisting his lips in a sneer, he added, "As for his reputation—what does a dead man care about reputation?"
"So you're marrying a whore who's slept with countless men?" Vito lost control of his rage and spoke without restraint. “How many people saw you send that woman to entertain Clarence? How many people heard you take her to Garma and say that you'd let me have my way with her? Alex! You treated her like a whore, humiliating her relentlessly. Now, you’re marrying her as if she’s your precious treasure and inviting everyone to your wedding. What are people supposed to say? How could you—"
He abruptly stopped mid-sentence. Benjamin’s expression was terrifying, jolting Vito back to his senses. He dared not continue.
Benjamin sat there with his teeth clenched and his entire body rigid.
After a full half-minute, he slowly exhaled, lifted his eyes to Vito, and said flatly, "I'm nothing but a street thug. Never mind whether she's a whore or not. I don't hear what people say behind my back, but I'll make sure those who dare speak within my earshot never speak again.”
His tone was deceptively calm yet carried a chilling, murderous intent. Vito stared at Benjamin's face, identical to his cousin's, and was speechless. After a long moment, he finally asked, "You've truly made up your mind, haven't you?"
Benjamin replied, "Yes, I have."
Vito pressed, "Even knowing she wants your life, will you still place the knife in her hands? Is that it?"
"Yes." Benjamin answered.
Vito let out a bitter laugh and spread his hands. "Then I have nothing to say. I've done my best."
With that, he turned and left Benjamin's office. Just as he stepped outside, he encountered Michael hurrying by. Vito paused, called Michael over, and after a moment of silence, he said, "Michael, protect your boss. Don't let that woman kill him."
Although Vito had constantly opposed Benjamin and picked fights with him, deep down, he had always regarded Benjamin as his cousin.
Michael was touched but didn't know what to say. Vito had already left by the time he could respond. Michael glanced back at Vito before knocking on Benjamin's office door and entering.
"Mr. Norman, Vania snuck into Meyer's house late last night." Michael cautiously glanced at Benjamin. Seeing his grim expression, Michael dared not say another word.
Benjamin slowly closed his eyes. Though he had long suspected that Grace would take action and would never simply concede to him, the coldness in his heart was palpable when it became reality.
No amount of preparation or self-reassurance could erase the pain of a blade piercing his chest.
"She went to the Meyers'?" he asked flatly. "How long did she stay?"
Michael replied, "She probably didn't go inside. I didn't see any lights on at the Meyers'. But I did notice the hallway light flickering on and off for quite a while—right around the corner, downstairs from the apartment building. Early this morning, I snuck over to take a look. There were quite a few things piled up, and it looked like they'd been rummaged through.”
Benjamin understood. He nodded slightly. "Did she see anyone else afterward?"
“No, she went straight home and came to work as usual this morning.” Michael answered, then hesitated before adding, "I suspect she went to look for something among those piles of junk. Could Mrs. Meyer have hidden copies of the files there?"
If she hid them there, that would be quite unexpected. The old lady really had some nerve. Michael dared not say more, waiting for Benjamin's instructions. But Benjamin remained silent. Michael glanced at him, fearing that he might be hesitating because of Grace's involvement and allowing Vania to proceed unchecked. Clenching his jaw, Michael cautioned, "Ms. Hill alone is manageable, but with Vania involved—and a congressman backing her—it's a different story. Mr. Norman, be careful. Delaying this could lead to trouble."
Benjamin pondered briefly before rising from his seat. "Let's go. We'll find Vania."
They drove straight to Vania's company. Upon arriving at the building, Michael intended to call Vania down, but Benjamin stopped him. He exited the car alone and went directly to her office. Benjamin had visited before as Vania's boyfriend, though it had been over six months ago. The receptionist recognized him immediately. Seeing him enter, she froze and stammered, "Are you here to see Vania?"
Benjamin pointed toward Vania's office and asked, "Is she in there?"
The receptionist nodded blankly. "Yes, she is."
Before she could finish, Benjamin had already turned and walked toward Vania's office. By the time she regained her senses, he was already out of sight. She stood frozen for a moment before hurriedly grabbing the phone to call Vania on the internal line. "Vania, Mr. Norman is here to see you!" she said, her voice tinged with panic.
After a brief silence, Vania's cool voice replied, "I know."
She hung up, lifted her head, and forced herself to appear calm as she met Benjamin's gaze at the door. He glanced at her, closed the door behind him, and walked to her desk unhurriedly. He sat down and studied her for a moment before getting straight to the point. "Vania, you know why I'm here."
The last time they had been alone together was after Grace had been taken by Clarence. He'd come to ask her about Grace's whereabouts, and she'd responded with a few angry words before he nearly choked her to death outside her home. Even now, Vania still felt a flicker of fear when she recalled that scene. Unconsciously tense, she gripped the armrests of her chair. Steeling herself, she replied, "I don't know."
Benjamin curved his lips into a faint smile. "I'm marrying Grace. Did she tell you?"
Vania already knew this. She stiffened and nodded. "Congratulations."
“Thank you.” Benjamin studied her for a moment before continuing. "Did she also tell you she's pregnant? We're having a child."
Vania froze. She hadn't known about Grace's pregnancy.
Benjamin smiled again, his tone calm. "Vania, I don't want to hurt you. Not because you're the Taylor heiress, but because you're Grace's best friend. Given her temper, if I came after you, she'd hate me. I don't want her to hate me."
Vania felt a flurry of emotions, yet she held her ground, her voice cold. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Give me the thing." Benjamin's smile vanished. "You should know me well enough. Don't force me to take action against you."
Vania feigned ignorance. "What are you talking about?"
Benjamin gave her a mocking smile. "The thing you took from the junk pile in the hallway of the Meyer residence."