Chapter 155 Chapter 155
The call came in on an international long-distance line from Spain. The caller spoke respectfully. "Mr. Norman, I've just reached Miss Casey. She and Adrian broke up shortly after leaving Alicante, and she has no idea where he went."
Coupled with Grace's reaction after seeing Vania hiding in the bathroom and crying, this information helped Benjamin nearly piece everything together.
He sat silently for a moment, his face cold. Suddenly, he pulled open a desk drawer, took out a pistol, and stood up to leave the study. Michael was already waiting downstairs. Seeing Benjamin descend, Michael whispered, "We've located the position of that number."
Benjamin nodded slightly and continued walking out. Yet, upon reaching the entrance, he abruptly halted. What good would killing Adrian do?
It would only push Grace further away.
With her temperament, she wouldn't reconcile with him. She likely wanted to kill herself too, not just their child.
He stood there, clenching his fists.
Michael dared not speak, waiting silently for his decision.
Suddenly, Benjamin tugged at the corners of his mouth, offering a self-deprecating smile, and turned and headed back to the study.
In the bedroom, Grace couldn't sleep either.
With two doors between them, sounds from outside barely penetrated. She knew nothing of Benjamin's inner conflict nor that Adrian had nearly died in just those few seconds.
She guessed that Vania's sudden invitation to meet was likely connected to Adrian. Had she been Adrian when their call abruptly cut off that day, she would have lost control, too. Agitated, she would have disregarded danger to seek Vania's help.
The waiting was excruciating. She didn't know how many times she had tossed and turned in bed before finally making it to dusk.
When the moment finally arrived, she found herself surprisingly calm. She rose and dressed without haste. She applied light makeup carefully and then stepped out of the bedroom. Benjamin was still in the study. When she opened the door, a choking cloud of smoke billowed out. She instinctively raised her hand to her nose, wrinkled her brow, and asked, "When are you leaving?"
Benjamin stubbed out his cigarette, looked her deeply in the eyes, and rose from behind his desk. Curving his lips into a smile, he replied, "Whenever you're ready."
His demeanor felt off. Glancing at the ashtray piled high with cigarette butts, Grace felt uneasy.
This man had a heavy smoking habit, yet his self-control was usually ironclad. Unless he was extremely frustrated, he would never smoke like this.
She studied him suspiciously, suddenly finding the courage to take a gamble. As he passed by her, she called out abruptly, "There are things we must face—not just me, but you too."
He halted, lowering his eyes to look at her in surprise.
Grace remained expressionless as she continued, "Benjamin, we both know I've only kept going to protect those I care about. Now, I'm carrying your child. If taking you to see him doesn't satisfy you, I truly don't know what else I can do."
Benjamin doubted his own ears for a moment. After staring at her for a long time, he finally asked, “What do you mean?”
His reaction only strengthened her conviction. He knew that Adrian had returned and might have set a trap for them.
Grace's heart pounded fiercely, yet her expression remained composed. She gave him a cold smile. "You truly don't know what I mean?"
He knew. He just couldn't quite believe it—couldn't believe that she would lay her heart bare to him like this. Benjamin raised his hand and lifted a stray strand of her hair with his fingertip, tucking it behind her ear. His voice was low. "Grace, are you trying to deceive me again?"
She flicked his hand away, her eyes lowered and her voice flat. "Leave him alone. I'll make him give up hope. He'll leave and never come back." She paused, then added, "And Vania. She's only loyal to me. Whatever debts or grievances we have between us, don't drag anyone else into it.”
Benjamin watched her silently. Though he was reluctant, he could only nod in the end. "All right."
They went together to meet Vania. When Vania saw Benjamin following Grace inside, she froze, flustered and at a loss for words.
Grace, however, remained calm and composed. She sat down across from Vania and then asked, "He happened to be free tonight, so he came along. I didn't notify you beforehand—hope that's okay?”
Vania was deeply offended but dared not say so; she only frantically signaled Grace with her eyes.
Grace pretended not to notice. She took the menu handed to her by the waiter, casually ordered a few dishes, and then asked Vania, "When are you leaving?"
"Uh?" Vania froze for a moment before hastily answering, "In a few days."
Before Grace could respond, Benjamin shot her a glance and said, "Don't forget to let me and Grace know when you're leaving. We'll see you off."
Vania forced a smile and seemed restless. After a moment, she said, "You two stay here. I'll just use the restroom."
To her surprise, Grace stood up too and said coolly, "I'll go with you."
Vania, feeling guilty, instinctively glanced at Benjamin.
He was watching Grace, his hand clasped tightly around her wrist. He refused to let go. Grace said nothing; she only turned to look at him quietly. After a long moment, Benjamin finally released her hand. He whispered, "Come back soon."
The one who falls in love first always ends up feeling more vulnerable.
A man as cold and ruthless as Benjamin, restrained solely by his concern for Grace, had become a wild beast with bound limbs and sheathed fangs. Even in his fury, he could only growl and snarl; he was unable to act.
She met his gaze, nodded gently, and replied, "Okay."
Vania froze for a moment before hurrying to catch up with them. She tugged Grace's sleeve discreetly and whispered urgently, "Did Benjamin discover something? You need to go back immediately."
Grace stopped, turned to face her, and asked, "Where is he?"
Vania glanced back warily, fearing Benjamin might see them. She pulled Grace aside and whispered, "He's waiting at the back door of the restaurant. But don't meet him yet. Go to the restroom, make a quick appearance, and then get back here immediately. Keep Benjamin occupied. I'll go inform Adrian and tell him to leave quickly.”
Grace was touched by her friend's loyalty yet furious at her reckless boldness.
She grabbed Vania's arm and snapped, "Stay out of this! It's far too dangerous! Benjamin is capable of murder. One more time, and he really will kill you! Vania, you're not Wonder Woman. This isn't something you should get involved in. You can't save me—you'll only drag me down!"
Vania was stunned by Grace's words and stared at her in disbelief. "Grace, I only see you as a friend."
"But I don't want to attend another friend's funeral!" Grace snapped, her eyes stinging despite herself. Gritting her teeth, she steeled her resolve and continued, "Vania, I'm cursed. Anyone who gets close to me ends up suffering. Stay away from me! The farther away, the better!"
With that, she pushed Vania away and turned to run toward the restaurant's back door.
This so-called back door was actually a fire escape located inside the building. Grace hurried along, her high heels clicking loudly on the floor. Just as she pushed open the fire door, a hand shot out from the side and yanked her behind it.
The sudden shift in light blurred her vision momentarily, yet the figure before her felt so familiar. He cupped her face with both hands, his voice low and urgent. "Grace! It's me!"
It took a few seconds for her eyes to adjust to the darkness. She slowly made out Adrian's face. No longer a blurred image from a security camera, he was right there, within her grasp.
His features were familiar yet strange; they only faintly resembled his former self, save for those unchanging eyes. She raised her hand inch by inch until her trembling fingertips touched his face. Only then was she willing to believe that this was real. Grace thought she would cry, but her eyes burned dry instead. "Adrian?"
He seized her hand and kissed her fingertips fervently, replying, "It's me, Grace! It's me! I'm back!"
"Get out of here! Now!” She tried to stay calm, but her words came out jumbled. “Alex knows you’re back. He'll kill you at any moment. Vania is in danger, too. Adrian, how could you go back to her? How dare you have her arrange this meeting with me? You're putting her life at risk—and yours too! Do you understand?"
Adrian sensed her panic and disarray. He cupped her face with both hands and pressed his forehead against hers. In a deep voice, he soothed her, "Don't be afraid, Grace. Calm down. I've obtained that bastard's plastic surgery records. The files are incredibly detailed. You know what? They contain not only the bastard's pre-surgery data but also Benjamin's. Benjamin was the one who left the detailed records in the first place. Then, Alex used those records to replicate the surgery.”
Grace grew increasingly alarmed. If Adrian had all this information, how could Benjamin possibly let him live? Sensing someone was eavesdropping, she frantically reached to cover his mouth. "Forget it! Adrian, forget it! You can't beat him. He'll stop at nothing."
"I can beat him!" Adrian couldn't contain his agitation. He yanked her hand away and stared at her with near-feverish intensity. "Grace, you run first. I've already made arrangements. Hide yourself away. Wait for me to send that bastard to prison for death row!”
"Impossible. This is utterly impossible." Grace shook her head. The Normans were wealthy and connected to countless officials. Benjamin was ruthless and cold-blooded. For Adrian to take on the entire Norman family alone was tantamount to suicide. Time was running out. She didn't have time for lengthy arguments. Leaning close to his ear, she whispered hoarsely, "I've found another way, Adrian. Trust me. Follow my plan. Leave this place. Forget me. Live well.”
"I can't live well!" Adrian cut her off abruptly. His eyes slowly reddened as he rasped, "Leaving you with that bastard drives me mad every single day. Grace, do you know how hard it is for me to remember you? I fight the drugs every day, and I tell myself over and over not to forget. I endure splitting headaches to remember everything we had, terrified that I'll lose it all. I finally remembered, and now you want me to forget you? To live well on my own?"
Grace wanted to burst into tears, but she couldn't. Not only that, but she also had to force herself to stay calm and composed. "Then what should I do?" she countered. “You struggled so hard to hold on, only to die at his hands again? Was all my struggle to survive just to watch you die at his hands?"
Adrian couldn't answer. After watching her silently for a long time, he asked, "To live on, watching you marry him, being forced by him again and again, existing like a walking corpse? Is that it? If that's what living means, what's the point of me staying alive?"
"It has meaning," she answered, forcing her eyes wide to hold back the tears. "You living well is the meaning of my survival. Adrian, remember what we promised? I don't want you to go to hell with me. I want you waiting at the gates of Hell, ready to pull me out one day."
That promise was the only thing keeping her grounded in hell.
Down the hall, separated by a single door, Benjamin leaned against the wall. His expression was blank as he silently puffed on a cigarette. He couldn't stay outside, but once he reached this spot, he didn't dare approach the door.
He was afraid—afraid of hearing voices and words he didn't want to hear.
He was deceiving himself, believing that if he didn't listen or look, whatever was happening behind that door simply didn't exist.
His hand clenched into a fist again and again, only to fall limply open each time.
Time had never felt so unbearably long. He endured the agony, waiting until she finally pushed open the fire door. Benjamin turned his head at the sound, his gaze lingering on her tear-streaked face before he curled his lips into a mocking sneer. "Finished saying goodbye?"
She seemed caught off guard by his presence. Though her panic was evident, she forced herself to sound composed. "He's gone. He won't come looking for me again. Benjamin, you have to keep your promise.”
Benjamin said nothing. He walked over to stand before her and lowered his head to look at her. He raised his hand to cup her face and wiped the tears from her cheeks with his fingertips. Slowly and earnestly, he wiped them away, murmuring, "Come with me. Come back with me."
Grace's lips trembled slightly; she was unable to utter a single word.