Chapter 157 Chapter 157
"What if?" she countered.
Landon chuckled. "Maybe I could be buried in the police cemetery."
This answer indirectly addressed her previous question. She raised an eyebrow in surprise and studied him closely. Then she slowly shook her head. "Doesn't seem like it."
The remark came out of nowhere, but Landon understood it perfectly. He couldn't help but smile. "Because the ones who did are already dead."
Just then, the housekeeper came out of the kitchen carrying coffee. Unfazed, Landon smoothly changed the subject. He shared a few more anecdotes about Mexico. Seeing Grace's disinterested expression, however, he rose to take his leave.
After he left, Grace asked the housekeeper to help tidy up the gifts. She took only the brooch upstairs. Returning to the living room, she finally opened the box to examine the brooch. The sapphire was of excellent quality and clearly valuable, but she had no intention of appraising it. Her focus was entirely on opening the silk-lined box. Inside a hidden compartment was an object the size of a business card, barely half a centimeter thick and exquisitely crafted. Its front featured a small display screen, and its side held a USB port.
Grace didn't head straight to the study. She tucked the little device away and, as usual, took a book to the bay window to read. She didn't go to the study until after lunch, having lain in bed with the book she'd been reading for a while afterward. She clearly remembered the buttons on the bookshelf. Pressing them in sequence caused the shelves to retract into the wall, sliding apart to reveal a narrow metal door and an embedded safe beside it.
She hesitated, first trying the old password on the door. When she saw that it hadn't changed, she used the date Landon had given her to unlock the safe. True to her expectation, those numbers were indeed the safe's combination. The interior wasn't spacious, and the USB drive was easily found. Grace couldn't help but feel nervous. She copied the contents onto the small device as Landon had instructed, then carefully returned the USB drive to its spot.
It had only taken a couple of minutes, yet she was drenched in sweat. Even after the bookshelf snapped back into place, her heart still pounded wildly. She didn't dare leave immediately, so she sat down nearby to steady herself. Only then did she grab a random book from the shelf and exit the study with a calm expression.
She waited patiently for two more days before finding an excuse to meet with Landon and give him the item. Landon struggled to contain his excitement, taking several deep breaths to calm down. As he was leaving, he couldn't help but ask, "Will you regret this?"
She didn't answer but lowered her eyelids slightly.
Landon urged her, "Stay calm these next few days. Don't give anything away. Wait for my message. We'll do everything we can to keep you safe."
Though she had long ceased to care about her own life, her lips still curved into a faint smile. "Thank you." She paused, then added, "If I die, please find a way to tell my husband. Tell him to live well. For me. Live well for me."
Landon froze for a moment before realizing she meant Adrian. He felt a surge of emotion but simply replied, "I will."
As the wedding day drew near, Grace stayed in the apartment until the eve of the ceremony, when she moved to Benjamin's riverside villa to await it. Benjamin drove her there, but he felt reluctant to leave. He turned back to look at her and whispered, "Wait for me. I'll come pick you up first thing tomorrow morning.”
Grace said nothing; she just stood at the doorway and watched him calmly.
Seeing her like this made Benjamin feel suddenly uneasy. The feeling was so intense that it sparked a flicker of fear within him. He stepped forward and took her hand again. "Come back and stay with me," he urged. Why all the fuss? Even if we're together before the wedding, what's the harm?"
His demeanor drew a suppressed chuckle from Michael, who stood nearby. Michael turned away, not wanting to watch the two of them.
Grace gave a faint smile and gently withdrew her hand from his grasp. "Don't be ridiculous," she murmured softly. "It's just one night. Is it really worth this?"
Benjamin chuckled awkwardly, then got into his car and left. Moments later, his phone rang again. "Grace," he said. "Can we just get along? For the sake of our future together?"
Grace paused, then countered, "Benjamin, you're keeping such a tight leash on me that you might as well tie my legs together. Are you afraid I'll run away?"
He couldn't help but laugh. He had indeed stationed numerous men at the riverside villa. Not only could Grace not escape alone, but several Adrians combined wouldn't stand a chance either. Benjamin's heart finally eased slightly.
That evening, Landon drove over to see Grace. As soon as he entered, he cheerfully exclaimed, "Grace, come take a look with me! The boss got too drunk and is insisting you come back."
Landon was Benjamin's most trusted confidant. No one suspected him, and everyone laughed at his remark.
Grace followed Landon out without showing any emotion. The moment they got into the car, shadows flickered out of the night and darted toward the villa from all directions. Gunfire soon echoed from inside. Grace flinched, but Landon had already driven out of the courtyard.
His usual playful demeanor vanished, replaced by a serious expression. In a low voice, he said, "Don't be afraid."
Grace closed her eyes for a moment to steady her nerves before asking, "Is the net closing?"
Landon nodded. "Rest assured, the Norman family tree is about to fall."
Surprisingly, Grace felt no thrill. Her mind went blank, leaving only a vast emptiness. After sitting quietly for a long while, she finally exhaled softly and asked Landon, "What crime is he guilty of? Will he get the death penalty?”
Landon didn't answer immediately. He glanced at her, paused for a moment, and then asked, "Do you want him dead?"
Did she want him dead? Of course she did. Hadn't she been thinking about this day constantly? Hadn't she been exhausting herself with worry and fear every single day, just waiting for this moment? She replied, "Yes."
Landon looked somewhat peculiar. After hesitating, he said, "Grace, honestly, you're really heartless. He wasn't bad to you."
Grace couldn't help but sneer, "Was he bad to you?"
This question stumped Landon. He paused, then said, "What can I do? He's the bad guy."
Just then, his phone rang abruptly. Landon answered it and listened for a few seconds. Then, his expression darkened. He turned to Grace urgently and asked, "Is there a secret passageway out of Benjamin's study?"
Grace was taken aback by the question; her voice was laced with shock. "You haven't caught him yet?"
After seeing Landon earlier, she'd assumed that they had already apprehended Benjamin.
Landon replied briefly, "Our team surrounded the apartment. He and Michael took a hostage and barricaded themselves in the study. After a standoff, when we entered the room, only Michael and the hostage were still there.”
Grace trembled involuntarily at the news. Benjamin couldn't be allowed to escape. Once free, a man that ruthless would be impossible to recapture. He would return for revenge—not just against her, but also against Adrian, Vania, and her parents back in South America. "There's a secret passage. A hidden passage in the study leads to a storage room in the neighboring complex." She forced herself to stay calm and recalled the storage room's location and the complex's exit precisely.
Landon immediately relayed this information to the manhunt team, adding, "Check every taxi that just passed through that route. Benjamin might have left by car.”
He hung up and turned to Grace, who was standing beside him. Seeing her pale face, he knew she was terrified and comforted her, "It's okay. He won't get away. Don't be afraid.”
Grace lowered her eyes and was silent for a moment before suddenly saying, "I know where he might go!"
She gave Landon the address of the house where she had stayed that day. While coordinating with his team, Landon turned the wheel and headed there. Midway there, he abruptly pulled over, emptied his wallet of cash into Grace's hands, and gravely said, "It's too dangerous for you to follow. Get out now, and stay at a hotel for the night. I'll contact you later."
Grace knew that following him would be useless and might slow him down. She was clearheaded and rational. Without hesitation, she got out of the car. Landon's car sped away. She stood by the roadside for a moment before turning and walking toward the budget hotel behind her. It was late, and only two staff members remained on duty. Grace produced her ID, then suddenly remembered something and turned back.
There were few pedestrians outside. Glancing around, she pulled her phone from her purse, switched it off, wrapped it haphazardly in a tissue, and tossed it nonchalantly into a trash bin. Since Benjamin hadn't been caught yet, she had to be extremely careful. She couldn't let him find her again.
Grace hailed a taxi, gave the driver a random address, and left. She considered returning to her parents' home but ultimately didn't dare. Instead, she chose to stay out and checked into a hotel. Still, she felt restless and was unable to sleep, too afraid to try. She endured the agony of waiting for news from Landon. It wasn't until dawn that she suddenly realized that by discarding her phone, Landon wouldn't be able to reach her either.
Grace stood frozen for a moment, then chuckled to herself at how Benjamin had frightened her.