Chapter 158 Chapter 158

Chapter 158 Chapter 158
She hadn't slept at all, so she was highly strung and now exhausted. Perhaps the gradually brightening sky outside made her feel safe. After hesitating for a moment, she lay down fully clothed on the bed, intending only to doze off for a bit. Unexpectedly, she fell into a deep sleep.
She had no idea how long she had been asleep when she suddenly jolted awake. Opening her eyes, she was startled to find a figure standing by the bed. She didn't even have time to scream or get a clear look at the person before he covered her mouth and nose with a towel. Within moments, the drugs in the towel knocked her unconscious.
When she woke up, she found herself in an unfamiliar place. Benjamin was sitting quietly by the bed, seemingly waiting for her to wake up. Strangely, she didn't feel afraid at that moment. Instead, an unexpected calm washed over her. She gave a self-deprecating chuckle and murmured, "So you found me after all."
Benjamin's face was shrouded in shadow, his expression unreadable.
Grace was the first to speak, her voice tinged with confusion. "How did you find me?"
She couldn't understand. She had discarded her phone. How had he managed to locate her so easily?
Benjamin replied, "I implanted a tracking device in you."
Grace froze, then suddenly realized. Her hand instinctively reached for her thigh. That was where she’d been injured and had surgery in Cancún. No other part of her body had ever been touched. Sure enough, Benjamin said, "Yes, right there."
Grace fell silent for a moment, then laughed mockingly to herself. "No wonder," she said.
No wonder the wound, though healed, still occasionally felt uncomfortable. Hidden beneath the skin was something else entirely. She’d thought it was merely the scar. She'd never imagined that he’d been guarding against her escape all along.
She sat up and glanced at the clock on the wall. The date remained unchanged; they must still be in Seattle. She tugged at the corner of her lips and asked him, "What's your plan?"
He remained silent, his gaze fixed on her.
She lowered her eyes and fell quiet for a moment before whispering, "Put me out of my misery, Alex. I want it over.”
Benjamin still showed no reaction. Surprised, she looked up to find him smiling at her—a weary, desolate smile. "If I could have killed you, I would have done it long ago. Why would I wait until now?"
As he spoke, he drew the gun from his waistband and placed it before Grace. "I told you, if you wanted to kill me, I'd hand you the knife. Grace, you really didn't have to go to all this trouble. Just tell me. A gun kills people too.”
He pressed the gun into her hands, unlocked the safety himself, and pressed the muzzle against his chest. Smiling, he said, "Shoot. One bullet will end all this hatred."
Grace clenched her teeth, but they chattered uncontrollably. Her hands shook so violently that she couldn't hold the gun steady. No matter how hard she tried, her index finger felt frozen, unable to pull the trigger.
Benjamin only smiled, but tears welled in the corners of his eyes. "Grace, today was supposed to be our wedding day." He reached out to gently caress her cheek. "But now the wedding is gone. Everything is gone. Michael's been captured, and my men are either dead or in custody. You and Landon have torn the entire Norman family apart."
“You deserved it!" Grace shouted, losing control.
The words brought unexpected calm. She tossed the gun aside, her eyes regaining their steely resolve. Fixing him with a stare, she slowly said, "Alex, you and your men committed crimes. You deserve to die. Beaten to death? Captured? When you casually hurt others, you should've known this day would come!"
Benjamin murmured, "Grace, but I love you."
"Do you even know what love is?" she countered, a faint sneer curling her lips. "Whether you're Alex or Benjamin, you're unworthy of uttering the word 'love.'"
He stared at her blankly. After a long moment, he gave a self-mocking laugh. "Yeah, someone like me—a scum—how could I ever deserve to speak of 'love'? How could I ever deserve to love you?" He bent down, picked up the gun from the floor, and walked out of the room without another word.
Grace froze on the bed. After a long while, she realized her face was drenched in tears. She wiped the tears from her cheeks, but they only flowed more freely. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't wipe them all away.
Benjamin didn't show up for two days straight. Grace was locked alone in the basement with a bathroom. A young man she'd never seen before brought her three meals a day and would occasionally come peek through the door. Sometimes, when Grace was in the bathroom, he would deliberately come in and knock on the door as if he were afraid she might do something reckless.
Grace had never contemplated suicide, yet she felt no desire to live either. Life and death seemed indistinguishable to her.
On the third day, Benjamin finally reappeared. He stood silently and studied her. Then he said coldly, "Leave with me."
She leaned against the bed, motionless, merely lifting the corner of her lips slightly. "Sure," she said. "Just beat me to death, shove me in the trunk, and take me wherever you want."
His face turned ashen with rage. He yanked her off the bed. "Grace, I don't want you! I want the child in your belly. Give birth to this child, and I'll let you go!"
She laughed indifferently. "Fine. Just lock me up until I give birth. Oh, and you'd better keep a close eye on me. You never know when this baby might slip away."
His eyes flashed with red veins as he glared at her. The longer he stared, though, the more powerless he felt.
She refused to go with him and refused to bear his child. He gave a bitter laugh, released her, and asked, "You never intended to have this child, did you?"
She didn't answer, but her expression told him everything.
He smiled faintly. "Fine.”
He turned and walked away. Only after stepping outside did his expression change. He spun around and slammed his fist hard into the wall. His sole remaining confidant watched silently, daring not to speak until Benjamin’s rage subsided. Only then did he say, "We can't delay any longer. This place may be hidden, but it won't fool the cops for long. I’ll drive north to draw their attention away. You head south. Once you cross the border, they won't be able to reach you.”
Benjamin twitched his lips and shook his head. “Danyo is under siege. Going there would be walking into a trap.”
“Then what should we do?” the confidant pressed.
He wasn't afraid of death, but he felt a deep sense of injustice.
Benjamin paused briefly before speaking calmly. "Do one thing for me. After you finish, slip away quietly. You've never killed anyone, and you have no criminal record. No one will notice you.”
Benjamin had saved this confidant's entire family. His loyalty was absolute. Hearing this, he couldn't help but grow agitated, snapping, "Boss! How can you say that?"
Benjamin pressed a hand against his chest. "Listen to me. Help me with one last thing. Don't make me die with regrets."
The confidant's eyes reddened and his voice caught slightly. "What is it? Tell me."
Benjamin gave a faint smile. "Bring me someone."
He knew Adrian hadn't left Seattle and knew exactly where he was staying. Benjamin had been tracking Adrian to prevent him from contacting Grace again. Ultimately, however, Grace teamed up with Landon to betray Benjamin.
The loyal subordinate was no pushover. By the next day, he had knocked Adrian unconscious, hauled him over, and tossed him before Benjamin. “Boss, if you want him dead, just say it.”
Benjamin merely waved him off. "Leave. Get out of here. Hide somewhere else for a few years.”
The man didn’t want to go, but he dared not disobey. Gritting his teeth, he finally turned and left.
Now, the living room was empty except for Benjamin and the still-unconscious Adrian. Benjamin glanced at Adrian, who was bound tightly, then grabbed him by the collar from behind. He dragged him toward the basement, unlocked the door, and called out to Grace in a flat tone, “Come out.”
Grace hadn't eaten in days; her limbs were weak. Curled up in bed, she didn't stir at the command.
Benjamin let out a cold laugh and kicked Adrian hard. The impact made Adrian groan as he slowly regained consciousness.
Grace heard his voice and finally turned her head toward the doorway. Seeing Benjamin drag Adrian in, bound, she froze for a moment. Yet, surprisingly, she didn't seem overly shocked. Instead, she gritted her teeth, crawled out of bed, and staggered toward the door.
Still groggy from the blow to the back of his head, Adrian suddenly saw Grace. After realizing his predicament, he showed no panic or anger. Struggling to sit up, he looked at Grace and smiled, calling softly, "Grace."
Seeing this, Grace clenched her jaw tightly and endured until the sting in her eyes subsided. Only then did she force a faint smile toward Adrian. Unsteady on her feet, she braced herself against the doorframe and whispered, "Adrian, I'm tired of living like this. I don't want to keep going on like this anymore. Would you be willing to die with me?"
Adrian smiled. "Sure. Let's die together."
Grace finally lifted her eyes to Benjamin, curving her lips slightly in contempt. "Go ahead," she said. "Kill me first or kill him?"
Benjamin hadn't expected either of them to react this way. He grabbed Grace's wrist, yanking her toward him. Then he kicked Adrian hard into the basement. He locked the door with one hand and ignored Grace's struggles and shoves, hoisting her over his shoulder and striding out.
Grace struggled a few times before her strength faded. She stopped resisting. "Give up. Even if you kill Adrian, I won't go with you, and I won't bear your child!"
His jaw clenched tightly.
Truthfully, he had long given up hope.
Yet he clung to every possible chance, not to save himself, but to save his child's life.
He knew her too well—once free, she would never raise his child.
Did he hate her? Yes. He hated her enough to shoot her dead. But his love for her outweighed his hatred, and he couldn't bring himself to do it.
Benjamin carried Grace to the bedroom, laid her on the bed, and clasped her hands between his. His voice cracked as he pleaded, "Grace, keep this child. Please. I'll let you and Adrian leave together."
She lay there, weak and frail, yet her words were cold and hard. “Alex, remember when I was pregnant with Adrian's child and begged you? What did you say to me then? When Wendy begged you to keep her child, how did you answer her? Do you remember?”
He remembered. He remembered everything, yet he dared not utter a word.
She closed her eyes slowly. "You reap what you sow."
Benjamin knelt by the bedside, staring at her in a daze. After a long while, he suddenly asked softly, "Would it be acceptable to trade my life for this child's?"
Her eyes remained closed, the corners faintly damp. After a moment, she replied, "Alex, I will not bear your child. Absolutely not. In life or in death, I want nothing to do with you.”
Benjamin froze, eyes shut, for a moment before slowly rising to sit in the chair beside the desk and silently watching her.
After an unknown amount of time, he suddenly asked, "If I hadn't done those things, if I'd never hurt you, would you hate me less? Could you possibly have liked me?"
Grace answered, "Even if you'd never hurt me, I wouldn't like someone like you. You're scum."
Yes, even if he had never hurt her, she would never like someone like him.
He muttered to himself, "Oh, right. I forgot. I'm a bad person. I'm scum.”
Grace's energy began to wane. Her consciousness drifted in and out, sometimes plunging into deep sleep and other times snapping back awake. Through the haze, she felt him lift her from the bed and force-feed her a large bowl of glucose water. Then, she heard him growl in her ear, "Grace, get up. I'll let you and Adrian go. I'll let you both leave! Just get up."
But she didn't believe him. She didn't believe a word he said.
She forced her eyes open and glared at him angrily. He only said, "Looks like you're just hungry. Eat something and you'll feel better.”
Her rage boiled over. She shoved him away with all her might, but he leaned in again shamelessly, wrapped his arms around her waist, and pressed his ear against her chest. No matter how hard she pushed him, he wouldn't budge. He just chuckled. "Stop fussing. Let me hear the little one's voice.”
Her hatred burned fiercely, but eventually, she ran out of strength. Gasping for breath, she collapsed and sat there, forced to listen to his nonsensical ramblings. He asked, "Why hasn't the little one moved yet, even after three months? When will I feel the first kicks?"
"Can it hear me talking? Will it remember my voice later?"
He pressed, "Grace, who do you think it will look like? Is it a girl or a boy?"
She knew his intentions were malicious, yet he pushed her to the brink. She cried out, "Alex, you're killing me! You're killing me! I'd rather die than give birth to this child for you. I'd rather die!"
He soothed her, "Fine, no birth. If you say no, then no.”
Suddenly, the confidant who had fled earlier returned, looking frantic. "Boss, hurry up! The police are here!"
Benjamin remained composed, merely nodding slightly. "Understood."
He carried Grace out of the bedroom first and laid her on the living room sofa. Standing before her, he gazed at her. Suddenly, he lowered his head and cupped the back of her head with his palm, kissing her fiercely as if expending every ounce of his strength. Only after a long while did he finally pull away. He chuckled softly. "Grace, we've got the license. You're my wife for life."
Only then did he go back down to the basement and release Adrian.
Adrian had been tied up for too long; his body was stiff and rigid. He struggled to reach Grace's side and support her as he called urgently, "Grace! Grace!”
Outside, SWAT had surrounded the house. Aware of the hostages inside, they hesitated to storm in and instead used a megaphone to call out. Benjamin listened with a faint smile, twirling the pistol in his hand. Seeing that Adrian had regained some strength, Benjamin pointed the gun at him and gestured toward the door. "Support her. Get out."
Adrian couldn't believe he'd let them go so easily and hesitated. Grace, however, struggled to her feet first. "Let's go."
"All right." Adrian responded, supporting her weight as he half-carried her. He turned his back to Benjamin and stepped out slowly. Just as they neared the doorway, Benjamin suddenly called out, "Grace." He paused and chuckled softly. Then he continued, "Grace, don't look back. Keep walking forward. Never look back.”
Grace stood frozen, saying nothing. She clenched her jaw and continued forward.
The door swung open and sunlight poured in, the brightness seemingly within reach. Just as she lifted her foot to step out, however, a gunshot rang out behind her, followed by a man’s startled cry: “Boss!”
Grace’s body froze, then began to shake violently. Her teeth chattered, making a rattling sound. Before she knew it, tears streamed down her face.
Adrian's arm around her waist tightened sharply. He braced her weight, supporting her entirely as he pulled her forward. “Don't look back, Grace. Don't look back.”
Don't look back. The light was right there. She couldn't turn back.