Chapter 20 Chapter 20
Grace stayed at the hotel for five days before returning home on Sunday evening. When she arrived, Adrian was browsing the web in his study. Upon hearing the noise, he came out to investigate, leaning against the doorway with his arms crossed. A faint smile touched his face, but his words were sharp. “So you finally decided to come back?”
She stood at the doorway, speechless, her eyes slowly filling with tears.
Adrian froze, abandoning his cool act. He rushed forward, wrapped his arms around her, and gently patted her back, soothing her: "My bad. I'm sorry.”
The familiar scent and tender voice made Grace feel safe yet deeply wronged. Tears streamed down her face uncontrollably. Terrified by her state, Adrian wiped the tears from her cheeks with his thumb and asked, concerned, "What's wrong, Grace? What happened?"
She desperately wanted to tell him everything, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. It wasn't fear of his rejection; it was her unwillingness to drag him into danger again.
No husband could bear to see his wife suffer harm and humiliation—not even Adrian. What would he do?
How would that bastard Benjamin retaliate against him?
Grace dared not imagine it; the thought alone sent shivers down her spine. If Benjamin had dragged her into the hell, she would do everything to keep Adrian in the light.
Tears glistened in her eyes as she smiled and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck. "I miss you, Adrian," she murmured softly. "I miss you so much."
He missed her, too—desperately. First, he'd been away from home for over a month. Then, upon his return, she'd left for five more days. All told, they'd been apart for over twenty days—the longest separation they'd endured since they'd met. The longing had nearly driven him mad. He held her close and soothed her, first caressing her back with his hands before slowly drifting them downward.
"You've lost weight!" he exclaimed, his voice tinged with frustration.
She didn't dare tell the truth, only offering a chuckle. "I'm dieting."
"Don't you dare!" Adrian cursed under his breath as his hands impatiently stripped away her clothes.
They tumbled together from the entryway, barely making it to the sofa before falling down.
One was fiery with passion; the other, bordering on madness. Eventually, he had to grasp her waist to slow her. Panting softly, he soothed her: "Baby, slow down. Don't rush. Let's take it easy."
He shifted positions, rolling her into his embrace and kissing her tenderly.
Grace's face flushed crimson as she whimpered, "Kiss me, Adrian. Kiss every inch. Don't miss a single spot."
She craved his kisses and needed his breath to erase the traces of those bastards, to cleanse her soul.
After their wild night, Grace woke up the next morning with a sore back. Her hunched posture and wobbly gait made Adrian laugh.
He tied his tie, ready to leave, but paused after a few steps. Turning back to her with a half-smile, he asked, "Can you drive? Want me to take you to school?”
All her sorrow and hardship vanished in that moment. She grabbed a piece of lingerie nearby and threw it at him, snarling, "Get lost! If you're so eager, come back tonight for another round."
He chuckled, turned around, and walked to the dining table. Leaning over, he planted another long, deep kiss on her, savoring the lingering taste. "Today's orange juice isn't sweet enough. We'll switch to a different brand later.”
"Got it." She replied, then reminded him, "Try to come back early tonight. We're having dinner with Mom and Dad.”
After seeing Adrian off, Grace drove to school for a meeting with the class representatives to plan the Christmas party. Someone mentioned Nathan's singing talent, but the class monitor frowned. "He's juggling so many part-time jobs that he's not really into participating in activities."
Grace nodded slowly, jotting down suggestions while defending Nathan. "He might just be too busy. Juggling multiple jobs is tough. Tell him to find time to see me. I'll try talking to him."
The class monitor agreed. By lunchtime, Nathan was in Grace's office.
Finding the office empty, she locked the door from the inside. She carefully removed both phones and disassembled them to compare their internal structures. At first glance, they appeared identical. After a closer look, she was fairly certain that Benjamin hadn't planted any physical listening devices in her phone; he was probably controlling it remotely via software.
With a rough idea of the situation, she quickly reassembled both phones and powered them back on. Just then, Nathan called. Startled, she recognized the number and relaxed, telling him to come straight to her office.
He arrived shortly after, but seemed unnaturally tense. With his eyes downcast, he greeted, "Ms. Hill."
Having experienced similar situations herself, Grace had become extremely sensitive—perhaps overly so—to others' behavior. She quickly noticed Nathan's unease. While discussing the Christmas party with him, she kept a close eye on his expression. Seizing a moment, she suddenly asked, "Why did you take a job at a store so far from campus?"
Nathan's eye twitched almost imperceptibly, but Grace noticed the subtle movement. She probed further: "Is it because of what happened that day?"
Nathan paused briefly before replying, "Yes, I don't want any more contact with that company."
Grace had always harbored doubts about the previous incident. Hearing this, she studied him closely. "I haven't had a chance to ask you—what exactly happened? Did you know that secretary before?”
“No. She ordered food several times recently, and I delivered it each time, so we became somewhat familiar with each other. But I never noticed anything unusual until that day when she suddenly started touching me. I was startled and ran away." Nathan answered, sounding somewhat embarrassed.
"You ran pretty fast." Grace smiled.
Nathan couldn't help but laugh, too. His expression was much more relaxed than before.
Seizing the moment, Grace asked, “Did she know you were a student at our university?”
"Probably not. I'm not sure.” He didn't understand why she was asking, but then he explained, "Later, the company security asked which university I attended, so I gave them your phone number. Ms. Hill, I didn't mean to cause you trouble."
It was clear that this was a trap, with her as the ultimate target. Nathan was merely the bait to lure her in. But where had Benjamin found Nathan, and how had he been manipulated? Grace wondered silently. She merely smiled and said, "It's okay. You're my student. It's only right that you come to me with issues. That's not trouble.”
Grace paused, then casually asked, "Does anyone in class know you work at that fast-food place?"
"Lots of people know," Nathan replied.
Grace raised an eyebrow, slightly surprised. "Hmmm?"
Nathan explained, "I often post photos from work on Instagram, so quite a few classmates know I deliver meals. Ms. Hill, I'm broke, so I have to work multiple jobs to make ends meet. But I don't see it as something to be ashamed of.”
Grace felt a pang of admiration and smiled approvingly. "Nathan, you're amazing."