Chapter 54 Chapter 54
Grace appeared. Michael glanced at Benjamin before rushing forward to hold the door open for her. Once she passed through, he seized the moment to slip off the terrace. Landon remained inside, peering out at the terrace, and pulled Michael aside. "What's the deal with that woman?"
Michael dared not say a word. He merely shook his head, refusing to answer.
"I think he's been acting more like a normal person these past two years." Landon glanced at the terrace again and chuckled. "Hey, you know what? Her eye for women is spot-on. The more I look at her, the sexier she gets. Check out that pert ass.”
Michael shot him a cold glance. "I think you deserve a beating."
Landon understood the woman's status at once. He chuckled and patted Michael on the shoulder. "Just talking trash. I'd never touch his woman."
Michael said nothing, leaning against the glass door and standing guard in silence.
On the terrace, Grace stood a few paces away from Benjamin, her eyes slightly lowered. Benjamin remained silent as well, only turning to look at her with a calm gaze. She still wore the red rose, perhaps having forgotten about it. Her makeup was slightly heavy, complementing her long, dark curls and creating an exceptionally striking beauty.
She must have cried earlier. Though there were no tear tracks on her face, her eyes betrayed it—the black eyeliner was smudged from tears, making her eyes appear even larger.
"What did you say to Adrian just now?" he asked in a deep voice.
She finally lifted her eyes to meet his. Though her gaze was icy, it held intense emotion—hatred that she couldn't suppress, even with reason. "I'd tell him everything tonight."
He raised an eyebrow slightly, seeming somewhat surprised. "Tell him everything? What exactly?”
"Tell him everything you've done to me, Tell him everything I'm enduring right now."
He watched her silently for a moment before softly chuckling. “And then?”
"Then I'll divorce him." She lifted her face, seemingly struggling to hold back tears. Her voice was choked up, and it took her a moment to speak. "I'll beg him to leave. Give us three years. If I survive and he can still accept me, we'll be together again.”
"Three years..." he murmured, lowering his eyelids. "Is that the timeframe you set for our game?"
"Yes." Her reply was sharp, and her body trembled. "Three years is all I can endure for my parents. If I'm still not free after that, I'll choose to die. I won't hold back for anyone."
She stared at him, enunciating each syllable. "I've already been dragged into hell."
He suddenly smiled. Reaching out, he said, "Come here."
Gritting her teeth, she finally placed her hand in his. He pulled her to the railing, embraced her from behind, and made her look at the bustling street scene along the river with him. Then he whispered in her ear, "Three years. After three years, I'll either set you free or kill you."
This was also the deadline he'd set for the game.
"Fine," she replied, leaning obediently against the railing and gazing down at the street. He couldn't see her eyes, but he sensed her resistance through her body. Displeased by this discovery, he pressed closer, their bodies tightly pressed together.
She sensed it and shifted uncomfortably before turning her head to ask indifferently, "Do you want to do it here?"
His body was already stirred, but at her words, he pulled back slightly while still holding her close, creating distance. He clasped her hands, forcing their fingers together, and murmured, "Do you want it?"
She raised her eyebrows in surprise, her eyes flashing with mockery. "Are you asking me?"
Her defiance finally pushed his patience to its limit. He gave a faint, cold laugh and replied, "Seems I've wasted my breath."
As he spoke, he gripped both her hands with one arm, pinning them in front of him. His other hand slid down and roughly parted her, thrusting forcefully into her from behind. They both remained fully clothed. To anyone looking up from the street, they appeared to be merely a couple embracing while admiring the cityscape.
Unbeknownst to the crowd above their heads, their bodies were joined.
Benjamin seemed deliberately restrained, moving with minimal motion as he held Grace tightly. Breathing heavily, he murmured in her ear, "Pretty thrilling, huh? You're so tight down there. Really tight.”
She said nothing, only bit her lip in embarrassment. Her hands slipped from his grasp and clutched the railing tightly.
He chuckled softly and wrapped his arms around her waist, moving his lips to graze her neck lightly.
She tilted her head back slightly and fixed her gaze on the iridescent glass water curtain across the river. Behind it, at the center of the square, the grand clock sparkled brilliantly. The second hand leapt forward, tick by tick. Countdown voices rose from the crowd, growing louder until they merged into a single, explosive roar.
"Ten, nine, eight, seven..."
The man behind her sped up, panting as he growled hoarsely, "Call me. Call my name."
Amidst the roar of the crowd, she uttered his name, enunciating each syllable deliberately. "Benjamin."
“No, not that one.”
"Alex."
“Again!”
"Alex. Alex. Alex.” She repeated his name over and over, her voice hardening with each utterance.
The moment the deep, resonant chime rang out, he let out an growl. He roughly turned her head and pressed his lips against hers in a deep kiss. The flower at her temple had fallen off at some point. Perhaps it would land on someone's head in the street, only to be trampled underfoot—just like her now.
In the distant night sky, dazzling fireworks bloomed one after another.
Life, after all, was no different. If one could shine brilliantly at the highest point, what did it matter to shatter into pieces?
Long afterward, his tense body slowly relaxed, yet he refused to let go. Still embracing her from behind, he cupped her cheeks and forced her to turn her face. He gently bit her lips repeatedly. His voice hoarse, he murmured, "Our first year, Grace. Our first year has arrived.”
"Yes, the first year," she replied coldly.
He paid no heed to her coldness, lost in the pleasure of her warm, supple body against his. His brows lifted in a faint smile and his lips curled mockingly as he added, "Remember to go back and divorce Adrian."
The game had shifted. Though he refused to admit it, his words and actions betrayed his true feelings. He no longer wanted another man to touch her or have her in his arms.
The past didn't matter to him. From now on, however, no one else would be allowed.