Chapter 94 Chapter 94
Grace stared at him, her eyes wide, as if he were a monster.
Her expression only strengthened Benjamin's resolve, which had just formed. The thought of the seed he'd planted within her taking root and growing, of her belly swelling day by day before his eyes, of her bearing his child—it stirred an excitement within him. Unconsciously, the corners of his mouth turned up as he slowly said, "If we have a child, it would be quite nice."
His words filled Grace with fury, yet a faint panic rose within her as well. His expression told her he wasn't joking—he was serious.
She silently urged herself to stay calm. Direct defiance would only enrage him. To resolve this, she must choose the right approach.
Unconsciously biting her lower lip, Grace lifted her bandaged left wrist for him to see. Her eyes reddened as she said, "Benjamin, look at this. You should know how much medication I've taken this month. Go ask the doctor yourself. Can I even have a baby this month? You make it sound so simple, like, 'If you get pregnant, just have the baby.' But what kind of baby would it be? Deformed? Mentally disabled?"
Her voice broke into sobs as she spoke. Perhaps finding it too painful, she covered her mouth with her hand and turned to look out the car window.
Benjamin's face darkened and his lips pressed tightly together. He said nothing, but when they passed the next pharmacy, he abruptly stopped the car. Furious, he got out and returned moments later, tossing a box of birth control pills to Grace.
Grace couldn't quite gauge his mood that day. Fearing any delay might lead to trouble, she quickly took the pill and swallowed it dry. However, the tablet lodged in her throat. She couldn't spit it out nor swallow it. It stuck there, causing her intense discomfort.
Suddenly, a bottle of water, already uncapped, was handed to her. Without hesitation, she grabbed it and gulped down several mouthfuls of water, finally managing to wash the pill down. She looked utterly flustered.
Benjamin had been watching her the whole time. Only now did he let out a mocking chuckle, though he said nothing. He drove back to the apartment. After parking, he ignored Grace, got out of the car, and walked ahead alone. After taking a dozen steps, he turned back without a word and simply scooped her up.
He was acting strangely today. She sensed that something must have happened, but she couldn't figure it out. So she kept quiet and let him carry her upstairs.
Michael had returned earlier and was sitting in the living room downstairs. Seeing them enter like this, he merely gave a brief greeting. He didn't approach them; he just retreated to his own room.
Benjamin carried Grace straight into the second-floor living room. First, he got the first-aid kit to change the dressing on her wrist. Then, he carried her into the bathroom to bathe her.
They both remained silent, neither willing to speak, until he carried her out of the bathroom and laid her on the bed. When he reached out to part her legs, she panicked. She pushed his hand away, pleading in a trembling voice, "Benjamin, please. Don't touch me tonight, okay? I'm really hurt."
He looked at her for a moment, then said flatly, "Lie down. I'm applying medicine."
She froze, looking at him doubtfully. He raised the medicine box in his other hand and showed it to her. "It's just medicine."
She didn't know when he had bought the ointment. It must have been at the pharmacy earlier, along with the birth control pills. She felt a slight shock. When she saw him try to spread her legs again, she panicked and said, "I can do it myself."
He paid her no mind, gently yet firmly propping her legs apart. Leaning over, he applied the ointment in silence. Lying there, unable to escape, she felt anger and helplessness, which drove her to grab a nearby pillow and press it hard against her face. Her body trembled faintly as she let him continue.
The situation was unbearably humiliating. Her body tensed uncontrollably, and the intrusion of the suppository caused her swollen vagina to contract and expel it.
He paused, then chuckled. Seeing her entire body rigid with tension, he couldn't resist slipping his finger inside and gently probing her sensitive spot. He murmured teasingly, "No wonder I feel so damn good every time I slide in."
Her body stiffened. Unable to bear the humiliation any longer, she rose and swung her foot at him without thinking. Kneeling at the foot of the bed, he took the kick squarely on his shoulder and tumbled backward off the bed.
He felt a surge of irritation and was about to lash out when he saw her sitting on the bed, trembling violently. Her lips quivered as she tried to speak several times, only to close her mouth each time. Finally, she turned away, buried her face in the mattress, and began to cry loudly.
He stared blankly for a moment before walking over and sitting on the bedside. He reached out to turn her around.
She only cried, refusing to acknowledge him. He had no choice but to turn her around forcefully. Unexpectedly, she threw herself into his arms and bit down hard on his shoulder.
Her bite was vicious, drawing blood instantly. Yet she still felt unsatisfied and continued to bite with all her strength.
Benjamin didn't push her away. Instead, he wrapped his arms around her, leaned close to her ear, and whispered, "Bite harder, Grace. At least right now, your hatred feels real."
Grace froze instantly. After a long moment, she slowly released her grip.
He laughed mockingly, stood up, and left. He didn't come back that night.
They seemed to plunge into a cold war. When Grace went downstairs for breakfast the next morning, he had already finished eating. Without so much as a glance at her, he left with Michael. By evening, she was already asleep when she heard him return. He didn't come upstairs, though.
Grace tried to leave but was stopped at the apartment door. Guards were stationed outside. Upon seeing her, they approached her politely and said, "Ms. Hill, Mr. Norman requests that you rest at home."
She had prepared herself for this and felt little anger. Turning back, she asked Benjamin, "Benjamin, what exactly do you want?"
Benjamin was being interviewed by a financial magazine. Upon hearing her, he gave the reporter an apologetic smile, rose, and walked toward the balcony. Indifferently, he said, "I want to know where the fingerprints you gave the Meyers went."
Grace's heart skipped a beat. Only then did she understand the source of his unusual behavior these past few days.
She covered the receiver with her hand, took a deep breath, and forced herself to remain calm. "I thought we reached an understanding at the hospital that day—we'd let bygones be bygones. Besides, didn't you destroy all the originals? What are you afraid of now?"
He had indeed destroyed the originals. However, if someone could help the Meyers match the fingerprints, it meant that there might still be copies or photocopies out there that could cause trouble.
He chuckled softly. "I do let bygones be bygones. But I need to know who's working for the Meyers, just to be prepared for the future."
Grace didn't know how far his investigation had progressed. She could only tell him the truth. "I don't know. I did steal your fingerprints, but before I got the results, everything blew up."
Benjamin fell silent for a moment, as if weighing the truth of her words. Finally, he said, "Then you'll just have to wait patiently until I find this person myself."
He already had a plan in motion, merely awaiting results. Sharing this information with her served another purpose. Unexpectedly, Grace made no further moves. Aside from calling her mother, she hadn't made any other outgoing calls. Benjamin felt a mix of relief and disappointment. Before he could resolve his conflicting emotions, however, he received news from Michael.
"Wendy called a police officer named Niko and mentioned the fingerprint incident," Michael reported, relaying the intercepted conversation. "Niko asked Wendy to mail him the fingerprint. It seems he still has the original print."
Benjamin nodded slightly, pondered for a moment, then ordered in a low voice, "Find a way to retrieve the copy of the fingerprint Wendy has. Don't let it fall into that officer's hands. As for the officer himself, don't move against him yet. Just have someone discreetly follow him. Wait until we've sorted everything out before taking action."