Chapter 95 Chapter 95
Michael asked, "What about the Meyer residence? Should we send people to search it again?”
They had already sent people to thoroughly search Mrs. Meyer's house a few days earlier while she was in the hospital, but they found no documents related to Benjamin. It was unclear whether Mrs. Meyer had hidden the documents well or if they simply didn't exist. Benjamin thought for a moment and replied, "Hold off for now. I don't want to alert them prematurely.”
Michael agreed and turned to make arrangements.
That evening, Benjamin declined a business dinner and returned to his apartment early. To his surprise, Grace wasn't there when he arrived. After searching upstairs and downstairs, he found her in the gym. She was doing leg strength exercises, her movements practiced and precise—clearly someone who worked out regularly.
Benjamin leaned against the doorway and watched her for a long while, until she paused to wipe her sweat. Only then did he step inside and stand beside the equipment. He observed her for a moment before asking softly, "Do you know a police officer named Niko?"
Grace's wiping motion halted. She lifted her eyes to meet his reflection in the mirror. He noticed and turned to look at her. Standing so close, they stared at each other's reflections in the mirror. She tilted her lips into a mocking smile and replied, "You don't even trust me. Why ask?”
He couldn't retort. Finally, he gave a faint smile and said, "Grace, I want to believe you."
Grace raised an eyebrow and answered coldly, "Fine. I'll answer you. I don't know any officer named Niko. I only knew Officer Meyer, and he's dead. I don't know if he died because of me, but I feel guilty. To save his foolish daughter, I exposed myself and risked my life for the sliver of mercy you might have left, all to ensure my parents' safety."
He said, "I thought I'd won that gamble. Turns out, I was just foolish."
She laughed self-deprecatingly, pushed past him toward the door, and said, "Still, I stand by what I said. I accept the consequences of my bet. You can do whatever to me. I'll endure it all. Just don't touch my parents. You promised. Don't break your word."
At the doorway, she turned back to him with a faint, ambiguous smile. "And one more thing—don't bother testing me anymore. I have no idea who Officer Niko is, and the Meyers have no connection with me now. Rest assured, I won't reveal anything about you to anyone."
Benjamin stared at her blankly. After a moment, he found himself smiling; the resentment in his heart had dissipated without him noticing. He followed her out and trailed her upstairs until she entered the bathroom to shower. He knocked on the door and asked with a smile, "Need a hand?"
Silence fell in the bathroom. Suddenly, she yanked the door open. Her face was cold as she demanded, "Benjamin, what exactly do you want? Didn't I make myself clear enough?”
He seized the moment to slip inside and corner her against the sink. Cupping her face, he murmured softly, "Grace, you're irresistible."
She froze in shock, then snapped angrily, "Pervert!"
He only laughed and, as he did, he lowered his head and kissed her lightly. When she was stubborn, he matched her with his own stubbornness. When she softened, he followed suit with tenderness. Eventually, she had no choice but to relax and accept his kisses. After a while, he lifted his head and studied her as she gasped for breath. He chuckled softly and murmured her name, "Grace."
Her face flushed crimson as she buried her head in his neck, resting her forehead on his broad shoulder. In a low voice, she murmured, "Alex, I'm truly exhausted. I don't want to do anything anymore. If you like me, I'll stay by your side. But when the day comes that you no longer like me, when you grow tired of me, just send me away. I won't cling to you. Is that okay?”
Her voice was weary, and her words were so candid that they seemed to be real.
He gently held her, momentarily unable to discern truth from pretense. Rather, he didn't want to expend the energy to tell the difference. He simply replied, "Alright."
The cold war ended there. That very night, Benjamin didn't sleep in the guest room.
After several days without intimacy, he found his desires difficult to control. She, however, still carried the shadow of their last encounter. When she saw him lean in to press against her, she instinctively stepped back and snapped, "Benjamin, if you dare treat me like last time again, I'll bite you to death."
He started laughing but stopped abruptly, looking at her seriously. His voice softened as he murmured, "I'm sorry."
She froze, then realized he was referring to the previous incident. Furiously, she kicked him half-jokingly, half-angrily. "You bastard! You always use that to bully me! What kind of skill is that? Just wait until I buy a vibrator—I'll fuck you to death!"
Benjamin chuckled at her words. His hand clasped her ankle as he pulled her close and pinned her beneath him.
As passion surged, he reached for a condom in the bedside drawer. After putting it on, however, he felt unsatisfied. Panting softly, he murmured, "Let's not use these anymore, okay? Grace, have my baby."
She was alarmed, but she dared not show it. Instead, she lifted herself to embrace him. "Okay. You propose to me, throw me a wedding, and I'll give you a child."
He wasn't Alex the thug anymore. He was Benjamin, the CEO of Norman Science. For him to propose meant that he genuinely wanted to spend his life with her, and that was no easy matter.
He understood the weight of those words. After a moment of silence, his movements grew more intense.
They made love all night long and overslept by morning.
Grace's phone buzzed loudly above her head. Still groggy, she answered it. Before she could mumble a "Hello," Mrs. Hill's voice exploded through the receiver. "Are you planning to spend Christmas at someone else's house? Didn't you say you'd be back on yesterday's flight? Where are you? Where the hell did you fly off to?"
Grace jolted upright in fright and stammered, "Ah, I'm back. I really am back.”
Benjamin had woken up before her and chuckled at the scene. She froze for a moment before realizing what was happening and scrambling to cover his mouth. But he rolled over, pinning her beneath him. His lips brushed her ear as he whispered with a laugh, "Stop it. I won't make a sound. Just talk on the phone.”
On the phone, Mrs. Hill demanded, "You're back? When did you get back? Where did you go?"
Glancing at the time, Grace lied, "My flight was delayed yesterday. I arrived in the middle of the night. I had something to do this morning, so I left early. Mom, wait for me. I'll come over this afternoon to help you pack once I finish what I'm doing.”
Her parents' flight to Canada was booked for the next day. Mrs. Hill had called several times, urging Grace to come home. Hearing this, she huffed indignantly. "Fine, I'll wait for you to pack my bags—the plane has already taken off! Hurry home!"
Benjamin could hear every word clearly through the phone and couldn't help but bury his face in her neck and giggle softly. His breath tickled her sensitive skin, and she pushed him away playfully. "No problem. I'm on my way."
Mrs. Hill couldn't bring herself to scold her daughter. After a pause, she sighed. "Grace, if you truly intend to be with Benjamin, don't hide it from me. Find a chance to bring him home so I can meet him. As for your father, even though he won't acknowledge you now, deep down, he still misses you. No matter what, you're still our daughter."
Both of them froze at her words. Benjamin lifted his head and studied Grace's expression. She met his gaze, her index finger gently pressing against his lips. After a moment of silence, as if making a profound decision, she whispered to her mother, "Mom, when you two come back, I'll bring him to see you. Is that okay?"
Though the words were simple, Benjamin felt a surge of joy in his heart. Without thinking, he opened his mouth and gently took her fingertip into it.