Chapter 110

Chapter 110

"Benjamin, I've never asked you for anything my whole life. Today's my birthday—can't you do this one thing for me?"

When Amelia said this, tears were practically brimming in her eyes.

From start to finish, she'd deliberately lowered herself as much as possible, hoping Benjamin would look down at her and feel that primal urge to protect her.

All those stares bore into them, following their every move.

It was like standing under a spotlight, with the whole world watching.

Seeing him remain silent, and with so many people watching, Amelia felt her defenses crumbling.

Just as she was about to give up, Benjamin spoke quietly. "This is the last time."

This wasn't him giving in, nor was it because of the crowd that he didn't want to embarrass her.

It was simply that he'd never refused Amelia's requests before, and he didn't want her birthday party to be the first time.

Perhaps, on some level, he could guess what was going through her mind, but he chose not to call her out.

As for Amelia, she didn't care about any of that.

All she wanted was for Benjamin to agree to her request today and, in front of everyone, leave Evelyn behind—choosing instead to make everyone assume 'she' was the most important person in Benjamin's heart.

She didn't want Benjamin's attitude.

She wanted all these people to see one thing clearly.

She and Evelyn weren't even in the same league.

Snapping back to the moment, Amelia nodded and gently wrapped her arms around Benjamin, her face lit with triumph.

She almost regretted that Evelyn wasn't here right now.

Otherwise, she was certain she could've watched Evelyn's face twist in humiliation.

The moment she tightened her embrace, Benjamin pushed her away.

Though it only lasted a few seconds, for Amelia, that was more than enough.

"Benjamin, you know I've always really liked you. So no matter how long it takes for you to figure out your own heart, I can wait—days or years, it doesn't matter. I'm still young. I have time to wait."

As she spoke, her eyes were filled with determination, sparkling with an almost dazzling light.

"And lastly, thank you for coming to my birthday party. So much has happened lately—I honestly didn't expect you to show up at first, but the fact that you did really makes me happy."

Right after she finished speaking, a phone rang.

Benjamin's phone.

He glanced down at the screen. It was Chase calling.

He turned to Amelia. "I've got something at the office. If there's nothing else, I'm heading out."

Having already achieved her goal, Amelia naturally didn't try to keep him. She put on a sweet, understanding smile. "Of course. If you ever need anything, just let me know. I'll be there anytime—seriously, anytime."

Her seemingly heartfelt confession might have stirred something in Benjamin before, but now, he felt nothing.

The phone kept ringing, as if urging him to leave.

He didn't respond to what she'd said. Instead, he chose a blunt way to change the subject.

"There are still plenty of guests here. You're the star of this party—you should focus on them, not on things that don't matter. Understand?"

Even as he said it, he was reminding himself as much as her.

This would be the last time he crossed that line.

Then, under Amelia's gaze, he left the banquet hall.

To Amelia, every step he took seemed resolute, with no intention of lingering. It was almost exactly what she'd expected.

And now, what she needed to do was make absolutely sure there was no chance of Evelyn and Benjamin ever getting together.

Meanwhile, back at the party.

After Benjamin left, the onlookers who'd been watching from the sidelines immediately began showering Amelia with praise.

To them, that embrace had already proven plenty.

They just didn't know Benjamin well enough. Anyone who truly understood him would've realized that he'd only done it because he couldn't refuse—not because he actually cared for Amelia that much.

After leaving the banquet hall, Benjamin went straight back to the office.

The White Group had been swamped lately, and he'd only managed to attend Amelia's birthday party by squeezing out a sliver of time.

And he'd kept the whole thing from Maddox the entire time.

Otherwise, knowing Maddox's temperament, Benjamin wasn't sure if his anger might affect his health.

As for Chase, he could tell Benjamin was in a foul mood, but he wasn't sure if it was because he'd rushed him with that call. For a moment, he didn't dare say a word.

After hesitating for a while, Chase finally spoke. "Mr. White, the branch office submitted their reports earlier. I looked them over carefully—there aren't any major issues, but the staff changes have caused performance to drop compared to before."

Benjamin's tone was ice-cold. "The changes weren't even across the entire executive team—just two manager positions. If that's enough to cause this much of an impact, then what exactly has the branch director been doing?"

His voice was sharp, his eyes devoid of warmth, as if the person standing before him was a stranger and not the chief secretary who'd been by his side for years.

Chase was about to explain when Benjamin raised a hand to cut him off.

"I don't want to hear excuses. I want a promise and an answer. If removing two people can cause the branch's performance to nosedive this badly, then everyone else there is basically useless."

His words were harsh, but they were also the truth—the brutal kind.

"Chase, remember this: you might only be thinking about what's right in front of you from where you're sitting, but I'm different. I have to think about the entire company's interests."

Chase nodded solemnly. "I understand. This shouldn't have happened. I've already made adjustments the moment I spotted the problem. I assure you, it won't happen again."

Benjamin gave a faint hum of acknowledgment, then waved his hand. "It's getting late. You've had a long day—go home and rest."