Chapter 135: I Am Terrified of Your Silence

"Mr. Taylor, we've finished our report."

In the conference room, the executives wore solemn expressions. They looked anxiously at Benjamin on the screen.

Benjamin, immersed in his work, appeared particularly stern and cold.

As he listened to the reports, his slender fingers tapped rhythmically on the desk.

He remained silent, and his face remained impassive despite the high-profit margins and lucrative projects. No one could decipher his emotions.

Benjamin was deep in thought when he noticed the time in the bottom left corner of his screen.

It was already 7:31 PM.

Sophia must be hungry by now.

Abruptly, he stood up, his thin lips parting slightly.

"This meeting is adjourned."

With that, he hurriedly left his study without even shutting down his computer. He headed downstairs towards the kitchen.

He wanted to prepare dinner before Sophia came down.

"Sir."

As Benjamin descended, the servants bowed respectfully.

He briskly walked past them and entered the kitchen, where Laura had already started preparing dinner.

Rolling up his sleeves, Benjamin approached her, "Let me take over."

Laura raised her hand to stop him.

"Sir, your hand is injured. You shouldn't get it wet."

"It's fine."

Benjamin insisted and moved past her to cook.

"Sir, Mrs. Taylor knows," Laura said.

Benjamin paused and looked at her with a mix of curiosity and concern. "You know what?"

Laura sighed and recounted her conversation with Sophia from that afternoon.

Honestly, Benjamin listened with a sense of emptiness. He felt as if he had lost his grounding.

Sophia had learned that he had been cooking all this time. He was nervous.

He had deceived her once more.

How angry would she be this time?

Their relationship had only just started to thaw, and now it seemed on the verge of freezing over again.

Would she ignore him again?

The more he thought about it, the more Benjamin's expression grew solemn.

His heart pounded uncontrollably.

"Sir?

"Sir!"

Laura called out several times before Benjamin snapped out of his daze.

He stared blankly at Laura.

"Say that again."

"Mrs. Taylor has ordered that if she sees you in the kitchen again, we must chase you out," Laura summarized.

"She's very concerned about your injury.

"You should follow the doctor's advice and avoid getting your wound wet," she added.

Her words gave Benjamin a sliver of hope.

"She's worried about me?"

"Of course," Laura replied. It was normal for a wife to care about her husband.

Benjamin pressed his lips together.

"Is she angry or pleased to know I'm the one cooking for her?"

Laura recalled Sophia's expression. "She was very calm. Neither angry nor particularly happy."

Laura felt that Sophia was preoccupied with something.

Benjamin frowned gravely. "Is she still sleeping?"

Laura shook her head. "Mrs. Taylor has been painting in her studio."

Benjamin clicked his tongue in dissatisfaction.

"She's so stubborn. She has a competition to prepare for. The deadline is the day after tomorrow. She's probably rushing to finish her work."

Benjamin left the kitchen.

He called Daniel.

"Mr. Taylor," Daniel answered the call.

Benjamin instructed as he ascended the stairs, "Find out which gallery's competition Sophia is entering. Have the investment department sponsor the event under the Prodigy Group's name.

"The only condition is to extend the submission deadline."

"Understood, I'll arrange it immediately," Daniel responded without hesitation.

He was no longer surprised by Benjamin's concern for Sophia.

Benjamin pocketed his phone and cautiously approached the studio.

Standing at the door, he hesitated.

He wanted to see her, hold her, and have a proper conversation.

But he was afraid that she would be angry at him and ignore him again.

In the business world, Benjamin was a powerful force, but facing Sophia, he was as timid as a mouse.

He raised his hand to knock, but he hesitated.

Click.

Suddenly, the door opened. Startled, Benjamin stepped back.

"Benjamin?"

Sophia hadn't expected to see him the moment she opened the door.

She wasn't prepared to face him or accept him.

She didn't know how to react.

Benjamin took a deep breath. He felt unusually nervous.

After a brief hesitation, he stepped closer and gazed down at her tenderly. "Are you hungry?"

Sophia shook her head, "Not really."

...

The atmosphere between them was delicate.

Awkward, unfamiliar, and uncertain.

"Actually..."

"I'm sorry..."

They both spoke at the same time and then fell silent.

"Why are you apologizing?"

Sophia asked, staring at Benjamin with intensity.

Benjamin, his brows furrowed, looked like a guilty puppy afraid of being abandoned.

"I'm afraid you'll be angry," he confessed.

The word "lie" stuck in his throat.

She had always said she hated being lied to, and he had deceived her again and again.

Sophia found this anxious, uncertain side of him fascinating.

Benjamin, usually so cold and aloof, was nervous and vulnerable in certain situations. His self-centeredness and dominance made it rare to see him afraid.

After all, fear only came from caring.

Sophia stepped closer. "Why are you afraid I'll be angry?"

Benjamin's eyes fell on Sophia's injured ankle. A thin layer of ointment covered the still-visible wound.

He approached her and drew her into his arms gently.

"When you're angry, you ignore me."

He whispered softly into her ear.

"Sophia, I'm terrified of your silence."