Chapter 153

Chapter 153

The brakes failed. The car was destroyed. People died.

The early autumn night breeze brushed against my skin, yet I broke out in a cold sweat.

A wave of overwhelming dread gripped my throat like an invisible hand, making it hard to even breathe.

Benjamin stood behind me, his eyes locked on the pool of brake fluid leaking on the ground.

He said nothing, but the air around him shifted completely in an instant.

A barely contained fury tangled with sheer terror, making his body tremble uncontrollably.

The next second, he spun around and pulled me hard into his arms.

He held me tight — his arms locked around my waist like iron bands.

He buried his face deep in the crook of my neck, breathing fast and heavy, his warm breath hitting my skin with a trembling he couldn't hide.

"Ophelia..." His voice was hoarse, raw with fear and guilt. "I'm sorry... I'm sorry..."

He kept murmuring it in my ear, over and over, like a child who had done something wrong.

I could feel his heart pounding wildly. I could feel the fear running through him to his core.

"It's okay, Benjamin. We're both okay." I pushed down my own fear and lifted my arms, wrapping them tightly around his broad back.

"I dragged you into this." He spoke through clenched teeth, his voice breaking with pain. "If the brakes had actually failed... if I hadn't protected you..."

"No 'ifs'!" I cut him off sharply, cupped his face in my hands, and looked straight into his eyes — bloodshot from sheer panic.

"Benjamin, look at me." I spoke slowly and clearly, more certain than I had ever been. "We are standing here right now, alive. I am your wife. Husband and wife are one. If someone is coming for us, then we find them and we finish them."

He looked at me. The red slowly faded from his eyes, replaced by a dark, almost obsessive gleam.

He pulled me close again, his chin resting on top of my head, his voice low and steady like a vow. "Okay. I will never let anyone hurt you."

After the chaos on the overpass settled, we didn't go home right away. We went straight to the police station to file a report.

By the time we finished giving our statements and walked out, it was past midnight.

The early autumn night air was cool. Benjamin stood on the steps outside the station, gripping his phone tight.

The screen showed a long list of missed calls to Brent — every single one unanswered.

The fury in his eyes was almost tangible. Brent made the enemies, but let his own son take the hit — and couldn't even be bothered to pick up the phone afterward.

"Stop calling." I walked over and wrapped my hands around his cold fingers. "If he won't answer, forget it. We'll handle this ourselves."

Benjamin pulled me into his arms without a word, holding me with a force that nearly took my breath away. His chin pressed against the top of my head. He stayed silent, but I could feel the rage simmering in his chest.

Back at the villa, I showered and lay in bed, but sleep wouldn't come.

Our enemy was hiding in the shadows while we were out in the open. The tampered brakes felt like a thorn lodged in my chest.

"Benjamin, let's push the wedding back." I turned to look at him where he sat propped against the headboard. "Things are too unstable right now, and you're still injured. I don't want anything to go wrong on our wedding day. Safety comes first."

Benjamin's hand froze mid-page on the security documents he'd been reviewing.

His expression darkened instantly. He tossed the documents aside, leaned over, and pinned me beneath him, his eyes fierce and unyielding.

"No." His tone left no room for argument, stubborn to the point of desperation. "The wedding goes ahead as planned. Ophelia, especially now — I need everyone to know you are my wife as soon as possible. Only when all of the Wilson family's stakes are tied to you will those people in the shadows think twice before coming after you."

He had already deployed the Wilson Group's top security team and raised the protection level at the wedding venue to its absolute maximum.

Looking at the unease and stubbornness that wouldn't leave his eyes, I knew there was no changing his mind on this.

The day to leave for Solstice came around before I knew it.

On the morning before I left, I packed my bags while rattling off a long list of reminders to him.

"While I'm gone, you have to take your medicine on time. No staying up late to deal with paperwork. Bring extra bodyguards whenever you go out. Have Gray's car checked underneath every single day." I tucked the pill case into his briefcase and looked up at him with a serious expression. "Especially your stomach — no more cold water."

Benjamin leaned against the doorframe, watching me go on and on, the shadows in his eyes lifting, replaced by a warm and indulgent softness.

He stepped forward, pulled me into his arms, and kissed me — slow and lingering — before finally letting go.

"I know. You too — message me the moment you land in Solstice, and come back as soon as you're done." His voice was husky, heavy with reluctance.

More than ten hours later, the plane touched down smoothly at Solstice Airport.

As soon as I stepped out of the VIP exit, a woman in a sharp, professional outfit came forward to meet me.

"Ms. White, hello. I'm Mr. White's secretary — Lewis Zhimei."

I looked her over.

Young — twenty-five at most — with delicate features and eyes that carried a calm and sharpness well beyond her age.

Grandfather had always been old-fashioned. The people around him were all veterans who had worked for him for over a decade. When did he start keeping such a young secretary?

"Thank you for coming," I said with a small nod, and left it at that.

I got into the stretch Lincoln, and the car pulled smoothly out toward the outskirts of the city.

Along the way, Lewis Zhimei walked me through Grandfather's business holdings in Solstice in an even, measured tone.

"Mr. White has acquired three leading medical device companies over the past few years and holds controlling stakes in several new energy research labs. He's currently preparing for a public listing..."

The more I heard, the more unsettled I felt.

Grandfather had always said he was just living abroad for his health, and never showed any interest in the White Group back home. What he never told me was that behind the White Group's back, he had quietly built an enormous business empire here in Solstice.

The scale of these operations was already on par with — if not larger than — the White Group at home.

The car turned into a sprawling private mansion. The tall iron gates swung slowly shut behind us, cutting off the outside world completely.

Before I got out, Lewis Zhimei turned and held out a tray lined with black velvet.

"Ms. White, the mansion has strict confidentiality rules. For your safety, please hand over all your communication devices."

My brow furrowed slightly.

They wanted to take my phone just so I could see my own grandfather? This rule felt wrong.

But thinking back to that encrypted call from Grandfather — the weight in his voice — I didn't refuse outright. Instead, I opened my conversation with Benjamin and quickly typed: 【Landed safely. Strict rules here — have to hand over my phone. I'll contact you once I get it back. Don't worry.】

Once the message went through, I powered off my phone and placed it on the tray.