Chapter 64
I couldn't listen anymore.
I didn't even have the patience to be an audience member for this kind of one-man show of wishful thinking.
I hung up directly.
Not long after, a message from Aurora popped up - a link with a comment: [Your man works fast!]
I clicked the link. It was an official announcement from the local police.
The announcement was brief and to the point: [Willie, reporter from Starlight Media, has been summoned for investigation according to law for allegedly fabricating facts, defaming others, and causing severe social impact.]
The attached photo showed him being escorted out of the Starlight Media building by two police officers, his face still showing shock and unwillingness.
The corner of my lips lifted slightly.
Benjamin's people were indeed remarkably efficient.
Soon, I received a call from the police station, asking me as the involved party to submit relevant evidence and give a statement.
The entire process was surprisingly quick. The officer handling the case was very polite - clearly things had been arranged in advance.
When I left the police station, it was already getting dark.
I didn't go straight home. Instead, I found myself driving to a specialty supermarket near the company.
Pushing the shopping cart through the aisles full of goods, looking at the fresh vegetables and fruits, my heart, which had been troubled by the White family and public opinion, strangely calmed down.
I unconsciously picked up ingredients for two - sirloin steak that Benjamin loved, and some mushrooms for soup.
It wasn't until I stood at the checkout counter, looking at the cart full of food, that I realized what I was doing.
I shook my head with a laugh, paid, and carried two large bags of groceries home.
I changed my shoes, put the groceries in the kitchen, and then took out my phone to dial that number I knew by heart.
This time, the call went through.
"Hello." His deep voice came through the receiver, carrying a hint of travel fatigue.
"It's me," I leaned against the cool counter, listening to his steady breathing, and the inexplicable anxiety in my heart finally settled. "Are you... on a business trip?"
"Yeah, there's a sudden overseas acquisition case I had to come handle. It happened so suddenly, I didn't have time to tell you." He explained, "I saw the news. I've already had Luca handle it. Don't worry about it."
"I know." I replied softly, my fingers unconsciously drawing circles on the counter. "I just came from the police station. Willie was taken away."
There was a moment of silence on the other end, then came his barely audible chuckle, "Well done."
He didn't ask about the process or details, just a simple compliment, but it put my mind at ease more than anything else could.
"So when are you coming back?" As soon as I asked, I realized my tone carried a hint of anticipation I hadn't even noticed myself.
"Soon," his voice took on a gentle smile, "I'll come back as soon as I'm done. Do you miss me?"
This direct question made my cheeks flush slightly.
I didn't answer, just changed the subject, "I bought groceries. I was planning to make you steak."
"Wait till I get back," the smile in his voice deepened, "I'll make it for you."
We chatted a bit more until someone on his end urged him, and we hung up. Holding the warm phone, even the bright kitchen lights seemed gentler.
Looking at the steak I'd prepared for him, I eventually cooked it myself - a simple pan-seared portion with some vegetable salad.
Sitting alone at the empty dining table, eating delicious food, my heart felt hollow.
Only then did I realize that at some point, I'd gotten used to his presence.
Used to having him by my side, shielding me from trouble, giving me unconditional trust and support.
After dinner, I didn't go upstairs. Instead, I curled up on the living room sofa with a cushion and casually turned on the TV.
The screen flickered with light and shadow, but I didn't take in a single word. My mind was full of his question asked with a smile, "Do you miss me?"
Yes, I missed him.
This longing, like vines, silently wrapped around my heart, tightening more and more.
Without realizing it, I fell asleep on the sofa, hugging the cushion.
I don't know how long I slept before being woken by persistent phone ringing.
I answered groggily, not even checking the caller ID.
"Hello?" My voice was hoarse from just waking up.
"Were you sleeping?" On the other end was Benjamin's deep, gentle voice, like an electric current, instantly dispelling all my drowsiness.
I snapped awake and looked outside - the night had deepened. "Yeah, I accidentally fell asleep. Are you done over there?"
"Just finished," he paused, his voice dropping lower with a bewitching magnetism, "Ophelia, I miss you a bit."
My heart felt like it had been struck hard by this direct statement, instantly skipping a beat.
When he asked me during the day, I felt shy, but now, hearing his undisguised longing, I only felt that soft place in my heart being warmed through.
I gripped the phone tightly, buried my face in the soft cushion, and my muffled voice carried over, "I miss you too."
A pleased low laugh came from the other end, the sound seeming to travel through the receiver straight to my heart, tickling and tingling.
"Then..." he drew out his tone, as if about to say something.
But suddenly I heard that besides his voice, there seemed to be faint wind sounds on his end, and the rustling sound exactly like the old camphor tree outside my door being blown by the wind.
An absurd yet bold thought suddenly flashed through my mind.
I sat up straight on the sofa, my heart pounding wildly.
"Benjamin," I heard my own voice trembling slightly, "where are you?"
On the other end, he was silent for a moment, then that deep voice full of laughter seemed not to come from the receiver, but to penetrate the walls and ring clearly in my ear.
"Open the door."
My heart drummed in my chest, making my eardrums buzz.
I almost stumbled to the door, my fingers turning white from excessive force as I yanked open that heavy door.
Outside, the night wind carried the cold of winter night rushing at my face, and the person who should have been on the other side of the globe was standing right there in front of me, real and solid.
Benjamin was still wearing that camel cashmere coat, travel-worn, with a trace of undisguisable fatigue between his brows, but those deep eyes, the moment they saw me, were lit up by some burning emotion, startlingly bright.
I opened my mouth, all words stuck in my throat, asking foolishly, "How did you... come back?"
He didn't answer, just stepped forward, extended his long arm, and pulled me tightly into his embrace.