Chapter 65
He held me so tightly, as if he wanted to merge me into his very bones.
I was surrounded by that familiar woody scent mixed with the crisp night air from his body, and I went completely soft, burying my face deep into his solid chest.
"I missed you," he said quietly in my ear, his warm breath brushing past my earlobe with a hint of hoarseness scattered by the wind. "So I came back."
Such a simple sentence, yet it struck the softest place in my heart more than any sweet words ever could.
I reached out to hug his lean waist, feeling his steady, strong heartbeat, and my eyes suddenly grew hot for no reason.
Neither of us said anything more. We just stood there in the quiet entryway, holding each other silently, as if trying to melt all the longing and worry of these past days into this wordless embrace.
After a long while, he finally loosened his hold slightly, cupped my face, and gently stroked my cheek with his fingertips, looking at me with deep eyes. "Let me see if you've lost weight."
I couldn't help but laugh at how serious he looked, shaking my head. "No, but you—your dark circles almost reach your chin."
He chuckled softly, then took my hand, interlacing our fingers, and pulled me inside. "Then, honey, shouldn't you feel sorry for me and let me stay the night?"
My heart skipped a beat at his "honey," and my face heated up uncontrollably, but I didn't pull my hand away, letting him lead me upstairs.
That night, we didn't do anything, just slept in each other's arms.
I rested on his arm, listening to his steady breathing, feeling the constant warmth radiating from his body, and slept dreamlessly through the night.
The next morning, I woke to the sound of even breathing.
Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the curtains, casting a warm band of light across the room.
I turned my head. Benjamin was still asleep, his long, thick lashes casting a faint shadow beneath his eyes. Asleep, he had shed his usual sharpness, leaving only a reassuring calm.
I quietly got up and went into the bathroom.
On the counter were two brand-new toiletry sets I'd prepared earlier, thinking they were just in case, never expecting they'd be needed so soon.
I unwrapped one set, squeezed toothpaste onto the new toothbrush, and placed it in the cup next to mine, then hung a new towel beside it.
After doing all this, I looked at the two toothbrushes nestled intimately together in the mirror and suddenly felt a bit dazed.
When I was with Michael in the past, I had also taken care of his daily needs so thoughtfully.
But back then, I was like someone chasing after a source of light, giving desperately, only to be taken for granted and drained.
Now, doing these things for Benjamin, I felt something completely different.
Peaceful, natural, even with a hint of secret joy.
I was staring at the mirror when a pair of strong arms suddenly wrapped around my waist from behind, and a warm chest pressed against my back.
"Why didn't you wake me?" Benjamin's deep voice, husky from just waking up, sounded in my ear.
I looked at him through the mirror. Stubble had appeared on his chin, his eyes were still a bit drowsy, but they were still locked firmly on me.
"You were sleeping so soundly, I wanted to let you sleep a bit longer," I said softly.
His gaze slowly moved from my face to the toiletry set I'd prepared for him on the counter.
He was silent for a moment, something stirring quietly in those deep eyes.
He didn't say thank you, just rested his chin in the crook of my shoulder, tightened his arms around my waist, and said quietly, "Very good."
I didn't know what he meant—the toiletry set, or something else.
But those simple words made me feel that all my thoughtfulness had been seen by him and treasured in his heart.
That heart that had been dormant for so long began beating wildly for him in that moment.
After washing up, Benjamin looked at the faint darkness under my eyes, his handsome brows furrowing slightly. "Didn't sleep well last night?"
He reached up to touch beneath my eyes, the calluses on his fingertips carrying a rough tenderness. "Did something happen while I was away?"
He was always so perceptive.
I didn't want him to worry about these trivial matters, so I shook my head and briefly mentioned Willie and Freya's joint rumor-mongering, adding at the end, "But it's all resolved. Don't worry about it—just some worthless tricks."
Benjamin listened quietly, his expression unchanged, but his eyes gradually grew cold.
When I finished, he spoke slowly, his voice steady but carrying an undeniable reassuring force. "I found out yesterday afternoon."
I froze.
He looked at me, his eyes deep and serious. "The moment I saw the news, I had Luca investigate. Before Amelia came to find you, Willie had already been taken in for questioning."
He paused, then added, "As for Freya, Luca has already sent the recordings of her calls with Willie and the transfer records of her paying off the trolls to Michael and the Johnson family elders."
"She wanted to destroy your reputation," Benjamin's lips curved into a cold arc, his eyes showing a ruthlessness I'd never seen before, "so I'll let her taste what it's like to be abandoned by everyone before she leaves."
I looked at him, and the gloom that had settled over me because of the White family and public opinion was completely dispelled by his understated yet thunderous methods.
This man always cleared all obstacles for me where I couldn't see.
This feeling of being completely protected was unfamiliar, yet incredibly reassuring.
Just then, my phone rang at an inopportune moment, the screen showing an unfamiliar landline number, but the area code was from where the Johnson Mansion was located.
I looked at those digits, my brows furrowing slightly, but eventually answered.
On the other end, Maddox's aged and weary voice came through, carrying deep remorse. "Ophelia, I've wronged you."