Chapter 80 Deliberately Doing It for Him to See
"Cafeteria?"
Rachel hesitated for a moment, instinctively looking at Benjamin, who happened to glance back at her.
"Heading back now means getting stuck in traffic," Benjamin said calmly and indifferently.
But his implication was clear: they could have dinner and avoid the rush hour traffic.
Rachel had only had a few bites of pasta for lunch and was already feeling hungry. Even without traffic, the drive back would take over two hours.
She had low blood sugar and couldn't handle being hungry.
With that thought, she agreed. She smiled at Betty and said, "Thanks, Betty. We appreciate the offer."
We?
Benjamin's eyes flickered slightly. His indifferent gaze caught her charming smile, her bright eyes and red lips, vibrant and radiant.
A sudden ringtone interrupted his thoughts.
He calmly looked away and answered the phone.
Meanwhile, Betty had already led Rachel out of the office. "It's no trouble at all. I'm just showing you the way and paying for the meal. Let's go."
By the time they reached the elevator, Benjamin had caught up.
Betty muttered, "Hurry up, we're waiting for you."
The research and testing center had three cafeterias: two large ones and a smaller one. Betty led them to the nearest and smallest one.
Though it was the smallest, the food was the most expensive and the tastiest.
Most people who came to this cafeteria worked in the office building, and Betty greeted many people along the way.
Betty and Benjamin were twins.
But they didn't look alike and had completely different personalities.
Benjamin, despite being a lawyer, spoke very little and was always concise.
Betty, on the other hand, was very talkative. Since they met, she and Rachel had been chatting non-stop.
On the way, Betty even asked Rachel if she had a boyfriend.
When Rachel said she was married, Betty felt disappointed.
Betty sighed in resignation. She had thought Benjamin might finally be off the market.
Guess she was wrong.
Oh well.
Rachel, unaware of Betty's thoughts, took a tray and focused on the twenty or so dishes.
She didn't dwell on it too much, picked a few things she wanted to eat, and found a seat by the window.
Soon, night had fallen, and it started raining outside, creating a misty haze over the mountains.
The cafeteria gradually became lively.
Some people complained about the rain.
It had been raining on the west side of town for almost a week.
Rachel used to dislike rainy days, finding them gloomy and inconvenient.
Now she looked at the sparkling raindrops outside, listening to the pattering sound.
The noisy chatter around her faded into the background.
Maybe it wasn't so bad after all.
After finishing their meal and cleaning up their trays, Rachel and Benjamin prepared to leave.
Betty didn't try to keep them, knowing that the mountain roads would be difficult to navigate in the rain. She handed them a clear umbrella.
Rachel took the umbrella. "Thanks so much, Betty. I'll treat you to dinner or invite you to visit Stargaze Gallery when you're free."
"Sure, I'll remember that." Betty smiled and reminded Benjamin, "Drive slowly, stay safe, and let me know when you get home."
"Okay."
Benjamin hummed in acknowledgement. He turned to leave but stopped when Betty spoke again, "Benjamin, you haven't been back since Thanksgiving, have you?"
Benjamin paused.
The Wright Manor was in the west side of town.
But he usually stayed in the south.
Betty knew he didn't like going back to The Wright Manor, but he had a close relationship with their grandmother.
She hesitated, "I heard grandma is coming back from Aunt's place next month. Do you want to go pick her up together?"
Without looking back, Benjamin replied coldly, "Got it," and walked under the umbrella Rachel held, stepping into the rain.
The temperature in the mountains was lower than in the city. A cold wind blew, making her shiver and pull her coat tighter.
Though she wore flat shoes, she wasn't short, but Benjamin was a head taller than her.
The walk from the cafeteria to the entrance was a bit long, and holding the umbrella was tiring.
Just as she was about to switch hands, a slender, well-defined hand reached over and took the umbrella.
Her hand felt empty. She turned to face Benjamin, her arm dropping to her side.
The umbrella tilted.
Shielding her from the wind-blown raindrops.
From a distance, their figures looked like they were stepping into a beautiful misty painting.
At the car, Rachel bent down to sit in the passenger seat. As he closed the door, she noticed the wet patch on his right shoulder.
She was about to speak, but Benjamin had already closed the door, walked around the car, folded the umbrella, and got into the driver's seat, turning on the heater and wipers.
He took off his coat and tossed it in the back seat, lightly pressing the gas pedal, slowly driving down the mountain.
Rachel's gaze shifted from the coat back to him, softly saying, "Thanks."
This "thanks" carried a lot. It included his bringing her to the research center and his care for her.
Benjamin didn't respond, steadily gripping the steering wheel.
Rachel knew he heard her, so she fell silent.
As they neared the foot of the mountain, the rain suddenly intensified, large drops pounding the car windows, blurring the view.
Within minutes, the wipers struggled to keep up.
Unable to see the road, they couldn't continue driving.
Benjamin pulled over, turned on the hazard lights, "We'll wait until the rain lets up."
"Okay."
Rachel responded softly, checking the weather forecast on her phone, her brows furrowing. "The heavy rain will last an hour, then light rain until after ten."
Good thing they had eaten, otherwise being stuck in the car hungry would be miserable.
They would be late getting home tonight.
She messaged Carol on WhatsApp, apologizing. Carol didn't mind, as she lived close to Stargaze Gallery, just a ten-minute drive away.
There were plenty of transportation options.
On the deserted mountain road, their car was the only one. Mist hung like a veil, the night growing darker, with only the headlights illuminating a small area, the rest shrouded in darkness.
The rain outside sounded like a symphony, powerful and overwhelming.
Rachel wasn't a timid person, but it was her first time in such a remote mountain area, in this weather.
Time ticked by, and she felt a layer of anxiety settling over her.
A sudden text notification broke the silence in the car.
[Steven is having dinner with Nancy at Sea Symphony Seafood Restaurant tonight. He gave her a Cartier watch as compensation.]
Rachel froze, her anxiety dissipating.
In a few breaths, it shattered, blending into the misty valley.
Steven had messaged her at noon, saying he had to work late and she didn't need to go to The Martinez Manor tonight, suggesting she rest early.
So he was out on a candlelit dinner date with Nancy.
Benjamin glanced sideways at Rachel's clenched fist and tense jawline, but he still asked calmly, "What's wrong?"
Rachel looked up at him, unexpectedly meeting his deep, indifferent eyes.
She gave a self-deprecating smile, her voice deliberately relaxed, "Nothing major, just my private investigator telling me Steven is on a date with Nancy."
Benjamin wasn't surprised. He had received several pieces of evidence from Rachel, especially some photos that didn't seem like they were taken by her.
Naturally, he guessed she had hired a private investigator.
However, there was always one question about Rachel that he couldn't quite figure out.
But remembering her previous response in the parking lot, he held back his question.
He thought for a moment and changed the subject, "There's something you should be prepared for."
The sudden change in topic almost threw Rachel off.
But the sadness and bitterness in her heart eased a little.
"What is it?"
"Even if the juice contains something harmful, that alone doesn't prove Nancy tampered with it. There were plenty of people who had access, so without evidence or witnesses, we can't say it was her."
Rachel understood what he meant, frowning slightly, "With Nancy's cautious nature, even if she did tamper with it, she would avoid being seen or caught on camera."
"That substance didn't just appear out of nowhere."
Exactly.
No matter how Nancy got the substance, there had to be a way.
Without other evidence, they could only focus on that.
She thought for a moment and said, "I'll look into who she's been in contact with lately."
Benjamin nodded, "Alright."
The previously awkward and tense atmosphere in the car eased a bit.
Around eight o'clock, the rain visibly lessened, but the fog under the headlights grew thicker.
Benjamin didn't drive too fast.
It was past ten when they finally got off the highway near the south side of town. He glanced at Rachel's peaceful sleeping face, tapping the steering wheel with his long finger.
After a couple of minutes, he asked, "Your address?"
"We're here?"
Rachel, a light sleeper, hadn't been fully asleep in the car. She opened her eyes groggily, staring at the endless road lit by yellow streetlights through the windshield, momentarily dazed.
Benjamin repeated, "Your address."
"Aren't you going back to the law firm?"
"No, it's out of the way."
If he wasn't going back to the law firm, Carol's car would have to be picked up from Stargaze Gallery tomorrow.
Rachel gave him her address, and Benjamin, seemingly familiar with it, didn't need a GPS. About half an hour later, they arrived near the gated community.
Steven called at that moment, asking if she was still at work and why she hadn't come home yet.
Listening to his concerned tone, Rachel felt a wave of irony.
Her voice was cold but carried a hint of a smile, "Almost there, just outside the community. Are you home?"
Steven's voice was gentle on the other end, "Just got back. I was worried when I saw you weren't here. Glad you're almost home. I'll wait for you."
"Okay."
After hanging up, Rachel was thinking about what excuse to use with Steven when Benjamin's low voice interrupted her thoughts, "You have a knack for acting."
Rachel turned to him with a smile. ""With a few good teachers, it's hard not to improve.""
Heather, Steven, Nancy—each one could be her teacher.
And these three were ruthless and greedy. If her acting wasn't good, ten lives wouldn't be enough to withstand their harm.
Benjamin didn't respond, only raising an eyebrow slightly.
With Rachel in the car, they smoothly entered the gated community, driving for a few minutes before turning a corner and arriving at the 4,000-square-foot villa.
As the car turned, Rachel saw the figure standing at the door.
It was Steven.
She didn't bother to hide anything. As soon as the car stopped, she unbuckled her seatbelt and got out. Before she could say anything, Steven took two steps towards her, "Honey."
He wanted to ask who had driven her back, but through the car door, he saw the driver.
His brows furrowed.
Benjamin?
Why him again?
He remembered the previous times he had argued with Rachel, and Benjamin had been there.
This thought filled him with irritation and unease, which he tried to suppress. He wrapped his arm around Rachel's waist and kissed her cheek.
He spoke softly and worriedly, "Why are you so late? I was about to drive out and look for you."
Rachel stiffened, not expecting him to suddenly kiss her.
She pictured Steven and Nancy together and was overwhelmed by disgust.
She forced herself to control her anger, glaring at him while maintaining her tone, "What are you doing?"
Steven smiled, playfully tapping her nose, full of affection, "You're my wife. What's wrong with kissing you?"
As he spoke, he pretended to notice the person in the car, feigning surprise, "Mr. Wright? You brought Rachel back?"
Benjamin saw through his act immediately.
It was just for show.
He glanced at Rachel's angry face and then at Steven's seemingly gentle and considerate expression, smirking slightly.
A clown.
"I'm leaving."
Rachel heard him and looked over, clenching her fist, unable to muster a smile, "Alright. Thank you for today. Be careful on the road."
Benjamin nodded. Once Rachel closed the car door, he turned the car around and drove out of the community.
Rachel watched the car disappear around the corner, then turned back, unable to suppress her disgust any longer. She pushed Steven's arm off her waist and walked inside.
She muttered, "Can't you be more careful? It's embarrassing with someone else here!"
Steven, still smiling, followed her inside, "I didn't notice. I was too worried about you. But why were you with him?"
Rachel turned her head, wiping the spot he had kissed.
"I went to the west side to see Leo. It started raining heavily in the evening, and I happened to run into him."
She didn't go into details, just giving a brief explanation.
Steven knew The Wright Manor was on the west side, so it wasn't unusual for Benjamin to be there.
The artist Leo, who was about to collaborate with Stargaze Gallery, also lived on the west side, so Rachel's reason for being there was plausible.
But, the west side was quite large.
How did they just happen to meet?
He asked, "What a coincidence?"
Rachel wiped her face again, still feeling uncomfortable, both disgusted and irritated. Her voice hardened, "Yes, just like you running into Nancy those few times."