Chapter 165: Two Dads?
Benjamin looked at Sophia with heartache, guilt, and regret in his eyes. He walked toward her, step by step, with determination.
Sensing something was off about him, Sophia asked quietly, "What happened?"
Before Sophia could finish speaking, Benjamin pulled her tightly into his arms. The faint scent of his cologne filled her nose.
Sophia's eyes widened. She stared blankly at the lights above, her body instantly stiffening.
This scene was witnessed by William, who had just found them.
He said coldly, "What are you two doing?"
Being seen by someone else while in Benjamin's arms made Sophia feel somewhat uncomfortable.
Especially since that person was William.
She pushed against Benjamin's shoulder, reminding him to let her go first.
Benjamin was a very gentle and polite person. Even when facing business competitors, his methods were quite mild. He would never push people to the edge, and he was extremely gentlemanly toward women.
But right now.
He held Sophia tightly, unwilling to let go.
William walked toward the balcony with a cold expression and shut the balcony door behind him, blocking any other potential passersby from seeing.
"Benjamin, let her go."
William knew he had no right to pull them apart at this moment, so he spoke up as a reminder. But when he saw that Benjamin not only didn't let go but held her even tighter, his hand at his side clenched into a fist.
Sophia was stuck in the middle.
On one side, William's oppressive presence; on the other, Benjamin's arm trembling with emotion.
She calmly patted Benjamin and said, "If you have something to say, say it properly. Let me go first."
This time.
Benjamin released his arms from around her.
He stared at her intently, his eyes fixed on her beautiful face.
He could confirm that his feelings for her during his school days were pure friendship.
But with her sudden departure, the college life he had planned in his mind was left with only him. The repeated memories in a foreign land made her an obsession he couldn't shake.
In the process of seeking answers about why she left, Sophia's image constantly lingered in his mind. Even when other women appeared around him, he would unconsciously compare them to Sophia.
Later, Benjamin traveled back and forth between Empire City and abroad many times.
Almost all his vacations were spent going to Empire City to see her.
Watching her in class, watching her work multiple part-time jobs, and watching her cleverly avoid customers' advances at the bar...
He had wanted to rush up and help her then, but his friend stopped him.
His friend told him that since Sophia would rather choose to sell drinks at a bar than ask old friends for help, she was still a proud person at heart. His appearance would only embarrass her.
Benjamin was stopped by those words.
Later, he didn't know from which day it started, but his gaze could no longer leave her.
Sophia didn't know...
Half of the expensive drinks she sold during her six months working at the bar were in Benjamin's wine cellar at his Empire City residence.
Benjamin didn't plan to tell her about this.
But Benjamin at that time never imagined that the person who pushed Sophia to that point was actually his own family member!
He took a deep breath, quickly adjusted his emotions, and returned to his usual gentle appearance.
Benjamin pushed up his gold-rimmed glasses and spoke with slight apology, "Sorry, I was rude just now."
William saw through his pretense at a glance. With one hand in his pocket, he compared his attitude from yesterday to today.
He knew that the documents specially delivered to Dwayne had been passed on to Benjamin.
And Benjamin had already read everything.
Otherwise, he wouldn't look at Sophia as if he owed her everything.
Sorting through his thoughts bit by bit in his mind, Benjamin felt he couldn't scare Sophia.
After a moment, he spoke, "Sophia, I just had a dream. I dreamed that... you were bullied by my mother and grandmother because of me."
Sophia's throat went dry. Her gaze didn't leave Benjamin's blue eyes. She inexplicably felt his words were hinting at something.
Could he already know about what Isolde and Evelyn did?
But even if he knew, what could he do?
Benjamin was a Franklin.
Could he really go after his own family members because of her, an outsider?
Sophia had barely begun to think this unrealistic thought before she immediately dismissed it from her mind.
She said flatly, "Dreams don't mean anything.."
Even without speaking, William's mere presence was impossible to ignore.
Meeting her gaze, William curved his lips slightly, not feeling at all wrong about using James and Michael as an excuse to come find her.
"James and Michael want to video call you, but they can't get through."
Speaking of this, Sophia remembered she hadn't hung up with Emily yet. She picked up her phone and saw Emily on the other end, prying at Lucas's hand covering her eyes, her curious eyes peeking through the gaps between his fingers.
Seeing Sophia looking at her, Emily immediately tugged at Lucas's fingers and said softly, "Uncle Lucas, let me go."
Lucas heard William and Benjamin's conversation and winked teasingly at Sophia through the phone.
He deliberately raised his voice for William to hear, "Emily, be good. Let's not disturb Mommy's date with the handsome gentleman."
Lucas thought to himself: 'Best if this makes William angry!'
Always walking around with that cold face!
Emily asked Sophia in confusion, "Mommy, what's a date?"
Sophia fell silent.
Benjamin glanced at William beside him with his dark expression, and the corners of his mouth lifted slightly at Emily's cute question.
He walked behind Sophia and greeted Emily.
Unlike his sarcasm and rejection toward William, Lucas properly called out Benjamin's name, clearly an old acquaintance.
And William, hearing Emily call Benjamin "handsome gentleman," found his already unpleasant mood getting even worse.
Lucas continued to fan the flames, "Emily, maybe before long, you'll have a handsome daddy."
Emily blinked in distress. A handsome daddy?
But she had William. Now with another handsome daddy, wouldn't she have one more daddy than James and Michael?
Sophia said disapprovingly, "Lucas, what are you talking about? Don't put ideas in Emily's head!"
Lucas touched his nose innocently, "Who says I'm talking nonsense? Maybe it'll come true in the future. Right, Benjamin?"
After saying goodbye to Emily, she immediately hung up the phone.
Sophia was about to change the subject when she heard Benjamin's meaningful words, "Sophia, I think Lucas's suggestion is pretty good."
She turned around in surprise, seeing the seriousness in his eyes. For a moment, she didn't react, and the atmosphere on the balcony fell into silence.
William's eyes darkened. The corners of his mouth curved into a cold smile as he directly called James on video.
As James called out "Daddy," William put his arm around Sophia's shoulder and pulled her into his embrace.
He held up his phone and said, "James, Daddy found your mommy. Didn't you say you had something to tell Mommy?"
Sophia didn't want to slap William in front of James. She smiled and gently asked James what he wanted to tell her.
While smiling at James, she forcefully shook off William's hand from her shoulder. She stomped at William's shoe with her high heel, but she missed and stumbled backward.
Having learned from last time, William moved half a step away when her high heel came at him.
After all, last time Sophia's merciless stomp had left his toe badly bruised, and it had taken a long time to heal.
William steadied her arm and said with a smile, "Be careful."
Sophia fell silent.