Emmeline squirmed a little before saying, “I’ll be leaving then.”
Benjamin nodded. “Alright. Take care while you’re driving. Don’t be reckless just because you’re a skilled driver.”
After Emmeline left Glenbrook, Benjamin took Janie’s hand and said warmly, “I’ll bring you upstairs to rest.”
“But I want to talk about something with you.” Janie pulled her hand away from Benjamin’s palm.
“What is it?” Benjamin sat down on the sofa and took a cigarette from the cigarette box.
“I told you I’ll leave Struyria after I’m discharged from the hospital. Thank you for taking care of me during this period.”
“I don’t agree.” Benjamin turned his head away as he blew a smoke ring.
“I can make decisions for myself,” she said.
“This is not up to you to decide. You were hurt because of me!” Benjamin said.
“I’m fine now. You don’t have to be grateful for what I did to you, just like how you don’t expect Emma to be grateful to you whenever you do something for her,” Janie said.
“I didn’t think of it that way.”
“So why are you stopping me from leaving?”
Benjamin stubbed out the cigarette in the ashtray, stood up, and went up to Janie.
Janie felt threatened by his imposing figure. She wanted to shift backward, but Benjamin took her wrist.
“I’d like to ask you…” Benjamin said hoarsely. “Can you give me one chance to fall in love with you?”
“…” Her eyes widened. “…Are you serious?”
“I’ve always been serious.”
Tears welled up in Janie’s eyes.
Benjamin hugged her gently in his arms and said, “Give me a chance to let things go and fall in love with you. I’m not that irredeemable…”
“Mm,” Janie replied. She felt a lump in her throat.
She stretched her arms and hugged Benjamin’s waist.
While driving, Emmeline’s phone that she placed on the side passenger seat began to ring.
She picked up the phone and glanced at the screen.
The call was from Abel.
She turned on the Bluetooth headset, and Abel’s charming voice was heard. “Where are you now, babe?”
Emmeline had not been home since lunch with Janie. Abel was also outside attending to some clients, and they had not seen each other for half a day.
“I’m driving,” Emmeline said. “I sent Janie to Glenbrook earlier.”
“Why don’t you turn around and come straight to Ryker Group?” Abel said.
“Why do you need me there? You don’t need my help anymore, right?”
“I have a present for you. Come here and you’ll see what it is,” Abel said while smiling.
Emmeline could not help but be curious.
More importantly, it was an excuse to meet her husband sooner. She believed Abel was thinking the same.
“Okay!” Emmeline said and ended the call.
She took a left turn at the intersection up ahead and went to Ryker Group.
After parking her car in the basement parking lot, she took the CEO’s exclusive elevator to the 89th floor.
When she was holding the fort on Abel’s behalf, Luca had programmed the elevator to accept her fingerprint.
The secretary was sitting at the receptionist’s desk in front of the CEO’s office. She saw the elevator doors open and Mrs. Ryker appeared in front of her.
“Ah! Good afternoon, Mrs. Ryker!” The secretary stood up and bowed.
“Mm. Good afternoon!” Emmeline smiled at her.
Her generous demeanor made the secretary admire and envy her.
Emmeline knocked on the door to the CEO’s office.
The door opened from the inside. Abel’s gallant figure appeared in front of her.
Abel’s elegant yet domineering demeanor made Emmeline’s heart thump wildly.
Why does he look so handsome whenever I look at him? I can’t take my eyes off him!
