Chapter 603
The moment was almost unbearably romantic. Tears shimmered down Wendy’s cheeks while Benjamin’s eyes gleamed like liquid fire. They stared at each other, swept up in a tide of emotion neither of them had ever known.
Benjamin was waiting for her answer–when suddenly, a raindrop hit her face.
“It’s raining!” Wendy gasped, tilting her head up.
“You still haven’t answered me!”
The sky opened in an instant, heavy drops drumming down fast and hard.
“The rain’s too heavy–let’s go inside!”
Lifting her skirt, Wendy darted toward the suite.
Benjamin threw a frustrated look at the dark sky, but he had no choice except to follow.
By the time they made it back inside, the candles had already been cleared away by the staff. Wendy brushed the rain from her dress. Benjamin moved in close, pressing her lightly against the wall.
“I just proposed to you,” he said, his voice rough with impatience. “You still haven’t answered me. Do you or don’t you?”
His masculine scent wrapped around her. Wendy shrank back, avoiding the heat in his gaze. His eyes were too deep, too intense–just one look made her feel like she might melt.
“Answer me! Are you trying to drive me crazy?”
It was the first time in his life he had ever proposed to a girl, and he was being left hanging. If she rejected him outright, it would be the greatest humiliation he had ever faced.
Finally, Wendy lifted her flushed face, her lashes trembling as she whispered, “I think… marriage is too
soon. I’m not ready. And I don’t believe I can make it work with you. I don’t trust marriage. My parents‘ divorce left scars on me I can’t
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erase…”
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It was the raw truth. Because of her parents‘ broken marriage, Wendy carried deep insecurity, an ingrained lack of confidence that made her doubt love itself.
“I know,” Benjamin said softly. “But I want you to trust me. Just give me a chance.”
For once there was no arrogance in his tone, no mocking. Just sincerity.
“I’m sorry. I still can’t accept your proposal.”
With her family background, she would never truly belong in the Jones family. Better to draw the line now than fight and hurt each other later.
The rejection hit hard. His chest felt tight, his pride wounded, but Benjamin understood her reasons. He had said too many things that hurt her. He had given her no security. The only way to fix it was to prove himself, from now on.
“I get it. Fine. Forget the proposal.”
He tossed the velvet ring box into the trash.
Wendy’s eyes went wide. “Wait–how could you just throw it away?”
She made a move to pick it up, but he pressed her back against the wall again, his
voice low and firm.
“Listen to me. We can put marriage aside for now. But I want to date you–with marriage as the goal. Let’s start as boyfriend and girlfriend. Let me show you what I can do. Then decide if I’m worth marrying. Deal?”
The honesty in his voice shook her. After a moment, she nodded. “Alright.”
“So now… we’re officially together, right?”
“Yes.”
“Then…” His eyes darkened with mischief. “Can I kiss my girlfriend?”
Wendy’s lips parted but no sound came.
Benjamin leaned in slowly. Her heart pounded so hard she could barely breathe.
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When their breaths mingled, the air between them sparked.
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Outside, the rain beat harder against the windows, but inside the suite the heat
rose steadily. The young couple sank into their first real moment as lovers,
wrapped in sweetness and fire.
From this night on, nothing between them would ever be the same.
It was late by the time Zeke stopped by the Vanderbilt villa. He spent some time with Sebastian, Caitlin, and the children, chatting casually until he finally rose to
leave.
“You two should rest early. I’ll see you in the morning,” he said.
“Alright. Good night.”
Sebastian and Caitlin walked him to the door, watching him leave before shutting it again.
“Zeke mentioned the Gonzales family disappeared strangely too,” Caitlin said thoughtfully. “Do you think they were all killed?”
“Not necessarily,” Sebastian replied. “It feels deliberate—like they’re in hiding. And I have a bold guess.”
“What?”
“Maybe Alicia is still alive. The explosion and the Gonzales family’s
disappearance… what if it was all her plan? What if from the very start, when she decided to help Zeke, she was already plotting her escape?”
Caitlin nodded. “That’s possible. Alicia was always clever. She would never fight without a backup plan. Honestly, I hope the explosion was just her cover to escape. If she’s alive… where could she be now?”
The couple fell silent, lost in thought.
Sebastian finally scooped Caitlin into his arms. “If she’s alive, one day she’ll resurface. Until then, we should focus on us. How do you want to spend our romantic night?”
“Didn’t we already… during the day?”
“Not nearly enough. I want you all the time.”
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Her body sank into the mattress as his lips claimed hers again, fiery but tender. This vacation was their honeymoon, and he refused to waste a single moment.
Meanwhile, Zeke returned to his own suite in the villa hotel. He tossed his keycard aside, shoulders heavy with fatigue, and walked to the window.
Rain poured down over the night. He pulled out the forget–me–not pocket watch from his jacket and held it tightly in his palm.
Lonely as he was, he had finally found something—or someone–he couldn’t let
- go.
His longing was as deep and relentless as the storm outside, growing stronger with each passing day.
On the rain–streaked glass, a vision shimmered into being: Alicia’s playful smile, so vivid it felt real.
“Zeke, if we both survive this… you have to come back and marry me. I’ll be waiting.”
Her voice echoed in his ears as if she stood right there.
But the image flickered, fading into the reflection of a stranger–a shadow with a blade.
Zeke’s expression sharpened. He spun just as the knife slashed toward him. The blade missed his head by inches, but the assassin pressed forward, relentless.
The suite had been compromised. Zorro’s men, no doubt.
There was no time to think. Zeke fought back hard, every strike deadly. Furniture crashed as the two clashed.
The killer, fast and ruthless, slammed Zeke onto the table, driving the knife toward his face…