All Chapters of Benjamin Wayne's Rise to Power : Chapter 21
- Chapter 30
95 chapters
Chapter 21
Elise stared at her parents like she’d misheard them.“What the hell are you even talking about, Mom?” she asked, disbelief cutting through her voice. “What does any of this have to do with Benjamin?”Mrs. Harrison set her fork down with a sharp clink. “Don’t pretend you don’t understand,” she said coldly. “A security guard does not and can never have the influence to secure such an offer from Trinity Corporation. That company doesn’t hand out opportunities like charity.”Mr. Harrison nodded, his expression hardening. “Trinity’s executives are deeply connected. One word from them can decide careers. You expect us to believe someone working security could sway that?”Benjamin sat quietly, his gaze lowered. He didn’t interrupt. He already knew how this would go.Elise inhaled slowly, steadying herself. “The offer wasn’t given because of influence,” she said. “It wasn’t even meant for me.”Her parents both turned toward her.“What do you mean?” Mrs. Harrison asked.Elise’s fingers tighte
Chapter 22
“Have you gone mad?”“Answer me,” her father demanded, voice rising. “Have you completely lost your senses?”Mrs. Harrison’s face twisted with rage. “Speak up, Elise! Have you lost your mind?” she demanded, her voice sharp enough to cut through the lingering silence. “Do you even hear yourself speaking?”Mr. Harrison's earlier disbelief had curdled into fury. “Feelings?” he said incredulously. “You’re seriously talking about feelings at a time like this?”Elise flinched at the sudden escalation, but she did not sit back down. Her heart pounded, yet she forced herself to remain standing, her spine straight, her hands clenched tightly at her sides.Benjamin could feel the hostility radiating across the table, aimed squarely at Elise now, and he knew instinctively that nothing he said would make this better.“You’ve completely lost your senses,” Mrs. Harrison continued. “We didn’t raise you to throw yourself away like this.”“Throw myself away?” Elise echoed, stunned. “By caring about so
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Elise stood there, stunned, her world quietly cracking beneath her feet. She stared at both her parents as if seeing them for the first time.“So that’s it?” she asked quietly. “Is that what I am to you?”Mrs. Harrison frowned. “What are you talking about now?”Elise’s hands trembled as she clenched them into fists. “What do you take me for?” she demanded, her voice rising. “A bargaining chip? A tool for climbing the social ladder?”Mr. Harrison’s expression hardened. “Don’t exaggerate.”“I’m not,” Elise shot back. “You’re talking about marrying me off for connections and wealth like it’s a business deal. Do you even see me as your daughter?”The question landed heavily in the room and for a brief moment, neither parent spoke.Then Mrs. Harrison straightened her posture. “And do you see us as your parents?” she asked coolly.Elise blinked. “What?”Her mother’s voice grew firm. “After raising you all these years, feeding you, educating you, giving you opportunities, is it really unreas
Chapter 24
For a fleeting moment, Benjamin felt something close to regret.He watched Elise’s parents study the wine box with thinly veiled disdain, and a quiet thought crossed his mind. Perhaps he should have let them recognize it immediately. Perhaps it would have been easier if the truth had been obvious at first glance, even if it meant exposing something he had deliberately concealed.If they suspected his identity, he could always explain it away later. He had done so many times before.But no matter how worn the packaging looked, Benjamin was certain of one thing. Once they tasted the wine, they would know. Quality could not be hidden completely. The depth, the finish, the balance of flavors. Anyone with even a modest understanding of fine liquor would recognize it as premium.He reached for the box, then unwrapped the bottle calmly.“Allow me,” Benjamin said, his tone polite. “I’ll pour it.”But before his fingers could touch the cork, Mrs. Harrison abruptly grabbed the bottle from his h
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The old man stepped forward slowly, his eyes sweeping across the tense room, lingering briefly on Benjamin, then on the unopened bottle on the table.“I could hear shouting from the hallway,” he said calmly. “What’s going on?”The calm authority in his voice seemed to press down on the room. For a moment, no one spoke.Elise reacted first. She hurried over, instinctively placing herself closer to her grandfather, as if drawing strength from his presence. “Grandpa,” she said quickly, “it’s nothing serious. My guest, Benjamin, brought a bottle of wine as a gift. They just wanted to see if it was any good.”She spoke fast, carefully choosing her words, clearly hoping to smooth things over before the tension could reignite.Mrs. Harrison’s expression darkened immediately. “Elise,” she snapped, “stop defending him.”Elise stiffened. “I’m not defending anyone. I’m just explaining.”Mr. Harrison cleared his throat, forcing a polite tone. “Father, it’s just a misunderstanding. The wine doesn’
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“No.” The grandfather said. He straightened his back, his gaze unwavering. “This young man is absolutely not a so-called security guard.”The words landed with quiet force, cutting through the tension like a blade.For a brief moment, no one moved.Elise felt her breath catch. She stared at her grandfather, then at Benjamin, her mind scrambling to keep up with what she had just heard. Her parents stood frozen, their expressions caught somewhere between disbelief and irritation.The grandfather took another step forward, his movements slow but deliberate. His eyes remained fixed on Benjamin, no longer sharp with judgment, but thoughtful, almost searching.“Young man,” he said, his voice steady and respectful, “may I ask what your true identity is?”The room seemed to shrink around them.Benjamin felt every gaze fall on him at once. The question was simple, spoken without accusation, yet it carried a weight he hadn’t anticipated. He opened his mouth, then closed it again.For the first
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“You’re still defending him.” Mr. Harrison asked, stunned.“I’m defending the truth,” Elise said, her voice rising. “You’re accusing me of lying. Accusing Grandpa. Accusing him. None of it makes sense.”Her father shook his head slowly. “Listen to yourself. I can't believe you've gone this blind.”Elise stepped forward, her voice trembling with disbelief. “Blind? What are you even talking about, father?”The living room felt smaller than it ever had and Elise stood in the middle of it, hands clenched at her sides, while her parents who were opposite her were like judges who had already reached a verdict.Mrs. Harrison let out a sharp, humorless laugh. “Still pretending?” she asked coldly. “After everything we just witnessed?”“Pretending?” Elise echoed. Her gaze flicked between them, confused and shaken. “You’re the ones not making sense. Benjamin didn’t do anything wrong. Grandpa didn’t either. Why are you suddenly acting like this?”Mr. Harrison rose from his seat. His jaw was tight
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“Is that what being a good daughter means?” Elise asked, broken.But Mrs. Harrison, her mother looked away.Elise turned fully toward Benjamin then. Her tears fell freely now. “I’m sorry,” she said, her voice barely holding together. “I never expected things to turn out like this.”Her shoulders shook as she spoke, the weight of the moment finally crashing down on her. The room felt unbearably quiet, as if even the walls were holding their breath. Benjamin stood a few steps away from her, his hands clenched loosely at his sides, his eyes dark with restrained emotion.“It’s okay,” he said softly after a brief pause. His voice was calm, almost too calm, like he was afraid that any crack in it would make everything fall apart. “This isn’t your fault.”Elise shook her head fiercely. “It doesn’t feel okay. None of this feels okay.”Benjamin took a step closer, stopping just short of touching her. He wanted to pull her into his arms, to shield her from the sharp words and colder stares, but
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Stay away from her.”Benjamin paused, his hand resting on the doorknob. Without turning back, he said quietly, “I never intended to harm her. Not once.”Just then…The front door opened.The sound was soft, but it cut through the tension like a blade.Everyone in the living room froze.Benjamin turned instinctively, his brows knitting together as the door swung inward. Standing there was a young woman dressed in a fitted cream coat, her long hair falling neatly over her shoulders. She carried herself with natural confidence, chin slightly lifted, eyes sharp and observant as they swept across the room.She was beautiful, but not in a gentle way. There was a faint arrogance in her posture, the kind that came from growing up with power and privilege. Yet unlike Martha Matthews, whose aloofness felt distant and cold, this woman’s presence was vivid and assertive.“I’m looking for Benjamin Wayne,” she said calmly.The Harrisons stared at her, momentarily stunned.Benjamin was the first to
Chapter 30
“Thank you for your concern,” Iris said politely. “I’ll decide for myself what kind of man he is.”Mrs. Harrison’s eyes narrowed. “Don’t say we didn’t warn you.”Her voice carried a sharp edge, as if she were issuing a final judgment rather than advice. Mr. Harrison stood beside her, arms crossed tightly, his expression grim and unyielding.“We’ve already told you everything you need to know,” Mrs. Harrison continued coldly. “This man is a shameless scoundrel. He specializes in deceiving women who are richer than him. We saw through his disguise early enough.”Mr. Harrison nodded in agreement. “He thought he could fool us with cheap tricks. Acting humble. Acting sincere. Bringing that inferior wine as if it meant something.”Mrs. Harrison scoffed. “We smashed it. That alone should tell you how little we think of his schemes.”She lifted her chin, looking down at Iris as though she were doing her a great favor. “So take our advice. Be careful. Don’t let yourself become his next victim.