2026-05-20 16:56:27Back at Velvet Ember, Benjamin Pocket his phone immediately he dropped Hannah's call and turned his gaze to meet the young woman at the back.
Cassandra.
She is tall, elegant in the way beautiful alone couldn't describe— Soft dark hair curled behind her back, white impeccable blazer that fitted her curves without tightening. For some seconds, Benjamin stared at her, taking in her striking features but he didn't linger on her.
Cassandra's finger clasped in front of her pants, head slightly tilted down, her cheek flushed in embarrassment from the earlier exchange.
"Thank you, Sir," She said, her voice small. "I will pay you bac—"
"It's not necessary." Benjamin cut through her words gently. "and it wasn't your fault. She should have focused on the way instead of scrolling through her phone."
Cassandra lifted her head gently, her beauty striking despite the sadness in her expression. "I thought no one saw it. I thought I was the one who was wrong. Always wrong." She said with a somber voice.
Benjamin paused, staring at her in confusion. "Is anything the matter?"
Cassandra turned her face away to hide the tears threatening to fall from her eyes.
"Thank you for your kindness, Sir." She returned her face to Benjamin but avoided his gaze. "I should leave now."
"Aunty. Aunty, please don't go." Aria's voice came from the side, her expression twisted into an innocent babyish look that couldn't be resisted.
"Aria. What are you doing?" Benjamin looked down at her with a frown.
"I want aunty to join us to eat."
"Aria."
Cassandra looked at the young girl in surprise.
"Have we met before, dear?"
Aria shook her head.
Cassandra crouched to her height smiling at her. "I'm a stranger, little one." She said softly, "You shouldn't trust strangers easily. They might be bad people."
"You are not a bad person, aunty." Aria's tiny voice came firmly, putting Cassandra in temporal shock. The young girl held Cassandra's finger, swinging it gently. "Please aunty stay. Please stay."
Benjamin frowned at her. "You're causing trouble, Aria." His voice hardened slightly. "I didn't take you out to disturb someone else."
Benjamin turned to Cassandra. "Please, I am sorry. She could be clingy at times."
"She's Lovely." Cassandra corrected with a smile. "I will stay." She said apparently. Benjamin looked at her in surprise. "For her sake." She added with clarity to dismiss any misconception.
"I thought you were heading somewhere?"
"It's not important anymore."
Aria's face immediately flushed, an exciting smile plastered over her face.
"Thank you. Thank you aunty." She gushed.
"You don't need to—" Benjamin wanted to protest again.
"It's fine." Cassandra gently cut through his words with a smile. "I love children. I'll stay."
Benjamin didn't push it again. The way Aria smiled at the strange woman, the way she held her finger gently like they've met before was surprising to him.
They walked to the table at the corner of the restaurant where they could see the scenery of the street and settled down. Benjamin sat beside Aria while Cassandra sat opposite them. She placed her phone on the table beside her bag.
"Please make yourself comfortable, Ma." Benjamin said.
"You don't need to be formal." Cassandra said with a small but genuine smile. "I'm Cassandra."
"Benjamin."
A waitress walked up to them with the menu and bowed professionally.
"What would you like to order, Sir/Ma?"
Benjamin leaned back in his seat. "She'll place the order." He gestured at Cassandra respectfully. "Please take the order, Cassandra."
"What?" She said, caught off his request. "I don't think that's appropriate. You invited me to the table. It'll be disrespectful if I'm being too forward."
"Guests courtesy then." Benjamin smiled at her.
Cassandra chuckled, shaking her head and finally picking up the menu. Her eyes went down the list, widening as she took in the expensive meals sprawling the list.
A plate of jollof rice, the cheapest meal on the list, cost $500.
"This... it's too expensive."
"Anything you want, Cassandra. We'll be okay with it. Right, Aria?" Benjamin said.
She nodded in excitement.
Cassandra was still reluctant.
"I'll pay." Benjamin said firmly.
Cassandra, looking at Benjamin's plain clothing and ordinary appearance, she concluded he was just an average father trying to make her daughter happy.
She nodded and didn't protest further. "Jollof rice with chicken and veggies. Three plates..." She looked at Aria. "Would you like to take orange juice?"
Aria nodded.
"— and Orange juice."
The waitress nodded, noted the order and walked out to carry it out.
As the Waitress walked away, Cassandra's phone buzzed. She picked it up and stared at the screen. Her expression changed which Benjamin noticed.
"Is anything the matter?" He asked.
She shook her head and forced a smile that appeared thin before setting the phone back to the table. "It's not something important." She said,
Benjamin nodded without pushing further. He leaned forward with interest. "So, tell Cassandra. What were you doing here in the first place?"
"I came to get something to eat but I realized I forgot my card."
"Oh, that must have caused you some trouble." Benjamin expressed. "Where were you planning to go from here?"
"Stellar Entertainment. I had an interview for a major role."
"Stellar Entertainment." Benjamin repeated, his brow raised in surprise and impression. "That's the biggest entertainment industry in the city. You're aiming for the top."
Cassandra nodded.
Silence.
Her expression dropped slightly along with her voice. "You know— I don't speak about my personal affairs especially with people i am meeting for the first time."
"Trust me." Benjamin said quietly, voice firm with assurance. "I'm not one of those people your mind is thinking that I am."
"Trust is costly these days. Not everyone can afford it."
Benjamin leaned in, his expression firmer. "Then I won't ask you to trust me," he said, "see me as someone you can just talk with. You're safe."
Cassandra looked at him in the eyes, searching for a hint of something. Maybe lies. She exhaled heavily and leaned forward.
"You're a persistent one." She smiled faintly.
"I'm concerned."
"Concerned means walking into a room you don't know what's hidden inside."
"Then, tell me. Let me know."
Her phone lightened up again.
And the order arrived at their table at that moment.
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"""""""""""" Across the city, Amara was just stepped out from the bathroom after taking a hot bath that couldn't smother the humiliation at Titan Medics away. Steam curled into the air from her body and droplets of water slipped over her skin, running into the towel covering her chest. She stopped when he saw Richard in the room, leaning back against the wall with hands casually resting in his pocket. His usually arrogance radiated off him like invisible smoke in the air but his expression was softer with the awareness that Amara was still mad about the blow out in the board room. He pushed his body off the wall and pulled out his hand. Amara's voice cut through the room angrily. "What the heck are you doing in my room!!" She hissed, her voice sharp and cutting like blade. Richard took one step forward, "Amara listen we can talk about.." but Amara didn't give her a chance, her finger snapped to the door, voice cracking like thunder tumbling through a cloudy sky. "Get out of my
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