章 16: 16. Where Is He?
The next few days went by with no signs of Benjamin. Alexandra had tried asking her father to help locate Benjamin but Sir Dominic Zane had simply told her not to trouble herself with a minor issue and that he would hire a new bodyguard for her. Alexandra couldn't possibly explain why she was worried about Benjamin to her father lest it would raise suspicion. Anyway, to her father, staff and employees were dispensable and therefore there was nothing personal.
Luckily her work at the hospital was getting busier each day and she was always exhausted at the end of each day. She was now allowed to assist in surgeries and therefore her time was mostly preoccupied with surgeries, medical discussions, researches and conferences. It was only at night, when she was at her quietest moment did Alexandra think about Benjamin.
Every night, ever since she wasn't able to contact him, Alexandra had been praying that Benjamin was safe wherever he was. She had also formed a habit in recalling their past moments together, and couldn't help but missed him. Some days, when she was at her weakest, she would cry herself to sleep thinking about Benjamin. She knew, she had inadvertently fallen in love with him when they were together and his disappearance had made her realized this fact. Alexandra didn't know when they would meet again, but she hoped someday he would come back to her.
'He promised that he wouldn't leave me. Something terrible must've happened to him.' Regardless of his sudden disappearance, never once did Alexandra feel angry or bitter towards Benjamin. She had always trusted him and knew he would not leave her without reason.
Zachary Croft heard the news of Prince Adrian's accident and couldn't help but felt worried. The Prince and the Crofts had entered into several major corporations back in Northernlands and he had left the affairs there to be managed by the Prince when he was needed back in Azteria. Now that the Prince was injured, he needed to go back and planned ahead.
After explaining briefly to both Alexandra and Sir Dominic Zane, Zachary Croft boarded the first plane available to the Northernlands. Alexandra sent him to the airport and Zachary couldn't help but noticed her distant attitude. Ever since her bodyguard disappeared, Alex got more and more distant and each time they met, she often spaced out, as if there were million things going on in her head. Zachary Croft had a wild guess in his heart as to the apparent change in Alexandra but he had no way to confirm it. He sighed and hoped whatever that was burdening her would be resolved before their wedding.
At the hospital, a lonely figure was leaning against the wall, his eyes closed. He had lost a lot of weight in the past few days. His handsome face revealed a deep sign of fatigue and sadness.
"Benjamin, you should go home and rest, Son." A deep voice caused the young man to open his eyes and he stared at the person standing in front of him. His father seemed to have drastically aged and his worried eyes mirrored those of Benjamin's.
"You have not gone home since you landed. You need to sleep. If not, I'm afraid you will collapse. You don't want your mom to be worried about you too, do you?" Archduke William Vern Dupont tried to persuade his younger son to go home. Benjamin had lost so much weight as he had not been eating or sleeping properly for the past one week.
Aaron's accident had caused a huge blow to all of them. He had suffered a trauma to his brains due the major accident and luckily the surgery was a success. However, after the surgery, he was still in a coma and the doctors were not able to confirm when he would wake up. They could only monitor him and kept records of his progress. The Archduchess had grown weary of the whole situation and he had sent her home last night. Now, it was time to deal with his younger son.
"Father, don't worry about me. I'll go home in a while. I'll check up on mother and come back in the evening. Please let me know if there's any change." Benjamin could see how worried his father was about him and he didn't want that. He also realized he needed a good rest lest he'd be laying next to Aaron himself. Benjamin also needed to check on his mother who had been crying almost everyday since he came back.
Zachary Croft was coming out of the elevator when he caught a glimpse of a familiar figure going into the next elevator. Before he could take a second look, the elevator doors closed before him. 'He looked like Benjamin Wright. But what is he doing here? I must've been mistaken.' Zachary Croft quickly dismissed the thought.
Zachary Croft politely greeted the Archduke who was seated alone facing Prince Aaron and extended his sympathy to the royal family. The whole area had been cordoned off to the public and only those who had received prior approval may visit the Prince. He didn't stay long as he needed to get back to the company and made new arrangements during the Prince's absence. However, before he leave, his thought drifted back to Benjamin and he couldn't help but asked the Archduke about him. "Your Highness, do you know a Benjamin Wright?" He asked cautiously.
"Benjamin Wright? Why do you want to know about him?" Archduke Vern Dupont replied, curious as to why this gentleman suddenly asked about his younger son.
"Nothing much. I thought I saw someone that looked like him earlier. I knew him while I was in Azteria, he was employed as a bodyguard there. I wonder if you knew him too." Zachary Croft explained politely, not wanting to offend the older man.
"Yes, I know Benjamin. He's with the family." The Archduke answered ambiguously.
"I see. I shall not disturb your rest any longer. Please take care." With a polite nod, Zachary Croft exited the room and went straight to the company.
'No wonder he left. He must've gotten a better offer working for the royal family. Poor Alex.' Zachary Croft felt sympathy for Alexandra and hoped she would get over him soon. He had long suspected that Alexandra was in love with Benjamin. There was no point telling her about Benjamin, it would only hurt her further.
As much as he wanted Alexandra to be happy, Benjamin was really not the right choice for her. Their status didn't match and she would just end up being disappointed and miserable in the end. Only him could make her happy, hence Zachary Croft didn't mind if Alexandra's heart belonged to someone else. He knew if given time, Alexandra would learn to love him too. Marriage was just the first step.
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