Chương 9: A Morning Call

The annoying sound of the phone ringtone shook the spacious hotel room with its loud and repetitive melody. The man stretched his hand out in an attempt to find his phone but instead found the wet tongue of a sleeping dog.

"Ew, for God's sake! Can you at least close your mouth when you're sleeping? You've drooled all over the bed!"

Wiping his hand over the white blanket, the man sighed in annoyance and finally found his phone which continued to assault his ears with its annoying default melody. He checked the caller's name, cleared his throat with a series of short coughs, and answered the call,

"What?"

"Rude! Good morning, Mr. Bennett, this is your personal assistant Austin Hall if you have already managed to forget. You have to wake up at six o'clock every morning to take the dog out for a walk as per Mr. Oscar Bennett's instructions."

The man rustled his hand through his soft black hair and groaned miserably while his assistant continued, "Come on, Liam, chop chop! You know that your grandfather has a tracking app on your phone, he will find out if you skip even one day!"

"Ugh!" Liam looked at the puppy who was now sleeping with his belly up, his pink tongue still sticking out as if he were dead. "Why do I have to babysit you anyway?!"

Austin sighed, "If you listened to me and went straight back to your family house, you wouldn't have to take care of him, you know."

Liam frowned, "And who is going to take care of him there? The renovations are still not done and if Grandpa finds out that I let his precious mutt breathe the construction dust, he will disown me right away."

"Anyway," his assistant added in a chipper voice, "My job here is done. Now get ready and take the dog for a walk. I'll pick you up for breakfast at eight. Bye!"

Austin hung up before his boss could retort again. Liam poked the puppy with his finger but the dog paid absolutely no attention to his effort to wake him up. With another long sigh, the man left the bed, then walked up to the tall window that offered him the view of the city, and looked to his right, his lips curling into a light smile.

'I wonder when she will be back to her suite again.'

***

"I guess it's official now. Richard is sleeping with her."

Amelie placed the coffee cup back on the table and continued, "One of the maids saw her going to his bedroom last night, and as far as I'm concerned, she hasn't left yet."

Elizabeth almost threw her dessert fork on the table; she was two times angrier on her best friend's behalf.

"I still can't believe he had the nerve to bring her to the house! What a scumbag! They are friends and she has nowhere to go? Bullshit! He knows you have no say in it because the mansion belongs to him and he did not hesitate to use that! Jerk!"

Amelie smiled subtly at her friend. Meeting her today was a smart decision. She had returned to the mansion because she missed her bedroom and study but once she heard about that woman entering Richard's bedroom Amelie felt like dying.

Thankfully, Elizabeth always could find time to be her shoulder to cry on.

"Damn, that little bitch chose the worst timing!" Lizzy continued angrily, "Right before the benefit, it's like she had it all planned!"

Lizzy's raging protectiveness made Amelie's smile even wider.

"I can only hope the media will stay out of it until the benefit is over. I don't want people's attention to be focused on the wrong things."

Elizabeth could only sigh. She admired her friend's devotion to her charitable work and was amazed by her ability to remain composed even during such stressful times. She, however, was still bothered by this.

"You know… imagine if she was the second wife and you both were forced to make a joint donation for the benefit… Ugh, what an irritating thought!"

Elizabeth's words made Amelie freeze before she could grab her cup of coffee again.

That was indeed a legitimate tradition; she had witnessed it before too. During large charity events, all the wives of one wealthy and influential man had a tradition of submitting a shared donation to the charity of their choice to show the rest of the society that they could even overcome rivalry when it came to doing something significant for a greater cause.

In Amelie's case, however, things were a bit more complicated.

"She is an orphan and currently has no job." She finally took a sip of her coffee and continued, "If she is smart, she will make her own donation during the benefit. When the rumors finally spread far and wide, it will help her save face. I don't think she wants everybody to think of her as a mere gold digger."

'Though even if she does, the money will still come from Richard's pocket.'

She didn't say these words out loud, but Elizabeth thought of the very same thing.

Stretching her lips into a coy grin, Lizzy pocked a strawberry with her dessert fork and put it in her mouth her voice completely nonchalant as she replied, "Well, if Richard dares to bring that woman to the benefit with him, she had better make a generous donation. Otherwise, she will be the object of ridicule and not you. People are already buzzing about her identity, I don't think your husband will like it if all the media crowns his "dear friend" as a lowly gold digger."

Amelie couldn't help but laugh. That was exactly why they were best friends –– Lizzy never failed to lift her spirits with her sharp and witty remarks.

Elizabeth, too, felt a little more relaxed when she saw her friend smiling like that. Then, she tried to change the topic of their conversation to a more pleasant one.

"Oh, by the way! Is it true that someone from the Bennett family is attending this year?"

Mrs. Ashford nodded, "Yes, someone from the Bennett family is indeed attending this year's event. We can expect a very generous donation and perhaps... some entertainment too."

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Chương 10: Brunch, Ruined

The Bennett family was famous not only within the country but all over the world.

Their business started with Oscar Bennett, a skilled software engineer eager to explore the intricacies of the fast-growing tech world. He created a small start-up with two of his university friends. The trio wrote a program designed to enhance the security of passcode locks, which were becoming increasingly popular and rapidly replacing traditional locks.

The program quickly became in high demand. After multiple adjustments and updates, it evolved into a comprehensive smart home security system used by every major development company and dominated the international market.

Over time, Oscar's company grew into a large conglomerate called "Diamond Group," encompassing a family of businesses. Their shares were coveted by many wealthy individuals, and receiving Diamond Group's investments or financial support guaranteed instant popularity and success.

Unfortunately, the Bennett family's success came at a price.

Soon after the birth of his son Evan, Oscar's wife, Marianne, died of cancer, leaving him alone to raise their child. He didn't remarry, as his grief prevented him from focusing on anything other than his son and the company.

Evan was a smart kid who quickly became a valuable helper to his dad. He began working for the main company at only fourteen years old and helped the business reach new heights with his skills and business acumen.

He, too, had a price to pay for his achievements.

Not long after Evan and his wife, Jennifer, had their second son, Liam, they died in a plane crash while returning from a business trip on their private jet. The tragedy shook the business world, but it affected Oscar the most.

Once again, he lost beloved members of his family. Once again, he was left alone to act as a capable parent to the young Bennett brothers.

And their tragedies were still not over.

***

"We have sent the invitations to the entire family, but we only received one response. One of my assistants is handling the guests, so I'm still not sure who is going to attend the benefit."

Amelie took a moment to recall the last time she reviewed the guest list. No, she had made no mistake; all they had indicated was that only one "Mr. Bennett" would attend. There were no first names.

Elizabeth glanced at something on her phone and answered in a somewhat careless tone, "Hmm... I don't think it will be Grandpa Bennett. It's hunting season now, and he is known to hunt a lot. His older grandson is in the hospital somewhere in Europe and is too sick to fly, so this leaves us with only one possible candidate... the infamous Liam Bennett, the youngest heir to the Diamond Group!"

Liam Bennett indeed had a controversial reputation. He was famous for being just as talented as his father while also infamous for his scandalous social life. In short, Liam was known as a womanizer who was said to sleep around a lot.

The bad rumors about him, however, never prevented women of all ages from swooning over him. Liam was one of the most handsome bachelors and was desired by many.

"This makes me very excited!" Lizzy exclaimed. "The youngest heir of Diamond Group is making his first official public appearance at our benefit. I can't wait to see his gorgeous face in person!"

Her dreamy remark made Amelie laugh. While she, too, was curious to see him in person, she was barely interested in his looks.

Suddenly, Elizabeth fell silent, and her excited expression was replaced by a deep frown as she fixed her eyes on something behind Amelie. Concerned about such a drastic change in her expression, Amelie turned around and saw the source of her friend's distress.

It was Samantha.

"What the hell is she doing here?" Lizzy's cold voice echoed in Amelie's head. She narrowed her eyes, silently sharing her friend's irritation.

She took a closer look at that woman. Although Samantha was now dressed in famous brands, her appearance lacked any real fashion sense. It seemed as though she simply wanted to drape herself in expensive clothes to show the world that "she" could afford them.

Samantha finally noticed the two women looking at her. She stretched her mouth into a wide smile and waved her freshly manicured hand at them.

"Amelie!"

Without invitation or hesitation, she briskly walked to their table. Lizzy's frown deepened as she groaned, "Oh God, she even has the nerve to come to us?!"

As Samantha approached their table, it became clear she had just returned from a trip to a beauty salon and a department store. The number of glossy shopping bags hanging from her left arm was overwhelming.

"Oh, Amelie, I had no idea you liked this restaurant!"

Amelie arched her eyebrows upon hearing Samantha call her by her first name. Samantha continued, "Richard recommended this restaurant because the chef here is someone he knows. He said I could just pop in any time and get the best service if I mention his name! Having connections is amazing. Can I join you two for brunch? Running around that department store was so exhausting!"

"No." Amelie's answer was firm and cold. She looked at her friend, and Lizzy supported her rejection with a nod. "In case you failed to notice, we are two best friends having a nice brunch together while sharing a pleasant and stimulating conversation. I don't think you can contribute to this."

Samantha's lips curled down, clearly offended by Elizabeth's harsh words. She remained quiet, and Amelie finally noticed it—Samantha was on the verge of tears.

'This is becoming scary. Such a quick change of expressions requires some good acting. Who is she trying to fool here?'

Lizzy's eyes traveled over the shopping bags on Samantha's arm. Most of the items were either from skincare or makeup stores, with only one glossy black shopping bag from a famous brand's boutique. Elizabeth scoffed.

"It looks like there was still one brand you didn't manage to put on when you left the department store."

Samantha ignored her sarcasm and smiled. "Oh, this? It's a dress for the upcoming benefit."

The women's eyes widened in shock, both of them couldn't believe what they had just heard.

"The benefit?"

Samantha's grin widened as she nodded. "Yes, Richard invited me too. It's a pity I can't join you for brunch, but I'll make sure to join you for evening drinks there."

Her voice sounded sweet and kind, but with each word that left her mouth, Amelie felt as if she were being splashed with ice-cold water.

This woman was slowly making her way into every single aspect of Amelie's life.

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