Chapter 143: A Coincidence

Hayley’s POV:

I took a steady breath and regained my calm before replying, “Oh? What a coincidence! Your friend must be a decent person.”

Benjamin smiled faintly. “She’s a great girl. Even though she’s an Omega, she never lets that hold her back. She’s excellent in both sports and academics, holding her own against Betas her age. And she’s as kind as she is capable.”

It took me by surprise to realize that the person he was describing was… me. Even more surprising was the high regard he seemed to hold for me.

I laughed, trying to cover my awkwardness. “She does sound pretty amazing.”

If I hadn’t been watching him closely, I might have thought he was saying all this to see how I’d react.

“Yeah, she is! Honestly, you’re pretty similar to her. When we first met, I almost thought you were her,” he said, his gaze intense and unwavering.

I forced myself to glance away nonchalantly, though my heart was racing. Her excitement inside me was just as thrilled.

Taking a moment to steady my emotions—and hers—I answered with a light tone, “If you weren’t Benjamin, I’d almost think you were trying out a new pick-up line.”

Benjamin’s POV:

I looked at her, a bit taken aback. It was supposedly our first meeting, but something about her felt familiar, almost like I’d known her for ages. Maybe it was the way Lawrence reacted to her—it reminded me so much of how he reacted to Hayley, stirring up this strange sense of déjà vu.

“Ms. Carson is beautiful, but she doesn’t compare to you,” I said, and as soon as the words slipped out, Hayley’s face flickered in my mind. Oddly enough, I didn’t find her plain anymore—just… a little unremarkable.

After a pause, I added, “Funny enough, you both share the last name Carson. Maybe someday, if the chance arises, I could introduce you two.”

She gave a small smile but didn’t respond, steering the conversation in a new direction. “Uncle Josh mentioned there’d be fireworks tonight. Let me show you.”

I nodded and followed her along the winding path. After a few minutes, a loud pop pierced the silence, and a spark shot into the sky, exploding in a brilliant display of colors.

She looked up, her eyes gleaming with delight. “They’re beautiful!”

One after another, fireworks painted the sky in vibrant colors, dazzling against the night before fading back into the calm.

When the show ended, she turned to me and said, “It’s getting late. We should head back.”

I checked the time and nodded. “Yeah, let’s go get some rest.”

Back at the castle, she wished me goodnight and headed to her room, while a servant guided me to the guest room.

Lying in bed, my thoughts drifted back to the time I’d spent with her. I found myself comparing her to Hayley, wondering why this girl felt so familiar. But the answer slipped just out of reach.

In the end, I decided to leave it alone. Maybe once I got back and did some digging into Hayley, these pieces would finally fall into place.

Hayley’s POV:

The next morning, a servant informed me that Benjamin had left early. A slight pang of disappointment flickered through me, but I quickly brushed it aside.

“Where’s Aunt Tara?”

The servant replied politely, “She’s in the orchard, picking grapes. The vines are ripe, and she plans to bring some back for winemaking.”

My eyes brightened. “I’ll go help her!”

I hurried to the orchard and found everyone busy with their baskets. I grabbed one and joined in. “Aunt Tara, these grapes look amazing!”

She smiled warmly when she saw me. “Ms. Carson, no need to trouble yourself. I can handle this.”

But I shook my head with a grin. “It’s fine! I’d love to help.”

Seeing I was set on it, Tara didn’t object. We both took up shears and began harvesting the plump, ripe grapes.

After a while, she commented, “That Alpha from yesterday, Mr. Benjamin—he seemed impressive. Handsome, accomplished, and an Alpha just like you.”

I couldn’t help but agree, smiling. “He’s a good guy.”

Tara gave me a curious look. “Ms. Carson, you’re over 18 now, yet you haven’t met your destined mate? Maybe it’s time to consider looking for someone you like?”

I hesitated, unsure how to respond. There were still so many things I couldn’t share with her.