Chapter 180: Tacit Understanding
Hayley’s POV:
Almost instantly, I felt the powerful presence of Benjamin’s Alpha aura bearing down on us. But after glancing at me, his irritated expression softened, returning to his usual calm demeanor. He said flatly, “Since that’s the case, I’ll head out first.” Without hesitation, Benjamin stood up and left with long, purposeful strides.
A short while later, I went to school with Henry after breakfast. On the way, I suggested, “The last period this afternoon is a self-study session. Let’s head to the library.” Henry nodded. “Sure, I’ll wait for you at the school gate.” I’d been thinking about the ancient volume I started reading yesterday but hadn’t finished. Henry also enjoyed the quiet atmosphere of the library for studying, so we had a tacit understanding. When the last class came around, we quietly slipped away and went straight to the library.
Once there, we naturally fell into our own routines—I read on the second floor, and Henry worked on his assignments on the first. Neither of us disturbed the other. It wasn’t until 9 PM that we reluctantly packed up and left the library. By the time we got home, it was almost 10 PM. That’s when I realized it was Wednesday—my day to teach Benjamin the Mornant language. I quickly turned on my computer, only to find that Benjamin was offline. I breathed a sigh of relief but was also puzzled. Benjamin was always on time for his Mornant language lessons. What happened today?
Benjamin’s POV:
When I returned to the Southwells’ residence, I sat in my Maybach for a long while, unwilling to get out. Images of Henry and Hayley chatting happily kept replaying in my mind, and I instinctively lit a cigarette. After quietly reflecting for a bit, I reminded myself that since Lawrence hadn’t confirmed Hayley as my destined mate, I had no reason to be troubled by my feelings for her. Once I calmed down, I put out the cigarette and exited the car.
Only then did I realize it was Wednesday, my Mornant language study day, and I had nearly forgotten. Back in my bedroom, I powered on my computer, logged in, and sent Selena a message. Then, I took off my jacket and headed into the bathroom for a shower. When I stepped out, I saw that Selena had replied. I walked to my desk, sat down, and resumed my Mornant language lesson with her. An hour passed in the blink of an eye.
Once the lesson was over, a sudden idea struck me, and I asked, “Our Midnight Pack just got a new batch of raw emerald ores. Interested?” “Of course! Where is it?” Selena responded eagerly. After receiving her reply, I quickly sent her the location. “How about we meet at 10 AM tomorrow? Want to check it out together?” She responded with an “OK” emoji. Closing my laptop, I glanced at the starry night sky outside before heading to the balcony. I didn’t know what had gotten into me, but the moment I paused, Hayley came to mind. The image of her laughing and chatting with Henry echoed in my thoughts, stirring a faint sense of jealousy. But when I recalled the standards I’d set for my future Luna, I forced myself to push those feelings aside. Maybe I wasn’t busy enough. It seemed I needed to find more work to keep me occupied.
Hayley’s POV:
After arranging to check out the raw emerald ores with Benjamin as Selena, I had been eagerly looking forward to it. Once my break ended, I headed straight out of the school gates. I had made thorough preparations, packing an outfit specifically for “Selena.” I changed into the new outfit in a public restroom and transformed into Selena. After checking the mirror to ensure everything looked good, I hailed a taxi and headed to the agreed location with Benjamin.
The Midnight Pack’s emerald market wasn’t large—just one street lined with emerald shops selling both finished artisan goods and raw ores. Before I could even contact Benjamin, Hera’s excited reaction told me he was nearby. Sure enough, within two minutes, a black Maybach pulled up before me, and Benjamin called out, “Selena, get in.” Though confused, I opened the door and got in. “Didn’t we plan on seeing the raw emerald ores that you mentioned? Where are we going?”