Chapter 271: A Surprise

Hayley’s POV:

I thought for a moment and then said, “Christine, why don’t we invite Christopher and go skiing in Smuilia? Maybe a trip to Smuilia will bring something unexpected.”

Christine looked surprised. “A trip to Smuilia! That sounds nice, but do you think Christopher will come?”

I wasn’t sure, but I thought that if Benjamin invited him, he would probably agree. It would require asking Benjamin for a favor, but for the sake of my best friend’s happiness, it was worth it.

So, I brought it up with Benjamin that day. To my surprise, without a word of hesitation, he agreed immediately. And just like that, our trip to Smulia was set.

After Christmas, the new year quietly arrived. On the first morning of the year, Benjamin, Christopher, and I headed to the airport.

When Christopher saw it was just the three of us, he wasn’t pleased and said, “Ben, what are you doing? You two are a couple, and you had to drag me along. This is so awkward!”

Benjamin didn’t explain, and I smiled, trying to calm Christopher down. “It’s okay, there’s a surprise coming.”

Christopher didn’t seem interested. He complained, “I finally have a break and could take a break. And Ben had to drag me along to ski with you two, just to watch you two be all lovey-dovey.”

I just smiled and didn’t respond. We got to the airport, checked in, and headed to the waiting area. As soon as we entered, we saw Christine waving to us from a distance. “Hayz, I’m here!”

I turned to Christopher and said with a grin, “Well, how about this surprise?”

Christopher was confused at first, but when he saw Christine, his surprise was obvious.

“Hayz, you guys finally made it!” Christine said, turning to Christopher. “You’re here too?”

Christopher gave a brief grunt but said nothing, his face showing complete indifference. I noticed that Christine seemed a little disappointed.

The four of us boarded the plane, and after a long flight, we arrived in Smulia. By the time we arrived, it was late. We quickly made our way to the hotel. Christine and I stayed in an executive suite, while Benjamin and Christopher were in another one. Both of us were so tired that we collapsed onto the bed and fell asleep immediately.

Christopher’s POV:

After we got to the hotel, Benjamin and I still had plenty of energy. We took turns showering, then headed down to the hotel bar to have a couple of drinks.

I was a little surprised that Benjamin suddenly thought of skiing, especially with Hayley. So, I couldn’t help but ask him, “Ben, you’re not really interested in Hayley, are you?”

Benjamin didn’t show any emotion on his face, making it hard for me to read his thoughts. He just took a deep drink from his glass, as if trying to mask his feelings.

I sensed Benjamin was troubled, so I patted him on the shoulder and said, “Ben, I know you’re doing this because of Grandpa’s wish, but you don’t have to. He’s gone, and I’m sure he’d want us to live well. If he knew you were forcing things with Hayley, he wouldn’t want that. You still have a chance to find your true soulmate, someone you love for real. Why settle with an Omega?”

Benjamin smiled slightly, calm as always, and said, “I’m not engaged to her because of Grandpa.”

I thought I must have misheard, but the words that came from him left me utterly stunned. He looked at me seriously and said, “I think… I’ve fallen for her.”