Alpha Hayley’s Destined Mate

Chapter 291: Only Benjamin Left

Hayley’s POV:

Afraid of making things awkward, I forced myself to sit further away from him, ignoring Hera’s complaints.

At that moment, the movie True Love was playing on the TV. Grandma was enjoying it so much that it lifted my spirits as well.

“This actor looks familiar. What’s his name again?” Grandma asked, watching the actor onscreen. I quickly replied, “Hector Hum.”

Grandma smiled even wider when she heard the name. “I think that’s it. He looks quite handsome.”

“Grandma, he’s still acting! His new movie comes out tomorrow.”

“Really? We should go see it!”

I nodded and said, “Okay, I’ll take you tomorrow.”

Grandma glanced at the clock on the wall, then at me and Benjamin, and gave Grandpa a subtle look.

Grandpa, catching on, yawned and said, “Hayz, your grandma and I are tired. We’re going to bed and won’t stay up with you young folks. We’ll see you later.”

I looked at the time—it was only 10 PM. But I said no more and simply stood up. “I’ll walk you back to your room.”

After escorting Grandma and Grandpa to their room, I returned to the living room and found only Benjamin sitting there.

I was puzzled and asked, “Where did they go?”

Benjamin explained, “Christopher had to step out for something, and Henry went out to meet a friend.”

I nodded, understanding, but then… I was about to say something when Benjamin quickly interrupted, “Come sit with me and watch TV!”

Reluctantly, I sat down. Although my eyes were on the screen, my mind had already drifted far away. Hera kept trying to take control of my body, urging me to get closer to him.

Time ticked by slowly, and by 11:30 PM, Benjamin turned to me. “In half an hour, it’ll be midnight. I’m going to light fireworks. Want to join me in the yard?”

I snapped back to attention. “Is it time?”

He nodded. “Just half an hour left.”

“Oh, well, let’s go then.”

We went outside, set up the fireworks, and connected the fuses. “As soon as it’s midnight, we’ll light them.”

I nodded, but just then, Benjamin pulled out a small, elegant gift box from somewhere and handed it to me. “This is for you.”

Surprised, I looked at the box and asked, “For me?”

He pressed it into my hands. “Open it and see if you like it.”

Excited, I tore open the gift to find a beautiful gemstone ring.

“Thank you! It’s gorgeous!” I said, sincerely grateful.

“You know how to pick gifts. Do you have a lot of experience with relationships?” I couldn’t stop myself from asking about his past.

As soon as the words left my mouth, I regretted them. “Oh, sorry. I didn’t mean to pry into your personal life. It was just a casual question.”

Benjamin smiled and said calmly, “I had one relationship, but it wasn’t long—about half a month.”

From the way he said it, it seemed like he didn’t care much about that brief relationship. But I still felt uneasy. He had experience in relationships, while I had never been in one. As an alpha, I felt I was falling behind him.

“Oh, what was she like? Was she pretty?” I asked, without thinking. The tone of my voice carried a hint of jealousy, which surprised even me.