Chapter 392: Ben, Let Me Explain
Hayley’s POV:
“You’re Hayley?” Seeing her ask, I quickly responded, “Hello, Mrs. Southwell.”
“My name is Hayley Carson, from the Shadow Pack.”
Odessa frowned slightly, eyeing me up and down several times. After a moment of silence, she finally smiled and gestured at me.
“Hayley, come over here and let me get a good look at you.”
Her sudden change in attitude caught me off guard, but I managed to walk over. Odessa quickly took my hand. “It’s been a while. Our Hayley is looking more beautiful every day.”
“But why are you wearing a mask in broad daylight? Take it off, let me see you properly.”
I stood frozen for a moment, still trying to process everything, when Odessa reached out and removed my mask without hesitation.
“Ah!” Her dramatic gasp immediately drew the attention of everyone around us. She stared at my face, visibly shocked, then pushed me away. “Who are you?” she asked, her voice sharp. “I’ve seen Hayley Carson before, and she’s nothing like you, she’s ugly! You’re so delicate and beautiful, not at all like her. Who are you really?”
I didn’t answer her question, instead turning to look at Benjamin. I could see a brief flicker of surprise and confusion in his eyes. I quickly stood up and walked over to him. “Ben, let me explain.”
But to my surprise, Benjamin took a few steps back. He looked at me with unfamiliar eyes, his brow furrowed, his expression serious. I could feel his distance and coldness, and Hera began to grow agitated and sad. I tried my best to calm her down as I reached out for Benjamin’s hand. But he pulled his hand away and coldly said, “I think you owe me an explanation.”
I nodded, desperate to explain. “Listen to me, I was planning to tell you, but—”
“But instead, you chose to hide the truth from me? You had plenty of chances to tell me the truth. Do you think this is some kind of joke?”
Benjamin’s presence was filled with the intense aura of an Alpha, and he sternly cut me off. “It’s not… Please, let me explain. It’s not what you think,” I said, but seeing the anger in his eyes, my heart ached.
Meanwhile, Odessa, noticing our argument, looked pleased. “Seems like we’ve come back at the wrong time,” she sneered at me.
Henry and Christopher exchanged a look, their eyes full of sympathy for my situation. Christopher then leaned in and said, “Mom, you’ve had a long flight. Why don’t you go upstairs and rest for a bit?”
“That’s right, we’ll take you upstairs.”
Odessa stood up with a smile. “You’re right, I am a bit tired. But Christopher, I’ve always taught you both that the prettier a woman is, the more likely she is to deceive. I’m sure you’re starting to understand that now. Especially the lower-ranked Omega werewolf. They often have poor morals and aren’t worthy of being our mates,” she said, deliberately looking at me, her gaze dripping with mockery.
After speaking, she followed Henry and Christopher upstairs. In an instant, the living room was left with just Benjamin and me. I quickly tried to explain further, “I didn’t mean to hide this from you, it’s just that I—”
Before I could finish, Benjamin’s piercing gaze fixed on me, his presence exuding an overwhelming pressure. Step by step, he pushed me back toward the wall.