Chapter 525: A Lost Chance for a Comeback

When Irving returned, he noticed from afar that the front door was left wide open. Inside, the room was in disarray, and Lisa lay injured on the couch. He squatted and lightly shook her shoulder. “Lisa?”

Lisa wasn’t truly unconscious—she was feigning weakness to deceive Irving. Sensing his concern, she slowly opened her eyes and explained weakly, “Hayley and Benjamin conspired together. They stabbed me and escaped. I’m so sorry…”

The chance to turn the situation around had slipped away. Irving’s anger flared. But as he looked at Lisa’s pale and fragile appearance, he couldn’t bring himself to lash out. Instead, he set his frustration aside and carefully helped her up. “It’s not your fault. You were alone—it’s understandable that you couldn’t stop the two of them.”

Hayley’s POV:

Benjamin still didn’t know the truth about my status as an Alpha, nor that my injuries would heal quickly. He worried about my wounds and insisted on taking me to the emergency room. After the nurse treated me and gave a few instructions, she left the room, allowing Benjamin to come in.

The tension between us was palpable. After everything that had happened and the time we’d spent apart, our interactions had become polite but distant. Trying to break the awkward silence, I bit my lip and joked lightly, “The nurse sure has a lot of patience.”

Benjamin stood still in front of me, his face unreadable and his silence unbroken. His deep eyes, gleaming faintly under the light, held a mysterious glow as he gazed at me. For a brief moment, the atmosphere between us was charged with awkwardness. I was not good at conversations, so I just shrugged and looked away.

“You’re always like this,” Benjamin suddenly said, his low voice filled with both frustration and resignation. I looked back at him, confused about what had provoked his reaction. My bewilderment only seemed to irritate him further. He pressed his fingers to the bridge of his nose before letting out a long, weary sigh.

“I’m not angry with you,” he began, his tone softening. “I just need you to understand how much your safety means to me. If you’d waited for my help, instead of taking matters into your own hands and getting hurt, none of this…”

Before I could respond, he stepped closer and pulled me into a firm embrace.

“Do you have any idea how worried I’ve been since the moment you were kidnapped? Even Lawrence has been anxious for you. Holding you like this is the only way I can feel at ease again. I swear, I won’t let anyone harm you ever again.”

His sincerity brought tears to my eyes. I wasn’t sure how much time had passed, but his tight hold was starting to make it hard to breathe. Just as I opened my mouth to ask him to loosen up, he released me.

“Let’s head back. It’s not safe here.”

Benjamin slipped off his coat and draped it over my shoulders, and we left the hospital to head for the airport. A few hours later, the car pulled up to the Southwells’ Residence. I had been here before, so the surroundings were familiar. But as the vehicle came to a stop, I hesitated, staring at Benjamin’s outstretched hand.

Surviving the ordeal didn’t erase the lingering shadows of unresolved issues. Odessa was the wall that separated us—a barrier I wasn’t sure I could overcome. I had just escaped from Irving and wasn’t ready to return to a place where I’d have to endure Odessa’s sharp words and constant contempt. I couldn’t yet reveal the truth about my Alpha identity or my immense wealth. As long as I was an Omega in her eyes, her disdain for me would remain unchanged.

Benjamin seemed to sense my unease. He extended his hand again, his voice steady and reassuring. “Trust me. Things are different now. You won’t be disappointed.”

I studied him, lost in thought. He had proven time and again how well he understood me. With nothing but a wedding dress, he had pieced together my thoughts and tracked me down. No one else could know me as deeply as he did. He was the destined mate chosen for me by the Moon Goddess, and no one else could ever take his place.

So, why was I hesitating? No matter the challenges ahead, I belonged by his side. With that resolution, I pushed my doubts aside and took his hand firmly as we stepped into the familiar Southwells’ Residence. I hadn’t expected that the first person I would encounter was Odessa.