Chapter 91: Brocrone Hills

Hayley’s POV:

“Isn’t this what Grandpa wanted?” Benjamin replied, avoiding a direct answer.

I fell silent, deciding to let it go. After all, this was Grandpa Southwell’s decision, so I had no reason to push the matter. Two hours later, our flight touched down in Northlipe.

Following closely behind Benjamin as we exited the plane, I noticed someone was already at the arrival gate to greet us.

“Alpha,” the Beta assistant said with a respectful nod to Benjamin, promptly taking the luggage from his hands.

“Let’s get in the car,” Benjamin called back over his shoulder as I followed him into the vehicle.

As we pulled away from the airport, I turned to Benjamin, curiosity evident in my voice. “Where are we going?”

With one hand on his iPad as he juggled some work, he answered, “First, I’ll show you the venue for the competition, and then we’ll head to the house in Brocrone Hills.”

“You have a house in Northlipe too?” I exclaimed, caught off guard by this revelation.

Benjamin remained composed. “We’ll stay there tonight. I checked, and it’s the nearest place to your exam location—only a five-minute drive. Not too far at all.”

I nodded, comprehension dawning on me. “Got it.”

After getting familiar with the Math Olympiad venue, I followed him to the house he mentioned. It was a standalone villa, far less grand than the Southwell estate back in Midnight Pack, yet still quite valuable given its prime location in Brocrone Hills.

“I had the staff tidy up for you. You’ll be in the left bedroom upstairs, and I’ll take the right. The room in between is an office where I’ll be working. If you need anything, just let me know,” Benjamin explained efficiently as we stepped inside.

Several servants standing nearby observed in amazement how gentle and respectful this Alpha was toward me, an Omega. I offered them a brief smile before nodding at Benjamin in understanding. “I appreciate it,” I replied, heading toward my room and pulling out my phone to make a call…

Benjamin’s POV:

I watched as Hayley walked away until she was completely out of sight, reluctant to look away. When I finally did, I was surprised by the emotions swirling within me. Somewhere along the way, my perception of her had shifted dramatically. Even my wolf, Lawrence, behaved oddly around her, despite the fact that she had not yet been identified as my destined mate. What was happening?

Shaking off those thoughts, I turned to the butler beside me. “Please have the kitchen prepare dinner. I want to make sure she has something nice to eat after her long journey.”

“Alright, Alpha,” the butler responded respectfully, and retreated to my office to continue my work.

About half an hour later, I heard a knock at the door, although Lawrence’s subtle restlessness hinted at who was waiting outside even before I opened it.

“Come in!” I called, pausing my work.

As expected, when the door swung open, Hayley stepped inside. “I just wanted to let you know I’m going to take a walk outside for a bit. Don’t worry about waiting for me for dinner.”

I instinctively cautioned her. “You’re new here; don’t wander around aimlessly. If you’d like to go somewhere, I can take you.”

Hayley, ever unafraid of my Alpha status, declined my offer. “No need. I just want to explore a little. I’ll be back for dinner.”

I sensed her distrust, and it cast a shadow over my mood. “Fine, go ahead. Just be careful,” I said, trying to suppress my desire to restrict her movements, and returned to my paperwork.

Hayley’s POV:

I couldn’t shake the impression that something had changed in the way Benjamin looked at me, as if his feelings were becoming more complex.

Sensing my internal conflict, Hera bluntly stated, “Our destined mate is feeling a bit down because of you. This is wonderful! He’s starting to develop feelings for you!”

I shushed Hera, dismissing her comment as absurd, then made an ‘OK’ gesture to Benjamin before closing the door behind me as I left.

Once outside the villa, I hopped into a car and drove off, relishing the increasingly familiar surroundings; my spirits lifting with every moment.

After driving for a while, I parked in front of a department store and went inside to find a restroom. I scrubbed off the unflattering makeup I had worn, revealing my true beauty before returning to my car.

I drove a bit further, stopping at an intersection, where I parked and walked down a secluded path until I reached the end, finally stopping in front of another standalone villa. I expertly entered the code and opened the door.

Hera was buzzing with excitement, eager to rush out and run free, but I held her back as I stepped inside and greeted the person waiting there.

“Nueve, it’s been a while.”