Chapter 598
Tonya and Sydney hadn’t expected to fall flat on their faces–let alone right at the feet of the most sought- after men in the room.
Every pair of eyes turned toward them. Both women knew they had just humiliated themselves, but at the same time, this was the closest they might ever get to Benjamin. They had to seize the chance.
“Ouch…” Tonya clutched her ankle and began to play up her pain. Maybe Benjamin would show pity, lean down, and help her up.
Determined to make the most of it, she even rolled herself closer, until she was nearly at Benjamin’s shoes.
Sydney had thought of trying the same tactic, but the moment she looked up and saw his face clearly, her blood ran cold.
That heir to the Jones family… wasn’t he the same man who had called her ugly in the coffee shop?
It couldn’t be–could it?
Benjamin glanced down at the woman sprawled in front of him and recognized her instantly. A faint, disdainful smile tugged at his lips.
“Need me to help you up?” he asked, extending a hand toward Tonya.
From where she lay, the light behind him made it impossible to see his face clearly. For a split second, Tonya felt like the sun itself was shining on her.
Benjamin was reaching for her!
Her heart skipped. She swallowed her excitement and reached for his hand–only for him to suddenly withdraw it.
“Oh, I forgot,” he said casually. “I have a thing about cleanliness. I don’t touch dirty things.”
With that, he tucked his hands behind his back and walked straight past her.
The other men followed without pause. Not a single one stopped to help.
Snickers rippled through the crowd.
“She really thought that trick would work?”
“He literally called her dirty. How’s she ever going to live that down?”
Every word stung like a slap. Tonya’s cheeks burned as she realized just how pathetic she had looked. What she thought would bring her closer to Benjamin had only made her the butt of the joke.
Sydney quickly scrambled to her feet and dragged Tonya away from the crowd. Once they were out of earshot, she hissed, “That man–he’s the one I told you about! The one who humiliated me at the café! That’s
17:51 Fri, Sep 5
Benjamin!”
Tonya froze. “You mean… that was him?”
“Exactly. Everyone says he’s ruthless with his tongue. Now you’ve seen it for yourself.”
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The memory of his cold words still rang in Tonya’s ears. She wanted to claw her own face. Why had she tried something so stupid? If only she hadn’t pushed her way forward!
Still, neither of them considered leaving. Opportunities like this didn’t come often. Even if Benjamin was out of reach, there were plenty of other wealthy men to catch.
Tonya craned her neck, trying to get another glimpse of Benjamin in his immaculate white suit. When she finally saw his face clearly, her mind went blank, her ears filled with a buzzing roar.
No. It couldn’t be.
That man… looked exactly like Wendy’s so–called weight–loss coach.
Impossible. Absolutely impossible.
How could that pathetic woman Wendy possibly know the heir to the Jones family?
Across the room, Landon and Wanda were also whispering to each other.
“Doesn’t he look exactly like that man we saw in the garden earlier?”
“The one who said he was Wendy’s trainer? No, it can’t be. Someone like Wendy couldn’t possibly have ties to Benjamin Jones. Look at him–he’s leagues above.”
In their eyes, the coach had been playful, irreverent, almost unserious. This man was commanding, radiant, and untouchable. They convinced themselves there was no way they were the same person.
Benjamin and his companions entered fully, immediately becoming the center of attention. Married women, single women–it didn’t matter. Every gaze followed them.
Each man was handsome in his own right, but each carried a different aura, a distinct magnetism. The women practically circled them like a pack, competing silently, every one of them hoping to catch an eye.
Benjamin introduced his friends to his parents, then stayed by their side to greet family allies and old acquaintances. The Joneses, with only one married daughter and Benjamin as their sole heir, were determined to see him matched with someone suitable.
“Benjamin,” his mother whispered, “I’ve gathered all the finest young ladies for you tonight. You’d better take your pick.”
“So you’re saying,” Benjamin asked with a mischievous tilt of his lips, “if I choose someone, she gets to be my
wife?”
“Of course,” Mrs. Jones said firmly. “As long as she comes from a respectable family, is unmarried and unencumbered, I’ll make it happen.”
17:51 Fri, Sep 5
“Good. I’ll hold you to that.”
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His parents, relieved that he seemed serious about looking, allowed him to scan the crowd. Tradition dictated he would choose a partner for the first dance, and whoever that girl was, she would be given special attention by the Jones family.
Benjamin looked across the ballroom once, twice… but Wendy was nowhere in sight.
Finally, he turned to Caitlin. “Where’s Wendy? Don’t tell me she ran off.”
Caitlin smiled knowingly. “You’re looking for her? Do you need her here?”
“Of course. You don’t think she’d actually ditch me, do you? I practically tricked her into coming.”
“She didn’t run,” Caitlin said, nodding toward the doors. “Look. She’s here.”
Benjamin turned–and froze.
There she was.
Wendy had just stepped inside, escorted at precisely the right time. She moved carefully, holding her gown as she walked, a little unsteady in her high heels.
Every head swiveled toward her. For a heartbeat she faltered, overwhelmed by the stares, wishing she had never agreed to this. But she forced herself forward, step by step.
“Who’s that?”
“She’s gorgeous!”
“Which family is she from? I’ve never seen her before.”
Murmurs swept through the hall. Some of the young women bristled with jealousy, realizing this newcomer might be the true rival for attention tonight.
And Benjamin-
Benjamin was struck dumb.
As the light fell across her, every detail of her transformation hit him like a blow.
That was Wendy?
His Wendy? His plump little pudding?
His peach blossom eyes lit with an astonished gleam.
He had never seen her like this before.
She had taken his breath away.