Chapter 345 – Beginning with a Daring Encounter

“So what are you suggesting? That I ride on your coat tail?” She asked, and Benne shook his head.

“I’m just saying that you shouldn’t hesitate to accept my help when you need it or make rash decisions simply because you’re worried about public opinion,” Benne explained, and she sighed as she leaned against him once again.

“You really don’t want me to accept their offer, do you?”

“Yeah, I don’t want you to. But if you choose to, I will support you,” Benne promised as he placed his arms around her.

“Thank you. That means a lot to me,” Celsie said as she rested her head on his chest.

“So? Are you going to take it?” Benne asked, hoping that she would say no.

“I don’t know. Can I at least think about it?” Celsie asked, and Benne shrugged.

“You can.”

“Thank you. So what were you going to tell me about? Can we discuss it while we eat?” Celsie asked curiously.

“Maybe it can wait until after work hours,” Benne said, not sure anymore if it was the right time to tell her about Rachel’s role in her abduction, about Rachel and Anita’s relationship, or even the fact that Anita’s family were thinking of harming her.

Celsie looked at his face closely, and she could tell that whatever it was he wanted to say was something serious, and it was bothering him, “Is it about me or our relationship?”

“Yeah. But it can wait. Let’s eat and…”

“No. Tell me about it now,” she cut in.

“You need to return to your office. Lunch break will be over soon,” he reminded her.

“Then you should start talking. When we leave work, we will be too busy with the rest of the family at your dad’s party to talk. I don’t want to wait,” Celsie insisted.

Benne contemplated whether to play the recording or just tell her, “Rachel is Anita’s cousin.” Benne blurted out.

“Rachel? Which Rachel?” Celsie asked in confusion, wondering if there was a Rachel they both knew in common.

“Rachel. Your brother’s ex-fiancee,” Benne said, and confusion swam in Celsie’s gray eyes.

“Rachel? Anita?” She asked in disbelief, trying to find the connection.

Seeing how surprised and confused she was, Benne picked up his phone and replayed the recorded conversation.

“That is not Rachel’s voice,” Celsie said, and Benne nodded.

“Yeah, that is Anita’s elder sister, Lisa. Just listen,” Benne said, and she remained quiet as she listened to all the conversations with mixed emotions until Anita mentioned Rachel’s name, and her jaw dropped in surprise.

“Wait, what? What is she talking about?” Celsie asked, turning to Benne with wide eyes when Anita made reference to her abduction.

“Rachel? She… she helped Jamie?” Celsie asked, her eyes brimming with tears as her chest rose and fell with emotion.

“Jewel…”

“This whole time Rachel remained beside my brother and even wanted to marry him despite playing a role in what happened to me? Has she no conscience?” Celsie asked angrily as the tears dropped from her eyes.

She shook her head as she swiped at her tears angrily, “No. I’m not going to take this lightly with her. I can ignore Anita for whatever she is doing, but Rachel? I will not ignore her. At least she is no longer my brother’s fiancee, and I don’t have to hold back anymore,” Celsie said as she tried to stand up, but Benne grabbed her arm and pulled her back.

She struggled to get up, but he embraced her and held her tightly until she stopped struggling and broke into a sob, “This is why I thought it was a bad idea to tell you about it right now,” Benne murmured as he patted her back while she cried.

“Why? Why me? What did I do to deserve such wickedness?” Celsie asked as she cried.

“I was never a threat to her or their relationship. Lucas is my twin brother. Why would she do that to me? Why are Anita and her family doing this to me?” Celsie sobbed.

Benne held her and just kept patting her back while whispering to her that she did nothing wrong until she was able to pull herself together.

Once she was calm, she pulled away from him and looked at him with her tear-stained face, “Lucas can’t ever find out about this. He is going to blame himself if he knows that she was involved in it,” she said, and Benne gave her a nod as he took out his handkerchief and dabbed at her tears.

“Are we done with the tears now?” He asked hopefully, and she gave him a wobbly smile as he kissed her forehead.

“Thank goodness. For a moment there, I almost joined you but had to hold back my tears because I wouldn’t look as pretty as you,” he joked, and she laughed softly as she hit his shoulder.

“So let’s assume for a moment that I didn’t hold you back just now. Where were you going to? And what were you going to do? I doubt Rachel was standing outside my office door,” Benne asked curiously.

Celsie scowled, “I don’t know. Maybe I would have called her and given her a piece of my mind.”

“Yeah, I thought you were going to do that. You can’t let Rachel know that you are aware. That will make them know that we are on to them, and we can’t have that. And secondly, to correct what you said a moment ago, you are not ignoring Anita and her family. We will deal with every one of them,” Benne assured her.

“One more thing I want you to know. Anita’s mother is involved in charity. She is a prominent member of a lot of nonprofit organizations.”

“You think she has something to do with this offer from SCHF?” Celsie asked, thinking that it didn’t make sense.

“It is not impossible.”

“How is an offer like this supposed to hurt me? I’m sure there are less expensive ways to get rid of me if she wants to.”

“It might not make sense to you, but you never can tell what goes on in the head of people like her,” Benne said, and Celsie raised a hand to massage her temple.

“It makes sense that they are all related. My head is beginning to ache,” she said with a sigh, and Benne lifted her hand to his lips.

“Enough of the serious conversations. Let’s just eat. We can revisit this at a more convenient time,” Benne suggested as he stood up.

“Yes. Let’s do that,” she said as she let him lead her into his mini bedroom, where Adolf had set their meal.

“By the way, are you trying to matchmake Harry and Jade?” Celsie asked, wanting to change the subject to something more pleasant and light.

Benne chuckled, “Where did you hear that?”

“Sonia thinks so. Are you?” She asked as they sat to eat.

“I’m not exactly matchmaking them. I think they will make a good pair, but I’m leaving it entirely up to them to decide. Although I think they are interested in each other,” Benne said, and Celsie narrowed her eyes as she recalled her conversation with Harry.

Perhaps something happened between them while either of them was drunk? Celsie mused. She also recalled her brief interaction with Jade earlier. “I think you are right. They will make a great pair.”

“Of course, I’m right. That’s why I’m your Mr. Right,” Benne said with a wink, and Celsie laughed softly as she looked at him.

As she watched him eat, she remembered her conversation with Sonia earlier. Was he going to be okay with just being in a relationship with her? Without marriage or kids? Was she supposed to raise the subject herself or wait for him to talk about marriage before doing so? If she was to raise the subject, how and when could she do so?

“I told you. I told you they were not going to remember. Not one of them remembered,” Desmond told his wife glumly as they sat down for breakfast after Adolf informed them that both brothers and their women had left the house very early that morning and so wouldn’t join them for breakfast.

“Maybe they have a lot on their mind with all that has happened lately. You should have let me remind them,” Evelyn said, looking just as sad as her husband.

“What is the point of reminding them? Having a lot on their mind is not an excuse to forget their father’s birthday. What about Jade? They all don’t care. Let’s go back home after breakfast,” Desmond said, feeling dejected, and Andrew, who had been quiet, shook his head.

“I don’t think that is a good idea. Besides, who knows if they plan to surprise you?” He asked, hoping that the girls had done what he told them and found a subtle way to remind the boys of their fathers’ birthday.

“I’m not ready for that disappointment. I don’t know what I might say to them if I stay here until they all get back only to find out that they had truly forgotten and no surprise was planned,” Desmond said, and Evelyn reached for his hand.

---