Chapter 442 He Doesn't Dare to Admit It's Love
'So, both daughters suddenly wanna tie the knot? Man, that's a lot to handle all at once. Gotta take it one step at a time, give your old man some breathing room.'
Lydia got the hint and shot back, "I'll just go find Daphne."
She knew Alexander would listen to Daphne.
"When Mom was around, she called the shots. Now that she's gone, my sister's the boss," Lydia said, totally getting the family vibe, her eyes sparkling. "But Daphne's got my back. She'll say yes to anything I want. So, basically, I'm in charge now."
"Are you asking for a smackdown?" Alexander threatened.
Lydia smirked. Alexander pretended to be mad and gave her the stink eye. They bickered playfully, no hard feelings, their bond was solid.
Around noon, Daphne and Benjamin showed up.
Lydia was the first to dive into Daphne's arms, then said hey to Benjamin. Benjamin greeted her back and handed over all the fancy gifts he brought for her and Alexander.
Seeing the mountain of pricey gifts, Alexander invited them to sit.
At first, it was all awkward silence.
Alexander wanted to say something but figured it wasn't the right moment, so he decided to kick off lunch.
During the meal, it was mostly polite chit-chat. Whatever Alexander asked, Benjamin answered.
So yeah, the vibe was kinda awkward. More like, only Alexander felt awkward.
After lunch, Alexander broke the ice, "Benjamin, can we chat in the study? Got some stuff to discuss with you alone."
Daphne wanted to stop them, thinking, 'Whatever needs saying can be said right here.'
But Benjamin decided to head upstairs for the chat.
Before going up, he shot Daphne a text: [Just a chat. No worries.]
Daphne glanced at the message, then at the closed study door, feeling a bit uneasy.
Lydia noticed and sat beside her, asking, "Daphne, you worried about Benjamin?"
"No," Daphne said.
Worried? Nah, not really. Alexander wouldn't stop her from being with Benjamin.
She just wasn't used to this private convo thing; it felt weird.
"Don't stress, Dad's totally cool with you and Benjamin," Lydia said, whether Daphne was worried or not. "While you were away, he kept saying you and Benjamin are perfect together."
Daphne hummed in response, but her mind was elsewhere.
She knew Alexander wouldn't mess with her relationship or give Benjamin a hard time, but she still couldn't chill completely.
Half an hour later, Alexander and Benjamin had hashed out some stuff.
Benjamin stayed polite, humble, and chill the whole time. "Don't worry. I'll take good care of her and won't let the past repeat itself," he promised.
"Daphne's stubborn," Alexander said. "Sometimes, she might be really persistent. When that happens, I hope you can give her some leeway."
"She's amazing. You don't need to worry," Benjamin said simply.
Benjamin got Daphne's stubbornness, her persistence, and everything about her.
Seeing this, Alexander knew Daphne had found someone truly worth spending her life with.
In that case, as her father, he felt at ease.
After their conversation, they opened the door and saw Daphne standing outside.
"Daphne?" Alexander paused.
Benjamin was also slightly surprised.
Daphne's expression was natural, her tone calm as she said, "I come to check on you."
"We're done," Alexander replied.
But he knew very well that she was worried he might bully Benjamin!
Daphne naturally held Benjamin's hand and said goodbye to Alexander, "We'll head back now. We have some things to take care of. We'll visit you again soon."
"Not staying for dinner?" Alexander asked.
"No," Daphne declined.
Alexander didn't insist. After all, they were in the same city and could meet anytime. There was no need to rush.
After they left, Daphne sat in the passenger seat and asked him, "What did my dad say to you?"
She had waited downstairs for a long time, but the study door remained closed. Unable to resist, she went upstairs. However, the door was well soundproofed, so she couldn't hear the conversation inside.
"He told me to take good care of you and talked a bit about your mom," Benjamin revealed, hoping to help her resolve some of her issues. "He mentioned some of your past."
Daphne paused, lowering her eyes.
At a red light, Benjamin stopped and looked at her, asking, "Do you really think your parents' marriage was just a business arrangement?"
"Yes," Daphne said decisively. She still remembered what Alexander had told her and how she felt when she heard those words.
"I don't think so," Benjamin replied, his voice calm and soothing.
Daphne turned to look at him.
Benjamin analyzed, "At the beginning, they might have been bound together by a business arrangement, but later on, your dad and mom truly fell in love with each other."
This was a painful topic for Daphne. She said, "No way. Dad said himself, there was no love between him and Mom."
"Over time, it's hard to distinguish between love and habit," Benjamin said. "If a man truly doesn't love his wife, he can't live a peaceful and happy life with her for a lifetime."
Daphne's heart skipped a beat, and she looked at him instinctively.
"Love can't be hidden," Benjamin explained. "The reason your dad said that might be because he didn't know if it was love or he didn't dare to admit it."
Adult relationships could be simple or complex. Daphne's parents clearly belonged to the latter.
"Think carefully about their interactions, and you'll understand," Benjamin instructed, hoping she could move on. "Only a marriage based on love can be happy and sweet. These things can't be faked."
Acting always had flaws, and with Daphne's observational skills, she would have noticed.
If she didn't, it could only mean it wasn't an act but true love.
Daphne recalled the past, and all she could remember was the sweet and warm life between Alexander and Jasmine. They never argued, and it was rare to see them angry.
If Alexander hadn't told her those things, she would have really thought they were deeply in love.
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