Chapter 316 Can We Sleep with the Phone On?
Benjamin saw her standing at the alley entrance, turned around, got out of the car, threw the cigarette butt on the ground, casually stomped on it, and walked towards her.
With his back to the streetlight, Benjamin's face became increasingly inscrutable, and the closer he got, the clearer his features became.
Hazel was startled by his cold gaze and instinctively turned to run.
But Benjamin took long strides, reached out, grabbed her slender wrist, bent down, and hoisted her onto his shoulder, turning back to the car.
She realized what was happening and tried to run, but he had already squeezed in, locked the car with the key, and then threw the key onto the front passenger seat.
"What are you doing?" Hazel clutched her bag tightly, staring at him warily, her eyes filled with a mix of caution and fear.
"What am I doing?" Benjamin's voice was terrifyingly cold. "I should be asking you that. Why do you keep appearing in front of me, and why did you enter White Corporation this way? What, wasn't the last lesson enough? How badly do you want to sleep with me?"
His harsh words cut into Hazel's heart like a knife. She bit her lip tightly and spat out, "Bastard!"
Benjamin chuckled a few times, pulled off the tie around his neck, and bound her hands together with it.
His hands were large and strong, leaving her no room to resist.
Fear crept into her heart. She tried to kick him, but her legs weren't long enough, and the cramped space in the back seat only allowed her to kick his thigh twice.
The next second, he had her in his arms, and he began unbuttoning her clothes. His cold fingertips occasionally brushed against her skin, making her shiver.
"Benjamin! You scum, let go of me!" Hazel's tears fell immediately. The last time he had been so cruel and humiliating, she never imagined that upon meeting again, he would do this!
Benjamin acted as if he couldn't hear her, pulling down her overalls slightly and bending down to bite her protruding chest.
Hazel could only see the veins bulging on the side of his neck, exuding a wild and ruthless aura.
He was serious!
He was going to do it in this alley, in the car!
"Benjamin, will you marry me?" she gritted her teeth and asked.
Benjamin's body paused for a moment, his hand still exploring inside her clothes, but he looked up at her, his eyes full of mockery.
"Marry you? What can you give me? Are you as capable as Katniss, or do you have the status of a wealthy heiress to bring me benefits?"
Hazel bit her lip hard, her tear-filled eyes reflecting his unfeeling demeanor.
He spoke again, "Oh, I forgot, you can make me feel good, but what's the use of that? If you don't mind, you can stay with me, without any status, how about that?"
"You bastard! You shameless scum!" Hazel cried and cursed at him. "I must have been blind to see you as a benefactor and to like you. Let go of me!"
She cried like a lamb in a tiger's den, while Benjamin was as cold as a fierce beast, more terrifying than a tiger.
His actions continued, and as he watched her gaze turn from shame and anger to hatred, but he still wouldn't let go.
If she came to him, he wouldn't miss the chance to have sex with her. Only by treating her this way would she understand how terrifying he was and stay far away from him.
The car wasn't the best place for this, especially since Hazel wasn't cooperating.
Even though they had had sex a few times, she still had a poppy-like addictive allure to him.
The back seat was covered in his marks, and he released his needs without reservation.
In the end, he handed her two emergency contraceptive pills, his ruthless words following, "If you joined White Corporation to get my attention, then congratulations, you succeeded. I do like someone like you, as long as you can keep our relationship a secret, come find me anytime. But don't get any ideas, you're not fit to bear my child."
He handed her a bottle of water, "Take it."
Hazel pulled the straps of her overalls back onto her shoulders, her eyes red and swollen from crying, her body feeling like it had been crushed.
It was only because the cramped car space had made it difficult for him to be as rough as last time.
But it made her feel even more humiliated. He treated her like a toy to vent his anger.
His hands, which used to gently pat her head to encourage her to study, now roamed over her body. That feeling tormented her.
She grabbed the water bottle and took the pills. "Benjamin, I hate you!"
"Really?" Benjamin smiled at her nonchalantly. "Aside from your poor family background, you really are my type."
"I didn't come to White Corporation for you!" Hazel said fiercely. "I didn't know this job was at White Corporation. Don't flatter yourself!"
Benjamin raised an eyebrow, "Is that so? Then that's for the best."
In the cramped car, the scent of their recent intimacy still lingered, now mixed with her anger, creating a strange atmosphere.
"In that case, don't bother me anymore!" Hazel wanted to draw a clear line with him, as she always did!
After a moment of silence, Benjamin glanced at her, "That's difficult. Just seeing your body makes me react. Either you leave my sight, or you find a man and get married quickly."
Both conditions were difficult for her.
She bit her lip, staring at him. So, if she didn't leave and didn't get married, the consequence would be being humiliated and entangled by him every day?
"Get out." Benjamin unlocked the car door and got out first.
Outside, a light rain had started to fall. The cool breeze of a late summer night blew as he watched her get out of the car with a cold gaze.
She stood there, her body washed by the rain and mist. After a moment, she turned around and slapped him hard across the face.
The slap was strong and fierce!
After that, she didn't say a word and walked away.
He raised an eyebrow, watching her retreating figure, then got back into the car, started the engine, and drove away.
She entered the alley, the car's headlights behind her making it hard to see the road ahead, only the drizzle and mist.
Evie lay in the cradle, staring at the hanging toys above.
Katniss sat at her computer desk, researching The Astor Corporation, estimating the minimum amount needed to acquire it.
Her phone suddenly rang. She glanced at it and answered; it was Tristan.
After work, she drove off alone. After all, meeting openly in front of White Corporation wasn't appropriate.
She didn't want him to be seen as closely associated with White Corporation.
"What's up? I feel like with our kind of relationship, there's no need for a nightly goodnight call, right?" She said with a bit of exasperation, glancing at Evie in the cradle.
He always called at night, and she worried that one day Evie would make a noise and expose everything.
"Does missing you count as important?" Tristan was displeased with her unkind words. "You're not asleep yet?"
Hearing her quick and alert response, he could almost picture what she was busy with at the moment.
He knew she didn't come over after work for his sake, so he didn't mind her words.
"No." Katniss ignored his comment. "I'm working on the acquisition plan for The Astor Corporation."
She regretted it as soon as she said it. Preparing to acquire The Astor Corporation was a secret, and she had just revealed it to Tristan?
"Interested in The Astor Corporation?" Tristan's tone rose slightly. "How much are you planning to spend on the acquisition?"
After a moment of silence, Katniss chose to keep it confidential. "Mr. Forbes, can't you have some business ethics? Can you casually ask about such things? Even if you were my husband, I couldn't tell you."
On the other end, Tristan was quiet for a while before asking, "So, I'm practically your husband?"
Was he really that good at picking apart words?
Then, she heard his low laughter. "Darling, can we sleep with the phone on?"
His tone carried a hint of weariness, likely due to insomnia.
"No." Katniss's voice remained cold. Evie would wake up twice in the middle of the night, crying for formula.
He would hear it.
Even without Evie, she shouldn't be doing something like sleeping on the phone with Tristan.
Tristan sighed lightly. "Then hang up and rest early. See you tomorrow."
The call ended, and Evie started fussing. Katniss turned off the computer and held her, preparing for bed.
As she lay down, she belatedly remembered Tristan's words: See you tomorrow?
Was he just saying it casually, or was he serious?
She pursed her lips, lying in bed, her eyes reflecting the full moon outside the window and Evie's small figure.
The next morning, she received a call from Rupert, asking to have a meal together. She postponed it to the weekend and then headed straight to the office.
Since deciding to acquire The Astor Corporation, Katniss and Samuel had been conducting research on it for the past few days.
In the midst of her busy schedule, she noticed a deep mark on Hazel's neck.
As someone experienced, she immediately recognized what kind of mark it was.
Hazel, seeing her staring at her neck, seemed to remember something and quickly pulled up her clothes.
Her eyes reddened uncontrollably.
"Was it Benjamin?" Katniss asked directly.
"Yes." Hazel responded.
After a moment, Katniss said nothing more. She wasn't entirely sure what was going on between Benjamin and Hazel.
But she could tell Hazel was unwilling.
She frowned and said, "My hiring process is different from others, so the employment contract isn't entirely fair. If you really don't want to do this job, you can resign. I'll let you go."
Hazel was much more innocent than her. The White family was a dangerous place.
Perhaps because of her own experiences, she didn't want to see Hazel go through the same things.
"Really?" Hazel was genuinely considering leaving.
Katniss nodded. "Yes, I respect your choice."
"What can she do?" Benjamin walked over, just in time to hear their conversation.
Seeing Benjamin, Hazel instinctively lowered her head and hid behind Katniss.
Katniss's gaze fell on Tristan beside Benjamin, looking dashing in his suit.
So, he really meant "see you tomorrow."
Benjamin's meaningful glance swept over Hazel before he said to Katniss, "Mr. Forbes knows quite a bit about The Astor Corporation. I invited him to help with the budget and evaluation."
No matter how much he knew, could he know more than Samuel, who had been an assistant for years?
She didn't know how Tristan convinced Benjamin, but since he was here, she had no authority to send him away.
"Go inform Samuel to come to Ms. Grey's office for a meeting," Benjamin instructed Hazel.
Hazel turned and left, but Benjamin followed her.
Meanwhile, Tristan pushed Katniss into her office, pressing her against the door and holding her tightly.
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