Chapter 881: Chapter 881: Are We eting the Parents Now?
Seamus Noah was taken aback to see Benjamin Jones leading Catherine Ford and Lewis over, with a cardboard box in his arms. He wondered when the BOSS had beco so gentlemanly.
When Benjamin Jones caught sight of the stunned Seamus Noah, he looked over coldly. Seamus quickly stepped forward to take the box, then apologized to the two of them, “Sorry, the colleague who was supposed to handle this had an ergency. Thank you for making the trip here yourselves.”
Catherine smiled and said it was no problem, preparing to leave with Lewis, but Benjamin turned to her, “What’s the rush? Go pour a cup of hot milk.”
The instruction at the end was addressed to Seamus.
Seamus was startled again, thinking when had the BOSS beco so hospitable? Offering milk from Universal’s private stock to his Lawyer’s guest?
“What are you standing there for?” Benjamin said with a hint of disdain when he saw Seamus’s inaction, and then added, “Right, make the milk warr.”
“Oh.”
Seamus responded sluggishly with an ‘oh’, chanically turned away, and then heard the BOSS behind him asking another question, “Haven’t had lunch yet, right? Let’s eat together.”
Catherine looked at Secretary Noah, who had stepped away a ter but was still looking back, and her face showed slight embarrassnt, “No need, I’ll just head to the company cafeteria with my colleagues.”
“Ah, Catherine you stay and have lunch with Lawyer Jones, I have a eting to attend so I’ll be leaving first.” After saying this, Lewis felt the chill from Benjamin’s glance and, wisely making his exit, quickly left before Catherine could even speak.
If he stayed any longer, he’d not just be a third wheel but a frozen one!
Benjamin seed pleased with Lewis’s quick departure, looking at Catherine now, “What would you like to eat?”
He knew that she hadn’t brought lunch these past few days when he hadn’t been at work.
Catherine thought going back now would an not being able to do much and becoming the center of workplace gossip. Besides, with most of the departnt’s work for the day already done, her presence wouldn’t make much difference, so she didn’t refuse, “Sure, I’m fine with anything.”
“Co to my office,” Benjamin said, leading Catherine toward his office with confidence.
As they were almost there, they bumped into Tina Roland who ca to report on work. She saw a woman with Boss Jones and assud she was a client. Her greeting was just about to leave her lips when her gaze inadvertently caught sight of their linked hands, struck like by lightning, she stopped dead in her tracks staring at the hands of Benjamin and Catherine, then abruptly lifted her head, stunned once more.
She recognized the woman; she was the divorce client Lawyer Jones had handled before.
A divorcee so poor she could barely afford a lawyer.
Impossible!
Benjamin noticed the dazed person, his brows slightly furrowed, “Finished your work? What are you standing here daydreaming for?”
“Ah? Oh.” Tina responded dumbly, having completely forgotten why she’d co, and turned to leave, only to run into Secretary Noah carrying two cups of steaming milk. She was so distracted she nearly bumped into Seamus.
Seamus dodged Tina, looking at her as if she had been struck by lightning, asked worriedly, “What’s wrong with you?”
“I…” Tina wanted to say she saw Lawyer Jones holding hands with the divorce client, but even she didn’t believe it, starting to wonder if she was dreaming, so she pinched her thigh hard midway through her words. The pain made her jump up instantly.
Seeing Tina’s reaction, Seamus suspected the girl might be a bit brain-damaged. Why on earth would she pinch herself?
Tina Roland felt the pain and finally realized she was not dreaming; she exploded, “Secretary Noah, why didn’t you tell Lawyer Jones was dating that woman from LG’s logistics departnt!”
Seamus Noah was speechless. Why would he tell her such a thing? As a young girl, it was better for her to care less about Boss Jones’s private life.
Seeing Seamus Noah’s silence, Tina Roland grew even more indignant, “Oh my God, why? How could Lawyer Jones, such an outstanding man, choose that kind of girlfriend? It’s just ridiculous!”
Seamus Noah, “…” Although Grace Clarke was rather average, people have different tastes. How could he say Boss Jones was blind?
He glanced at Tina Roland disapprovingly, “You are not young anymore; you should be more cautious with your words. Boss Jones’s girlfriend might be ordinary, but that doesn’t an she is worthless.”
Tina Roland was agitated, “Is it just a little bit of ordinariness? She’s too extraordinary, okay? How could Boss like that kind of woman, my heart is shattered!”
Leaving those words behind, Tina Roland, looking as if stricken by a major blow, dejectedly headed towards the elevator.
Seamus Noah shook his head helplessly, continued walking with his milk, and upon reaching the door of Boss Jones’s office suddenly realized how Tina Roland knew Boss Jones’s girlfriend was Grace Clarke. Hadn’t she not been at the company for the last few days, and her work handed over to soone else?
With curiosity, Seamus Noah knocked on Benjamin Jones’s office door and upon hearing an invitation to enter, pushed the door open to see his own Boss sitting on the sofa with Catherine Ford beside him. Their distance… wasn’t too close, but it still struck Seamus Noah as odd. His Boss usually didn’t like closeness with others, but this proximity was sowhat over the line. Plus, didn’t LG have a new male colleague co in? Where was he?
“Put it down, order two Imperial Cuisine Pavilion lunches,” said Benjamin Jones offhandedly.
Seamus Noah’s hand, which was putting down the milk, stiffened, and his expression was not much better than Tina Roland’s as he looked at his Boss, sowhat puzzled. Two Imperial Cuisine Pavilion lunches, who was he asking to dine with? The Catherine Ford before him? That was not at all like Boss Jones!
But what took Seamus Noah by surprise was even more shocking; while he was still dazed, his normally aloof and prestigious Boss Jones leaned towards Catherine Ford and asked in a gentle voice, “The dishes at Imperial Cuisine Pavilion are not bad, though not as delicious as the ones you make, but they’ll do. Is there anything in particular you’d like to eat? I’ll have Seamus Noah order it for you.”
Seamus Noah had never heard his Boss speak so much in one breath, and he could never have imagined that one day his Boss’s voice could be described as gentle. Involuntarily, he shivered, suddenly understanding Tina Roland’s hysterical reaction. So… who was Boss’s girlfriend?
Ellis Raindream, Rita Pansy, Grace Clarke, Catherine Ford, who exactly could it be?
“Isn’t your girlfriend Grace Clarke, Lawyer Jones?” Seamus Noah blurted out, his mind in chaos, accidentally voicing his thoughts.
Benjamin Jones suddenly looked up at him, the warm and gentle deanor towards Catherine instantly vanished, replaced by the ominous chill of an impending storm.
Seamus Noah shivered, “I… I apologize, I misunderstood.”
After speaking, Seamus Noah suddenly recalled the incident of Boss Jones resting his head on Catherine Ford’s shoulder. At that ti, he thought Boss Jones had passed out due to a stomach ache and thus leaned on Miss Ford. Now he realized that even if Boss Jones would pass out, he would never just faint on any woman’s shoulder.
So the one he thought least likely to be with Boss Jones, Catherine Ford, was the one Boss Jones truly had feelings for!
But why?
Full of confusion, Seamus Noah found Boss Jones’s gaze on him turning colder, “What are you still doing here? Want a death wish?”
“I’ll go right away,” Seamus Noah hurriedly turned and left.
Benjamin Jones took in Seamus Noah’s reaction and, feeling a bit awkward, turned to Catherine and said, “Maybe… I should still go back?”
Wasn’t it agreed to give an answer after the annual eting? Yet, it seed as if the man was acting as if she had already agreed.
Benjamin Jones thought of Seamus Noah’s question and felt that the guy might have been living too comfortably lately, causing his brain to rot. He looked up at Catherine Ford, “No need, you’ll have to get used to it eventually.”
Catherine Ford was taken aback when she heard this, realizing the implicit aning of the man’s words. A hint of sweet satisfaction arose in her heart, and she didn’t resist. She looked over at Benjamin Jones’ office – it was her first ti in the man’s office. During the lawsuit, she had only been to Universal once, and that was in the public reception area. Now, as she sized up the place, she was struck by the realization that his office was over a hundred square ters, which was especially luxurious in the expensive business district.
“Want to take a look around?” Benjamin Jones, seeing Catherine Ford surveying his office, invited her with a smile.
Catherine Ford nodded. It would be sowhat dangerous for the two of them to just stay in this enclosed space.
Benjamin Jones seed to read Catherine Ford’s thoughts, and with amusent, he reached out to ruffle her hair. Without waiting for Catherine Ford to react, he took her hand and began showing her around his office.
However, calling it a tour might be an exaggeration. There wasn’t much to see in a hundred-square-ter office. Catherine Ford noticed that whether it was the man’s villa or his office, both were exceptionally minimalist and almost devoid of life. Even the adjacent resting area stuck to a consistent grey and black color palette. The bookshelves were filled with professional texts and thick volus of English originals, which gave Catherine Ford a headache with just one glance.
After completing the tour, Catherine Ford concluded that there was a reason why the man was still alone to this day. She decided that next ti she visited, she should bring him so green plants to purify the air and also bring so liveliness to the man’s space.
After the tour, Catherine Ford stood by the floor-to-ceiling windows, overlooking the entire business district. Benjamin Jones’ office was at the top of the building, offering an excellent view. Her favorite part was this wall of floor-to-ceiling windows, from which she could almost see half of Swallow City. It filled her with an inexplicable sense of unfulfilled ambition, but it also made her more acutely aware of the gap between herself and the man beside her.
“What are you thinking about?” Benjamin Jones wrapped his arms around Catherine Ford from behind and resting his head beside her ear, he asked softly.
This mont was not like the previous night, devoid of enthralling atmosphere; what was present was the man’s deep, serious contemplation of their relationship. Catherine Ford could tell, so she did not reject the man behind her. Instead, she tilted her head and gently rubbed her cheek against Benjamin Jones’ handso face, whispering, “I never imagined I would stand here in my lifeti. It’s such a fortuitous fate.”
To et you in these somber days is a fortuitous fate.
To be liked by you is also a fortuitous fate.
Catherine Ford felt the disparity between them, followed by endless gratitude.
The world has been very kind to her.
“Then co more often; you can have this fortuitous fate every day,” Benjamin Jones felt particularly good upon sensing Catherine Ford’s affectionate gesture and the aning in her words, believing initially that this silly girl was slipping back into self-doubt.
Upon hearing this, Catherine Ford quickly shook her head, thinking of the female employee’s reaction and Secretary Noah’s words, “I don’t think that’d be a good idea.”
She did not want to scare Benjamin Jones’ subordinates every ti.
But Benjamin Jones, now certain of her feelings, had no intention of letting her off so easily, “Accompanying your boyfriend is only natural.”
Catherine Ford suddenly raised an eyebrow, looked down, and twisted free from Benjamin Jones’ hand, “I haven’t agreed to that yet.”
Benjamin Jones lightly patted Catherine Ford’s hand, “You don’t have a choice.”
Catherine Ford, “…” Was his overbearing nature revealing itself so soon?
Helplessly shaking her head, Catherine Ford no longer tried to push the man’s hand away. Instead, she asked him a very serious question, “If you’re at the company, what about Alice?”
The sudden change in topic made Benjamin Jones awkwardly clear his throat, “Well… Alice was picked up by my mom and taken to the old house.”
Catherine Ford turned around and scolded him – wasn’t this man claiming that his fondness for her wasn’t just about Alice?
“Don’t worry, I’ll take you to pick her up after work,” Benjamin Jones said hastily, afraid that Catherine Ford would think he was planning to run off with Alice.
Catherine Ford’s heart skipped a beat, “Is this really okay?”
It dawned on her that today was her first visit to the Jones family, and she suddenly beca nervous.
“There’s nothing wrong with it. You’ve t my parents before, they are easy to get along with. Plus, there’s an elder brother who hardly ever cos ho, just relax as if it’s your own ho,” Benjamin Jones explained softly.
But how co Catherine felt like the man was trying to trick her?
“Don’t you want to see Alice right after work? She will be sad if you do not,” seeing Catherine not responding, Benjamin shalessly quipped.
Catherine huffed lightly; he must be planning sothing against her.
Yet, recalling how much Mrs. Jones adored Alice, if she didn’t go to pick her up, who knows if she would be sent back? And now, Catherine really didn’t feel comfortable leaving Alice at the old Jones estate. What if they didn’t return her?
“Fine then.”
It seed very reluctant.
But Benjamin was delighted, quickly letting go of Catherine to send a ssage to his mother, “Make dinner lavish.”
Upon seeing her son’s ssage, Mrs. Jones understood right away and hastily left Alice with old man Lewis, getting up to arrange for the kitchen to start preparing the dinner early.
At that mont, Truman Jones walked in wearing a military uniform and heard his mother’s words, his mood lifted, “Mom, how did you know I was coming ho today?”
Mrs. Jones turned around and upon seeing her eldest, her eyes shone with excitent, “Eldest, what made you willing to co ho? That’s good, you’ll be in for a treat.”
Truman then realized that his mother wasn’t preparing for him and beca curious. He wondered who else would make his mother go to such lengths, “Do we have guests at ho today?”
“Yes, your brother brought soone ho,” Mrs. Jones spoke with an inescapable joy on her face.
She really didn’t expect that stolid son of hers to be quite so capable.
Truman was surprised; this was indeed great news, “When did Benjamin start dating soone, and he’s already bringing her ho? It seems he’s taking it very seriously.”
“Indeed, he’s really fond of her,” Mrs. Jones, without even asking why her eldest son suddenly returned that day, turned around to get busy.
Truman, who hadn’t been ho for over half a year due to a mission, was thus left alone in the yard, walking back helplessly. As he was nearing the main house, he suddenly stopped, turned his head to ask his mother who was hurrying to the kitchen, “Mom, is the person he’s dating a man or a woman?”
Mrs. Jones nearly stumbled into the door fra, turning back and glaring at her eldest son, “What nonsense are you talking about? It’s naturally a girl.”
It seems she wasn’t the only one in the family with such silly concerns.
Thank goodness, thank goodness!
Relief faintly surfaced on Truman’s stern face, it was good that it’s a girl. But just as he finished his brief mont of relief, a tiny figure suddenly dashed out from the main house. He quickly crouched down to catch her, and before he could get a good look at the little girl’s face, she planted a kiss on his cheek, “Uncle, are you going to be my new daddy?”
The man, who would remain stoic even as Mount Tai crumbled before him, was now covered in… saliva, “…” When did he ever have a daughter?
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