Chapter 421 – Beginning with a Daring Encounter

“Even if it is, we can make them believe we fell for it while executing our plan. Don’t worry, I won’t let anything happen to you,” Benne said, and Celsie smiled.

“I know.”

“Did I tell you I got to learn some pretty interesting things about Anita’s family today?” Benne asked, and when she shook her head, he went on to tell her about Barry’s call earlier that morning.

“You can’t be serious!” Celsie said, her nose wrinkling with disgust as she tried to get rid of the image of Anita’s mother having an affair with her son-in-law and daughter’s father-in-law.

“Fortunately, I am. Now all I want is to find evidence that she was involved in her husband’s death,” Benne said with an evil smirk.

“You think she murdered her husband?” Celsie asked, wondering when she would stop being shocked by the magnitude of evil Anita’s mother was capable of.

“Barry thinks so, and he is good at sniffing out suspicious stuff. I trust his instincts,” Benne said, and Celsie sighed.

“I hope we can handle things before it gets messy. I don’t want anything to happen to you,” Celsie said, and Benne glanced at her.

“Nothing is going to happen. How come you haven’t asked about my meeting at the airline?” Benne asked curiously since he had expected that to be the first question she would ask.

Celsie grinned, “I was saving it for the last.”

“Nah, you wouldn’t be so relaxed if you were. You seem like you already know about it. Wait, don’t tell me Harry told you about it already?” Benne asked suspiciously, trying to figure out when Harry could possibly have had the time to talk to her when they had been together all through until they arrived at the company. Or had he gone to Celsie’s office immediately after he went inside? Benne mused.

Celsie giggled, “He didn’t tell me anything… He actually recorded a video and sent it to me,” Celsie said, and Benne turned to her in surprise.

“Harry made a video?” He asked in disbelief, and she bobbed her head as she took out her phone and played it so that Benne would hear his voice.

“The bastard! I can’t believe I call someone like that my best friend. How can he do something like that without informing me?” Benne asked with a scowl.

“He could become my best friend if you don’t want him anymore…”

“Never! Sonia is more than enough. If you want a male best friend, you have Lucas or me. You don’t need Harry or any other male who is not family to you,” Benne said, and she laughed softly.

“You are jealous,” Celsie pointed out in amusement.

“Yes, I am. I’m not sharing you,” Benne insisted, and Celsie smiled.

“I don’t plan on being shared or on sharing you either,” she assured him, and Benne nodded.

“Good. As long as we are on the same page on that, we are good.”

Neither Benne nor Celsie said another word for some time as he drove, until something occurred to him, and he turned to Celsie, “Are you okay with staying here, or do you want to return to your apartment now that everyone else has left?” He asked, and Celsie frowned, wondering why he was asking her that.

Was it because she was on her menstruation, and he wasn’t comfortable with having her around since he couldn’t do anything with her? Or was he asking because he needed space… She stopped herself. Assumptions were never good.

“Why?” She asked as she watched his face intently, wanting to hear it from him directly.

Benne shrugged, “I just want to be sure that you are comfortable and not just living with me because you don’t want to hurt my feelings by returning to your apartment. In as much as I love waking up to the sight of you beside me, I don’t want you to do things you’re not comfortable with,” Benne said, and she smiled.

“So you are not asking because you need space?” Celsie asked, and Benne turned to look at her incredulously.

“Are you kidding me? Why would I need space from you when I’ve only just found you after searching for you all my life?” Benne asked, and she blushed.

“You could have easily said yes or no. Why do you always have to use such words?” She asked with a shy smile, and he chuckled.

“Because it’s the way I feel about you. I told you already, Jewel. I want you beside me every moment of every day,” Benne said as he drove through the gate to his mansion.

“You still haven’t answered my question. Are you okay with being here with me, or do you want to return to your apartment?” Benne asked again, and Celsie pursed her lips as she thought about it.

“I’m happy being here with you. If I need to be alone for some time, I will go to my apartment,” she said, and Benne gave her a nod as he pulled the car to a stop in front of the house and parked it.

“I’m glad. Let’s go in then,” he said as he got out of the car, and she did the same.

Once they walked into the house, the first sight that greeted them was Samantha, trying to console Jamal, who was bawling by the staircase.

“I almost forgot about the kid,” Benne murmured under his breath as he started to go take the kid from Samantha, but he slowed down when he noticed Celsie’s quick strides.

“What is wrong?” Celsie asked as she approached them with concern in her eyes, and Jamal ran over to her and embraced her legs.

“He wouldn’t say. He has been crying non-stop since he woke up from his siesta almost an hour ago and remembered that his mother and your mothers had left,” Samantha complained helplessly as she looked at Benne apologetically.

She had assured him that she could take care of the kid, but she was already failing at it.

“It’s fine. We will continue from here,” Benne said as he went to stand beside Celsie while standing back to observe how she would handle the kid.

“His mother left a message for you,” Samantha informed Benne before going to get the envelope, while Benne watched Celsie with interest as she squatted in front of the kid who had stopped crying.

“You miss your mom and everyone else, don’t you?” She asked as she took out her handkerchief from her handbag and wiped his tears before cleaning his running nose, and he gave her a slight nod.

“Yeah, I understand. I miss my mom and the others too. So until we see them again, why don’t we keep each other company?” She asked as she extended an open palm to him, and he placed his tiny palm on hers trustingly.

Benne tried not to smile as he watched Celsie straighten up while holding on to the kid’s hand, and he wondered how she could be so good with kids and not know if she wanted to have kids or not.

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