“Or do you care about him?”
I think I understood what he meant by greedy.
He must have thought I was in a relationship
with Samuel.
I said, “He’s my…”
“Taylor.”
Samuel was calling me from the balcony.
I wanted to go but Ben grabbed my arm.
His grip was so tight, it hurt.
<
He looked past me and glared at Samuel.
Their eyes locked.
It seemed calm, but it was so intense that I
felt chills.
Samuel’s voice deepened. “Come here.”
Ben turned his eyes to me.
The dark look on his face was making me
scared.
I quickly said, “He’s my cousin.
Ben’s grip loosened. I pulled my arm back.
and walked to Samuel.
10
く
“You like Ben Harrison.”
Samuel said suddenly as we were going
home.
He said it like a fact.
Seeing me stay silent, he asked, “Why do you like him?”
Without thinking I replied, “He’s hot.”
CC
In the awkward silence, I added,
“He’s hot, rich, a professor, smart. It’s
natural, right?”
“My best friend is marrviss li
く
“We can be a big happy family!”
Samuel frowned.
“You know Matt? What do you think of him?”
I made a face. “He’s a rich kid, typical
second generation jerk.”
And yet he stole Sarah’s heart.
“I’ll tell you now, what Matt’s doing now, Ben
did it first.”
“Ben, in his early twenties, was a hundred
times worse than his brother.”
“He’s not just a professor. His past, what he
keeps hidden, are more complex and deeper
than what you know.”
“He’s ruthless. He has no heart. When it
comes to money he doesn’t care who he
hurts. No one in D.C’s high society wants to
marry into his family.”
“He’s not for you.”
Samuel’s words were like thunder in my mind.
I couldn’t imagine Ben, the professor, being a
party–loving playboy.
It was too different.
I suddenly remembered Ben telling me to stay
away.
And the dirty comments he said at the club.
Those looks, were that his real personality?
く
Ben wasn’t just a trophy on the shelf.
11
Ben’s grandfather was having his 60th
birthday, and the rich and powerful were all
invited.
Sarah asked me to go.
I was going to decline, but then I thought about Ben, and I decided to go.
I heard Samuel’s warning, but ignored it.
After all, the Ben of the past was in the past.
Now he’s a professor.
My main goal from the beginning was to
<
marry into his family. Ben was just my
entrance card.
Thinking about that, all my troubles
disappeared.
Finding my purpose made things simple.
Love was unimportant.
A handsome, rich, and nice husband was
more important.
I said hi to Sarah when I got to the mansion.
She asked if I still liked Ben.
I nodded fast.
She said, “There’s a girl getting close to your
man
く
“I asked Matt, and he said she’s his brother’s
‘friend‘.”
“She’s so into him, she’s not an easy enemy.
I thought about the girl in the red dress from
the gala.
When I saw Ben, I went straight to him.
He didn’t seem surprised.
But he was still aloof.
The red dress girl was there.
She still had the same red dress on.
It was the first time I really looked at her.
L
She had a great body and was very womanly.
