CHAPTER 53: THE WILLOWOOD LAND

A stillness fell over him. It wasn’t something calm but the quiet right before thunder tears open the sky.

He exhaled once, his eyes still glued on Evelyn’s name in the file. His suspicion was the reality all along.

He leaned back, exhaling once but his eyes never left her name.

While waiting for his men to compile the full report, he had already begun digging on his own. He had men watching Evelyn quietly from a distance, connecting details he had once brushed off.

He knew about her relationship with Jack, of course but he had paid no attention to it. His youngest son’s love life was irrelevant to him. But that was until it became very relevant and vital.

But before he could make a move, Jack’s stupidity blew everything apart.

Ironically, that chaos was what made Benjamin notice the one thing he had missed entirely—

Alexander.

His stoic, disciplined eldest son, who rarely showed interest in anything beyond work, was suddenly unraveling over Evelyn Carter.

And it wasn’t lust or curiosity but something deeper, heavier, something Benjamin hadn’t seen in Alexander even as a child.

It wasn’t temporary or shallow, it was inconveniently real.

That was when Benjamin understood the opportunity in front of him.

Alexander’s feelings were a tool and Benjamin had always known how to use tools. So he set the pieces quietly. Arranged coincidences and proximity sharpen what was already there.

And it was working until Jack, again, destroyed the carefully crafted momentum.

After the spectacle his youngest created at the Carter Mansion, Gregory had begun pushing back, delaying meetings, avoiding calls and hiding behind excuses.

Under normal circumstances, Benjamin would never have tolerated it but this wasn’t normal.

This time he needed the Carters more than they needed him.

He needed that land and he knew Gregory wouldn’t just hand it over to him even for a hefty price.

Just then a knock interrupted him.

He shut the file instantly, sliding it into a drawer with a sharp click.

"Enter," he said with his voice smooth again.

The assistant stepped in cautiously. "Sir, Gregory Carter has arrived."

Benjamin straightened his suit and his expression became unreadable again.

"Send him in."

Moments later, Gregory entered. The man carried himself with calm dignity but Benjamin could see the steel underneath, the same steel he had always underestimated.

They shook hands and exchanged pleasantries..

Benjamin gestured. "Sit."

And Gregory did.

Benjamin leaned back, studying him like he studied every business rival. He was trying to find the cracks, the weak points and the places to insert a knife.

"I trust you reviewed the proposal," Benjamin began with his voice perfectly pleasant.

"I did," Gregory replied and his steady tone spoke volumes.

"And?"

Gregory paused for a while and then he answered, "My answer is no."

Benjamin blinked once and then silence stretched — the dangerous kind.

"No?" he repeated, softly.

"No."

Benjamin’s lips curled into something like a smile but it didn’t reach his eyes.

"You should reconsider, Gregory. Deals like this aren’t offered twice."

"I am aware," Gregory said. "And I am refusing it."

Benjamin leaned forward. With his elbows on the table and his voice low, he said, "I am offering you a lifeline. I hear that your brother is after the company and has been secretly buying the shares from other stakeholders."

When Gregory pursed his lips and knitted his brows, Benjamin knew he had hit the tender spot, "The merger proposal gives you and the Carter Enterprise stability and expands it. Only a fool will reject such a generous offer."

Gregory’s eyes stayed steady. "And only a bigger fool takes a hand that intends to pull him deeper."

Benjamin’s expression twitched for the first time.

"Careful, Gregory," he said calmly. "There is a line."

"And I am not the one crossing it," Gregory replied, equally calm.

Benjamin’s voice hardened. "This is personal for you, isn’t it?"

"No," Gregory said. "It’s protective."

Benjamin gave a small, cruel laugh. "You mean Evelyn."

Gregory stiffened. "Let’s not bring my daughter into this."

Benjamin’s tone turned cold. "I have been far more tolerant than I should have. After the scandal, after her missteps, Alexander still entertained the idea of being seen with her. That is generosity, Gregory, not preference."

"Stop right there, Benjamin," Gregory rose halfway out of his chair. "It was your son who came running after her and is still doing it."

But Benjamin continued, "Evelyn is fortunate Alexander even looks at her. He is the heir of the Reid empire and has options. She—"

"DON’T YOU DARE," Gregory slammed his hand on the table and yelled.

Benjamin’s smile widened. He had found the nerve and pressed it.

"She doesn’t deserve someone like Alexander—"

Gregory shot to his feet so fast his chair scraped violently.

"My daughter—" he said, voice shaking with fury, "is worth more than your entire legacy. She is loyal, strong and respected. Unlike you, she knows how to treat people."

Benjamin’s eyes gleamed but he covered it with a mocking smile. "Oh? Is that why no one from our circle will marry her now? You think families will line up for a girl with her reputation? After the headlines? After the whispers?"

Gregory’s chest rose with each ragged breath.

"You bastard," he hissed. "I didn’t expect you would stoop so low."

Benjamin stood too but he was calmer in comparison just like a predator who knew he had cornered the weaker prey.

"I am only stating facts," Benjamin shrugged, infuriating Gregory more.

"Facts?" Gregory spat. "You think your influence scares me? You think you can blacklist my daughter from society? Fine, go ahead. But let me tell you something, Benjamin—"

He leaned in, fury radiating off him. "People who meet Evelyn will love her, value her and cherish her. And I will prove it to you."

Benjamin chuckled, low and threatening. "Is that a challenge?"

"It’s a promise." Gregory didn’t back down. "But how do you think your son will react when he learns this? I am very sure the heir will be delighted to hear that his father ruined his chance with the woman he is fond of."

Benjamin’s eyes darkened. "Alexander is smart, he will understand."

Gregory scoffed. "Are you sure about that?" He leaned closer. "If you tell him not to date Evelyn or be anywhere near her, do you think he will agree?"

When Benjamin did not answer, he smirked, "I thought so too."

Gregory straightened his suit and added, "It’s funny how you think my daughter is not good enough for any man from our social circle when your eldest son cannot wait to wife her up."

"She will never be a part of the Reid family," Benjamin stated, his voice louder now. "I won’t ever let that happen."

Benjamin stood there in the quiet Benjamin-crafted silence, the kind where he held all the power and the other man was meant to fold.

But Gregory Carter didn’t fold, not this time. "That is not something for you to decide."

Benjamin’s jaw flexed. "Gregory—"

But Gregory didn’t even hear him. He had already turned with his fists tight enough to drain the blood from his knuckles. Every step he took toward the door radiated a deep and personal fury the kind that made kingdoms fall and families break.

He stopped at the doorway with his shoulders heaving once.

Then he looked back over his shoulder and he said with his voice low but trembling with restrained rage. "You insulted the wrong person today."

Benjamin’s smile flicked, sharp as broken glass. "We will see."

Gregory didn’t respond.

He yanked the door open and stormed out not bothering with pleasantries, not bothering with anyone watching, not caring about the staff startled by the sound of the slamming door.

He was done. Truly, irrevocably done.

And for the first time in a long time, Benjamin watched a man walk away from him without fear.

His assistant hovered outside, startled. "Sir, should I—"

Benjamin cut him off with a single, ice-cold gesture.

The assistant swallowed and closed the door.

Silence stretched in the room, the kind that could make one shiver.

Benjamin grabbed his drink and walked towards the glass window.

Someone had challenged him and walked away victorious, he should have been angry, throwing things and making calls to make sure Gregory Carter paid a hefty price for his actions.

But instead, a cold victorious smile plastered his lips.

....