CHAPTER 71: BENJAMIN’S OBJECTION

[Reid Enterprise—Alexander’s Office]

Alexander walked into his office, already flipping through a stack of reports when he nearly stopped in his tracks.

Sitting on the couch, drinking tea as if she owned the entire floor, which she practically did, was Margaret Reid.

He blinked once and then frowned. "Grandmother?"

Margaret looked up, radiant and smug in a way that instantly made Alexander suspicious.

"Well? Aren’t you going to greet me properly, boy?" she said, taking a sip of her tea.

Alexander crossed the room and kissed her forehead, still confused. "Why are you here this early? Is everything alright?"

"Oh, everything is perfectly fine," Margaret said, waving her hand. "Better than fine, it’s exceptional."

He found her excitement odd. Margaret Reid was rarely excited unless someone she disliked had been destroyed socially.

He lowered himself onto the chair beside her. "What happened?"

Margaret placed her teacup down and looked at him like she had been waiting years to say this.

"Evelyn said yes."

Alexander stared. "Yes? To what?"

"To marry you, you blockhead."

The pen in his hand slipped and he stared at her both confused and shocked.

Margaret gave him a delighted smile. "Ah, there it is. The exact shocked expression I was hoping to see."

Alexander’s chest tightened and his pulse jumped.

"She said yes?" he repeated, slower, gentler, like he was afraid the words might shatter.

"Yes," Margaret exclaimed "Gregory informed me yesterday and I am sure they are moving ahead with preparations."

But as her words sank in, the joy in his expression flickered and then faded.

Margaret frowned. "What is that face?"

Alexander leaned back in his chair, suddenly quiet. "She didn’t tell me." Then he frowned, finding the entire narrative very odd.

If Evelyn had agreed to marry him, why didn’t she tell him?

Margaret blinked. "So? She was probably overwhelmed."

"No." His jaw tightened. "If she agreed to marry me, I should have been the first person she told."

There was no anger, it was a visible hurt he didn’t bother hiding.

Margaret studied him closely. "Alexander—"

"I am calling her," he said, reaching for his phone but before he could dial, the office door slammed open.

Benjamin stormed in like a hurricane in an expensive suit.

"Mother—We need to talk."

Margaret didn’t even look startled and Alexander simply closed his eyes in irritation.

Benjamin threw a thick document onto Alexander’s desk.

"What the hell is this?" he demanded.

Alexander glanced down.

Reid Enterprise Share Transfer Agreement

Beneficiary: Evelyn Charlotte Carter

He froze and his eyes snapped to Margaret.

"You are transferring shares, Reid family SHARES to that girl?" Benjamin growled.

When his assistant informed him about the transfer in the morning, at first he could not believe it. But when he started digging, he found that it was Margaret who was transferring the shares.

He was furious. He had his own plan of getting Alexander married to Evelyn but shares weren’t a part of it. And to make things worse, the number of shares that were being transferred to Evelyn were almost the same as Pauline and Jack.

Margaret lifted her chin. "I am transferring the shares to my future granddaughter-in-law. Yes."

Alexander looked between them, stunned. He picked up the file and quickly went through the pages.

"Grandmother, you are giving Evelyn shares?" He looked at Margaret, shocked.

"Of course," Margaret said. "Every responsible daughter-in-law receives her share. Pauline did, I did and Evelyn will too."

Benjamin slammed a hand on the desk. "You cannot do this, those shares—"

"Are mine," Margaret cut in. "My property, my right and my decision."

Benjamin clenched his jaw until a nerve twitched. "You are rewarding a family that humiliated the Reid family."

"No," Margaret corrected calmly. "I am rewarding a girl who will be the wife of the next head of this family."

Alexander stiffened.

Benjamin closed his eyes. "Mother, I think you are forgetting that I am still alive."

"Oh no, I am not," Margaret shrugged her shoulders. "I am just letting you know what the future will look like."

Benjamin gritted his teeth and then exploded, "You are doing this just to spite me."

Margaret’s stare turned lethal. "If I wanted to spite you, I would do far worse than give shares to Evelyn Carter."

Alexander looked down, fighting a smile because, yes, that was true.

Benjamin pointed a finger at her. "This is not happening, I forbid it."

Margaret rose slowly, leaning on her cane like a queen preparing to strike down a traitor.

"You forbid?" she repeated.

Benjamin paled slightly.

Margaret took a step forward. "Benjamin Reid, you do not forbid anything in this family. Not over me, not over Alexander and certainly not when it comes to Evelyn."

She then threw him a disgusted look. "You lost all your rights over this family the day you brought that w*hore into this family as your second wife."

Benjamin swallowed. His anger was now mixed with humiliation.

"She is my wife, mother," he glared at her. "Can you please show her some respect?"

"Respect?" Margaret scoffed. "You want me to show respect to your mistress?"

When Benjamin did not say anything, Margaret continued, "Evelyn will receive those shares before the wedding. She will have financial independence, authority and her rightful seat in this family."

"I won’t allow it," he snapped.

Margaret simply shrugged her shoulders. "Well, it’s good that you don’t get a vote."

Benjamin went silent. He opened his mouth to say something, but couldn’t. He was too furious to say anything.

"And," Margaret added with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes, "you will not interfere. In fact, you will behave so pleasantly that the Carters will think you have no spine."

Benjamin glared. "Mother—"

"Enough," she cut in sharply. "Leave, Benjamin. Before you embarrass yourself further."

Benjamin’s hands shook with rage as he stared at Alexander, who stared right back at him.

Then without another word, Benjamin turned sharply and stormed out, slamming the door behind him so hard the glass rattled.

....