Standing Right Next To You - Chapter 420
Riding down in the elevator were four people.
While the two men in front had stern looks on their faces, the couple hidden in the back seemed to be in a world of their own.
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Many minutes earlier,
Lina widened her eyes at the abrupt confession that Reuben had made before Benji.
She alternated her eyes between the two men who were staring at each other unblinkingly.
‘What is this situation?’ She wondered and hoped that someone would speak up before she melts into a puddle due to excessive anxiety.
“Nana, go pack your bags.” Benji finally came back to his senses and instructed as he cast a single glance at her.
Lina gulped hard when she saw the grave look on his face and knew that she just could not leave.
‘What if he gets violent again?’ She fretted for her assistant who had a tendency to get violent at times.
She was especially worried for her boyfriend’s safety as she knew just how skilled Benji was.
“I’ll be fine, Kitten.” Reuben assured her after noticing her troubled expression.
Unwillingness was apparent in her eyes but he caressed her cheek while shaking his head, indicating that he would do just fine.
Witnessing this sight, Benji rolled his eyes as they looked like some couple from a drama series who was being separated by their wicked family members.
‘This makes me feel like I am some villain in their love story.’ He scoffed at the two who were whispering among themselves.
Reuben smiled at his Kitten and nodded once again to reassure her that nothing would happen while she was gone.
Reaching the end of his patience, Benji decided to make his presence known to the people who seemed to have forgotten about him.
“I will not hit him, Nana so will you just go and get dressed?” He scowled while pointing his finger at the night robe that she was wearing.
Lina glanced down and blushed as she was half-naked underneath this robe.
‘I forgot about this.’ She chuckled awkwardly and after glimpsing at her boyfriend one last time she turned her gaze towards her assistant.
The woman narrowed her eyes as she leered at the tall man in warning.
‘You hurt him and I hurt you.’ Her message was loud and clear to Benji who raised his hands in acknowledgment of her threat.
Only then did Lina turn around and step inside the bedroom to wash up and change into fresh clothes.
While she was inside the bathroom, the two men were still facing each other.
“I will ask you one question…” Benji initiated the conversation to break the silence in the room.
Reuben was wiping his wet hair when he nodded his head.
“Did you two…” Benji felt awkward about what he was about to ask but this had to be done.
“Did you sleep with her?” He blurted out the query that was on his mind since Reuben had made that confession.
The CEO of the Ming Enterprises raised his eyebrow in question, wondering why he was being asked such a thing.
However, when he noticed the guarded expression on the assistant’s face, he realized that he was being interrogated.
“Yes.” He answered truthfully.
‘We did sleep on the same bed.’ Reuben added the rest in his mind as he was trying to gauge how Benji would react.
Would he get mad and jealous, revealing his true feelings or would his reaction be something different?
However, contrary to what Reuben had on his mind, Benji rubbed his forehead and shook his head.
“That child… Always doing things on impulse…” His mutters reached Reuben’s ears and succeeded in surprising him.
Earlier, he had hidden a part of the truth to see how Benji would truly behave after hearing that he and Lina had taken their relationship to the next level.
But never in any of the possible outcomes had he ever imagined that Benji would sigh like an old man after hearing this.
While he was still in his thoughts, the assistant finally looked up at him and Reuben felt his spine straighten.
The earlier air around him had changed now and there was a suffocating feeling surrounding them.
“What you have done has consequences, Reuben Ming.” Benji uttered as he stepped closer to him.
The changes in Benji were so evident as he looked like someone else entirely right now.
There was a grave look on his face and a glint of danger flitted past his eyes.
Even for someone like Reuben who was a highly trained fighter, this was something new he faced.
Standing one step away from Reuben, Benji looked him right in the eye as he continued what he had to say.
“Lina trusts you completely now and if you dare to ever break that trust and hurt her in any way…” He paused as an eerie grin formed on his lips.
Reuben could feel the bloodthirst arising from this man’s body which made him think of what kind of person Benji truly was.
“Remember that I would be the least of your worries.” He raised his hand and patted Reuben’s shoulder as he uttered these words.
Leaning close to his ear, Benji then whispered something which made his eyes narrow.
“There would be someone else who would make you wish that you were never born if you ever break our Nana’s heart.” Benji stepped away once he had completed what he had to say to him.
Reuben stood rooted in place after being threatened with his life by this man.
Benji then smiled as though he had just not shown a glimpse of his true self to him and went to take a seat on the couch.
The suffocating air faded and disappeared as though it was never there and Reuben was left confused at what he had just experienced.
He had wished to see how Benji would react and gauge what he truly felt for Lina but what he witnessed was a glimpse of Benji that he had never seen before.
This was not the kind assistant who looked after his Kitten but a dangerous man who made Reuben freeze for a few seconds.
‘And I thought that I was the scary one…’ Reuben felt amused that his little test had led to new discoveries.
Benji knew that he had just exposed himself but this was what needed to be done to ensure that Lina’s fragile heart was safeguarded at all times.
“Benji…” Reuben called out to him and succeeded in gaining his attention.
“We slept together… On the same bed.” He clarified the misunderstanding that he had created with the purpose of figuring out the assistant’s true thoughts about his Kitten.
Benji was quick to grasp the meaning of these words and narrowed his eyes.
“So you two did not…” He questioned further and blinked blankly when he saw Reuben nodding his head.
“We did not.” The CEO answered with the whole truth this time.
‘So I just exposed myself for nothing?’ Benji scowled at this wicked man who had forced him to do so.
Reuben felt nothing this time around as the assistant had returned to his usual attitude which was further intriguing to him.
To him, it was as though the person who had threatened him earlier was not the same Benji who was scowling at him right now.
‘Just who are you and how did you become Kitten’s assistant?’ Questions were arising in his mind which he would surely decipher soon.
Benji noticed his curiosity and decided to change topics as this was not something he wished to talk about.
“If what you said is true then well and good but do not forget my words today.” He reminded him before rising from his seat.
Reuben watched as the man walked out of the main hall, leaving him right there, and entered the passage that would lead him to the study room.
‘I would never hurt or break her trust.’ He promised as he would rather hurt himself than ever think of hurting the one whom he had set his heart on.
The man then went to change into new clothes as this meant that he too would have to move out of this hotel room if Lina was leaving today.
‘Need to pack up.’ He nodded and got to work.
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When Lina finally got out of the shower, she found that the bedroom was empty.
She hurried to pack her clothes and everything that she had in this room into the large suitcases in which she had brought them here.
Her eyes fell on the wardrobe next to hers and found that it had already been emptied.
“Ruby is fast.” She chuckled and rushed to finish her packing as she needed to check up on the two men outside.
Dressed in black stretchy yoga pants and a grey sweatshirt, Lina tied her hair into a high ponytail as she dragged the suitcase out with her.
There in the main hall, she found her boyfriend and her assistant sitting on opposite sides of the dining table as they glanced in her direction.
“Breakfast is ready.” Reuben announced and patted the seat next to his.
“I packed everything in the study room.” Benji revealed while pointing at the other suitcase which might now be filled with her papers and sketches.
Right next to her suitcase was another one and she knew who they belonged to.
Lina’s eyes scanned the two and nodded when she found that neither of them had any kind of bruises which might confirm that a scuffle had taken place in her absence.
Though no scuffle had taken place, something else entirely had which she had no clue about.
Benji rolled his eyes after catching sight of her actions while Reuben felt happy that she was so concerned about him.
He then again gestured for her to come to sit with him and she hurried to do so.
The three then had breakfast together and finally were ready to leave this place for good.
Lina looked around the hotel room which was her home for the last week or so and smiled as she had made many memories here.
Thinking of something else, she turned around and glanced at her assistant who was making sure that they had everything they needed before they could make a move from this place.
“My Tablet?” She questioned and watched him nod while pointing at the bag in his hand.
‘Everything important is in that.’ She noted as it had to be kept safe at all costs.
All her efforts for the past days were saved in that and she would hate to see something untoward happen to what she had worked hard to create.
Thinking about the designs that she had made for Obsidia’s Winter Collection in collaboration with Stephen Jin, Lina smiled in excitement to show her work to the world soon.
‘I hope Steph likes what I did.’ She smiled, anticipating the look on her puppy’s face when he sees LY’s jewelry designs for his clothes.