âYeah. I do most of the cooking, so thatâs an aroma Iâm familiar with,â Sam answered.
Benjamin commented, âThatâs eccentric of Waylon. He invented a weird drug, only to add a strange smell to it.â
âYeah. The thick smell of common seasoning reminds me of my mom.â
âAlright. Iâll let Waylon know. He didnât believe me when I told him,â Benjamin said.
Sam gave a nod. Prior to hanging up, she uttered, âOkay. Mr. Benjamin, donât try to swoop in and take Ms. Louise away. Itâs indecent to do that.â
Benjamin was lost for words.
It was a great opportunity.
Benjamin was confident that Emmeline would fall in love with him so long as her feelings for Abel were no more.
He was the only person in the whole of Struyria who could compete with Abel.
Sam nervously said, âWhy arenât you talking, Mr. Benjamin? Donât get any ideas!â
âI know. What do you take me for? Am I that type of person?â Benjamin questioned.
Once the call ended, Benjamin rang Waylon back.
âWaylon, Abel is now in love with Emma, but Emma didnât hear him say it, so she took the Worryfree drug. Sam said it smelled like paprika. Why must you add such a weird smell for a drug?â
Waylon fell silent for a moment before bursting into laughter.
âIs this a time to laugh, Waylon? How can you make light of the situation?â Benjamin was furious.
Waylon replied, âHereâs the thing. Can you ask Sam to check whether she has the smoked paprika seasoning in the kitchen? If she has none, I can mail a few bottles over.â
He then gleefully terminated the call.
Benjamin held the phone with a blank expression.
Did Waylon just tell him to check with Sam whether they had smoked paprika seasoning in the kitchen?
Apparently, Waylon was happy to deliver some bottles if there were none.
What did he mean by that?
It then dawned on Benjamin.
âHold Abel and Emma until my return. Iâm taking a quick trip to Nightfall,â Benjamin told Janie.
While Janie was confused, she did as she was told.
âOh, okay. Hurry back. I donât know how long I can stall Emma.â
âSure.â Without taking his jacket, Benjamin called Eric and bolted to the elevator.
Benjamin arrived at Nightfall Café in a little over ten minutes. He headed straight to the second floor.
âMr. Benjamin, what brings you here? Didnât Ms. Louise go to you?â Sam came over.
âI came to check whether you have the smoked paprika seasoning.â
Sam responded, âDonât bother looking. Weâre out of paprika. Iâll get some later. Are you making something with paprika?â
âAre you really out?â Benjamin came to a screeching halt at the stairwell.
Sam crashed onto Benjamin headfirst.
Benjamin helped her from falling before asking, âWhere did you find Emma taking the drug?â
âIn her room. The suitcase is still on the floor. The Worryfree drug was probably stashed in the suitcase,â Sam replied.
âSuitcase? Come on. Open it up for me,â Benjamin said.
âWhy are you checking on Ms. Louiseâs personal items? Ms. Louise will be pissed if she finds out.â
Sam pouted.
âJust do it. Iâll take responsibility for it.â
âAlright then.â Sam gave a nod.
The pair entered the master bedroom, and Sam pulled out Emmelineâs suitcase from the closet.
The suitcase was not locked, so it was easy to open.
Benjamin kneeled to rummage around the suitcase.
âWhat are you looking for, Mr. Benjamin?â
Benjamin felt a plastic bottle at the bottom and pulled it out for a lookâ¦
Sam exclaimed, âSmoked paprika? Oh, so weâre not out of seasoning. Ms. Louise kept it in her suitcase.â
She reached out to take the bottle.
Benjamin shied away.
âThis is the real Worryfree drug. Emma took the smoked paprika.â
Dumbstruck at first, Sam sprung up. âSo Ms. Louise is okay!â
âSheâs playing Abel, making him eat his words,â Benjamin said.
Sam was in stitches. âHahaha! I got to give it to you, Ms. Louise. You had Mr. Abel fooled. To think he became your personal chauffeur and bag carrier!â