Chapter 248



It was clear that Benjamin was not talking nonsense. If he hadn’t found some solid proof, he wouldn’t have been able to say such things.

“If you’re trying to protect Hayden, I’ll take back my words. But you must tell me what you have found out.”

Benjamin scoffed.

“When I used to work from this, this kind of information used to cost a hundred thousand dollars. You’re trying to ask me for the information for free without even buying me a cup of tea?”

Joseph analyzed Benjamin for a moment. After thinking about the pros and cons, the earlier hostility disappeared from his face.

“Are you free now? Let’s have a cup of tea.”

People in the business world were always flexible, whatever the hour.

They went to a quaint tea house in town, where they could smell the aroma of tea. The booths inside were separated by bamboo curtains, with adequate distance between them so that customers in neighboring seats would not be disturbed.

In a few words, Benjamin told Joseph what he had investigated.

“That’s all I know. If you think Hayden won’t come to any harm, go ahead and call the police. You can pull some strings to get me thrown in jail for a few days.”

Watching Benjamin’s expression, Joseph fiddled with a light, delicate purple cup in his hand. He seemed to be thinking something.

“Even if what you say is true, how can I be sure that you have no other motive for sticking by Hayden?”

“You can’t be sure of that.” Benjamin looked fearless, “Of course I have a motive to stick by Hayden. Aren’t you forgetting that Hayden is single now and I have a right to pursue her?”

Joseph’s face turned grim.

“You really aren’t afraid of anything.”

Benjamin put on a bored expression and examined the picture of the orchid in the pot on the table. He just said quietly to her, “I don’t feel threatened by you. Instead of asking you what my purpose is in approaching Hayden, you might think of a way to regain your position as president of the company, so that you don’t always have to be fretting.”

“You don’t have to worry about that.” Joseph looked at him, “You have researched my family’s affairs so well that I have to be suspicious of you. Is there an explanation for this?”

“Is it hard to explain, is it strange that the Beckham Family has some distant relatives who are not wealthy?”.

“Relatives?” Joseph looked at him skeptically.

“Yes, don’t we look alike?” Benjamin opened his arms and let Joseph look at him more closely, “I think we both look a little alike. Some people would believe it, even if we said we weren’t related.”

Joseph looked at him coldly. “Is that so, how come I don’t see it?”.

Benjamin sensed that Joseph didn’t like his joke, so he smiled sarcastically and snorted, “I was only joking. How can I be a member of a family as rich as yours?”

“You still haven’t told me what your purpose for staying with Hayden is.”

“I am an honest person. Since you have asked me sincerely so many times, I will not hide the truth from you.”

Benjamin leaned back lazily in his seat and said, “I have no hobbies and you should know that I like money, you will know if you ask other people in City N. Hayden is now the sole heir of the Downey Family. Although the Downey Family is not as rich as before, they are still considered very wealthy. Also, Hayden has a close relationship with you. So, it’s as simple as that.”

“Just tell me, how much do you want?”

Benjamin extended two fingers of his left hand. “Two million dollars, not much.”

Joseph looked at him coldly.

Benjamin grimaced, however. “You think Hayden’s safety is only worth two million dollars? Besides, I’ve given you important information about your competitor. I want twenty million dollars instead.”

“Remember what you said. Deal.”

Benjamin had doubled the amount of money he wanted tenfold, but Joseph still seemed calm. Joseph spoke with a soft tone, which made Benjamin suspect that Joseph had simply predicted that he would ask for twenty million dollars. Joseph was as shrewd as any businessman.

After discussing the matter with him, Joseph quickly paid the bill and left, leaving Benjamin to sip his tea quietly.

Looking at the two million dollar deposit check on the table, Benjamin snorted.

There was a tinge of contempt in his eyes.

As he expected, Joseph was a businessman who set some conditions when he negotiated something with others. If the other party didn’t ask him for anything, he didn’t give them an ounce of trust.

Joseph was like that. His family kept thinking about him and felt guilty about him for almost twenty years.

After leaving the teahouse, Joseph headed for the Beckham Mansion.

He hadn’t come after the last argument he had with Harrison, and when he entered the house, he saw the family servants, all looking surprised.

Harrison was surprised, but his expression was calm. He hummed and said something, showing a cold look.

“Where’s Noah, why didn’t you bring him, are you really going to stop him from seeing me?”.

Mark, the head servant, tried to ease the tension in the atmosphere. “Sir, have you forgotten that today is Friday? Little Noah has to go to Kindergarten today.”

Harrison glared at Mark, as if reproaching him for talking too much.

“I’ll pick him up after school and bring him here.”

The mood was eerie before Joseph uttered that sentence. Although his tone was as cold as Harrison’s, his words had made the mood in the Beckham Mansion not so somber.

“Noah will spend the night here and leave after the weekend.”

At Joseph’s words, Harrison’s face was relieved, “That’s good. I’m too old now and I’m not going to live long. I want to see my great-grandson more often.”

“At the weekend, Hayden will come over and cook for Noah.”

“What?” The old man who was relieved, right now had a pale face. He stood up on the spot, his hands resting on the arm of the chair, “What did you say, why would he want to come here?”

Joseph calmed down and said unhurriedly, “Noah doesn’t want to eat the food that the cook prepares at home, he only wants the food that Hayden cooks. If you don’t want to see her, then I’ll let her come to my house, and Noah doesn’t have to come bother you.”

“Come to your house?” Harrison was furious, “Don’t forget what I’ve told you, I don’t approve of you dealing with her anymore. She’s already married, what are you pretending, you want to be her lover…? “.

“Hahaha.”

Before Harrison finished speaking, a teenage girl burst out laughing in the living room. She was trying desperately to hold back her laughter, but obviously, she burst out laughing.

“Who’s that, why are you hiding in the doorway, what are you laughing at?” Harrison looked at the door with distaste.

Mark hastened to explain, “It’s Miss Beckham. Eleanor, come in quickly.”

A slender figure came slowly through the door. She was trying to hold back laughter with a tense face. She avoided Joseph and approached Harrison, saying earnestly, “Godfather, don’t blame me for laughing. It’s very funny-how can you say that my eldest nephew, Joseph, is her lover?”

It was so strange that a thirteen-year-old girl would say the phrases ‘my oldest nephew’ and ‘her lover’. Harrison was also amused, no longer so angry. He pointed deliberately at Joseph and asked Eleanor, “Your eldest nephew is thinking of bringing home the woman who treats him as her lover What do you think?”

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