Chapter 660: Jealousy
Hayley’s POV:
Claudio dramatically shivered, his face full of exaggerated grievance. “I was just worried about you! You’re still young. I didn’t want you to get tricked.”
“I was trying to create a little crisis for your fiancé so he’d start valuing you more. Can’t you see he’s already jealous? He was so rough with me just now!”
“Jealous?” I lowered my gaze, lost in thought. Was Benjamin really jealous? It did seem that way. But honestly, he had already been acting strangely even before Claudio arrived. His presence had just made things worse.
Claudio continued, “Of course! I’ve been doing my best to win over your family, even moving into the room right next to yours. He’s probably racking his brain right now, thinking of ways to outdo me. If I weren’t your friend, that alpha of yours would’ve turned into a wolf and beaten me to a pulp already. I’m literally risking my life to help your love life progress, and instead of thanking me, you’re mad at me?”
I thought about it. His reasoning actually made some sense. But he still didn’t understand Benjamin. Benjamin wasn’t the type to bow and scrape to win someone’s favor. As an alpha myself, I knew his pride all too well. People like us would never humble ourselves for anyone unless that person was our true love. For someone as naturally charismatic as Benjamin, he didn’t need to play tricks or seek validation. Just standing there, he exuded an aura powerful enough to draw people in. That kind of presence, something words couldn’t fully capture, was beyond Claudio’s comprehension. I couldn’t be bothered to explain it to him. Rolling my eyes, I turned and walked into my room.
“Hey, Hayley! I did you such a huge favor, and you won’t even thank me?” Claudio whined from behind me.
I turned back and said calmly, “You made my fated mate jealous and upset. Be grateful I haven’t beaten you up for it.”
Claudio immediately pulled a pitiful expression as if he was on the verge of tears. I ignored him, striding into my room and slamming the door shut behind me.
The next morning, we were all seated around the table for breakfast. Benjamin seemed to be in a good mood. Though he ate slowly, he was clearly relaxed. Claudio, on the other hand, was a mess. Wrapped in a thick blanket with his neck buried inside, he still shivered. Even when he tried to pick up his fork, his hands trembled as if he had Parkinson’s. I glanced at him, then silently set down my own utensils.
Just as I was about to get up and leave the dining room, three people—two men and a woman—walked in with bright, friendly smiles. But the moment Hera caught their scent, she recoiled in disgust, making my mood sour instantly.
“Well, what a coincidence! Are you all still having breakfast?” the man, Jeremy, spoke with an air of forced familiarity.
Peter immediately stood up, his expression dark. “Jeremy, how did you find this place?”
I had done my research. When Peter and Alan were still around, Jeremy had always coveted the Sanders’ head position. Ever since then, he had been eyeing the CEO position in the family’s corporation. He was a classic smiling tiger—one of those cunning, two-faced types. Peter had already suffered losses at his hands in the past, so he never got close to him again. After Peter and Alan returned to the family, Jeremy openly sided with Freya. And now he had shown up here. Whatever he was plotting, it couldn’t be good.
“Peter, that’s no way to talk to family. Michelle has been back for quite a while now, but she still hasn’t come to pay us respects. I figured she might still be adjusting to being part of the Sanders, so I thought I’d personally come visit. Surely, you wouldn’t be so unwelcoming?”
His eyes shifted to me as he spoke—filled with a dark, sinister gleam.