Chapter 106: Chapter 106: False Congratulations
Estelle’s POV
Benedict approached with a polite smile, but I could see the calculation behind his dark brown eyes.
“Estelle,” he said, inclining his head slightly. He gestured toward the rows of thriving crops stretching out before us. “I received the report this morning regarding your recent accomplishments.”
I waited for him to continue, keeping my face impassive.
“Congratulations are in order, it seems.” Benedict’s smile didn’t reach his eyes. “You’ve managed to handle everything that was assigned to you. Ahead of schedule, no less.”
“The Silverclaw deal went through smoothly,” he continued, walking alongside me as I resumed my inspection. “And Tidal Valley as well. Quite impressive.”
“Did you ever have any doubt?” I asked, meeting his gaze directly.
“No, of course not,” Benedict replied without missing a beat.
We both knew he was lying. Of course he had doubts. He’d probably been hoping I would fail spectacularly.
I turned my attention back to examining a particularly robust section of wheat, nodding.
“That’s good, then,” I said. “I would hate to have such unsupportive family members. Don’t you agree?”
Benedict laughed.
“I must admit,” Benedict said, “I’m impressed that you managed to handle the other packs so easily.”
“I have experience with pack negotiations,” I said simply.
Benedict nodded slowly. “Yes, but Alpha Jude Reed and his Beta are a particularly difficult duo to work with. That’s precisely why Tidal Valley stands as one of the strongest werewolf packs, alongside Blackmoon. They know what’s beneficial to them, and what’s not.”
He paused, studying my reaction. “It’s quite surprising that you handled them so well.”
I could feel the trap he was setting, but I remained silent.
Suddenly, Benedict clapped his hands together as if struck by a sudden realization. “Oh, that’s right! I just remembered that Jude and His Majesty Zayne are good friends. How convenient to have such connections.”
There it was. The insinuation I’d been waiting for.
My eyes darkened slightly, but I kept my expression neutral. Benedict was implying that I’d only succeeded because Zayne had intervened on my behalf. He thought I was incapable of handling the negotiations myself.
“Speaking of which,” Benedict continued, his voice taking on a falsely cheerful tone, “how is His Majesty? I heard your engagement party was quite the spectacle.”
He paused, his smile becoming even more artificial. “My sincerest apologies for not being able to attend that night, by the way.”
I felt a flash of irritation, but I refused to take the bait. Instead, I smiled gracefully and inclined my head.
“The engagement went very well, thank you,” I replied smoothly. “And I received the gift you and Helena sent. It was thoughtful.”
“I’m glad you liked it,” Benedict said, though his eyes remained cold.
Benedict gestured toward the bustling scene around us. “The council received my preliminary report yesterday. Once the actual production numbers are finalized and the deals move into their execution phases, everything should be settled.”
I nodded, preparing to respond when my phone buzzed in my pocket.
I ignored it, focusing on Benedict’s words instead.
“The pack members seem pleased with the progress,” he continued. “There’s been a noticeable boost in morale since we secured these new trade agreements.”
The phone buzzed again, more insistently this time.
Benedict raised an eyebrow. “Aren’t you going to answer that?”
“It can wait,” I said firmly.
But even as I spoke, the device buzzed a third time. The persistence was starting to annoy me.
“It might be important,” Benedict suggested, though his tone implied he hoped it was something that would interrupt our conversation.
I sighed and reached into my pocket, pulling out the phone to silence it completely. But when I glanced at the screen, I frowned.
The number was unfamiliar. However, the same number had already called me three times, all in rapid succession.
“Problem?” Benedict asked, noticing my expression.
“Just spam, most likely,” I muttered, declining the call and sliding the phone back into my pocket.
Benedict nodded, but I could see he was curious about the interruption. “Technology can be such a nuisance sometimes.”
“Indeed,” I agreed.
I wouldn’t need to depend so heavily on it if I had my wolf. Without one, I wasn’t able to access the pack’s mindlink.
We continued walking along the field’s perimeter. Edmund was visible in the distance, directing a team of workers as they loaded harvested grain onto transport carts. His efficiency was remarkable.
“The Moonveil refugees have integrated well,” Benedict observed, following my gaze.
“They’re experienced workers,” I replied. “And motivated.”
“Yes, I imagine losing their pack gave them quite the incentive to prove themselves here.”
There was something in his tone that made me glance at him sharply.
Before I could respond, my phone began buzzing again.
This time, I pulled it out immediately, irritation flashing across my features. The same unknown number appeared on the screen.
Benedict watched me carefully, his dark eyes noting every flicker of emotion that crossed my face.
“Everything alright?” he asked, his voice carefully neutral.
I looked up from the phone screen, meeting his gaze. The phone continued to ring in my hand.
It was spam, alright. But I had a feeling I knew where this spam call came from.
“Please excuse me,” I said. “I need to take this.”
Benedict nodded thoughtfully. “We can talk again later.”
I nodded before turning, my finger swiping to answer the call before placing it to my ear.
“What do you want, Asher?”
