Chapter 92: I Really Like Her Cooking

I stared at the screen and twisted my lips in contemplation. A grand, sprawling estate like this obviously couldn’t be bought, furnished, and staffed overnight. It was definitely one of Edgar’s personal properties that he had simply reassigned to my family on a whim.

Brianna:Not anymore. I replied and his reply came just as fast.

Benjamin:Brianna... what the hell is going on?!

I tilted my head, analyzing his message and typed back a response.

Brianna:Going on?

No reply came for several long minutes. I was just about to put my phone away when a final, blunt message flashed on the screen:

Benjamin:I’m on my way.

I typed back a simple response:

Brianna:Okay.

Setting my phone back into my pocket, I turned around to see Jayden and Jordan leaning over the second-floor railing, grinning like two hyperactive toddlers who had just been given the keys to a candy shop.

"Bri!" Jayden called out, leaning over the carved marble balustrade. "Mom wants to know if there’s a mall nearby so we can get some foodstuff! She claims that on an occasion like this, it’s best to eat properly to mark our liberation."

A soft, genuine warmth flickered in my chest. Hm, that’s actually a good idea. I really like her cooking...

"Stay put for now," I called back, stepping toward the foot of the grand staircase. "I have a ride coming. Once I check out a facility nearby, I’ll bring back what we need—or we’ll all go shopping together this evening."

Despite our shiny new Morningstar status, a cold, sharp edge of caution settled back over my mind. I still couldn’t leave them to roam around this district alone.

Back in the slums, we were off the radar in an uncivilized gutter, but Valentina still could have made them disappear without a trace if she tried hard enough. Now? We were stepping directly into the lion’s den.

We were in her territory—closer to the devil than ever before. This upper sector was her domain, and one wrong move without proper backing could still prove fatal.

We had to be careful.

Stepping out onto the front portico, I leaned against one of the white stone pillars, watching the heavy iron gates at the edge of the estate.

Within fifteen minutes, the quiet hum of a high-end engine echoed down the private drive. A sleek, silver luxury coupe glided through the opening gates, kicking up a dusting of gravel before coming to a smooth, sharp halt right at the foot of the stairs.

The back door flew open before the engine even cut out.

Benjamin practically bolted out of the vehicle, his usual lazy, half-asleep demeanor completely shattered. His eyes were wide as saucers as he threw his hands up, staring back and forth between the sprawling villa facade, the Morningstar crest engraved on the archway, and me standing comfortably by the pillar.

"Brianna?!" Benjamin yelled, his voice cracking slightly in shock. "What in the hell is this?! Why are you standing on my Uncle’s private estate like you own the place?!"

I pushed off the pillar, a calm, sharp smirk tugging at the corner of my lips as I walked down the stone steps toward his car.

"I told you," I said smoothly, opening the passenger door. "Not anymore. Now... are we going to the facility, or are you just going to stand there with your mouth open?"

Benjamin stood frozen by the open door of his car, staring at me in utter bewilderment. He opened his mouth to unleash a torrent of frantic questions, but no sound came out.

I looked closer and caught the dark, exhausted shadows bruised beneath his eyes. It wasn’t just dark circles from sleep. The subtle, erratic tremor in his fingers gave him away—he was running on complete fumes.

The heavy neural strain of his hyper-sensitivity, and the sheer noise of the upper district were clearly battering his mind to the brink of collapse. He hadn’t even bothered to light up his sedative cigarette.

He was struggling, hanging on by a thread.

My eyes softened. Stepping off the bottom stone stair, I closed the small distance between us. Before he could process the movement, I wrapped my arms gently around his shoulders, pulling him into a firm, steadying embrace.

"You can’t be careless," I murmured softly, feeling his body go rigid with surprise. "What am I supposed to do if you collapse from neural strain and I lose my access to the facility?"

This was my job as his companion.

Benjamin didn’t push me away. Slowly, the unbearable tension in his posture began to melt as he let out a long, shuddering breath.

"Just... let me be your distraction, like you said," I whispered into the quiet air, my hand resting gently on the back of his neck. "So the whole world can go quiet for a second. That’s what you said, right?"

He listened. He listened to the cool serenity of my voice, to the rhythmic, grounding pulse of my heartbeat beneath his cheek. Bit by bit, the suffocating noise of the world drowned out into a soothing, weightless silence.

Slowly, almost hesitantly, his arms came up to wrap tightly around my waist, pulling me closer.

"Why are you with my uncle?" Benjamin asked quietly, his voice muffled as he buried his face deep into the crook of my neck.

A soft, genuine laugh bubbled up from my chest, vibrating against his shoulder.

"He’s not even your uncle," I reminded him softly, a light smirk tugging at my lips as I stroked his hair. "He’s your cousin."

"That’s not the point," Benjamin grumbled, his voice low and vibrating against my neck as his arms tightened just a fraction around my waist. "Did you move into his house?"

"Yeah, well, technically he handed it over, and my whole family has moved in," I answered plainly, feeling his hold on me go instantly rigid.

He pulled back just enough to look at me, his purple eyes wide with shock. "Whole family...?"

He stared at me for three long seconds, processing the sheer absurdity of an Alpha handing over a high-tier estate to an entire Omega family from nowhere just like that.

There was no way he just did that all willy-nilly. There was definitely something behind hhis actions. Well, that’s what any sane person would think.

Benjamin pinched the bridge of his nose, letting out a heavy, ragged sigh that blew a stray lock of hair off his forehead.

He shook his head, the overwhelming neural noise around him finally settling into a manageable hum thanks to our brief physical contact.

"Let’s not have this conversation standing in his driveway," Benjamin muttered. "Get in the car."