Unexpected Encounter: A Second Chance at Love

When she walked away, Ben kept looking at her while his heart swelled up with emotions. And the further she walked, the urge to run after her and embrace her in his arms kept increasing but he tried his best to control his emotions.

Did he do the right thing? Was he being unreasonable? What if she was the one for him?

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath to calm himself down. He hadn't felt this way for someone for a really long time. It felt different yet scary at the same time. He wanted to move forward with it, explore the new feeling but he was scared and very reluctant.

He had no idea if pushing her away was the right thing but he wanted to come clean with her before the feelings they had for each other started to grow.

…..

[One Week Later]

[Collins Corporation, Ben's office]

"Can I come in?"

"Madam—" Ben quickly got up when he saw Rachael.

"I hope I didn't disturb you." She walked in.

"Not at all," he shook his head. "Please, sit."

Without saying anything, Rachael sat down in the nearest chair.

"I wanted the Hiacheng project file," she remarked. "I told you about it an hour ago, remember?"

"Yes." Ben pinched the space between his brows. "I am sorry, I forgot about it." He then quickly took out the file from the drawer and gave it to her.

"It's okay." Rachael took the file from his hand.

Pausing for a while, she inquired, "Ben, are you okay?"

"Huh?"

"You seem a little distracted and disturb these days," she added. "Even Andrew had noticed this. He wanted to talk to you too."

"I am fine," he answered in a very low voice.

"Are you sure?" When he did not say anything, she sighed, "If there is something, you can talk to me or Andrew anytime you want. We are like one family so there is no need to hesitate."

Ben opened his mouth to say something but he stopped himself. What would he tell them? He himself had pushed away the woman he liked and was now feeling depressed thinking about her.

Could he be any more unreasonable and stupid?

Sensing his hesitation, Rachael did not force him to speak. "We are planning to go on a short trip next month. We will stay in Andrews farm house and go sightseeing too. You should come with us."

"It's okay, I—"

"Don't even think of rejecting my offer," she interrupted him. "Everyone will be coming so you have to come too."

"But there is so much work."

"That's okay, we will complete the work together after we come back." Without giving him  a chance to make more excuses, she got up and left.

"Madam—" Ben stopped her. When she looked at him, he contemplated for a while before asking, "How is Tina?"

"She is okay, I guess—" Rachael shrugged her shoulders. "I haven't met her for almost a week."

"Oh." He awkwardly cleared his throat.

"Emma told me Tina will be leaving for a business trip tomorrow," she added.

When he did not say anything, Rachael inquired, "Are you both not talking?" He shook his head. "I see. Anyway, I'll see her tonight and let you know tomorrow how she is, okay?"

She smiled at him and left.

...

[Andrew's office]

"Are you going to talk to him or not?"

Andrew nodded his head as he rested her head on her lap. "Yes honey, I will."

Rachael ran her fingers through his hair. "I think something is wrong between him and Tina. Do you think so too?"

"Could be," he nodded.

"Or what if—"

Andrew frowned and interrupted her. "Your husband is trying to cuddle and you are talking about some other man."

"Other man? It's Ben."

"And he is a man," he stated.

"You are unbelievable," Rachael rolled her eyes at him.

Without saying anything, he grabbed her hand and placed it on his head as he closed his eyes. Snuggling in her lap after lunch for a good thirty minutes was his new favourite thing.

She sighed and continued caressing his hair. "I have only one meeting scheduled after lunch. So I am thinking of dropping by my old office to grab a few things."

"Hmm, I'll drop you there."

"Don't you have a meeting?" When he nodded, she said, "No need to drop me, I'll just drive."

Keeping quiet for a while, she added, "Also I invited Ben for the farmhouse get together next month, is that okay?"

"Rach, you are the boss. Do whatever you want to."

…..

[Outside Watson Enterprise, Parking Lot]

As soon as Rachael parked the car and got down, her phone started ringing. Thinking that it was Andrew, she quickly fished it out from her bag but to her surprise, it was an international number.

Contemplating for a while, she received it.

"Hello, is this Rachael?" The woman from the other side inquired.

"Yes, who is this?"

"I am Helen Garick Volkov, Andrew's grandmother."

Rachael was startled and couldn't say anything. She did not expect a sudden phone call from Andrew's maternal grandmother.

After learning the truth about Andrew's maternal family, she had understood why Elsa, Owen and Andrew despised their family members, especially their grandfather so much.

Initially, she felt bad for Semion but after learning what he had done, her heart was filled with resentment.

If not for him, Andrew wouldn't have to go through everything that he had since a very young age. He would have been able to live a normal childhood with the love and care of his parents.

She didn't know if Andrew's grandmother had anything to do with but she still didn't have a good feeling about her.

"Your silence tells me that Andrew has already told you everything," Helen chuckled. "I can understand if you already have an ill feeling about me and I don't blame you."

"The environment I grew old in is filled with ill-feelings and resentments," she added.

…..