Chapter 8: Where Was She

In the evening, the flight that Benjamin took smoothly landed in the US. Speaking of which, he had almost no vacation this year. He had been abroad for more than six months and managed to complete the original two-year overseas market expansion plan in less than a year. The market development over there was particularly good, and he even brought back several big orders upon his return. As soon as Benjamin landed, the company headquarters immediately summoned all departments for a meeting. According to the annual company achievements announced at their recent meeting, the expansion of overseas markets had achieved tremendous success. In just one quarter, the profit of the entire previous year was completed. At the same time, the group's stock price has continued to rise and has increased by approximately 200% compared to the same period last year. If Benjamin was a legend in this industry, no one would deny it because there was nothing he cannot create. The news filled everyone in the company with delight, prompting employees from diverse departments to organize celebratory parties. However, in this lively meeting room, only Benjamin supported his forehead, not knowing where his thoughts were wandering. He looked at the time and thought that Simon should have taken Martina back home by now. He got up from the sofa and put on his coat. For a moment, many people looked at him. Adam asked, "Benjamin, we have a celebratory part tonight. Will you come?" Benjamin replied absentmindedly, "No." Without waiting for the driver, he drove home himself. The Walker family mansion had been well decorated for a long time now. For nearly half a year, Benjamin had not returned. His mother and all the butlers were eagerly awaiting his arrival. With the car driving through the gate, everyone hurriedly walked towards the courtyard. Benjamin got out of the car and scanned his gaze over the people one by one. But after looking around, he didn't see Martina. His looked coldly on his mother, "Where's Martina?" Actually, Martina's departure this time was mostly due to her own decision, but there was also a bit of covert harassment from Elizabeth that had forced her to leave. Elizabeth was a naturally cunning old fox and, of course, would never admit to forcing Martina out. She spoke in an especially caring tone, as if she had a great affection for Martina, "Oh, Martina is simply having another tantrum." Then she didn't say anything more negative about Martina, and instead, she looked closely at her own son and said in a concerned tone, "You've lost weight again." Benjamin's exceptionally handsome face now had even more distinct and deep features... Benjamin's gaze swept over the people, then settled on Simon. Due to Simon's failure to bring Martina back, he felt uneasy and fearful of being scolded by the boss, and couldn't bring himself to make eye contact. Several young playboys including Adam had planned to go out for an all-nighter. But when they saw Benjamin come back, they suddenly changed their minds and brought a few boxes of valuable wine and came to the Walker family. It was already past 10 o'clock at night. But the living room, kitchen, and even the yard of the Walker family were all brightly lit. As soon as Benjamin returned, he was bombarded with questions by his mother. He could only patiently respond as much as possible. "Son, are you leaving again soon?" Elizabeth asked. But Benjamin did not respond, Because from the beginning, he had been a little uneasy. Now that he had looked around the mansion, he keenly noticed that everything related to Martina had disappeared. The living room originally had a photo of the two of them, and there used to be a keychain that Martina often used at the door. There was also Martina's favorite little stool for eating, as well as the pillow she liked to lean against on the sofa. Benjamin calmly withdrew his gaze and asked Elizabeth, "Why did Martina suddenly move out?" Elizabeth probably didn't expect Benjamin to ask that question, but she still answered in the gentlest possible manner, "Perhaps her temper has gotten worse." In order not to let Benjamin see her harshness, she deliberately said, "Whenever you have time to coax her, she will definitely come back." Benjamin's mind was still not here. He said, "I'm going upstairs to change my clothes." He just went upstairs, and Simon quickly followed. In the study on the second floor, Benjamin sat upright in his chair, looking at the gemstone necklace on the table, which had now been returned to him. "How did this happen?" he asked solemnly. Simon stuttered. To be honest, he felt that this time Martina didn't seem to be throwing a tantrum like usual. In the past, whenever Martina ran away from home, a phone call from his boss could always bring her back. His boss even sent his assistant over with a gift, but Martina still didn't come back. Benjamin impatiently knocked on the table and questioned, "Where is she living now?" Simon replied, "In a normal apartment building in San Fernando Valley." Benjamin's brow furrowed deeper. Even when she ran away from home in the past, at most, she would stay in a five-star hotel for a few days. Now she's even renting an apartment? In recent years, he had gotten used to not worrying too much about Martina. One reason was because of his busy work, and secondly, Martina had always been obedient and easy to deal with, even if she occasionally threw a tantrum. "Give me the phone." said Benjamin. Simon handed over the phone, and Benjamin dialed the number again. However, the phone was still busy or turned off. Benjamin was stunned for a moment, and then dialed the number again, but the result was the same. Simon cautiously suggested, "Could it be that she changed her phone number?" Benjamin hesitated for a moment, thinking about making another phone call, but he didn't know who to call, so he ended up dialing her on Snapchat. However, he found that Martina had deleted him. His face turned completely dark and he said, "Tell the butler to come over." As soon as the butler saw Simon, he guessed roughly what it was about. However, before going upstairs, the butler and Elizabeth had already calculated everything in advance with their eyes. In the study, Benjamin searched everywhere but couldn't find any of Martina's contact information because he didn't know anything about her. He didn't know who Martina's friends were, where she would go, or her father's contact information. He only had her previous phone number and Snapchat, from which she used to proactively reach out to him. The butler stood calmly to the side and said, "Mr. Benjamin Walker, what can I do for you?" Benjamin was casually playing with his phone when he asked in a deep voice, "Where did Martina move to?" The butler and Elizabeth had already rehearsed their lines and spoke seamlessly, "A small community near in San Fernando Valley." Benjamin had a general idea in mind and asked, "What's her new contact?" The butler was momentarily at a loss and quickly said, "I'll go check now." Benjamin nodded and watched the butler leave. He sat alone in the study for a while, feeling particularly uncomfortable. Thinking of the phone being turned off, which he had reminded her of during their previous call, Benjamin narrowed his eyes and stared at the phone without saying a word. It had been six years. No matter when he came back, Martina always stuck to him like glue.