Chapter 62

Women can be pretty intuitive around men, and Benjamin had no clue that Amelia was already suspicious of him.

If Benjamin knew what was going through Amelia's mind, he'd probably be amazed at how women can be such mysterious creatures with their uncanny ability to guess things.

Benjamin definitely had his eyes on Amelia.

He walked into this fancy restaurant where Michael was having dinner. Benjamin sat down across from him and started spilling the beans about what just went down.

"That Pearl, I'll deal with her eventually. She's been nothing but trouble," Michael said, a flash of anger in his eyes.

Benjamin waved it off. "We'll get to Pearl later. I got a question for you."

Michael looked at him, curious. "What's on your mind?"

Leaning in, Benjamin asked quietly, "Do you know much about Isabella's friend, Amelia?"

Michael raised an eyebrow but then smirked. "Why do you wanna know? You into her or something?"

Benjamin quickly shook his head. "No, don't get the wrong idea. I just met her today. I'm asking for your sake."

Michael frowned a bit. "What's this got to do with me? If you like her, go for it yourself. You want me to set you up with Amelia?"

Benjamin looked at him, exasperated. "Michael, you know, to win over a woman, you gotta win over her friends too!"

Michael looked intrigued and motioned for him to go on.

Benjamin got serious. "Think about it. If you and Isabella ever have a fight, who do you think she'll vent to? It's gotta be Amelia! If you can get Amelia on your side, then when Isabella's mad at you, Amelia will back you up and help keep things smooth between you two."

Michael had to admit, Benjamin had a point.

Isabella had been hurt by her family and friends before. If she was upset, the only person she'd confide in besides him was Amelia.

"You're onto something, but you're missing one thing," Michael said with a sly smile.

Benjamin raised an eyebrow. "What's that?"

"If I start being nice to Amelia, she might think I have some hidden agenda. Women are pretty cautious about that stuff. And if Isabella finds out, she might think I'm trying to hit on Amelia. That kind of misunderstanding wouldn't be good for any of us," Michael explained, a mysterious glint in his eyes.

Benjamin rubbed his chin, nodding thoughtfully. "Good point. So, you can't be the one to butter up Amelia. You need someone else to do it, someone who knows all about your relationship with Isabella and who you trust completely. So, that person is... me?"

Benjamin pointed at himself, finally catching on to Michael's plan.

Michael patted his shoulder, looking serious. "Benjamin, I'm counting on you to save my marriage!"

Benjamin wanted to kick himself. He'd just meant to give Michael some advice, but now he was roped into the whole thing.

"Hey, Amelia's not bad looking either. It's a win-win. Go for it, Benjamin!" Michael said with a mischievous grin, but then his phone rang.

Michael glanced at the caller ID, and his smile vanished, his brow furrowing.

It was John. When Michael answered, John's anxious voice came through.

"Michael, weren't you supposed to go abroad to help Bianca find a kidney? Have you found one? Her condition's getting worse. I'm worried she won't last much longer," John asked, clearly worried.

A cold glint flashed in Michael's eyes. He knew Bianca was probably manipulating John again, trying to push him into taking Isabella's kidney.

Michael reassured John, "There's a lead. I heard a death row inmate's kidney matches Bianca's. I'm arranging for someone to talk to the inmate's family. I believe we can save Bianca soon."

John was relieved and thanked Michael profusely before hanging up.

Michael's smile disappeared as he turned to Benjamin. "Is Bianca's kidney issue sorted?"

In reality, Michael was lying to John. He hadn't found any death row inmate, but he had plenty of ways to cover up the lie since it was all happening abroad.

Benjamin shook his head. "I've contacted a lot of medical institutions but couldn't find a match. And something's off-Bianca's condition doesn't seem like a typical uremic patient. I need to dig deeper."

Michael nodded, not too worried. After finishing his meal, he stood up to leave.

"I gotta go. Bianca's issue isn't the priority right now. What's crucial is you helping me win over Amelia," Michael said, patting Benjamin's shoulder before leaving the restaurant.

Michael didn't see Isabella for the next few days. The design competition was about to announce its awards, and the organizers were busy prepping for a banquet, keeping Michael tied up.

Two days later, the design competition kicked off, and the awards were announced. Isabella changed into her gown and arrived at the banquet venue, where a lot of people were already gathered, including contestants and guests invited by the organizers.

Amelia tagged along to support Isabella and witness her big moment. She had submitted a design too, but it was pretty half-hearted, just a mix of an invitation, so she wasn't taking the competition too seriously.

Carrying a tray of fruits and snacks, Amelia stuffed her mouth with fruit and asked, "What place do you think you'll get?"

Isabella smiled and shook her head, "I'm being modest. I know there are definitely stronger competitors, so I'll aim for second place."

Amelia rolled her eyes. "You're not modest at all! Try this cheesecake. It's amazing. I heard the chef is some royal chef from a king's palace."

"How can someone come here just to freeload? It's really despicable," a disdainful voice suddenly cut in.