I Once Married You (Harper and Benjamin)

Harper was caught off guard. It was only now that she grasped the history between Julia and Annie. With a hint of concern in her expression, she asked, "Are you...okay?" "I'm fine. But could you answer my question first?" Annie removed her disposable gloves, turned to face Harper, and her eyes carried a hint of coldness.

Harper responded, "I suppose it's just an attempt to please his mother. After all, they've been old friends for many years. If there's any connection, it's probably because my earlier warning to Julia made the Norman family uncomfortable." "She was probably just pretending to please his mother, but she was actually attempting to tarnish your image!" Annie's indifference grew, and she continued, "Julia isn't fond of you because of me, so her mother is trying to sabotage you."

"If they wanted to sabotage me, they wouldn't need to personally visit the Martin Manor. The Martin family's stance on me is well-established in our circle. It can't be influenced by a few words of provocation. So, don't take it personally. It's not about you. I'm only telling you this to let you know that the Martin family treats me even better than the Mitchell family." Annie suppressed her emotions and calmly said, "I agree. Actually, I've always had a question. If it weren't for the Martin family being so good to you, I would have suspected that they had ulterior motives."

Harper chuckled, "What ulterior motives could they have with me?"This content belongs to Nô/velDra/ma.Org .

"Perhaps they want you to become a bona fide member of the Martin family, so they keep being nice to you to win you over."

"Maybe."

The two exchanged a smile.

Afterward, they discussed the design drawings for a few more moments.

With less than half a month left before the start of the second round of the competition, Annie was feeling worried. She said, "Harper, have you asked Benjamin if this matter can be resolved before the competition?"

This question dimmed Harper's expression unconsciously.

She sighed helplessly, "I haven't asked him yet. He's been too busy dealing with external matters while also handling internal issues with the Norman family. As for the competition, he hasn't mentioned it, and I haven't brought it up either."

"I suggest you ask. If it can't be resolved before the competition, what will you do?" Annie asked.

Harper remained silent for a moment before responding. "There's not much to do. The worst-case scenario is withdrawing from the competition."

She spoke lightly, without any emotion or expression on her face.

But deep down, she felt despondent.

After preparing for so long, not to mention the effort, the collaboration with Sophia and the others, Harper felt it was all very regrettable.

However, she couldn't show any emotion. That would affect others, so she had to maintain a positive attitude and also reassure others to do the same.

Actually, it was quite exhausting.

Because of Annie's mention of this matter, Harper made a decision in her heart. Some things should be preemptively addressed to prevent acceptance issues if they really occurred.

As the two chatted, they lost track of time, until Harper's phone rang, interrupting their conversation.

After glancing at the caller ID, she immediately declined the call.

"Why didn't you answer?" Annie glanced at her and asked.

Harper pressed her lips. "It's Benjamin calling."

"What does he want? Can't we just chat in peace? Does he need to keep such a strict timing on this too?"

Annie expressed her disdain.

Harper smiled faintly. "Maybe he's afraid we'll badmouth him."

In the end, under Annie's displeasure, Harper got up and left.

Annie, having had enough of lovey-dovey moments, lost her appetite for pizza and coffee.

*****

The next day, it was already the fourth day since the landslide incident occurred.

Although the hype surrounding the Martin Group had diminished considerably, there were still many people paying attention to the matter.

Benjamin arrived at the company early in the morning. After meeting with the company's senior management, he returned to his office, followed closely by Curtis.

Sitting at his desk, Benjamin received today's schedule from Curtis. "Mr. Martin, the judges and partners of the architectural competition called to ask if the second round of the competition will proceed as scheduled."