Chapter 188: Clash of Two Men
Benjamin's ability to hold back his temper and not lose his cool on the spot was already quite commendable. Considering his fiery temperament, he might have taken action long ago if not for his restraint.
Indeed, that was the case. Seeing that Martina hadn't shown any signs of hanging up the phone, Benjamin finally couldn't bear it any longer.
He directly snatched the phone from Martina's hand, leaving her with no chance to retort whatsoever.
"Hello, Mr. Rodríguez. You seem to be quite idle. I heard you have been worrying about a piece of land lately. Do you need any help?"
Benjamin's voice carried a hint of playfulness, and his large hand held Martina's hand with a hint of displeasure as he gently rubbed it, as if this would bring him some solace.
Martina's cheeks immediately flushed red. She had no idea what Benjamin was up to, and she instinctively tried to free her hand.
In order not to be overheard, Martina could only lower her voice as much as possible and said, "Benjamin, what are you doing? Let go off my hand."
Simon and Leslie were in the car, with one driving and the other in the passenger seat. They seemed completely unaffected by the commotion happening behind them, not even turning their heads.
In fact, it was intentional on their part. They knew what to do and what not to do in certain situations. While knowing full well that the boss and Miss Martinez were engaging in flirtatious banter, anyone who dared to interrupt at this moment would undoubtedly face serious consequences.
Martina struggled for quite a while, but her efforts were in vain. In the end, she could only give up and roll her eyes dramatically, complaining, "What's wrong with you? If you're really feeling unwell or something's off, I can take you to see a doctor."
In reality, Martina's statement was already quite clear. She was clearly expressing her dissatisfaction and suspicion towards Benjamin. Otherwise, she wouldn't have said such words.
However, Benjamin acted as if nothing was happening. He continued conversing with Alejandro without even batting an eyelash. Perhaps this was one of his peculiarities.
Alejandro naturally heard those subtle movements, but what intrigued him the most was the sentence uttered by Benjamin.
Benjamin was right. Recently, Alejandro had indeed been worried about a piece of land. The price of that land was just too high, and many people were competing for it.
If luck wasn't on his side, he might have to pay twice or even three times the expected price to secure it. But that would result in an excessively high initial investment.
It's not that Alejandro couldn't afford that much money; it's just that he felt it wasn't necessary. After all, investments like this required a budget. If it significantly exceeded his budget, he might really have to give up.
He had been keeping this matter well-hidden before, not telling anyone at all. He hadn't expected Benjamin to know about these details; it seemed Benjamin had done quite a bit of investigating.
Alejandro's eyebrows twitched slightly. Beneath his seemingly gentle exterior, there was a hint of rigidity, although he wouldn't easily reveal it.
He casually replied, "I never thought you would have time to be concerned about my issues. I must have brought you much trouble."
At this point, both Martina and Elena seemed to have been cast aside, leaving only two men engaged in this ongoing battle.
Elena felt puzzled. What could these two men possibly have to chat about? Moreover, their relationship wasn't that great to begin with. They had no previous interaction except for their connection to Martina.
Suddenly, Elena thought of something even more significant. Could it be that Alejandro was actually interested in her best friend? And Benjamin might have noticed! Otherwise, what could these two have to talk about that held such significance? The land was not important.
However, the current situation didn't provide any opportunity for Elena to speak. For now, she could only continue listening.
Benjamin smirked coldly and unexpectedly threw out a statement that left everyone baffled.
"If the Rodríguez family wants it, I could help," he stated.
However, Benjamin certainly wouldn't readily help others unless there was something in it for him. Otherwise, wouldn't that just be a waste of his time?
Once again, Martina was taken aback. She truly couldn't fathom Benjamin's intentions. How did he become like this? As regard to the land, what did it have to do with Benjamin? Could he be trying to stir up trouble?
Ironically, Martina's thoughts weren't far off from reality. Benjamin did have such intentions. If Alejandro hadn't withdrawn his feelings towards Martina, Benjamin would certainly take action.
Of course, Benjamin didn't reveal this on the surface. After all, he cared about his reputation. How could he make things so explicit?
Alejandro, despite his gentle demeanor, wasn't oblivious to Benjamin's implications. However, he felt somewhat displeased at this moment. If even the gentle Alejandro couldn't stand it, then what about others?
"Mr. Walker, you're kidding me. I can handle the first batch if I want. So let's just forget about it. Thanks for your help anyway," Alejandro retorted.
Benjamin's well-defined fingers clenched the phone, and then tapped lightly on the back of it a couple of times.
"Well, alright then. I don't have much time anyway," Benjamin responded.
"Since you have your own plans, it's best to know what you should do and not waste time on useless matters," he added. "Victory or defeat, it's a simple principle. You know that, right?"
If anyone thought that Benjamin was trying to manipulate Alejandro regarding the land matter, they would be making a grave mistake.
Alejandro became even more displeased. If it weren't for Benjamin's identity, he might have lost his temper long ago.
When Alejandro lost his temper, it was truly a fearsome sight. It was not joking.
Even Elena sensed a change in her brother's demeanor. His aura had shifted, his expression worsened.
"Are you okay?" Elena worriedly inquired.
She had no idea about the conversation between Benjamin and Alejandro, but she could visibly tell that something was wrong with her brother's expression.
Alejandro tightened his grip on the phone as well. Due to Benjamin's status, he ultimately nodded slightly, suppressing his anger.
"Thank you for the reminder, Mr. Walker. If there's nothing else, I'll hang up. Please let Miss Martinez know that I'll handle the matter concerning Miss Paloma," Alejandro said. "Hopefully, you won't inadvertently complicate things due to the connection between our families. Otherwise, Miss Martinez won't be happy then."