Chapter 210: Why Did They Terminate the Cooperation Between the Two Families?

In the restaurant, a dedicated waiter escorted them to the private room they had previously booked. Food began arriving on the table almost as soon as they had settled in. Martina sat to the left of Jack in the center. Benjamin, on the other hand, sat to the right of Jack, giving off a somewhat pitiful vibe, feeling like his presence was somewhat redundant. There were many times when Benjamin attempted to speak up, only to be completely ignored by Martina and Jack. Eventually, he had no choice but to sit there in silence. Well, as long as he could be present, he thought, he wouldn't ask for more. While they were eating, Jack finally took the initiative to chat with Benjamin, saying, "How has business been during the time I've been away?" Benjamin's eyes revealed some peculiar emotions, and he answered, "The current situation is fine, and there haven't been any issues. Everything is normal." Jack pursed his lips, and his expression suddenly turned cold. An imposing aura suddenly burst forth from him. After all, he had once been a formidable figure in his youth, not much different from Benjamin. Even though he was older now, it hadn't changed much. If he wished, he could still use his influence to overpower others. "If everything is truly fine, then tell me, what has been happening with the Paloma family recently? Why did our family's cooperation with them suddenly come to an end?" Jack had only heard about these matters secondhand, and it was something he had learned when he returned. This issue had caused quite a stir in the entire city, capturing his attention because the relationship between Jack and Gary had been actually quite good. However, their business cooperation had suddenly come to an end. Weren't these circumstances suspicious? Weren't they worthy of anger? Jack couldn't contain his emotions. Upon hearing this, Martina's eyes were filled with disbelief as she glanced at Benjamin. So, the reason why Benjamin had been so busy these past few days was because he unilaterally terminated the cooperation between the Walker family and the Paloma family? Martina couldn't believe it. She thought that getting Amy into prison was already challenging enough. She never expected that Benjamin had been doing so much behind the scenes, and, what's more, he had kept it all hidden, as if he had never intended to inform her. This made Martina feel extremely uncomfortable, as if she had been completely kept in the dark, feeling like a total fool. Her complexion changed slightly, and she hurriedly grabbed Jack's arm. "Calm down. Please don't let it affect your health. Actually, about this matter..." Before Martina could finish her sentence, Benjamin said, "Yes, I terminated the cooperation between the two families." Smack! Jack, who wasn't overly angry, suddenly slammed his fork onto the ground in frustration, creating a sharp noise. "Are you trying to infuriate me? I told you before to quickly marry Martina, but you've been inactive in that matter!" Jack fumed. "During the time I was away, you terminated the cooperation between our family and the Paloma family. What are you up to? What's going on in your mind? I can't seem to understand you anymore." No wonder Jack was furious. He believed this was like intentionally ruining the two families' relationship. Could they stay friendly under these circumstances? To be honest, not even he could guarantee that. If such a thing happened to him personally, he would be very angry. It was the kind of anger that could never be resolved. Benjamin was a junior, yet he unilaterally terminated the cooperation between the two families. How could Jack not be upset? However, Jack quickly forced himself to calm down. Other than the heaving of his chest, he appeared composed. His gaze focused on Benjamin because he knew his grandson wouldn't do something so reckless unless there was a compelling reason. With this thought in mind, Jack asked again, "Tell me your reasons for doing this." Martina couldn't intervene in the conversation and could only pour a cup of water for Jack, personally handing it to him. "Have some water first." Jack's expression softened slightly, but it didn't truly change. He remained stubbornly determined to find out the real reason. "The relationship between the Paloma family and our family has reached this stage. We've known each other for decades. Why would you suddenly take such extreme action?" Jack considered one possibility. "Even if their family did something really bad to you, should you really go to such extremes?" However, Benjamin remained silent. He was worried that if he revealed the reason, Martina would be implicated. Ever since the moment Jack mentioned his return, Benjamin had considered the possibility of this situation, but he didn't expect it to happen so soon. Received no response, Jack grew even angrier. He wanted to know why. Even though Benjamin excelled in all other aspects, he had such poor emotional intelligence. He had even terminated the cooperation between the two families with his own hands. What was going through his mind? Did he really think there was nothing wrong with this? Martina watched the escalating tension between the grandfather and grandson and found it increasingly difficult to handle. If this continued, it might never end. She thought for a moment and decided to speak up again. "Actually, it's because of me." Hearing Martina say this out of the blue, Jack instinctively thought she was trying to defend his wayward grandson. This made him feel even more protective of Martina and even more irritated by Benjamin's actions. Jack unconditionally believed Martina and said, "Martina, don't talk nonsense. I know what kind of person you are. How could you ever do something like this? Besides, even if you wanted to, you couldn't make it." "You don't have to keep making excuses for this brat," Jack continued. "I think he's acting out because he feels he's gotten older and more mature, and now that he has the freedom to do as he pleases, he believes he can do whatever he wants, doesn't he?" Martina felt a bit embarrassed but continued under the pressure, "Jack, I didn't intend to defend Benjamin; however, this matter truly happened because of me. If it weren't for me, he wouldn't have done this."