18.
"Good morning Gabriel" Benjamin greeted the legal advisor as soon as the man entered his cabin
"Morning Ben. How's married life?" Gabriel asked
"Good. Isabella is wonderful" Benjamin said with a smile
"Good to know. I was a bit worried with with your impulsive decision." Gabriel said
"Honestly Gabriel? One of the best decisions I made in my life." Benjamin admitted making the older man smile.
"How is Sapphire" Gabriel asked and Benjamin sighed.
"She is happy. The frequency with which she asked for her momma reduced considerably. It is quite bittersweet. We are glad that she is at an age where she can move on without much grief. And yet it is quiet disheartening to think that she will grow up without knowing her mother" Benjamin said morosely.
"That's the rule of mankind Ben. Life has to go on, no matter what" Gabriel said making Benjamin let out a sad sigh, remembering his sister.
"Gabriel. What was it that you wanted to talk about yesterday?" Benjamin asked coming to the point.
"Mrs Fort had submitted the report in favor of you, Ben" Gabriel said
"Wow. That's a good news"
"Yeah. It is. But John's mother had appealed at the court stating that she has more rights over her granddaughter" Gabriel said
"What the f*ck. Her appeal will be rejected, wouldn't it?" Benjamin asked
"You know that woman? She is very manipulative. I think we should arrange an unofficial meeting with the lady" Gabriel said
"She has been hounding me for a while. My security team had managed to keep her at bay" Benjamin said
"She is the one instigating her son too. Peter is not very keen with his mother's plans. That woman is so damn greedy" Gabriel said with disgust
The next few hours passed with meetings after meetings and Benjamin came back to him cabin all tired.
"Benjamin, Shall I order lunch for you?" Claire asked
"No. Thank you Claire. You can take your break now" Benjamin said and Claire left
Benjamin dialed Isabella's number who picked up the call on the second right
"Benjamin? Are your meetings over?" Isabella asked
"Yes. And I'm very hungry. I can eat an elephant now" Benjamin said tiredly.
"I will be there in half an hour, Benjamin" Isabella said and hung up the call.
True to her words, she was in Benjamin's cabin within half an hour.
"Sapphire was having her afternoon nap. So I didn't bring her" Isabella said as she set the carry bag on the tea table in front of the small couch in Benjamin's cabin.
"That's nice. I get to spend time with my wife" Benjamin said as he sat on the couch.
Isabella served lunch for both of them.
They enjoyed their lunch having small conversations about random things.
"So? What was that important talk Gabriel wanted to have?" Isabella asked
"About Sapphire. Mrs Fort submitted her report in favour of us" Benjamin said and proceeded to let Isabella know about the rest of the things Gabriel told him about
Isabella was silent for a moment and then she looked at Benjamin
"Could it be possible that the woman is genuinely missing her granddaughter. She too lost her son" Isabella said hesitantly
"I don't know Isabella. I don't trust that woman. I once made a mistake of turning my back on Eleanor , because I was too angry and hurt with her decisions. And I lost her. Maybe if we hadn't shut her out completely, she would have come to us when she started realising their true intends. I'm not going to let that family ruin my niece too" Benjamin said vehemently
Benjamin's phone rang and it was a call from a frantic Elizabeth asking him to come home soon.
"Something wrong at home. Mom sounded very panicked" Benjamin took hold of Isabella's hand and hurried out of the office.
***
The moment they stepped in the hallway of the Lockwood mansion, Madison came hurrying towards them, as though she had been anxiously awaiting their return.
"Thank God, you are here. There is someone—"
"So at last", a harsh woman’s voice began. "I have been waiting, God knows how long, to see my granddaughter, and this…this creature has totally refused to so much as give me even a glass of water. But then I suppose I should not have expected anything else. After all, like master like servant."
Isabella gasped, instinctively taking a step back from the woman who had erupted into the hallway.
All sympathies she had for the unknown woman vanishing as she took in the woman with cold eyes.
She was of average built, dressed in a black, almost see through dress, which looked openly far too young for her.
The woman fixed Benjamin with a fulminating glare, totally ignoring Isabella's presence as she demanded theatrically,
"Where is my darling son's precious little girl? Where is she? You have no right to withhold her from me—"
"Calm down Mrs Lillian Thompson"
Isabella could hear the icy distaste in Benjamin's voice as he interrupted her emotional tirade.
"Calm down! My son is dead, thanks to your ill-omened sister. And now you are trying to steal his child from me. I won’t allow you to get away with it, Benjamin. I am sure the courts will support my claim that her place is with me. After all, I have a blood tie with her that is far stronger than yours. You are only her mother's step brother, whilst I am her grandmother" she announced triumphantly.
"You may, as you say, have a closer blood tie to Sapphire that I do. But according to law, I'm her legal guardian" Benjamin said
"You? You who turned your back on your sister. How can you be possibly a better candidate to look after the baby" Lillian countered.
"That is something to be given a thought, isn't it Mrs Thompson? In spite of Benjamin turning his back on her, Eleanor made it sure that her baby's custody will definitely go to her brother. And I'm sure, when she made the will, she had no idea that she would die in an accident soon and that your son would also die the same day." Isabella interrupted making Lillian focus her glare on her.
Isabella ignored the glare and continued her theory.
"And I wonder why Eleanor found it necessary to name her brother as her baby's guardian when there is every possibility that the baby's father might have been alive" Isabella said
"Who the hell are you to interfere in my matters." Lillian asked, her face turning red with fury and Isabella knew, she had hit the mark.
"Isabella Benjamin Lockwood." Isabella introduced herself proudly and Benjamin smirked seeing the furious look on Lillian's face.
"You make me sick" Lillian threw the words at Benjamin, who looked back at him with a bored expression.
"If you think for one minute, there is any way I would allow you to have any contact with or influence over Sapphire after the way you and your son ruined my sister's life, then you are very, very wrong." Benjamin said icily
"Let me tell you this for once and all. I want Sapphire and I intend to have her. And there is no way that you can stop me." She paused and then said softly, "And if you think you could cheat my darling granddaughter out of her trust fund, left to her by her late grandfather, you are highly mistaken Benjamin"
Benjaminlet out a cold laugh as he heard that.
"So that what this is all about? Eleanor 's trust fund?" Benjamin said grimly.
"And now that belongs to Sapphire" Lillian said
The greedy look in her eyes, which Lillian was making no attempt to conceal, sickened Isabella.
"Get out" It was Isabella who uttered those words, too angry to let the woman stay under the same roof as Sapphire
The woman stared at Isabella in disbelief
"Did you just?"
"You heard my wife. Leave" Benjamin said pointing at the door.
"This is not over" The woman raised her chin and throw them each a fulminating glare and walked out.