He raised his head calmly and sighed.
“Uncle Moss, you’ve misunderstood me.
I harbor no hidden agendas.
I genuinely desired to share a drink and converse with you.
”
Moss regarded him skeptically.
“You’re really not doing this because of that woman?”
Bennett nodded.
“Indeed, I value her, but I’m not in love with her.
As you mentioned earlier, there are countless women in the world.
I can marry someone else.
”
Moss’ suspicions finally dissipated.
He swirled his glass, smiled at Bennett, and remarked, “That’s the spirit.
You don’t need to jeopardize our bond over an ordinary woman.
”
Bennett responded with a measured smile, his gaze lingering on the untouched wine glass in Moss’ hand.
He had given the glass of wine to Moss, but Moss hadn’t drunk it.
At that moment, Moss caught Bennett’s stare at his glass and asked, “What are you staring at? Did you drug my wine?”
Bennett chuckled softly, reassuring him, “Uncle Moss, your doubts are unfounded.
How could I ever harm you?” As he spoke, he downed his gla
ss.
“Both our drinks came from the same decanter.
Are you satisfied now?”
Bennett then turned to the bar counter, tweaking the music selection.This material belongs to .
The room was soon filled with the thunderous chords of heavy metal, prompting Moss to furrow his brow in discomfort.
Without a word, he turned and left the room.
Soon, Moss returned, having changed his coat, only to confront the rising crescendo of the music.
He swiftly turned it off.
Bennett, lost in the music with closed eyes, was startled when the music abruptly ceased.
Assuming a technical glitch, he opened his eyes to find that Moss had turned the music off.
“I’ve outgrown such deafening melodies,” Moss declared.
His words were met by the serene melodies of a violin that filled the room.
The tune resonated with Bennett, drawing a warm smile from him.
Turning to Moss, he said, “This piece was a favorite of my mother’s.
How swiftly the years have passed! She has been gone for a decade.
”
Moss’ calm gaze met Bennett’s.
“Do you miss her?” he asked.
The question left Bennett’s smile suspended, plunging him into a moment of silence.
Moss stated, “Longing serves no purpose.
You asked me to kill her at that time.
” After dropping ice cubes into his cup, Moss raised his eyes to Bennett and asked, “If you could go back, would you still wish for your mother’s demise?”
“If I could choose again, the outcome would remain unchanged,”
Bennett said to Moss, his smile fading into indifference.
“Even if I didn’t ask you to kill my mother, you would do it.
”
Their dialogue had veered toward Bennett’s mother, Zoe Olson, resurrecting long-buried memories.