Hearing that Dr. Wren Baek had asked for Benjamin's hand in marriage, Charles's face drained of color.
"I just don't know what I'm supposed to do," Benjamin said, sounding defeated. "I spoke to Madam Wagner today. She said I should just be honest about my feelings."
In Charles's mind, the map of the four kingdoms, the missing files, and the dead doctors all blurred into the image of Dr. Baek standing at the altar with Benjamin — the man he desperately wanted to protect and the man he desperately wanted for himself.
"In all honesty, I don't trust him," Charles said. "And for your own sake, neither should you." He paused. "He appeared just out of nowhere." He didn't have any conclusive evidence that Wren had ulterior motives. He felt ashamed as he knew he was saying this out of some form of jealousy.
Charles forced himself to take a breath, before continuing, "Do you have feelings for him? Are you… involved with him?"
"It's not like that at all," Benjamin replied quickly.
