Husband With Benefits-Chapter 907: Introduction

Grant was stunned, caught completely off guard by the whirlwind that was Innocensa Frost. He had never imagined, not even in his wildest dreams, that someone would propose to him like this. Innocensa, with her captivating confidence, had effortlessly swept him off his feet—and not in the way most would expect. She didn’t ask or suggest; she declared. She had laid it out plainly, leaving no room for misinterpretation. After their next date, they would kiss. That was non-negotiable. But then, as if that bold statement wasn’t enough to leave him reeling, she went on to inform him that he would be the one asking her out for the date.

Talk about pressure.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to. On the contrary, he wanted nothing more than to take her out. Her words had lingered in the air like a challenge, daring him to act, and if he hadn’t been so utterly flabbergasted in the moment, he might have blurted out an invitation right then and there. But he couldn’t. No matter how badly he wanted to, he couldn’t bring himself to say the words.

There were rules—unwritten but deeply ingrained within him—rules that he couldn’t just cast aside. Sebastian Frost, had done more for him than anyone else ever had. The man didn’t know that, of course. To him, Grant was probably one of the thousands of orphan students that he sponsored.

The anonymous benefactor who had quietly supported the orphanage for so many years, ensuring that the children had food, clothing, and even a chance at an education, was none other than Sebastian Frost.

Talk about bad timing. And bad luck.

If only Father Peter hadn’t called him to help with the accounts today. If only Grant hadn’t decided to take a closer look, his curiosity piqued by the generosity of someone who had remained nameless for so long. But he had looked. And he had noticed. The account number of the mysterious benefactor matched perfectly with the one that Seb had used to give him the funding.

How could he repay that kind of selfless kindness by even thinking about starting something with Innocensa?

With a sigh, he sat back insteas of leaving. It seemed today was meant for him to keep drinking. He had been drinking through the evening but even now, with all the things going on in his head, he only wanted to black out. So, he decided to wash down all his food with the drinks.

The warmth of the alcohol did little to dull the knot in his chest. Her voice, her words, played on an endless loop in his mind. Next time they would kiss. But he was making it so that there never would be a next time.

Grant let out a frustrated sighand drunk now, made a decision. A dumb one. But a decision none the less.

Pulling his phone from his pocket, he decided to message her. Maybe if he just explained—laid it all out—she would understand. Maybe she’d even see it from his perspective. His thumbs hovered over the screen as he debated where to start. She would also know that he was not worthy of her, was nothing but a mongrel, unwanted even by his own parents.

Grant stared at his phone, his heart pounding as he began to type.

"I really, really like you."

He hit send, then paused, his fingers trembling slightly before he typed the next line.

"From the moment I saw you, I knew I wanted you to be mine. It was a shock actually, how much I desired you."

A deep breath. Another message.

"I know you think I’m going to ask you out on a date."

He hesitated, feeling the lump in his throat grow heavier.

"But I can’t."

He swallowed hard and kept going.

"You’re incredible. You have no idea how much I admire you."

"How much I’ve wanted to jump up and ask you out."

His thumb hovered over the screen before he typed the next line.

"Innocensa... even your name makes my heart race."

"You don’t know this, but your father has done so much for me."

"Not just through this company. It goes beyond that."

"I’m just an orphan, Innocensa."

"Someone who lived on your father’s charity."

"I’m not worthy of you."

With the last message sent, he gave a resigned sigh, and shoved the phone into his pocket, unable to bear looking at the screen any longer.

Grant stood, the sudden motion making his head spin slightly. The alcohol had taken too much effect. He knew better than to drive in this state. Pulling up an app on his phone, he booked a car to take him home. And once he had been dropped there, he checked the phone one last time to see if she had replied before quickly blocking her number and falling asleep.

He told himself he had done the right thing. It was better this way, cleaner, less complicated. If Innocensa understood, she would move on. If she didn’t, at least she wouldn’t waste her time waiting for someone like him. . What he couldn’t bring himself to think about, though, was how he would handle things if she responded. What if she pitied him? What if she tried to comfort him or offered him support? That thought alone made his stomach churn more than the whiskey.

But there was a reason why everyone warned against sending messages while drunk.

If Grant, who was always so careful, had been in his right mind, he would have triple-checked before hitting send. He would have realized that the name he had chosen wasn’t Ines Frost. It was Seb Frost. The last person that Grant would want to expose his feelings to.

Seb Frost looked down at the multiple messages that he had received from Grant. He smiled. Seemed like the usually reticent kid was feeling talkative today. However, as he opened the first message, he frowned. The second caused the frown to turn in a scowl. And by the time, he came to the end of the messages... he had already stood up and called an emergency meeting of his brothers, planning to return to the country.