Benjamin Kempball: The Way To A Banker’s Heart

Chapter 11: Benjamin

“Look who I found,” Jess said with a grin as she rested her hand on the shoulder of one of the five guys sitting on the benches. Her voice carried the same energy as a kid showing off a shiny new toy, and her eyes sparkled with mischief.

I recognized a few of the faces immediately, though one stood out. Sam. The same guy who had so casually and shamelessly hit on Violet not long ago. The same guy who had offered to help out by looking after her daughter, Rose, only to angle for a chance to get closer to her. My chest tightened with an almost primal irritation. How was it that he got to sit so casually next to her brother, so close to her world? That role—the one she leaned on, the one she turned to—was supposed to be mine.

“Vi!” The man Jess had been touching sprang to his feet. He was a few inches taller than Violet, his auburn hair an almost identical shade to hers, and his brown eyes warm with familial affection. He stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her. For the first time since we’d entered the party, Violet let go of my hand, returning his hug with a giggle.

“Hey, Jake,” she said, her tone light and teasing. “Relax, bro. You make it seem like we never see each other.”

Jake pulled back just enough to look her over. His eyes scanned her from head to toe, pausing briefly in silent assessment. His brows furrowed slightly before he glanced at me. “You look nice,” he commented, raising one brow at Violet as though testing the waters.

“I always look nice,” she shot back with a smirk, her arms crossing in front of her while carefully balancing the beer in her hand.

“Of course you do,” he replied, his tone dripping with the kind of brotherly sarcasm only siblings could muster. Then, as if reminded of my presence, Jake turned to face me fully. His gaze sharpened as he extended a hand. “We haven’t met,” he said, his voice measured but firm. “I’m Jacob Mount, Vi’s big brother.”

“I’m Benjamin,” I said, taking his hand and matching the strength of his grip—not overly forceful, but enough to communicate I wasn’t intimidated. Jacob’s handshake was similarly deliberate, as though he wanted to establish that he was taking this seriously, but not overly so.

“And why are you here?” Jacob asked, his eyes narrowing slightly as they swept up and down, clearly sizing me up. It was the kind of look men gave when calculating their odds in a fight. For the record, he wouldn’t stand a chance.

“Jesus,” Violet muttered, rolling her eyes and shaking her head. “He’s my date, okay? Now stop the pissing contest and be nice.”

“Or what?” Jacob challenged, his jaw tightening in defiance.

An almost wicked grin spread across Violet’s lips, one that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. There was a glint in her eyes that screamed trouble, but Jacob stood his ground, his posture rigid as he awaited her next move.

“I’ll tell Mom,” she said, her voice dripping with mock sweetness as she took a nonchalant sip of her drink.

Jacob exhaled sharply through his nose. “You wouldn’t.”

“Oh, I would,” she shot back with a casual shrug, “and you know how she is.”

Though it sounded like a harmless sibling threat, the effect on Jacob was immediate. His confident posture faltered slightly, and I could see the wheels turning in his head as he imagined whatever consequences Violet was alluding to. She leaned into me slightly, her victorious grin only growing.

“So, Benjamin,” Jacob said after a pause, changing the subject with obvious reluctance. “I guess introductions are in order.” He turned back toward the group seated at the picnic table. “This is my crew: Landon, Kent, Brady, and Sam.” He gestured to each of them as he spoke their names.

The guys nodded and smiled at me, their expressions mostly friendly—except for Sam, whose glare was piercing. His jaw was tight, and his eyes burned with a simmering rage that he didn’t bother to hide.

“Your crew?” I asked, keeping my tone neutral but curious.

Jacob opened his mouth to answer, but Violet beat him to it. “Jake owns a shop,” she explained. “He’s a mechanic, and these dipshits work with him.”

“Hey, young lady! I’m not a dipshit!” Landon shot back with a grin, winking at her. His playful tone drew a laugh from Violet, her amusement lighting up her features.

“We’ve been a group since high school,” Jacob added, stuffing his hands into his pockets. “When we graduated, we decided we wanted to work on cars, so we pooled our money, bought a place, and made it happen.”

“I can respect that,” I said, genuinely impressed. They couldn’t have been much older than twenty-five, yet they’d managed to fund and operate their own business. It was no small feat.

“Ben has the coolest car I’ve ever seen,” Violet chimed in, her voice carrying a note of pride. The way she shortened my name made my heart skip a beat, the casual intimacy of it setting off a swarm of butterflies in my stomach.

“What do you drive?” Jacob asked, his curiosity piqued.

“A Jaguar F-Type,” I answered, not thinking much of it, but the reaction from the group was immediate.

“You what?” Sam asked incredulously, his brows shooting up as he froze mid-sip of his drink.

“And it’s green,” Violet added with a grin. “The most amazing shade of green.”

“How… why… how?” Jacob stammered, his face a mix of confusion and disbelief.

I shrugged. “I needed a new car, and someone I know recommended Jaguars, so…”

“So you just went out and bought a Jaguar F-Type?” Brady asked, his eyes wide.

“Well, yes,” I said simply, feeling a bit self-conscious under their collective gaze but also secretly enjoying how Violet seemed intent on showing me off.

“What’s your last name?” Kent asked suddenly, his expression shifting as though he recognized me.

“Kempball,” I replied, reluctantly.

Kent’s eyes widened. “No way,” he muttered before turning to Jacob. “Remember that guy I told you about? The stock guy?”

Jacob’s head snapped back toward me. “That’s you?!”

Violet’s eyes darted to mine, her expression a mixture of surprise and unease. This was it—the moment when she would realize the extent of my wealth. My stomach twisted as I braced myself for her reaction. Would she see me differently? Would I become just another pile of dollar signs in her eyes, like so many others before her?

But Violet wasn’t like other women. She wouldn’t do that. At least, I hoped she wouldn’t.

“He’s who exactly?” Sam asked, his irritation obvious.

“Benjamin Kempball,” Kent explained. “He’s like the stock guy. He climbed the social ladder so fast, he’s Fortune 500 material, right?”

Violet’s body shifted ever so slightly away from me, and the look in her eyes changed. It was subtle, but enough to sting.

“I am,” I admitted, keeping my gaze steady on her, silently willing her to see past it.

She swallowed hard, looking down into her cup and swirling the beer inside before finally glancing back up at me. Her smile was strained, not quite reaching her eyes like it usually did.

“You never told me that,” she said quietly. “That’s amazing, Benjamin.”

Suddenly, I wasn’t Ben anymore. I was Benjamin again. And just like that, I could feel her pulling away.

**

“You need a refill?” I asked her, leaning in close to ensure no one else could overhear. My voice was quiet, careful, as though trying to bridge the invisible gap that had grown between us.

She turned her head, her caramel eyes locking with mine. For a moment, the guarded expression softened, and a small smile tugged at the corners of her lips. “Sure, thank you.”

Her voice was light, but I could feel the weight behind it. I smiled back, taking her cup before standing up and weaving my way toward the grill area. Denise was still filling beers, her practiced hands moving with ease, while Jack focused on packing up the leftover food. The aroma of grilled meat lingered in the air, mixing with the faint tang of spilled beer and the occasional waft of smoke from the grill.

I had anticipated that something might change once Violet learned the truth about me—about how much money I made, about the life I came from. But I hadn’t expected this. I hadn’t expected her to pull away, to wrap herself in a wall of distance I couldn’t breach. Ever since Kent had revealed, in front of everyone, that I wasn’t just some guy on the Fortune 500 list but a billionaire, Violet had barely looked at me.

I had always feared that revealing my wealth would make her see me differently. I’d imagined her wanting more—more gifts, more luxuries, more signs of my affluence. I had worried that I would become a walking dollar sign to her, as I had to so many others before. But this? This quiet withdrawal, this almost palpable discomfort—it felt worse.

“Hey there, sugar,” Denise greeted me with her signature grin as she accepted the empty cups. Her tone was warm, inviting, and it contrasted sharply with the tension coiling in my chest. “How’s it going over there?”

I shoved my hands into my pockets, not wanting to meet her gaze. My pride took a hit as I admitted, even if only to myself, that things weren’t going well. The party had shifted, and so had Violet. It was like watching a door close just as I’d reached for the handle.

“Oh no, what happened?” Denise’s voice dipped with concern, her grin replaced by a furrowed brow.

Jack paused mid-motion, his hands still holding a stack of foil trays, as he looked between us.

“I don’t know what happened,” I said, though deep down, I had a pretty good idea.

“Was it Jake?” Denise pressed, her eyes narrowing as she scanned the picnic table where Violet sat. “I swear I’ll beat his ass if he ruined this for the two of you.”

“No, no,” I replied quickly, shaking my head. “I actually think he’s surprised by me. Honestly, it seems like everyone but Violet is interested in getting to know me.”

Denise tilted her head, her brows knitting together in confusion. “Then what is it, sugar?” she asked, her voice softening as she handed the freshly filled cups back to me.

“Violet found out who I am—who I really am—and I don’t think she likes it very much,” I admitted, my eyes dropping to the foam that capped the beers.

“Why wouldn’t she like it?” Denise asked, her tone incredulous as she placed her hands on her hips.

“I don’t know,” I muttered, frustration creeping into my voice. “Most women get excited about it. But with her, it’s like it repels her. Like I’ve suddenly become something she doesn’t want to be around.”

Denise pursed her lips, her gaze softening with sympathy. “I’ll talk to her,” she declared, nodding as though the matter were settled.

“You don’t have to, Denise,” I replied with a small smile. “I think this is something I need to figure out for myself.”

She sighed but didn’t argue. Jack gave me a quick smile as I turned to leave. “The food was great, Jack,” I added.

“Thanks, man,” he replied with a nod before returning to his task.

I turned back toward the table, carefully navigating the uneven ground. I was so lost in thought that I nearly collided with Sam, who was charging toward me like a bull seeing red.

His eyes burned with a fury I didn’t understand, and his whole body seemed coiled, ready to spring. “What do you think you’re doing, huh?” he snapped, his voice low and dangerous.

I held up the cups, my brow furrowing. “I’m getting beers,” I said flatly, my patience already wearing thin.

“Do you really think she’ll fall for it?” he demanded, stepping closer. His tone was dripping with contempt. “You show up in her life, waving your money around, and you think that’s going to win her over?”

His words made me pause. “I’m not—”

“She doesn’t care about money,” he interrupted, his voice rising. “She never has, okay? And I know Violet. I know what she wants, what she needs. And it sure as hell isn’t you.”

My jaw tightened as I struggled to hold back. The temptation to throw the cups on the ground and put Sam in his place was overwhelming, but I forced myself to stay calm. As much as I disliked him, I could see that his anger stemmed from loyalty. He was protective of Violet, and part of me couldn’t fault him for that.

“Look, Sam,” I began, my voice steady despite the frustration bubbling beneath the surface, “I get what you’re trying to do. I respect that you’re looking out for her. I really do—”

“I don’t need your respect,” he spat, cutting me off. “I need you to back off. Violet is mine. Rose and I have a bond, okay? I’ve been there for her through everything. I won’t let you waltz in and screw it all up just because you’ve got money.”

My fists clenched around the cups as I bit back a retort. “I thought you just said she doesn’t care about money,” I said evenly, unable to keep the edge out of my voice.

Sam’s expression faltered for a split second before his scowl deepened. “Stop twisting my words,” he growled. “Stay the hell away from her, or I’ll make you regret it. I don’t care who you are.”

I took a steadying breath, reminding myself not to stoop to his level. “Why don’t we let Violet decide what she wants?” I suggested. “It’s her choice, not yours, and not mine.”

Sam’s face twisted with fury, and I saw the moment he decided to lash out. His fist flew toward me, but I reacted instinctively, ducking just in time to avoid the blow.