Chapter 117 Who Was Ms. Ashbourne?
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Alistair cast a wary nce at the father and daughter sitting across from him, then leaned in to Caroline and asked quietly, "You okay?"
Caroline saw the concern in his eyes and gave a small shake of her head. Of course she was okay.
The way Alistair stood up for her cut Reba deeper than she expected.
In the past six years, she couldn''t recall a single
me she''d seen
even a flicker of that kind of concern on his face-for her.
Without even trying to hold back, she snapped, "Alistair, don''t let her fake sweetness fool you. She''s nasty-calcting and cruel."
Alistair nearlyughed.
With all her baggage, she has the nerve to call someone else
toxic?
When it came to cruelty, Reba and Celeste could''ve gone
head-to-head.
Seeing him smile hit Reba like a p. "You don''t believe me?
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Chapter 117 Who Was Ms. Ashbourne?
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Everything I said is true!"
Nathaniel hadn''t expected things to spiral like this. The whole situation was slipping out of control.
He''d long suspected-thanks to a few quiet nudges from Cordelia that Reba had developed feelings for Alistair. He had even entertained the idea that if Alistair was willing to let the past go, he''d be open to weing him back into the family.
But it was bing increasingly obvious that was a one-sided fantasy.
Reba''s emotional unraveling made something very clear. If he let this continue, it wouldn''t just be her making a fool of herself— he''d be dragged down too.
Nathaniel gave Alistair and Caroline onest, unreadable look before grabbing Reba''s arm and pulling her away.
He would have someone look into that girl-find out who her family was.
After all, if she was really dating someone like Alistair, surely her parents weren''t thrilled about it.
In Nathaniel''s mind, Caroline must''ve been cut from the same cloth as his daughter-a spoiled heiress with more ess to
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money than maturity. A girl drawn to Alistair for his looks, someone who still needed an allowance from her parents and had no idea what she was getting into.
In families like theirs, marriage was rarely about love. It was about consolidating power, expanding wealth, and securing futures.
He''d once nned to arrange a proper match for Reba when the time was right, someone well-positioned and respectable. But she''d been spoiled rotten, and now that n had gone up in smoke.
So now Alistair hadtched onto another wealthy girl? What else could she be if not another wide-eyed romantic with no clue?
Nathaniel''s mind was already working.
Find out who the girl''s parents were. Gauge their attitude toward Alistair. If necessary, he''d be more than willing to nt a few carefully chosen rumors-stir
up just enough scandal to drive them apart. Let Alistair fall t on his face. Let him crawl back. And if Reba still wanted him at that point, then maybe, maybe, he''d let him back into the family.
And if they couldn''t be split up? Well, marriages without family support neversted.
A sh of malice flickered in Nathaniel''s eyes.
Chapter 117 Who Was Ms. Ashbourne?
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Alistair was getting ahead of himself-just because he''d found a
new backer, he thought he could walk away from the Whitfields without consequence?
Still too young. Still too naive.
Just then, Julian emerged from the restaurant, chatting amiably with a young
woman.
Nathaniel''s eyes lit up.
That has to be Ms. Ashbourne-CEO of Vireon Technologies.
He gave Reba a quick look and strode forward, greeting Julian like an old friend. “Mr. Hart? What a surprise. Didn''t expect to run into you here."
Julian and the woman came to a stop. His gaze flicked briefly, politely, over Reba''s polished appearance. "Mr. Nathaniel Whitfield," he said with a pleasant smile.
Nathaniel caught that look and felt quietly pleased.
Reba always gotpliments wherever she went-grace and beauty in equal measure.
Beaming, he made introductions, "This is my daughter, Reba."
Chapter 117 Who Was Ms. Ashbourne?
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He''d brought her to this evening''s event under the pretense that she and Caroline were of simr age and might hit it off. But he had a more strategic thought in
mind.
Julian, as far as he knew, was still single.
Sure, Reba had been married once and had a five-year-old
son. But she was still beautiful, still came from a powerful family, and still carried the Whitfield name.
Julian was impressive-young, talented, sessful-but his background was ordinary.
Surely he''d know how to seize an opportunity when it presented itself.
Julian, of course, had no idea what Nathaniel was plotting. He just noticed the
way the man was looking at him-overly friendly, even... expectant?
He offered Reba a polite smile. "Nice to meet you. I''m Julian Hart, from Vireon Technologies."
Reba was still reeling from seeing Alistair stand up for another woman. Her heart felt like it had been wrung out. She forced a smile. "Nice to meet you."
Chapter 117 Who Was Ms. Ashbourne?
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Nathaniel''s attention shifted to the young woman beside Julian, and his smile brightened. "And you must be..."
He''d already decided-this had to be Vireon Technologies'' CEO.
Julian offered a smooth response. "She''s a colleague of mine."
Nathaniel''s expression froze.
Wait-what? If that isn''t Ms. Ashbourne... then who is?
Julian gged down a cab and held the door for his colleague. "Text me when you get home, okay?" he said, kindly. As the cab pulled away, he turned back and gave Nathaniel a courteous nod. "Apologies, Mr. Nathaniel Whitfield. I''ve got to
run."
Then he waved-to someone behind Nathaniel and Reba. "Ms. Ashbourne!"
Nathaniel jerked in surprise and spun around.
A few paces away stood Alistair and Caroline. And next to them...
a woman, maybe around thirty, with short hair.
Nathaniel frowned.
Didn''t they say Ms. Ashbourne is in her mid-twenties? She definitely looks older.
Chapter 117 Who Was Ms. Ashbourne?
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Still, he told himself, some people just aged faster. Not everyone was like Reba-blessed with eternal youth.
He stepped forward with a wide smile. "Hello, Ms. Ashbourne. I''m Nathaniel-"
But Julian walked right past him and stopped in front of Alistair and Caroline.
Nathaniel blinked. "What?"
The short-haired woman gave Nathaniel a strange look and muttered, "What''s wrong with you?" before walking off.
Julian, meanwhile, had already begun speaking with Alistair and Caroline.
Nathaniel stood frozen,pletely thrown.
Wait. Then who the hell is Ms. Ashbourne?
Right on cue, Julian turned toward Caroline and said casually, "Ms. Ashbourne,
this is Mr. Nathaniel Whitfield from Whitfield Group.”
And just like that, Nathaniel''s mind went nk. He didn''t hear a single word that followed.
"Mr. Nathaniel Whitfield? Are you alright?"
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"What?" Nathaniel''s voice cracked.
His mind reeled, like he''d just been pped awake.
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The woman he had been so eager to meet-the CEO of Vireon Technologies-
was... her?
It finally clicked. No wonder Alistair had shown up at Vireon''s headquarters. No wonder Julian himself hade downstairs to greet him. Nathaniel had assumed Alistair was just there to drop off lunch-he''d always been the type to y the help. Never in a million years did he imagine Alistair was standing next to Vireon''s
CEO.
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