A blond, blue eyed man waved Bowen’s phone teasingly and joked in a crisp London ent, “Bowen, your phone’s ringing, it’s from your home country. Could it be your sweetheart missing you already?”
Bowen took the phone, saw it was Carol calling, and exined to him. “It’s just our housekeeper”
The dashing foreigner before him was Aidan Matthews, scion of the prestigious Matthews family in Odiond. Their diversified business empire spanned miltiple industries, with digital media and the inte as their crown jewel, fields in which they reigned as undisputed leaders..
I was just feeling sorry for my hopelessly unvitten little sister, but thankfully it was just a misunderstanding” Aidan shrugged with a teasing grin and pointed to the golden–haired girl nearby, dressed up like a doll under her dainty parasol “Bowen, are you really not going to give my sister a chance? promise, she’s the most sought after debutante in all of Odiond’s high society.”
Bowen didn’t even spare a nce in that direction, though that burning gaze, so frank and full of affection, had been fixed on him from the moment he set foot on the golf course,
“Compared to pampered flowers, I think I prefer the tenacious grass that defies the harsh winds on a cliff,” Bowen said with a wry, apologetic smile, “Now, if you’ll <b>excuse </b>me
Bowen stepped away with his phone and called Carol back.
No sooner had Bowen <b>walked </b>away than isis, the <b>doll</b>–like girl under her dainty parasol, glided over to her brother and pouted coquettishly “Brother what did Bowen <b>say</b>?” she asked, her tone full of yful curiosity.
Aidan let out a helpless sigh, he’d already tried his damnedest for his little <b>sister’s </b>happiness
“I, I think something intriguing happened to Bowen during his trip back to Lumanon,” Aidan remarked. As a fellow man, he noticed the subtle shit in Bowen’s expression when he jokingly brought up <b>the </b>sweetheart.
Bowen called Carol back. She asked if he’d be returning soon and briefly exined what had happened to Aubree recently.
Bowen said, “I don’t need to go back just for this, she’s already handled it perfectly well, <b>hasn’t </b>she<b>? </b>
“I won’t being back just yet. Do keep an eye on things over there for me,” He had to admit to himself that, in a way, he was <b>running </b>away
coward
Bowen’s mind drifted back to that kiss. He knew full well it had been an ident<b>, </b><b>yet </b><b>that </b>night, <b>his </b><b>dreams </b>kept reying it over and over.
Bowen thought to himself. I’m not <b>going </b>back until I sort out my feelings for Bree!
“But Bree’s moving out of Ellis <b>Heights</b><b>, </b>she’s <b>upstairs </b>packing right now, and I just can’t stop her” Carollingered <b>downstairs</b>, stealing anxious nces upward as dusk fell. Bree hade home insisting she’d already found <b>a </b>new ce, and no amount of pleading could change her mind.
Before Bowen left, he repeatedly reminded Carol to take good care of Aubree. Now, frantic with worry and at her wits end, Carol had no choice but to call
him.
Hearing that Aubree <b>was </b>moving out of Ellis Heights, Bowen’s mind wentpletely nk ‘She’s leaving he thought in shock,
Bowen thought, “Even though I knew she couldn’t stay at Ellis Heights forever, this <b>is </b>way too sudden<b>. </b><b>Is </b><b>it </b>because of that drunken night<b>? </b>
“She’s trying to avoid me too”
That was the only reason Bowen could think of
Bowen was instantly restless. Less than a minute ather insisting he wouldn’t return, he hung up on Carol and immediately messaged Kelvin: Book me the earliest flight back home tomorrow.
Bowen’s frustestion shifted to Zachary Tammit, didn’t tell him to keep an eye on her low tha’s about to leave and he didn’t eve me a heads-
11 Zachary could read his boss’s mind right now, he’d surely protest his innocence. His orders were just to keep her cale, moving house clearly wasn’t part of the job description.
Carol still couldn’t stop Aubere from leaving. The base of her departure made it clear that she was deliberately trying to avoid Bowen
Aubree thought to hersell, Bowen jant gave me such a strange feeling.
There was never any real connection between her and him. Even their first meeting was so random, she still couldn’t figure out how it happened.
Aubree thought to herself, Now that I’ve achieved what I needed, since Turner Group has invested and taken an equity stake, there’s no way Bowen, as the head of such arge corporation, would personally oversee this project. There must be other executives handing it.
“Keeping my distance from Bowen shouldn’t cause any problems”
The rented apartment was a fully furnished luxury unit, move–in <b>ready</b><b>. </b>
The issue with Carmen was basically resolved. When the tournament officials sensed something was off<b>, </b>they promptly issued a statement confirming that, after investigation, God’s Fury had not vited any rules during the Autumn Championship.
Furious, Carmen trashed her room in a fit of rage.
That evening, the Wilson family dinner table was devoid of as usual cheerful harmony
A heavy silence fell over the table.
<b>Daston </b>and Ronald had all gathered for the family dinner
Trevor kept his head down, fidgeting with his phone. He thought, “What a miscalction. Never expected Aubree to actually have some real chops.
“The online bacsh doesn’t worry me much. It’s a bit annoying but hardly a real threat, What really surprises me is <b>discovering </b>that Aubree has be rather intriguing. There’s clearly more to her than I realized.”
Bryan was workingte at the office when he got dragged back home. Emery was still on his way home.
Alice was the first to break the heavy silence, directing her anger at Bryan. “You really are such a wonderful big brother to Carmen, aren’t you? This is how you handle things? Now the whole inte’s bashing her, <b>how’s </b>she supposed to show her face at school after this?”
In the <b>past</b>, Bryan would have med himself for his mistakes, but now all he felt was annoyance. The only reason he was stil cleaning up her mess was out of lingering sibling loyalty after all these years.
He thought, Nothing is ever absolute. Once you’ve acted, you must be ready for <b>your </b>mistakes to be held against you.
“Does the whole world have to revolve around Carmed?
Not only was Alice upset, but Daxton was also seething with resentment toward Bryan. He’d just pulled two all–nighters finishing criticalb work and hadn’t even caught his breath when he saw the online bacsh. He could scarcely believe this disaster was <b>what </b>Bryan called “damage control”
Daxton red at Bryan. “Did you <b>do </b>this on purpose?
“I’ve thought this through. When Aubree refused toe home, you hired someone preliable, and their betrayal set <b>off </b>everything that <b>followed</b>. The real problem was your poor choice. Bryan, Aubree used to be terrified of you. She <b>obeyed </b>you <b>more </b>than anyone else in this family, even more <b>than </b>Mom
<b>and </b><b>Dad</b><b>.</b><b>” </b>
With their parents often busy or away from home, the other three brothers mostly took a hands off approach toward Aubree. As long as she stayed out of
07:12 Mon, 7 Jul VG
Chapter <b>51 </b>
trouble, they wouldn’t bother with her, Bryan, however, was always the one who disciplined her the most
“Honestly, if you’d really put your foot down the first time you went to see Auline, do you seriously think you couldn’t have brought her back? Let alone all those other times after that!” Daston’s implication wasn’t lost on Bryan, and his mood darkened even farther.
Bryan thought angrily, ‘What does Baston even mean by that? Does he seriously think I deliberately didn’t bring Aubree back, and then just carelessly found someone to be a stand–in for Carmen? Like I have nothing better to do?
What Bryan found even more unbelievable was that everyone else actually bought it. His father feed him with a skeptical re and demanded, “Bryan is it because you still feel guilty about what happened back then that you keep defending Aubree?
“You haven’t been treating Carmen very welltely”
Bryan snapped, “These are twopletely different matters!”
Bryan was fuming. Tve just seen through Carmen’s true nature, that’s all, he thought
“Isn’t it only natural for me to feel guilty about Aubree?” he blurted out. The disapproving stares around the table intensified.
Bryan thought, I’m exhausted<b>, </b>by who was then, and by what I’m facing now!
He didn’t feel like exining anymore. Suddenly, it dawned on him, maybe this was exactly how Aubree used to feel at home. She always did what the family asked, <b>looked </b>after Carmen as best she could, did everything she could to help. But when things didn’t work out, even when it was clearly Carmen’s fault, Aubree was always the one who got med.
“Fine, think whatever you want. Since you’re all dissatisfied with how I handled things, don’te to me about Carmen ever again.” With that final remark, Bryan angrily mmed his chopsticks down and stormed out of the dining room.
As Bryan shoved the <b>door </b>open and came face–to–face with Emery, he shot him a look that screamed, “You’re on your own,” then brushed past him and disappeared into the night.
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