<b>Chapter 448 </b>
<b>“</b>Yeah, Uncle Bowen, thanks for <b>taking </b>care of me all these <b>years</b>. If Mom and Dad were still here. I bet they’d be delighted too, right?” <b>Alvin </b>said, giving a rare, genuine smile
Bowen froze for a second, then quickly looked <b>away</b>, a deep–seated guilt flickering in his eyes.
That night, Aubree returned to Ellis Heights with Bowen In the middle of the night, after Aubree had fallen into a deep sleep. Bowers sat up beside her. He turned to look at her serene face and gently brushed his fingers against her cheek. “I’ve let Alvin down, but I don’t regret it. I just can’t be sure how he would react if he ever found out the truth,” he muttered
Bowen got up, changed into a different outfit, and drove <b>away </b>alone, heading towards the cemetery.
At the entrance of the cemetery, Bowen walked in, dressed in ck. Not far away, concealed from sight, a ck car was parked. The car door opened, and a tall, slender man wearing a baseball cap stepped out. <b>He </b>lifted his head slightly, revealing a well–defined jawline–it was Alvin
Uncle Bowen, you better not be doing what <b>I </b>think <b>you </b>are, Alvin thought.
Everything had gone surprisingly smoothly for Alvin this time, so much so that it almost raised suspicion. Whatever he set out to do seemed to fall into ce effortlessly, a <b>stark </b>contrast to the difficulties he’d faced during earlier investigations. The difference <b>was </b>night and day.
He had already begun to suspect <b>that </b>Bowen was hiding something <b>from </b>him, and this trip only confirmed those suspicions. The list seemed explicitly tailored for him, and every person he approached acted <b>as </b>if they were expecting him–none of them seemed surprised, almost as if they had known this day woulde all along.
At dinner that day, he had deliberately mentioned his parents <b>to </b><b>see </b>if Bowen would show any sign of guilt. In his mind, he told himself that if Bowen had truly done something, he would havee to the cemetery to apologize to his parents.
With a <b>serious </b>expression on his <b>face</b>, Alvin followed Bowen inside. So preupied <b>was </b>Bowen that he didn’t even realize he was being followed.
“Brother…” Under the moonlight, <b>Bowen’s </b><b>face </b>bore a seriousness that no one had ever seen before. His back, usually so straight, gradually bent as he sank to his knees. <b>After </b>a long moment, he finally stood back up.
Alvin was hiding just far enough away that Bowen wouldn’t spot him, but close enough that he could still catch bits <b>of </b>what Bowen was saying. ‘Uncle Bowen, please don’t let things be what I’m thinking… Alvin thought.
He didn’t <b>want </b>to end up on opposite sides with either Bowen or his best friend, Aubree.
“Brother, sister–inw, I’m sorry. I know I was biased in how I handled this,” Bowen said. “I promised I’d <b>take </b><b>care </b>of Alvin, but I kept something from him–something that’s been weighing on his mind all these years.” Not only did he conceal the truth, but he also manipted events behind the scenes<b>. </b>
Reflecting on the smile that Alvin had given him at dinner, Bowen felt a weight settle in his chest. Both Alvin and Aubree were the most significant people in his life, and he found himself unable to choose between them. The thought of either of them getting hurt was unbearable. All he could do was strive to prevent any potential conflict between them from ever arising.
“If you hold this against me, then… When the timees, I’ll seek forgiveness,” Bowen said.
Though Bowen’s words were a bit vague, someone as sharp as Alvin had no trouble connecting the dots; his heart turned cold, as if a bucket of ice water crashed through his body and poured straight into his chest. ‘Could it be Aubree for real?‘ Alvin wondered.
Alvin still wanted to struggle against the truth. ‘What if, just maybe, I’m wrong?‘ he thought desperately.
“Come to think of it, I should thank you both for saving Bree…” Bowen murmured at the grave.
It felt as though something inside Alvin shatteredpletely, with the pieces scattering everywhere. He couldn’t even recall how he had left the cemetery; all he knew was that he departed shortly after Bowen, his entire body rigid with tension. This feeling was reminiscent of the moment he first learned about his parents‘ deaths.
The person he had always trusted had chosen someone else, and the one individual he had truly considered a friend turned out to be his enemy. Alvin lifted his head, blinked once<b>, </b>and felt his eyes welling up with tears.
1/