<b>Chapter </b>452
However, Alvin was determined then to follow in his mother’s footsteps and pursue a career as an artist.
“Dad’s <b>a </b>politician, <b>always </b>busy with work. Mom loves to travel and see the world, but she <b>gives </b><b>up </b>her freedom for Dad. So, she uses her paintbrush <b>to </b>capture the world she dreams of,” he said.
“I don’t want to go into business <b>or </b>politics<b>; </b><b>I </b>want to be the eyes for my parents and <b>see </b>the world on their behalf,” he added. <b>That </b><b>was </b>Alvin’s initial thought when he pursued painting.
“Why? Didn’t you say <b>you </b>didn’t want to when I asked previously?” Enrique asked, genuinely curious.
Alvin pursed his lips, thinking. Turner Group is massive<b>. </b>The biggest shareholder is Uncle Bowen, who holds <b>20</b>% of the shares. Next are Grandpa
and I.
<b>My </b>shares,bined with those from Mom and Dad, amount to 13%. Grandpa previously transferred part of his shares to Uncle Bowen, and he now holds 10%. If I join thepany, <b>there’s </b>a chance I can rival Uncle Bowen.
“Now that I’m grown, <b>as </b><b>a </b>Turner, I’ve enjoyed all the privileges this family has <b>given </b>me. I can’t let Uncle Bowen handle everything on his own while I sit back and enjoy,” Alvin said.
It’s a perfectly reasonable excuse; the kind of thing Alvin woulde up with. Enrique thought.
Enrique said, waving his hand, “<b>If </b>you want to join thepany, all it takes is a sentence. You’re smart and always have a knack for this kind of thing, not to mention you’re the secondrgest shareholder.
“How about this? You take on a double major in finance this semester, and if your final grades are among the top, I’ll personally approve you joining thepany. But you’ll have to start from the bottom.<b>” </b>
Alvin smiled and said, “I’ll make it happen, Grandpa. But before I join thepany, please don’t tell Uncle Bowen. I want to give him a surprise.”
‘Uncle Bowen has been running thepany for years and is known for his tough methods. If I parachute straight into a high–level position, it might not benefit me. Starting from the bottom fits perfectly with my n, Alvin thought.
Enrique chuckled and scolded, “You always mess around with pointless things.”
Alvin just smiled without saying a word, fidgeting with his fingers. ‘Uncle Bowen is asking me out for dinner; he must have already known something. If he knows I’m nning to join thepany, he’ll most likely try to stop it, Alvin thought.
Alvin went for dinner that night. They popped open two bottles of wine at the table. Bowen offered Alvin a toast, saying, “Alvin, you’ve grown up.”
Alvin kept <b>a </b>straight face. “Uncle Bowen, you shouldn’t have kept this from me,” he said.
They both knew what Alvin was referring to. “Well, it’s not that I managed to keep it from you anyway, did I? Bowen said.
“I still remember, back when I first got together with Bree, you told me that even if you’re my uncle, you won’t be on my side if I ever do her wrong,” Alvin said..
“Alvin, you’ve always been a bit aloof, and with our family background, most people who tried to get close to you since you were young just wanted something from you. Honestly, Bree was your first real friend. She was an innocent victim of everything that happened back then,” Bowen said.
“Isn’t it a good thing if only the ones who truly deserve it get punished?” Bowen added.
Bowen still held onto a bit of hope. To Alvin, Bree wasn’t a stranger, nor was she just a possible future aunt. She was also his only true friend. Alvin lowered his head; it was hard to tell what he was thinking.
“In fact… You might’ve already figured it out. Bree no longer remembers what happened back then.
“After your parents rescued her, she was in and out of a fever, and ended up forgetting everything that happened that night. She only remembers being abducted and then ending up in the orphanage,” Bowen said.
‘Forgotten?‘ Alvin felt a surge of anger rise. What right did she have to forget? How could she so easily and guiltlessly forget?‘ he thought.
Bowen’s original intention was to have Alvin let go of the matter out of consideration for their past rtionship. However, the more he showed he cared, the angrier Alvin became.