Chapter 278
“Of course. I’m not afraid even if they try to come after me,” Aubree said. Ever since she severed ties with the Wilson family, it was destined that she would stand against the Wilson family and all their allies.
Besides, the two sons of the Diamonde family in this generation weren’t particularly capable. They were great at scrambling for power among themselves, but they turned into paper tigers when it came to outsiders. The Diamonde family had been declining steadily. Back then, they used to be on equal footing with the Turner family, but now, even the Wilson family made them think twice.
If it weren’t for the Diamonde family’s Phoenyra Jewelry, a time-honored brand in Südlichen Strand catering to elite clientele with extensive connections, the family would have gone under long ago.
Aubree asked, “By the way, what’s the status of that joint venture the Lawson and Wilson families secured at the bidding conference?”
Bowen said, “I was just about to bring that up.” As he spoke, the car pulled up in front of Aubree’s apartment building.
Bowen unbuckled his seatbelt and turned to face her with a probing gaze. “Bree, did you know all along that they’d unearth an ancient tomb at the East District site?”
The East District Project was nearing completion when workers unexpectedly unearthed an ancient tomb of immense archaeological significance. In recent days, the Wilson and Lawson families have been running themselves ragged and talking themselves hoarse trying to resolve the situation. But given the tomb’s exceptional historical value, the authorities refused to budge and issued a mandatory suspension order.
As for when work could resume, that depended entirely on when the archaeological team finished excavating that tomb.
After all, both the Wilson and Lawson families had high hopes for that project. As it neared completion, they poured massive amounts into publicity, generating massive hype and sky-high expectations, only for the sudden discovery of an ancient tomb to bring everything to a grinding halt.
Suddenly, all that publicity money went straight down the drain.
If the tomb was small, that was manageable. But if it was a major site that takes years, even a decade or more, to excavate, they’d be in for a world of trouble. All the money invested in the project would go down the drain.
Even the Lawson and Wilson families took a heavy hit from that.
Aubree met his gaze with a knowing smile. “What do you think?”
Actually, Bowen already had the answer. Ever since she stopped him, it had been staring him in the face.
Bowen thought, ‘But I investigated thoroughly. Before I invited Bree to the bidding conference, she hadn’t shown the slightest interest in the East District Project. So, how on earth did she know about it? Clairvoyant?’
Bowen couldn’t fathom it. Not being in control made him anxious, so he dug his nails into his palm, forcing himself to calm down. A myriad of emotions flickered in his eyes, but in the end, all that remained was pure affection. With a soft chuckle, he said, “My brilliant Bree, only you could have known this. If it weren’t for you, my amazing girlfriend, I’d be the one running around like a headless chicken right now.”
'He didn’t even ask?' Aubree thought, stealing a few more glances at Bowen. She had braced herself for his interrogation.
Aubree’s eyes softened instantly. “After all you’ve done for me, how could I just stand by and not stop you when I knew something bad was about to happen?”
“So, as my reward, how about letting me share your bed tonight, Bree?” Bowen leaned in until their noses almost touched, a playful smile in his eyes.
Aubree was momentarily dazed by Bowen’s handsome face, and her mind went blank for a second. But as soon as his words registered, her cheeks flushed. She quickly shoved him away and scrambled out of the car. “Ugh! Bowen Turner, have you no shame? We’ve only been dating for a few days, and you’re already trying to move in?”
Bowen couldn’t help but feel a pang of regret.
Back at Rithol University the next day, Aubree went with her roommates to collect their military training uniforms. Their training would officially start tomorrow, but the subpar-quality uniforms already reeked right out of the package.