Chapter 450
Aubree stared at Carmen, and suddenly, an idea flashed in her mind – one she had never considered before. “The Wilson family… Wilson Group.” Unconsciously, her fingers curled, and she allowed a small, almost imperceptible smile to form. Carmen is bolder than I thought, she reflected.
Aubree didn’t bother hiding her gaze, and it wasn’t long before Carmen noticed her. “Aubree,” Carmen called out, still wearing that gentle, easygoing smile, like all the drama between them had never even happened.
“Are you the one behind this?” Aubree asked, surprisingly holding back from walking away with her usual cold demeanor.
Carmen realized that Aubree might be feeling a bit threatened by her now. BeeShare was everywhere in Rithol City – those bright yellow e-bikes were lined up on every street, and they had already earned a fortune.
She stood up straighter, beaming with pride. Since Aubree had already seen it, there was no point pretending otherwise – Aubree could easily dig up the truth if she wanted. “Yeah, Aubree. My project’s not any worse than yours, right?”
Ernesto had instructed her to keep her involvement in the project confidential for now, allowing her to transition more smoothly into the Wilson Group later. On the surface, everyone believed it was merely an investment from the Diamonde Group.
Now, Ronald was investigating who was truly behind BeeShare. According to the plan that Carmen and Ernesto devised, she intended to reveal herself as the mastermind during the upcoming round of external financing. She needed to ensure that Ronald did not discover her true intentions. When he finally approached her to discuss it, all she had to do was pretend she had been coerced and place the blame entirely on her uncle.
“Yeah, not bad,” Aubree replied, giving a faint smile and a nod.
To anyone watching, the two of them appeared to be old friends casually discussing life after a long separation. Carmen’s expression darkened; her earlier good mood evaporated. Why is she so calm? Shouldn’t Aubree show at least a bit of shock? At the very least, shouldn’t she feel somewhat threatened by me?
Isn’t she worried that if I blow this project up, I’ll end up becoming a serious rival to her? Or does Aubree not see me as competitive at all?
The thought momentarily clouded Carmen’s expression, but she quickly reverted to a smile. “When I first launched the e-bike project, I could only introduce the bikes outside of universities. Most schools were concerned about safety and wouldn’t allow me to bring the bikes onto campus.”
Aubree just looked at her. Carmen’s smile grew even brighter. “I figured if Rithol University – the top school in Lumanon – agreed, it’d open doors with the other schools too. However, I’m not a student at Rithol University, and I don’t know anyone there, so I didn’t have any connections. Luckily, Alvin helped me out.”
“Aubree, I remember that you and Alvin are good friends. Do you think he helped me because of you? I suppose I owe you a thank you, then.” She wasn’t lying – Alvin was indeed the one who assisted her in bringing BeeShare to Rithol University’s campus.
Carmen closely observed Aubree’s expression, and at last, she received the reaction she had eagerly anticipated. Shock and disbelief flickered across Aubree’s face as she struggled to grasp what she was hearing. Alvin helped Carmen? The thought sent her mind reeling.
She could hardly believe what she heard. Her heart sank, and she didn’t even think to question Carmen’s words. Aubree knew that Carmen wouldn’t dare say something like that unless it was true about Alvin. If Carmen is saying it, then it must be true, but why? Aubree couldn’t make sense of it.
Aubree swallowed her surprise, her expression smoothing out. “Well, since you’ve already shared so much, I suppose I can’t refuse your thanks, can I? It’s not like I’m lacking anything, though. How about this – if you want to show your appreciation, why not give me a share of BeeShare’s stock? After all, according to your reasoning, my connections did help propel BeeShare’s success, right?”
“Are you out of your mind?” Carmen stared at Aubree as if she had lost her sanity. Not only did Aubree not question her or leave in embarrassment or anger, but now she was eyeing Carmen’s profits.
“You’re insane!” Carmen snapped, spinning around and rushing off, nearly tripping over herself as if she genuinely feared Aubree might seize her shares.