Chapter 453
Bowen talked a lot, but he couldn’t read the expression on Alvin’s face. He had no idea what he was thinking.
“What am I thinking?” Alvin felt like laughing. He did, but it was a cold, mocking laugh.
'Back when Mom and Dad passed away, Uncle Bowen was just as heartbroken as I was. And when I showed hostility toward the one who was saved, didn’t Uncle Bowen always let it be?
“Why is he suddenly so anxious when it’s about Aubree? If he could, would he want to deal with Aubree? The truth is he couldn’t let go of it!” Alvin thought to himself.
“Uncle Bowen, you should break up with Aubree. After all, you both have only been together for a short while…” Alvin said.
As soon as he said that, Alvin could tell Bowen was getting angry.
“Moreover, I don’t think Aubree really likes you that much. Maybe it’s just that you’re the only one around right now. You’ve helped her out of difficult situations many times, so she feels grateful to you. When you confessed your feelings, she didn’t outright reject them. That’s about it.
“It’s not like she’s someone you can’t live without. Just break up with her, and then you can watch me kick her out of Rithol City. That way, I’ll be done with her for good,” Alvin said, his gaze deep and unwavering, every word he spoke full of conviction.
“Right now, this is what’s best for both me and her,” Alvin added.
He stared straight at Bowen, their eyes meeting in a silent clash. It was an unspoken battle.
What Alvin didn’t say was that even if Bowen insisted on protecting Aubree, he still had ways to split them.
He hadn’t told Aubree yet that Uncle Bowen was the benefactor. Aubree hated being lied to. With her whole heart and mind, she just wanted to find the person who helped her back then and repay him.
‘If she ever found out it was Uncle Bowen, she would definitely think he had ulterior motives all along—that every time he got close, every kind gesture, every bit of help, was never a coincidence, but all part of his plan.
‘Maybe Uncle Bowen could smooth things over with a few sweet words, but that was the best-case scenario. What if something else happens between them?’ Alvin thought. He had thought it all through, every step carefully calculated.
“No way!” Bowen snapped. “I admit that if it weren’t for Aubree, I’d probably just let you do whatever you want, as long as you don’t go too far,” Bowen said, his voice firm.
“I have my own selfish reasons, and that’s normal. But if Aubree really were the one responsible back then, I wouldn’t stand in your way even if I liked her. She was just a kid back then; she didn’t have a choice.
“Your parents risked their lives to save her. In a way, isn’t she a continuation of their lives?” Bowen said.
Alvin laughed heartily, saying, “If Mom and Dad hadn’t gotten involved with her back then, I have no idea if she’d be alive or dead. But I do know this—my parents would still be alive and well!”
The two parted on bad terms. Alvin finished the glass of wine in front of him and left. Bowen stared at the empty glass, his chest feeling as if it were weighed down by a heavy stone, tight and suffocating. ‘So, it’s come to this after all,’ he thought.
He had no idea what Alvin would do next. All that he could do now was prepare for anything.
Aubree was unaware of the hidden tensions within the Turner family. The only thing that seemed unusual to her was that Bowen had been much busier lately. However, that wasn’t something out of the ordinary. If Bowen ever stopped being busy, that would raise real concerns.
She didn’t have time to overthink because Zappy had made a tremendous breakthrough in the overseas market.
Aubree flew to New York, and with the Matthews family’s help, she managed to secure investments from some major players in Novara. They set up Zappy’s overseas branch and planned to get the international version of Zappy listed on the Novara stock market.