Chapter 553
Back in Rithol City, Alvin’s name was basically a golden ticket, and everyone who saw him would respectfully address him as "Mr. Turner."
“Hello, Grandpa. I’m a college student. I met Mr. Nelson while conducting field research for my project. He mentioned a few things about Mistmere, and I thought this place would be a great fit for my study, so I came along with him.”
“Oh. I see,” Pontus responded, though he didn’t really understand what that meant.
Jacob explained, “This young man is a top student. After talking with him, I realized… Dad, I’ve been wrong all these years. I didn’t consider your feelings, and I hardly ever came back to visit you.”
He held Pontus’s hand as a few tears slipped down his face.
Pontus’s eyes turned red with emotion as he patted his son’s hand, comforting, “It’s good that you’re back, it’s good that you’re back.”
“And may I ask your last name, young man?” Now that he knew his son had come back because of Alvin, Pontus looked at him with much more kindness.
Alvin smiled in response, “It’s Turner.”
Something’s definitely fishy here, Aubree thought. ‘Like I’d ever believe Alvin just happened to bump into Jacob by chance.
‘No wonder they said people from Wilson Group and Turner Group showed up early, but all I saw was Carmen.
Alvin probably looked into Pontus ahead of time. Just listening to Pontus talk, it’s not hard to figure out what kind of guy Jacob is.
Jacob wants money, and he thinks Pontus is a burden. But when the cash is big enough, even a “little hassle” stops being a hassle.
‘I’ve gotta admit, Alvin really knows how to play his cards. He finds the weak spot, and even the trickiest problem can be solved with just a few words.
When Pontus heard that Alvin’s last name was Turner, too, he exclaimed, “Well, isn’t that a coincidence? You and this kid here share the same last name.”
“You know, I feel like you two are really similar. You even look a bit alike.”
‘Similar? Please. They don’t just share a last name; they’re literally family,’ Aubree snarked to herself.
Judging by the way things were going, Aubree figured Bowen and Alvin weren’t about to admit they were related.
“Yeah, what a coincidence. He’s my nephew,” Bowen said, admitting it outright before Aubree could even finish her thought.
She shot him a surprised look. Lately, plenty of people had come to Ridgehaven Town to talk about the demolition, but none had succeeded. Now, only the Wilsons, the Turners, and she were left. Everyone outside was waiting to see which family would ultimately win the project.
The excuses they provided weren’t unusual individually, but combined with their relationship as uncle and nephew, they seemed rather suspicious.
Alvin glanced over, too, his eyes full of surprise.
But it all happened in a split second.
He nodded in response, “Yeah, that’s my uncle."
“Honestly, when I first saw Uncle Bowen here, I was pretty surprised. I figured he was here for something, so I just kept quiet.”
Compared to everyone else, Bowen looked much calmer, his face completely unreadable.
Aubree stuck around and chatted for a while. Pontus had always liked this sweet, pretty girl, and now that Alvin had brought his son back home, Pontus was so grateful he didn’t even bother thinking about the connection between Bowen and Alvin.
After a while, Pontus said, “Looks like today’s a real special day. Do me this old man a favor and stay for lunch, alright? Let me cook for you all.
“Not to brag, but my cooking is the best for miles around.”
Jacob quickly added, “My dad’s food is amazing. You should all stay and have lunch with us.”
If you looked closely, you’d notice that when he spoke, he glanced at Alvin with a bit of nervous caution in his eyes.
Aubree was just about to turn down the invitation when she glanced up and spotted a guy who looked to be in his twenties walking past the doorway, carrying something in his hands.
Wait, he’s heading this way… Aubree thought as she immediately sat up straighter before giving Bowen a quick kick with her foot under the table.