Chapter 603
A playful glint flashed in Bowen’s eyes. “All this time, and you’re still so hopeless? Haven’t learned a thing, have you?”
Aubree shot him a glare. “You think everyone’s as insatiable as you? Seriously, you’re like a demon reincarnated.”
“Hey, even if I am insatiable, it depends on the person. With anyone else, I wouldn’t even think about kissing, let alone…” Before he could finish, Aubree quickly slapped her hand over his mouth.
“Keep your voice down! There are other people here, you know. Do you really want everyone to hear this kind of stuff?” Aubree’s eyes were wide.
Bowen let out a helpless laugh, then suddenly leaned in to whisper in her ear, “Actually, Ollie gave me a few things not long ago. I picked out something I really liked, and I want to see you wear it for me tonight.”
Aubree instantly turned as red as a tomato, her blush spreading all the way down her neck. “Can you not be so shameless for once?”
She grumbled a couple of times in mock annoyance, but she didn’t actually refuse him.
Bowen smiled, looking completely satisfied. He held her hand, and after Aubree had finally settled down, he got serious. “Honestly, when I saw Oliver up there on stage, the first thing I felt wasn’t jealousy or anger.”
“It was fear,” Bowen admitted quietly.
He said it again, a little more earnest this time. “I was scared, Bree.”
“You just keep getting more amazing, and more people are starting to notice you. I’m so much older than you. I used to be the one guiding you, but now you don’t even need me for that anymore. What if one day… Bree, I’m scared you’ll leave me behind.”
He sounded genuinely emotional, but it was likely that most of it was just him acting pitiful, trying to score some extra affection. This man was shamelessly using this excuse to get a little more love from her.
Aubree laughed, genuinely surprised. She never expected Bowen to be the insecure one in their relationship. She always thought she was a good match for him, and with his looks and status, he really had nothing to feel insecure about.
But since Aubree felt that her man deserved to be spoiled by her, she obediently wrapped her arms around him and said softly, “As long as you don’t lie to me or betray me, I’ll never be the one to let go first.”
She didn’t notice the brief flicker of discomfort in Bowen’s eyes.
“I won’t betray you. Never,” he said firmly.
“I know,” Aubree replied, her smile bright and full of trust. She really did believe in him. If she didn’t trust him, she would have questioned him about what Oliver said earlier.
Ever since Bowen got back from Mistmere, he’d been buried in work, and when Aubree returned, she was busy with the Ridgehaven Town project, too. It wasn’t until the plans were finally settled and the actual construction handed off to the team that they both finally had some free time.
He hadn’t really spent any real time with her in a while. He also wanted to ask her about the cancer medication. Thus, Bowen booked a table at one of Aubree’s favorite restaurants, planning to bring it up over dinner.
But neither of them had a clue that the internet was already going wild over Oliver giving Aubree flowers.
Even though Aubree wasn’t a celebrity, she’d become a hot topic of discussion ever since she stepped into the spotlight. The whole saga of the rich family’s lost daughter being found, then fighting with the fake heiress, breaking away from her family to make it on her own at such a young age, and now teaming up with Bowen, the business tycoon everyone knows, was just too much drama for people to resist.
Whether it was juicy gossip or her latest business moves, any new development about her would instantly get picked apart by those clout-chasing bloggers and influencer accounts.
The paparazzi didn’t even bother hyping things up. They had just dropped a few photos of Oliver handing flowers to Aubree on stage, the two of them shaking hands and hugging, and then a couple of shots of Bowen showing up, and that of all three of them facing off.