Chapter 88
A blond, blue-eyed man waved Bowen’s phone teasingly and joked in a crisp London accent, “Bowen, your phone’s ringing, it’s from your home country. Could it be your sweetheart missing you already?”
Bowen took the phone, saw it was Carol calling, and explained to him, “It’s just our housekeeper.”
The dashing foreigner before him was Aidan Matthews, scion of the prestigious Matthews family in Odionland. Their diversified business empire spanned multiple industries, with digital media and the internet as their crown jewel, fields in which they reigned as undisputed leaders.
“I was just feeling sorry for my hopelessly smitten little sister, but thankfully it was just a misunderstanding.” Aidan shrugged with a teasing grin and pointed to the golden-haired girl nearby, dressed up like a doll under her dainty parasol. “Bowen, are you really not going to give my sister a chance? I promise, she’s the most sought-after debutante in all of Odionland’s high society.”
Bowen didn’t even spare a glance in that direction, though that burning gaze, so frank and full of affection, had been fixed on him from the moment he set foot on the golf course.
“Compared to pampered flowers, I think I prefer the tenacious grass that defies the harsh winds on a cliff,” Bowen said with a wry, apologetic smile, “Now, if you’ll excuse me.”
Bowen stepped away with his phone and called Carol back.
No sooner had Bowen walked away than Isla, the doll-like girl under her dainty parasol, glided over to her brother and pouted coquettishly. “Brother, what did Bowen say?” she asked, her tone full of playful curiosity.
Aidan let out a helpless sigh. He’d already tried his damnedest for his little sister’s happiness.
“Isla, I think something intriguing happened to Bowen during his trip back to Lumanon,” Aidan remarked. As a fellow man, he noticed the subtle shift in Bowen’s expression when he jokingly brought up the sweetheart.
Bowen called Carol back. She asked if he’d be returning soon and briefly explained what had happened to Aubree recently.
Bowen said, “I don’t need to go back just for this; she’s already handled it perfectly well, hasn’t she?”
He continued, “I won’t be coming back just yet. Do keep an eye on things over there for me.” He had to admit to himself that, in a way, he was running away like a coward.
Bowen’s mind drifted back to that kiss. He knew full well it had been an accident, yet that night, his dreams kept replaying it over and over.
I’m not going back until I sort out my feelings for Bree, Bowen thought to himself.
“But Bree’s moving out of Ellis Heights; she’s upstairs packing right now, and I just can’t stop her.” Carol lingered downstairs, stealing anxious glances upward as dusk fell. Bree had come home insisting she’d already found a new place, and no amount of pleading could change her mind.
Before Bowen left, he repeatedly reminded Carol to take good care of Aubree. Now, frantic with worry and at her wits’ end, Carol had no choice but to call him.
Hearing that Aubree was moving out of Ellis Heights, Bowen’s mind went completely blank. She’s leaving? he thought in shock.
Even though I knew she couldn’t stay at Ellis Heights forever, this is way too sudden. Is it because of that drunken night? She’s trying to avoid me too, Bowen thought.
That was the only reason Bowen could think of.
Bowen was instantly restless. Less than a minute after insisting he wouldn’t return, he hung up on Carol and immediately messaged Kelvin: [Book me the earliest flight back home tomorrow.]
Bowen’s frustration shifted to Zachary. Damn it, didn’t I tell him to keep an eye on her? Now she’s about to leave and he didn’t even give me a heads-up? he fumed inwardly.
If Zachary could read his boss’s mind right now, he’d surely protest his innocence. His orders were just to keep her safe; moving house clearly wasn’t part of the job description.
Carol still couldn’t stop Aubree from leaving. The haste of her departure made it clear that she was deliberately trying to avoid Bowen.
Bowen just gave me such a strange feeling… Aubree thought to herself.
There was never any real connection between her and him. Even their first meeting was so random; she still couldn’t figure out how it happened.
Now that I’ve achieved what I needed, since Turner Group has invested and taken an equity stake, there’s no way Bowen, as the head of such a large corporation, would personally oversee this project. There must be other executives handling it, Aubree thought to herself.