Chapter 298

Once they were gone, the party hall erupted into a flurry of heated discussions.

A guest said, “I thought Ms. Miller looked familiar before, but after what Mr. Carr said… she does resemble her…”

Another guest scoffed, “Resembles who? Aubree’s way prettier than that woman. If anything, it’s that woman who looks like her.”

A guest whispered, “Wait, so Bowen and Kurtis had a falling out over a woman back then?”

Another guest chimed in, “That’s not how it was. I heard they were just business partners. As for Cordelia Vought, wasn’t it all just a one-sided crush on her part?”

“Oh, who cares what kind of status Cordelia had? She was Mr. Carr’s sweetheart. Does anything else even matter? Haven’t you noticed? Over the past few years, anyone who even slightly resembles her has been given a big break.”

Aubree trailed behind, her mind racing. From what Kurtis had just said, it wasn’t hard to figure out she resembled someone, and that person seemed to be at the center of a falling-out between Bowen and Kurtis.

So…

Aubree narrowed her eyes. Was Bowen’s inexplicable kindness to me from the beginning because of this?

“The classic stand-in trope?”

A cold, mocking laugh echoed in her mind as her gaze on Bowen’s back turned sharp and dangerous. ‘You’d better not be playing this game with me, Bowen. Otherwise… just try me!’

Bowen’s eyelid twitched inexplicably, a wave of unease washing over him.

“Word around Rithol City is that Ms. Miller’s success is all thanks to you, Mr. Turner, the most successful investor. Am I wrong?” said Kurtis.

Kurtis flashed a smile. Had it not been for the biting sarcasm lacing his words, one might almost think he was genuinely praising them both.

“I’ve got great taste,” Bowen replied with a confident grin, accepting the compliment without hesitation.

Aubree rolled her eyes. ‘Please, that was all me.’

They entered the private room. As the door closed, Bowen paused mid-step. “Oh, right, I haven’t properly introduced you to Mr. Carr yet.”

“This is Aubree Miller, founder of Bree Technology and my girlfriend.”

“So, to answer your first question today, she’s not just familiar. She’s etched permanently in my memory.”

Then, he reached out and pulled Aubree, who had been standing just behind Kurtis, firmly into his embrace. Locking eyes with Kurtis in a silent battle of wills, Bowen was unmistakably staking his claim.

Kurtis’s mask of civility began to crack. He thought, ‘Girlfriend?! Alice never told me that.’

‘No way. How could Bowen possibly have a girlfriend?’

The smile slid off Kurtis’s face, his eyes glinting with menace. He seized Bowen by the collar and snarled, “You’re dating? How dare you? What gives you the right?"

“Cordelia died for you! You belong to her!”

Aubree was utterly bewildered. ‘What the hell is going on here?’ she thought.

Bowen looked genuinely confused and asked, “Who’s Cordelia?”

Aubree shrugged Bowen’s hand off. “Who else? Your old flame, obviously,” she scoffed.

She crossed her arms and stepped aside. “Mr. Carr, could you calm down for a moment?

“Sort out your old grudges yourselves. Honestly, I don’t even care why you dragged me to this party. But give me Gordon’s information.

“As for us,” she shot Bowen a glare, “we’ll settle this later!”

That last line was for Bowen, who raised his hands in mock surrender. “As you wish, my girlfriend.”

Aubree’s nose twitched. ‘Did someone spray perfume in here? It smells so sweet… Almost too sweet,’ she wondered.

Kurtis finally released Bowen, his eyes wide with disbelief. “You don’t remember her? How could you not remember Cordelia? She died because of you!”

His fists clenched, knuckles white with anger, as he continued, “When you were expanding your business in Kroit City, you stayed for two years. You were kidnapped. It was because of her that you walked away unscathed!”

“Yeah, I was targeted for kidnapping,” Bowen said. “But do you think the people I’ve got on my payroll are just sitting around doing nothing? I got tipped off early and deliberately avoided the route those kidnappers were staking out.”

“Then why did you leave Kroit City the very next day?” Kurtis demanded, his voice sharp with accusation.