Chapter 390
Before Aubree could even find a chance to reach out to Sheldon, he beat her to it and extended an olive branch first. Sheldon took the initiative to contact Aubree, dropping hints that he wanted in on the GrabCheap project as an investor. He’d actually noticed her back at the last Internet Innovation Conference, when Tryfon Marchuk couldn’t stop singing her praises.
“Once I wrap things up on my end, I’ll bring my team over to Rithol City to talk partnership with you, Ms. Miller,” Sheldon said.
The two of them hit it off right away.
With a few days of vacation left after Christmas, Aubree got a call from Alvin.
He said, “Aubree, remember that thing I told you I was looking into? I’ve traced it back to an orphanage, and it turns out it’s the one you used to live in. I don’t know Ethel, so I was hoping you could help me make the connection and come with me to check it out.”
“Oh, that thing? Sure, I haven’t been back to see Ethel in a while. How about this afternoon?” Aubree agreed without hesitation.
That afternoon, Alvin picked her up, and Aubree brought some health supplements to the orphanage. The last time she visited, Ethel Yahya hadn’t been in the best health. The doctor had advised her to rest, eat nutritious food, and keep her stress levels down.
When they arrived at the orphanage, it wasn’t Ethel who greeted them.
“Oh, I’m Ethel’s niece. My name is Angela Yahya. She can’t overexert herself these days, so I’m here to help out,” Angela explained.
Aubree’s heart sank. Ethel had never married or had children of her own. She’d opened the orphanage and treated all the kids like her own. Now that she’d asked Angela to help out, Aubree guessed Ethel was preparing for the worst and planning to let Angela take over the orphanage after she was gone.
“I’m Aubree Miller, one of the kids who grew up here. We’re here to see Ethel,” Aubree introduced herself.
“I know who you are. My aunt mentions you all the time. Actually, someone else just came to see her right before you, so let me check if it’s a good time for you to go in,” Angela said.
They made their way to Ethel’s room. But before Angela could even step inside to ask, the door opened from the inside. The person who walked out left both Aubree and Alvin wide-eyed in shock.
“Bowen?” Aubree blurted out.
“Uncle Bowen!” Alvin exclaimed.
“What are you doing here?” Aubree blurted out, still reeling from the surprise.
Bowen didn’t look the least bit surprised to see them. His gaze swept over Alvin before he turned to Aubree with a smile. “Didn’t you complain last time that Ethel wasn’t doing well? I brought in a top-notch traditional doctor to check on her and help her recover. And what brings you two here?”
Alvin instinctively didn’t want Bowen to know his real reason for coming. His eyes flickered with something unreadable, but his face stayed as cool as ever. “Aubree came to visit Ethel. I’m just tagging along,” he replied.
“Got it. The doctor’s still inside with her, so you’ll have to wait a bit,” Bowen said with a smile.
Then, shameless as ever, Bowen sidled right up to Aubree, naturally slipping his arm around her and resting his head on her shoulder. “My girlfriend finally gets some time off, and she doesn’t even think to spend it with me?”
Aubree couldn’t help but feel a little guilty.
“Use me and toss me away, huh?” Bowen teased.
“Well…” Aubree mumbled.
“I helped you get Sophia to Südlichen Strand, and what do you do, you little heartless thing? You just left me all alone at the hotel and ran off by yourself.” Bowen went on, pretending to be hurt.
Aubree rubbed her nose, feeling a little sheepish. At the last press conference, she’d been so swamped that she’d asked Bowen to help sneak Sophia out from under the Wilson family’s noses and bring her to Südlichen Strand. To avoid any unnecessary drama, Bowen had waited for her at the hotel, and they’d even planned to grab dinner together. But as soon as the reporters started swarming her and Manchotech called about a partnership, she totally spaced on Bowen and left him hanging.