Chapter 491
He quickly brushed off that odd feeling. There were more important things for him to deal with at the moment. Ronald picked up his phone and called Alice. “About that plan to kidnap Aubree we talked about last time–let’s get it started right away. As for the timing, I remember the Mansell family is hosting a party next month. From what I’ve heard, Aubree is on the guest list, and she’ll probably show up. Let’s settle on that for now. We’ll talk details later.”
It had been half a month since the investment meeting. The last time Bowen came to pick Aubree up and ran into Lucas, he hadn’t said anything about it afterward. Aubree hadn’t thought much of it either. But for some reason, over the past two weeks, Lucas had been acting like a total lunatic. It was like he’d completely forgotten everything that happened at the detention center last time. He just kept popping up wherever she went, as if by “coincidence.” That wasn’t even the worst part. No matter how many times Aubree turned him down, he wouldn’t take no for an answer. He’d even cornered her at the school and outside her office building more than once. Aubree was fed up, but there wasn’t much she could do about Lucas. Bowen had been swamped with work lately because of Alvin’s move into the company. She didn’t want to bother him with this. So, she could only try to avoid Lucas as much as possible.
She thought Bowen was clueless about all this, but honestly, when it came to anything about Aubree, there was no way he’d miss a thing. Bowen had been keeping tabs on everything. He had been so jealous lately that everyone around him could clearly tell.
Outside Rithol University. Aubree slipped out of campus cautiously. For the past few days, Lucas had been showing up to pick her up. Even though she never got in his car, she still ended up being the center of attention. It was honestly getting on her nerves. Since she couldn’t do anything to Lucas, she felt that she could try to dodge him. She glanced around, eyes darting everywhere like a little thief. Only after making sure that Lucas was nowhere to be seen did she finally breathe a sigh of relief.
Not far away, Bowen watched her with a smile tugging at his lips. She looked just like a little hamster poking her head out of its burrow, scanning the area, all cautious and twitchy. “Hey, Bree,” he called out. “Bowen! What brings you here?” Aubree asked. “I wasn’t busy today. I saw you had classes all the way till the last period, so I figured I’d come get you and take you over to Ellis Heights,” Bowen replied. “Let’s go right now,” Aubree urged, anxious that maybe Lucas was just running late today. If the two of them bumped into each other at the crowded university gate, she felt that she’d probably be trending online by tomorrow. She grabbed Bowen’s arm and ducked into the car with him. Bowen just raised an eyebrow, not bothering to ask what was up. He kept that gentle, doting smile on his face the whole time. Aubree couldn’t help feeling a bit guilty. When she saw Bowen acting completely normal, she finally let herself relax. The smile in Bowen’s eyes slowly spread, even carrying a trace of excitement.
Dinner was at his place that night. “Bree, want a drink?” Bowen asked. She sneaked glances at him several times, but he had an entire wall filled with his prized liquor collection–some bottles were worth more than an apartment. Aubree was a little tempted. “Maybe just a little.” Bowen smiled as he picked out a bottle from his collection. This one was smooth and easy at first, but it would sneak up on people later. The best part was that it would get people tipsy without a nasty hangover. They would wake up the next day feeling totally fine. “Let’s go with this one,” he said. He poured a glass for Aubree first. “Give it a try.” Aubree knew she wasn’t much of a drinker, so she just took a small sip. The moment it touched her lips, her eyes sparkled. ‘Is this what money tastes like?‘ she thought.
After finishing her glass, Aubree found herself wanting another taste. Bowen quickly topped her off, and before she realized it, she’d ended up drinking most of the bottle all by herself. Her cheeks flushed a rosy red. Aubree hiccuped, her eyes growing glassy. “I want more.”