“If Bree’s been inside for too long, go check on her.” These were Bowen’s parting words to Zachary. While unlikely, after the Daxton incident, Bowen couldn’t afford to be careless. Last time, he’d made it just in time, but he couldn’t count on always being that lucky.
When Zachary arrived, he found Aubree still locked in a tense standoff with Jacob.
‘He knew Alvin and the others were gone, and from the way he looked at me, he must know me. This guy is no ordinary threat,’ Aubree thought.
Aubree grew even more cautious, not daring to make the first move. “Sir, if you have nothing else, I’ll take my leave now,” she said carefully.
Jacob wasn’t about to let Aubree leave. Without another word, he lunged for her.
Being on guard, Aubree reacted swiftly. Maybe Jacob was caught off guard, but she managed to land a perfect throw. With a sharp over-the-shoulder move, she sent Jacob crashing hard to the ground.
Jacob, always coddled and never having suffered such humiliation, grimaced in pain, his vision swimming.
“Fuck!” he fumed. “I’ve never lost in the game of love before, but this little girl just got the best of me.”
Clutching his aching waist as he struggled to his feet, Jacob’s fury only hardened his resolve. He was now hell-bent on making Aubree grovel at his feet.
“She’s got quite the temper,” Jacob muttered to himself, just catching his breath when Zachary showed up right on cue.
Seeing this scene, Zachary instantly knew the red-haired guy was bad news.
Jacob clenched his jaw. He was no useless pretty boy. Even if Aubree could do some self-defense, it’d just mean putting in a little extra effort if he was on guard.
“I’m not holding it against you for hurting me just now. Do you even know who I am? I’m-” Before Jacob could finish, Zachary punched him square in the face.
He was sent flying back a foot and a half. The punch packed serious power, leaving him dazed, his head throbbing, and seeing stars.
“Motherfucker! Who the fuck dares to lay a hand on me!” Jacob roared as he scrambled up from the ground.
Zachary rarely appeared in public with Bowen, so few people knew he was part of the Turner family.
Aubree’s expression darkened. “What’s your next move?” she asked Jacob.
Jacob was shaken by Zachary’s intimidating presence, cursing his bad luck under his breath.
Seeing that Jacob dared not make another move, Aubree then left with Zachary.
Clutching his face, Jacob grimaced in pain and snarled, “Fuck! Just wait till I find out who that bastard is. I’ll fucking end him! Fuck!” The more he thought about it, the angrier he got.
Jacob immediately made a call. “Hey, listen up! I just got beaten up in Rithol City. Find out who did it. Be quick! Oh, and there’s this chick named Aubree, look into her too.”
After a few seconds, Jacob yelled, “He’s related to the Turner family? Fuck, I’m their damn brother-in-law!”
Chapter 76
In Rithol City, is there anything I can’t get? How dare someone lay hands on me? Aubree, huh? I’ll remember that name. She’d better fucking pray she can dodge me every single time,’ Jacob cursed inwardly.
Aubree made it to the restaurant safe and sound after the scare.
At first glance, Zachary thought Jacob looked familiar. While driving, it finally clicked. Jacob is the Timberlake family’s youngest son, born to elderly parents. His sister is Bowen’s sister-in-law.”
Then, he sighed, ‘Jacqueline is such a gentle and dignified woman. How did her younger brother end up like this? Even the finest tree can bear rotten fruit, but he’s warped beyond belief! His parents must have doted on their youngest son too much.
When Aubree arrived, most of the dishes were already on the table.
Hector quickly waved her over. “Aubree, here. We’ve been waiting for you!”
“Aubree, you’re freaking amazing. I could hardly believe the Turner Group was backing us, and now you’ve got Bowen himself here eating with us!”
As he spoke, he kept stealing glances at Bowen. ‘Bowen in the flesh!’ he thought excitedly. ‘Big shots from Rithol City would kill for a meeting like this, and here I am, not just meeting him, but sharing a damn table. Hell yeah, I’m gonna brag about this for life.’
Alvin, who was constantly around Bowen, couldn’t fathom why his teammates were making such a big deal.
“He’s just a regular guy. What’s the big deal about him coming to dinner?” Alvin scoffed.
Even as the captain, Alvin faced relentless backlash the moment those words left his mouth.
ADC and Abe rolled their eyes at Alvin. “Yeah, yeah, we all know you’re Bowen’s nephew. Could you stop flexing already?”
Alvin just gave them a deadpan look, as if to say, “Seriously?”
The new midsolo, Van Helsing, nodded in agreement and joked, “Come on, Mr. Turner, have mercy on us peasant players, will you?”
Bowen smiled politely.
Alvin rolled his eyes and teased in his heart, ‘Such a damn show-off.
‘There are perks to putting on an act, though. After all, Bowen does have an air of sophistication, and this little display instantly sent the club members‘ admiration for Aubree soaring to new heights.’
“Jokes aside, let’s talk business,” Aubree said. Her expression turned serious as she looked around. “So, what did you guys think about today’s match?”
Apex Squad’s performance was masterfully deceptive. They only threw key teamfights to give up advantages, and they performed normally most of the time. Alvin’s team was solid too, and they capitalized on those openings to take the match.
As soon as Aubree brought it up, Alvin’s face clouded over. “Do they take us for idiots?” he spat.
‘Maybe the audience can’t tell,’ he thought, ‘but as their opponents, how could we not notice? Honestly, this is the most humiliating win I’ve ever had.
The others didn’t look much happier either. Sure, a win was a win, but being handed victory like this felt like a slap in the face.
Bowen knew they were discussing Apex Squad’s blatant match-throwing, but he chose not to comment. Instead, he quietly focused on Aubree’s favorite dishes, meticulously preparing and placing portions on her plate.
“But Killian didn’t seem to be throwing the match,” Hector suddenly said.
Chapter 76
The others nodded in agreement.
“At least he’s got some competitive spirit,” someone added.
Killian’s departure from God’s Fury was quite a messy affair, but his competitive drive never wavered. He joined Apex Squad back then because he felt he’d hit a ceiling with God’s Fury. Knowing they couldn’t win the finals, he figured he might as well trade one unwinnable match for a shot at future championship glory.
“It was probably Emery’s idea,” Aubree said, rubbing her temples with a sigh.
“Alright, alright. No point overthinking it. It’s not like we forced Apex Squad to throw. If anything goes wrong, we’re the victims here,” Leroy, the top laner, said, raising his drink. “Now, let’s toast to our first victory!”
Because they had matches coming up, nobody touched any alcohol.
Hector and the others still had to head back to the team base for a post-match debrief, and Alvin was going with them.
“So, I’ll head back first.” Aubree glanced at Bowen. With just the two of them left, the atmosphere suddenly felt completely different.
“Okay, can you get back on your own? I need Zachary for something,” Bowen said. Zachary, standing off to the side, hesitated, wanting to speak but holding back. Bowen immediately understood that Zachary had something to say.
‘Since Zachary didn’t say it upfront, that means either he couldn’t, or he wasn’t sure if Aubree should hear those things,’ Bowen thought.
“Of course, he’s always been your man,” Aubree replied.
The moment Aubree left, Zachary immediately reported the incident to Bowen.
He said, “Aubree and I both got physical with Jacob. Knowing what he’s like, I doubt he’ll just let this go.”
“Jacob?” Bowen snorted coldly. ‘For Jacqueline’s sake, I used to let it slide when Jacob dropped my name around town. But to lay a hand on my people? Does he think I’m dead and buried?’
“Forget about him. Just focus on keeping Bree safe. Go along with what she’s doing. If anyone ends up maimed or in the hospital, that’s all on me,” Bowen said, his eyes ruthless.