Bowen’s gaze grew somber as he looked at Alvin, unable to help but feel a pang of guilt. Alvin was just clever. If given too many details about the matter, he would surely trace it back to Bree. All Bowen could do was keep the truth from him and only share the outcome.
“Alvin, I’ll handle this for you and let you know the outcome. For now, just focus on your studies and pursue what makes you happy.”
“No, that’s not enough,” Alvin insisted, his gaze locked on Bowen. “I want the whole truth about what happened that year, and I want every single person involved to answer to what they did to my parents!”
Bowen’s heart clenched. Before he could respond, Alvin, reining in his anger, pulled a stack of photos from his pocket and thrust them at Bowen. “I wasn’t snooping on purpose. Your drawer was ajar, and the photos were right there. I just saw them.”
Bowen looked over to see Alvin holding about five or six photos, all featuring the same girl, from when she was eight or nine with twin braids, to fifteen or sixteen in a school uniform with her hair in a high ponytail.
“This is Aubree,” Alvin stated, his gaze fixed on him.
“I remember when you were sixteen, something got into you and you told Grandpa you wanted to sponsor a child from an orphanage. You were precocious and intelligent, having skipped grades to study in Odionland. You had Grandpa send a few hundred dollars to the orphanage every month, and the orphanage would send a letter back every year.
“There are so many orphans in the world, and there are a lot of orphanages in Rithol City. I never connected the dots, before, but now it’s clear. Mary Quinn’s surname is Quinn, so Mr. Quinn must be you, right?”
Every year on Aubree’s birthday, the orphanage would ask her to write a letter and enclose a photo to send to Bowen. When Bowen was abroad, the butler at the family residence would carefully collect the letters and photos and place them in Bowen’s room.
Bowen had just taken the photos out to look at them again, lost in thought and unaware that he’d left the drawer open.
Mary, whom Alvin mentioned, was Bowen’s birth mother. He’d taken her surname back then, not out of any special attachment to his mother, but simply because it was handy.
“Don’t tell her,” Bowen said, rubbing his temples.
So it was true!‘ Alvin thought. With Bowen’s confirmation, he finally pieced it all together. No wonder Bowen had been so taken with Aubree from their
first meeting.
“I’m not that idle,” Alvin said coolly. He was here to confirm things. He had no intention of blindly meddling in their relationship. But since he considered Aubree a friend, if she and Bowen truly felt the same way about each other, he’d be happy for them.
Alvin said coolly, “Keep me posted if there’s any news.”
Bowen didn’t give a second thought to Alvin discovering he was Mr. Quinn. With his dream finally coming true, he was too exhilarated to sleep that night. The first thing he did was grab his phone and call Mark
It was so late. Mark, roused from a deep sleep, assumed it must be urgent. He quickly answered, his voice thick with sleep, “What’s wrong?”
“Oh, I’ve got a girlfriend now,” said Bowen.
Mark processed it slowly, a silent question mark forming in his mind. “Bowen Turner, go and see a doctor if you’re crazy!”
The call was hung up on him, but Bowen simply chalked it up to Mark’s jealousy. With a smirk, he thought, ‘Guess he’s just envious.‘ Then he wasted no time dialing Ollie’s number.
At that hour, the night was just getting started for Ollie.
Chapter 275
7 Books Updated! But your progress: 0/7
“Well, well, look who’s calling! Mr. Big Shot gracing me with a call this late. Don’t tell me you got your heart broken and need a drinking buddy to drown your sorrows?”
“I haven’t even said anything yet. How did you know Bree said yes?”
Ollie said, “Wait, what?”
Ollie was stunned. “No way, Aubree said yes?”
‘Damn, that was fast! Bowen’s got game!‘ thought Ollie.
Bowen got exactly the reaction he wanted. “Sounds like you’re at a bar?” he teased. “Too bad I can’t join you for a drink. I’m officially off the market now.”
Ollie snorted, “Get lost!”
Bowen felt great.
Over the moon, Bowen sent a generous cash bonus to Ethan and the guys‘ group chat, then called finance to announce a company–wide bonus of one month’s salary for everyone.
AD
