Chapter 319
In a private room at the hot spring resort, most of the group members had already gathered before Bowen and Aubree arrived.
Ollie Lane was the first to arrive as he had to get things ready. Alvin Turner and Mark King arrived together later that morning.
“You’re early! Didn’t Nina come with you?”
“We came on the same flight. She went to pick up the cake Bowen ordered.” Ollie was sprawled lazily on the sofa, snacking on a fruit platter and bantering with the rest.
Moments later, Nina Pryor arrived carrying the cake Bowen had ordered.
Ollie looked around the room. There were four of them, just right for a game of bridge. Thus, he took out a deck of cards and they played a few rounds. Soon, he received a message on his phone. “They’re here. Bowen just texted to say they are at the entrance.”
Mark nodded dumbly.
Ollie suddenly asked Alvin in a quizzical manner, “Hey! Doesn’t that mean Aubree is your aunt?”
Alvin froze for a second. He realized he had never really considered that question before.
Aubree was actually a few months younger than him. To think that he had to acknowledge someone younger than him as “Aunt” henceforth…
Alvin’s eyelid twitched a few times before he gave a non–committal grunt.
This cracked Ollie up. “Alvin, if you ask me, you should straighten your Uncle Bowen out! We can’t let that old weasel step all over us like this!”
Mark produced a trump suit at this juncture and won the game. Ollie wailed, “No way! I was just chatting and wasn’t paying attention. That doesn’t count!”
Mark scoffed, “Who cares?”
Ollie got angry and shoved the cards aside. “I’m not playing anymore!” He then noticed Nina still standing quietly in one corner, so he beckoned to her. “Come sit down, Nina. No need to be so formal. We’re all friends here.”
Not wanting to stand out too much, Nina took a seat next to Mark hesitantly.
Mark turned to Ollie, “You got here yesterday? What were you up to coming so early?”
Ollie grinned wickedly and replied, “Out of the three of us, only Bowen is still a cherry boy. As his bro, shouldn’t I help him a little?”
“Hey, Ollie, easy now. Don’t piss off my uncle.”
Ollie said with relish, “Ho! Just wait and see. After tonight, Bowen Turner will be kissing my shoes and thanking me!
“Back then, Aubree wasn’t officially his girl yet. But now it’s the first time he’s celebrating her birthday after they got together. Did you guys see Bowen prepare any gift for her? I bet he’s scheming to gift himself to her!”
Mark wasn’t optimistic about the success rate. He chuckled as he recalled, “When they were in Kroit City, the two of them got drugged, but Bowen summoned a doctor for Aubree while he himself just toughed it out.”
“Mr. Turner is almost thirty and still…? And after accidentally swallowing an aphrodisiac, he still didn’t do anything with Ms. Miller…” Nina was incredulous,
Strictly speaking, as bodyguards, they shouldn’t pry too much into the employer’s private affairs. However, Nina’s curiosity overcame her and she asked timidly, “Surely Mr. Turner isn’t really… unable?”
“Cough, cough…” Ollie choked on his drink. Nina was too frank.
She looked completely serious, which made Mark burst out laughing. “Yeah, Bowen’s really not up to it.”
Alvin couldn’t resist smiling in spite of himself.
The door swung open at this point, and Bowen walked in with Aubree, who was laughing uncontrollably. “If I still don’t show up, who knows what kind of rumors I’d be hearing about myself tomorrow!”
Aubree thought to herself that she could perhaps vouch for Bowen that he was actually quite capable in this aspect.
“Haha! Huh? What? Ah, we’ve been waiting for you guys forever!” Ollie laughed ingratiatingly. Nina, however, kept her head lowered sheepishly.
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12:57 PM
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Chapter 319
Bowen wasn’t actually angry. After all, if he could make Bree laugh like that, it was all worth it.
Now that everyone had arrived, Ollie herded the group to the dinner table. All of them weren’t exactly chatty, except for Ollie. Thus, it was up to him to keep the conversation lively at the table.
