Book TRK
Chapter 186
Chapter 186
Chapter 186 This content belongs to Nô/velDra/ma.Org .
Elowen took a swig of her drink, waving her hand dismissively. “Don’t even get me started. Sheryl is
practically on the brink of depression. Fredric hasn’t been home in a month. Turns out he’s been
spending his time with some Instagram influencer from his company. Sheryl is livid and has been
venting to my Aunt Jessica.”
Aurelia took a deep breath, processing the information. She didn’t need to guess who the Instagram
influencer was her own cousin.
–
“Why is Sheryl complaining to Jessica? Where is Fredric’s biological mom?”
“She remarried soon after giving birth to Fredric and moved abroad with her new husband. She hasn’t
been back since. I guess her smart moves paid off because Jessica tends to favor Fredric more among
all her nephews. In the Stirling family, Fredric’s status is second only to Leopold’s.”
Aurelia pondered over this new bit of information. If her assumption was correct, Fredric was the least
likely suspect in Leopold’s attempted assassination, which made Arno more suspicious.
She quickly put the thought aside. She couldn’t bring herself to believe that Arno was capable of such a
thing. After all, according to every mystery novel she read, the culprit was always the least likely
suspect.
She took a sip of her orange juice and asked, “Do you think Fredric could be genuinely in love with this
Instagram influencer?”
Elowen scoffed. “Unless she’s some kind of enchantress like Arnold’s mother, she’s just a toy to him.
Once he’s bored, he’ll discard her.”
A pang of sympathy hit Aurelia. She couldn’t just stand by while her cousin was being used. Her cousin
deserved better. She deserved a man who would treasure her, not some playboy.
“Ms. Elowen, maybe you should consider learning the art of seduction. Who knows, maybe Evelyn has,
and that’s how she managed to ensnare the big boss so quickly. She’s practically a step away from
breaking up your engagement and becoming his wife.”
“You’re right,” Elowen said, looking enlightened.
As the night grew darker, Aurelia assumed Leopold wouldn’t show up. But to her surprise, he walked
into the apartment around eight o’clock. She was sprawled on the couch, engrossed in the latest
episode of “Dream for Young” and didn’t bother acknowledging him.
As he sat next to her, she could smell the faint scent of perfume on him – undoubtedly Evelyn’s. He
must have been with her before coming over. What an efficient time manager.
The living room was eerily quiet. Leopold was quick to pick up on the tense atmosphere. Usually,
Aurelia would be chattering non–stop about the show, but tonight she was silent.
He got himself a glass of water, drinking slowly, waiting for her to break the silence. But she remained
quiet even after the show ended.
Turning off the TV, Aurelia got up and went to her room, leaving Leopold alone with his thoughts.
“What’s wrong?” he asked when she didn’t respond.
“Nothing,” she replied flatly, not even looking at him.
Her silence was unusual, and it was starting to worry him. “Why aren’t you talking?”
“You always complain about me talking too much.”
Thinking of the intimate moments between him and Evelyn made her inexplicably irritated. No matter
what
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she said or did, Leopold always found a reason to criticize, mock, or belittle her. But Evelyn, even her
mistakes must seem adorable to him.
Leopold gave her a sidelong glance. She was indeed talkative, but he had grown accustomed to her
chatter. Her silence was oddly unsettling.
“It’s surprising you remember my complaints. I thought you’d ignore them as usual.”
She remembered every single word. That’s why it hurt every time she thought about his harsh
criticisms.
Even though she pretended not to care, her heart ached with every unkind word. She buried her face in
her phone, continuing to scroll through the comments, ignoring him.