Chapter 38: Chapter 40

Chapter 40 Someone Asked Me Out Mabel’s words left Matthew without a retort.

In the end, he could only say to his grandmother, “I’ll ask her. If she’s too busy too, we’ll go next week.”

“Sure. Auri seems to have a lot on her mind recently. She needs to go and relax. As her husband, you should take care of her.

Do you understand?” Mabel advised in concern.

“Yes,” Matthew replied briefly, After the call with his grandmother, he first took a look at Aurelia’s matter online.

Having ensured that Gordon and the others didn’t miss anything, he gave Aurelia a call.

“The line is busy...

Matthew put down his phone.

A few minutes later, Aurelia called him back.

“Mr. Quigley, you called me just now?”

“Grandma has a few friends visiting her at the hospital today, so she arranged for us to go to the hot spring. If you’re free tonight, I’ll go pick you up.”

Matthew’s innately cool voice drifted out of the phone.

From his voice, Aurelia faintly discerned a hint of reluctance.

It must be Grandma who forced him to call and invite me to the hot spring. Such an activity is typically reserved for best friends or the most intimate of lovers. It’s no wonder that he’s reluctant.

“Someone asked me out just now, and I’ve already agreed. I’m truly sorry,” Aurelia replied.

That was the honest truth.

When Matthew called earlier, she was on the phone with Xavier.

He asked her out for dinner that night, saying that it had been a long time since they talked. Now that Curtis and Melanie’s matter was settled, and there was nothing Melanie and the others could do in the face of evidence, it was a good time for them to gather and catch up.

Upon hearing her reason for declining over the phone, Matthew merely frowned. “Okay. I’ll tell Grandma about it.”

“Thank you, Mr. Quigley.”

“You’re welcome.”

Matthew lowered his head and glanced at the phone that had been disconnected, his eyes darkening.

She doesn’t want to go to the hot spring with me?

Chapter 40 Someone Asked Me Out He yanked at his tie, then tossed his phone aside, picking up a business proposal stacked nearby and looking through it.

It suits me right not to go to the hot spring and wastetime there.

At that moment, the Leedon family was already in complete chaos.

Although Gideon and Benjamin were not present, both Aaron and Spencer had returned home.

They confronted Melanie with their phones in hand.

Luna, who was slumped on the sofa, had already been sitting there motionless for an hour.

With tears shimmering in her eyes, Melanie gazed at her two brothers as if she had been greatly wronged.

“I’m really innocent. I don’t know any of these people, and the person in the video wasn’t me.”

The photos and most of the revelations were true.

She was photographed going to the hotel with Curtis but not in bed with him.

As long as it wasn’t photos of them in bed, they couldn’t prove for real that she had been intimate with Curtis.

“Is it really not you, Mel?” Luna repeatedly searched for photos and videos online, her heart growing colder the more she did so.

“Mom, it really isn’t me. They must have used Al face–swapping or something. Mom, I think Aurelia has planned this all along.

She has already planned to break up with Curtis and deal with me. She must have hired all these people a long time ago.”

Melanie had the reason all figured out.

How could the public opinion online have shifted so rapidly if it weren’t for someone helping Aurelia? I underestimated her. I thought she was obsessed with Curtis, and even if she had a quarrel with him, it would be no big deal. But it seems that she has found a strong backer long ago!

Aaron’s brows furrowed.

Upon hearing Melanie’s words, Spencer realized something. He abruptly slapped a hand against his thigh. “I underestimated Aurelia. How could she possibly have turned the situation around within an hour with mere videos, photos, and so–called university classmates? She must have found an incredibly powerful. financial backer!”

“She’s beautiful, so that’s hardly surprising,” Aaron said, his expression gloomy.

That matter had already humiliated the Leedon family to the core.

“I believe Mel couldn’t possibly have taken a liking to Curtis. Aurelia must have been jealous that we favored Mel, so she harbored ill intentions and plotted against Mel. Regarding this matter... I need to think it through carefully. I can’t let her ruin Mel, Spencer said, his brows furrowed.

Luna looked at her two sons before glancing at Melanie, seemingly having something to say yet hesitant to do so.

Is it really Al face–swapping?

Chapter 40 Someone Asked Me Dut Nonetheless, her doubt was fleeting. Seeing Melanie’s pale face, coupled with the fact that she had been living with her since she was little, she felt that Melanie couldn’t possibly be lying.

But did Auri really find herself a financial backer? How could she willingly degrade herself and be a kept woman?

Luna felt very uneasy deep within.

“Spencer, have the PR team come up with a win–win solution. We can’t have either of them get hurt,” Luna said after some thought.

Stunned, Melanie looked at Luna in disbelief.

Is she... starting to feel sorry for Aurelia?

“I agree. She found herself a financial backer and has a misunderstanding with us now. Mom is also. worried about both of us.

We should find a win–win solution and put an end to this matter as soon as possible.” Melanie nodded tearfully, pretending to be deeply concerned for Aurelia and Luna.

“You’re indeed sensible. Mel,” Luna lamented with a sigh.

With a darkened face, Aaron said, “If she has really found herself a financial backer, I absolutely won’t acknowledge her as my sister. It’s too shameful! How could a member of our family stoop so low as to be a kept woman?”

“Oh well, to have such influence in Jacaster to help her resolve this matter so quickly, the financial backer she found... is likely...

is likely around Dad’s age.” Melanie’s eyes flickered, and she began to speculate maliciously.

Heh! It must be an old man.

“In the entertainment industry, such a thing is hardly surprising. Even men without any family background can be kept men, let alone girls with beautiful faces. However, when it happens in the family, it’s truly disgusting. Spencer’s face darkened as well.

Luna was just feeling a bit sympathetic toward Aurelia. But after hearing her sons‘ and daughter’s words, she seemed revolted as well. “She’s only been back for a while, but she has already caused so much trouble.”

“There’s a solution!” Spencer exclaimed, staring at his phone.

At the plan given to him by the PR department, the look of worry on his face immediately vanished.

It was seven in the evening.

At a barbecue stall on a street in the night market, Xavier had arrived ten minutes earlier and ordered skewers and soft drinks.

When Aurelia arrived, the grilled skewers had just been served.

The tantalizing aroma of barbecued meat wafted into Aurelia’s nostrils, awakening her appetite.

When she was in high school Xavier was attending university and usually worked part–time. Whenever he saved some money, he took her, Charlie, and Herbert out to eat at roadside stalls.

The price of the food was reasonable, and it tasted delicious.

Chapter 40 Someone Asked Me Out “I just happen to be in the mood for barbecue. Sure enough, you know me best. Xavier.”

Looking at Aurelia, who was grinning like a starving kitten, Xavier masked the worry and suspicion in his eyes. “Sit down, then:

Enjoy some skewers while they’re still warm. I ordered quite a lot today, enough for you to eat your fill.”