Chapter 48: Chapter 50

Chapter 50 I Understand Now “I’m not free.”

87%

Matthew’s impression of Gideon was not particularly favorable to begin with. Now, seeing Gideon about to hit Aurelia, his opinion of Gideon had deteriorated even further.

He had given his word to Aurelia, assuring her that there would be no special favors for the Leedon family, nor would he collaborate with them. So, he was going to honor his word.

“Perhaps you should consult with our business department, Mr. Leedon,” suggested Gordon, the special assistant. His expression was rather stern. “Mr. Quigley is preoccupied with other matters, so please make way for now.”

Gideon’s face turned sour. Seeing Matthew’s unwavering attitude, he frowned and said, “It’s only five minutes. I just need five minutes of your time, Mr. Quigley.”

Aurelia, who was standing to the side, found it incredibly ironic to see Gideon, in front of Matthew, both unable to voice his anger and yet forced to swallow his pride.

After all, Gideon was a man who threw his weight around at home.

“Mr. Leedon, Mr. Quigley doesn’t even have a minute to spare,” Gordon said.

Seeing Gordon making thin difficult for himself, Gideon’s face grew even more unpleasant.

When Matthew left, he glanced at Aurelia once more. Seeing the cold sarcasm in her eyes, an indescribable feeling stirred in his heart.

He was rather familiar with the feeling of being ignored by his closest kin.

“Let’s go,” he said to Gordon.

Immediately, Gordon followed Matthew.

“Wait... just wait a moment.” Melanie stepped forward to stop Matthew. She had to do something.

After much difficulty, she had finally gotten the chance to meet Matthew. She couldn’t just let it slip away like this.

Matthew frowned, his aura of aloofness becoming even more pronounced as he was abruptly stopped.

Melanie’s heart pounded in her chest. “Can I... Can I have a few minutes? Give me a chance, and give yourself a chance too, Mr. Quigley.”

“Mell” Gideon was startled. How did Mel suddenly muster the courage to confront Matthew?

“Dad, we’ve worked hard for a long time to collaborate with Quigley Group. The entire company has been working overtime for a while. Now, we’re suddenly told that we can’t cooperate anymore. Regardless, we should know the reason, shouldn’t we?”

Melanie showed a hint of sympathy for Gideon, then with tear- stricken eyes, she turned to look at Matthew.

“Mr. Quigley, could you please give us a reason? If we’ve done anything wrong, we are willing to make amends.

She was the perfect picture of a dutiful, sensible, and beautiful girl. Anyone who saw her would surely feel a pang of sympathy.

Aurelia looked at Matthew somewhat nervously.

Would he feel the same affection for Melanie as the Leedon family did?

“Mel, ah...” Gideon felt a pang of heartache.

Tears glistened on Melanie’s carefully composed face. “I know this request is quite abrupt, but I’m genuinely worried about my father, so... I hope for your understanding, Mr. Quigley.”

Seeing Matthew halt his steps and turn toward Melanie, Aurelia’s complexion turned even paler than before.

No matter when, Melanie’s charm always had a way of making men stop in their tracks for her. “Gordon, call the security over,”

Matthew ordered in a cold voice.

Gordon reacted quickly, immediately shouting at the security guards nearby, “The corporation pays you not to stand around like posts, but to do your job. How could you not notice someone attempting to harass Mr. Quigley?”

The four security guards in front of the door turned pale with fright and hurried over immediately.

Following this, Gideon and Melanie both stopped, and Aurelia was also tugged slightly by the security guard.

Gordon was taken aback. “Ms. Shaw is not with them!”

“I... I’m sorry, Ms. Shaw. The security guard hastily apologized to Aurelia.

A slight shock crossed Aurelia’s heart as she watched Matthew decisively leave. It was somewhat unexpected. He didn’t believe in Melanie, nor did he feel any heartache for Melanie....

Melanie’s eyes widened in disbelief and embarrassment.

This tactic of hers worked every time she used it.

Why did it become ineffective when it came to Matthew?

“Dad...” She looked at Gideon, utterly at a loss.

Gideon was not much better than Melanie, and his face was ashen.

“Aurelia, did you say something to Mr. Zeller? Did you make him and Mr. Quigley slander Leedon Group? Otherwise, why would Mr. Quigley be so indifferent to me... to us?” Melanie asked Aurelia, her eyes filled with resentment and anger.

“What exactly is your relationship with Mr. Zeller?” Gideon asked with a furrowed brow.

Facing the two of them, Aurelia really had nothing more to say.

“Don’t get in my way. Move.”

Chapter 50 1 Understand Now Aurelia was about to leave, but Melanie blocked her way.

Melanie, flushed with embarrassment and anger, said, “Aurelia, you’ve gone too far. You owe us a proper explanation now.”

If she found out that Aurelia was talking nonsense in front of Gordon, she would definitely have a bone to pick with Aurelia!

“Auri, please explain clearly, and tell me about your relationship with Mr. Zeller. I’m your father. I must know everything about you.” Gideon’s tone was filled with dissatisfaction.

As Aurelia listened to Gideon repeatedly calling himself her father, her face turned cold. Yet, she couldn’t stop the waves of pain that surged within her heart.

He truly was a good father, a wonderful father to Melanie.

“When I used to call you ‘Dad, you never cared about me. Now that I disown you, you suddenly want to know everything about me. Mr. Leedon, one should not be so despicable in their actions. Step aside!” Aurelia said coldly.

Seeing the situation, the security guard nearby asked Aurelia, “Ms. Shaw, do you need our assistance?”

“I am her father. It’s none of your business!” Gideon roared at the security guards.

He dared not yell, nor was he allowed to yell at Matthew. However, if he couldn’t even yell at a mere security guard, he would become the laughingstock of the entire Jacaster.

“My father’s surname is Shaw, so what kind of father are you?” Aurelia retorted with a smirk.

Then, seizing the moment when Gideon was taken aback, Aurelia forcefully pushed Gideon and Melanie away and swiftly got away.

As she hastened her steps, an overwhelming pain that could numb her limbs surged within her, unbidden. The experiences of her past, once again, unfolded before her eyes.

How could Gideon have the audacity to claim he was her father?

Is he even worthy to mention that?

“Aurelia, stop right there!”

“Aurelia!” Melanie called out.

After regaining their composure, Gideon and Melanie shouted at her.

However, Aurelia completely ignored them.

They wanted to chase after her, but Aurelia had already gotten into the car. She stepped on the accelerator, and the car shot off, leaving them no chance to even reach the roadside..

“Dad, Aurelia-

Reflecting on what she had just experienced, Melanie was filled with a mix of resentment, anger, and a sense of injustice.

3/4 Chapter 50 Understand Now The color drained from Gideon’s face, matching Melanie’s own pallor.

“I’ll return to the office. You go home first,” Gideon said.

“About Aurelia... Melanie was full of questions, eager to get some clarity from Aurelia. Had Aurelia really influenced Matthew’s impression of her?

If only they had been a bit quicker to catch Aurelia, they could have properly questioned her.

Gideon rubbed his temples, feeling a slight headache, “Don’t worry about your sister for now. It’s a good thing that she’s with Mr.

Zeller. Once I’ve sorted out the company’s affairs, I’ll call her back home. Then, we can properly educate her. You should go home first.”

“All right, then,” Melanie conceded, albeit somewhat reluctantly.

But when she left, she sent Curtis a message on WhatsApp: I now understand why Aurelia broke up with y She’s found a sugar daddy, the special assistant to Mr. Quigley of the Quigley Group you.