Hello, my lovely readers.😊😊
I noticed some of you are having problems in reading chapter 50, 51 and 52. So, I have compiled them together in this chapter and publish this.😎
Anyone whose having problem can read from here. 👍
If not, ignore this.
Anyways, Happy reading,
Bye👋
Love Y'all 💕❤️
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'After chapter 49'
It wasn't until Abner had finished all the snacks on the small plate that he realized what he had done. In the past, he wouldn't have touched these tiny treats. But now, he had given in to Audrey's obvious anticipation and couldn't bear to disappoint her. He wanted to take a bite to put on a show.
Seeing that Abner had eaten quite a lot, Audrey looked thoughtfully at him. She asked, "Big Brother, do you want more? There's more in the kitchen."
Abner shook his head quickly. "No need. I'll go upstairs and change first. If you want more, help yourself. Afterward, come to my study. I need to talk to you."
Audrey was taken aback as she scrutinized Abner, trying to gauge his mood from his expression. But it was obviously in vain. Abner had no expression on his face at all. She had a hunch about why Abner wanted to talk to her. Whenever something happened to Jerry, Caroline would think of her son Abner.
[I've probably burdened Big Brother again. He's already done so much for me. I hope Jerry won't come looking for me again in the future.]
Audrey lowered her head slightly. She was flustered, but not as much as before. For some reason, she believed her brother would support her. Nonetheless, she knew she had caused trouble for Abner. Abner glanced at the subtitles above Audrey's head and felt a strange emotion welling up. Whenever his mother sought his help, it was for his brother, Jerry. She seemed to take it for granted that he should assist Jerry, solely because of their blood relation. She had never considered whether this was a burden for him. Although Audrey wasn't his biological sister, she was the one who was worried about inconveniencing him and the one who thought that he had worked very hard. Abner couldn't help but smile as he suddenly reached out to pat Audrey's head. The moment this action was done, both he and Audrey were taken aback.
Audrey stared at him in shock, and he quickly withdrew his hand, somewhat stiffly. "Don't worry. I'm not scolding you, but there are some things I'd like to ask."
Audrey nodded and looked up at him. Abner was confused. What did this mean? However, before he could be puzzled for long, he saw a few words appear above Audrey's head.
[Big Brother is so gentle. Please pat my head again.]
Abner: "____"
Why did she remind him of the puppy Charlotte used to have? Whenever it saw a family member, it would raise its head and gaze at them with sparkling eyes. If you patted its head, it would wag its tail with joy. Abner thought about the puppy that had been sent away and couldn't help but chuckle. Audrey looked at him, confused. "Brother, what's so funny?"
[Although Big Brother looks even more handsome when he smiles, I'm a little flustered when he smiles so suddenly.]
Abner felt a sense of awkwardness and helplessness, choosing not to respond to her question. Instead, he gently stated, "I'll head upstairs first. Once you're finished, come to the study."
"Alright, Big Brother."
Although Audrey felt a twinge of disappointment for not receiving the answer she had hoped for, she kept her feelings to herself.
After Abner left, Audrey cleared the plates and took them to the kitchen, where the housekeeper was preparing dinner.
The housekeeper had overheard their conversation. Although the housekeeper was a little confused, she noticed the unhappiness on Audrey's face.
And so, she offered some advice, "Don't worry, Young Master is actually a very kind person, even if he doesn't talk much. He cares deeply for his family. If you make a mistake, just apologize sincerely. He'll understand."
Audrey nodded. Her concern wasn't that Abner would hold a grudge against her at this point. She was more preoccupied with finding a way to keep Jerry away from her in the future. Otherwise, he would repeatedly approach her in this manner. She had always abided by the principle of not causing trouble for others unless they provoked her. If it happened again, she would handle it in the same manner. However, she was well aware that this would lead Jerry and Caroline to involve Abner once more.This would inevitably create problems for her brother. Audrey couldn't come up with a solution at the moment, so she decided to head upstairs to speak with Abner.
Abner's study was adjacent to his bedroom. Audrey had initially thought she wouldn't be nervous, but as she approached the study door, she found herself inexplicably anxious. Taking a deep breath, she raised her hand to knock on the door. "Come in!" Abner's typically cold voice emanated from within the room. Audrey patted her chest and adjusted her expression before entering with a warm smile..
As Audrey pushed open the door, her gaze immediately met Abner, seated on the other side of the room with a laptop in front of him. Audrey's lips twitched slightly as she hesitantly called out, "Brother." Abner's expression froze.
Audrey's demeanor resembled one of his company's apprehensive subordinates, trembling with fear and forcing a strained smile. It was a clear manifestation of her nervousness.
Was he really that scary? He had explicitly told her that he wouldn't scold her and simply wanted to understand the situation. Why was she still so terrified? In response, Abner nodded at Audrey. "Please, have a seat.'
Audrey carefully moved over and adjusted the chair opposite Abner before sitting down. Abner couldn't help but feel a sense of helplessness. He even began to wonder if Audrey was frightened because he rarely smiled. She had seemed quite at ease with Eric. Forget it. Eric's cheerful personality was undoubtedly more amiable and approachable.
Audrey finally settled into her seat and looked up at Abner, cautiously addressing him, "Brother, what would you like to know?"
Abner didn't reply immediately. Instead, he stood up abruptly and went to the cabinet where his briefcase was stored. Retrieving the briefcase, he took out a piece of dark chocolate.
Audrey's gaze remained fixed on him throughout the process. When she saw him pull out the chocolate, she was taken aback.
[Brother ate quite a few snacks earlier. Yet, there's a piece of chocolate in his briefcase. Could it be that Brother has a sweet tooth? Despite his reserved nature, he seems to enjoy sweet things. I find that rather adorable.]
Abner closed his eyes slightly. He was speechless. In fact, the chocolate in his hand felt hot.
Under Audrey's curious gaze, Abner slowly returned to his seat. After sitting down, he extended the piece of chocolate towards her. "The secretary placed it there this morning," Abner explained. Audrey looked surprised. "For me?"
Abner nodded. "They say eating something sweet can help relax people and ease their nervousness."
Audrey reached out to take it in a daze. "Thank you, Big Brother."
[Brother, can you tell I'm nervous? Am I that obvious?]
A faint smile played at the corners of Abner's lips. He was almost tempted to tell her directly that yes, it was quite obvious.
Audrey tore open the chocolate packaging and took a bite, savoring it in her mouth. The chocolate was sweet and fragrant, and Audrey's eyes brightened as she examined the wrapping paper more closely, making a mental note of the chocolate brand.Although Abner's words lacked scientific evidence, Audrey did indeed feel less nervous than before.
Abner didn't rush to speak. He waited for her to finish the chocolate before gently inquiring, "Did Jerry cause trouble for you again?"
Audrey looked up in surprise. She hadn't expected Abner to ask this. She had assumed he would inquire if she had done something to Jerry. Despite the similarity in their inquiries, Abner's question made Audrey feel like he was thinking from her perspective. Audrey was touched, and her anxiety immediately dissipated. However, her eyes began to redden.
People who had spent years in the entertainment industry were no strangers to criticism or misunderstanding, but they found it difficult to withstand this kind of silent concern.
Seeing her eyes welling up, Abner's heart tightened. Fearing his tone had been too harsh, he softened his voice and said, "I'm not blaming you. I just want to understand the situation. You need to tell me everything, Audrey, so I can help you."
Audrey sniffled and tried to hold back her tears. She cleared her throat before recounting what had happened. Abner listened without a word. When Audrey mentioned that she had messaged Linda's sister, Tina, she cautiously glanced at Abner. When Abner heard her say that she had sent Tina a message, he knew what she wanted to do. Abner, realizing that Audrey was observing his expression, found it amusing.
[Brother, do you think I'm ruthless? But I can't let others push me around. When prevention fails, I have to stand up for myself.]
Abner noticed the words above her head and raised an eyebrow slightly. "You did the right thing."
"Eh?" Audrey was baffled. Was this a praiseworthy behavior?
"However," Abner shifted the conversation after offering his praise.
Audrey instinctively straightened her posture and gazed at Abner with seriousness, expecting a reprimand.
Abner continued, "If you ever find yourself in such a situation again, you mustn't go alone. You're a young woman, and it can be very dangerous."
Audrey was taken aback. After a moment's pause, she responded hurriedly, "Alright, Big Brother. I'll be more cautious in the future."
Abner nodded and inquired further, "What happened afterward?"
Audrey visibly relaxed, offering a smile as she recounted how Jerry and Linda had been summoned and subsequently taken away by the police.
"Brother, you wouldn't believe it. Those reporters were snapping pictures like crazy at the time, but none of the photos got leaked. They must've been paid off by the Rick family."
Audrey said with a hint of regret.
Linda and Jerry weren't involved in the entertainment industry, and even if the photos were leaked, they wouldn't have caused much of a sensation. They might have even made some money by selling them to the parties involved. It would have been a lucrative deal.
However, although the photos remained undisclosed, the video footage had widely circulated.
A few reporters who had joined them had started a live broadcast, as they had received payment from Tina in advance. Their intention was to expose the incident to the public.
Observing Audrey's growing excitement, Abner couldn't help but sigh inwardly. "Since the situation has been resolved, why did you stay there?"
Even though Abner no longer considered Jerry his younger brother, he had assisted Jerry in dealing with numerous matters over the years, too many to count. As a result, he knew Jerry's personality inside out. Once Jerry caught wind of Audrey's involvement in the plan, he would likely take action, regardless of Audrey's gender.
Audrey's smile froze on her face. After a brief pause, she murmured, "I wanted to stay and watch the show." Abner didn't even know what to say. At this moment, his phone rang.
Abner picked up the phone and glanced at the caller ID. After seeing it, he said to Audrey, "Stay seated while I take this call."
Audrey nodded.
Abner walked to the window with his phone. He answered the call and said, "Evans, what's the matter?"
From the other end, Evans replied, "There really is."
Abner looked at Audrey, who sat fidgeting in her chair, and said, "If it's not urgent, I'll call you back later. I have something to handle here."
Evans said, "It's about Audrey."
Abner raised an eyebrow slightly. "Go on."
Evans proceeded to describe his encounter with Audrey at the hotel and then added, "Madam Caroline will probably seek your help soon, asking you to assist Jerry. Although Audrey's approach to this situation isn't flawless, she's not at fault."
Abner furrowed his brow, a look of confusion in his eyes.
He had known Evans for many years and understood his character well. He could also detect the protective tone in Evans' words regarding Audrey.
It was rather strange. Evans' demeanor was usually even colder than Abner. He didn't look like someone who would meddle in other people's business.
"Are you putting in a good word for her?" Abner asked.
Evans fell silent. He, too, was perplexed. Was he, in fact, speaking up for Audrey?
Thinking back carefully to what he had just said, it did seem like he was putting in a good word for Audrey. He believed it was essential to call Abner and provide an explanation. Otherwise, when Caroline and Jerry sought out Abner, they would likely fan the flames and place the blame squarely on Audrey. He didn't think too much about it. He didn't think about why he was doing this or what it meant.
"Isn't she your sister?" Evans said.
Abner grasped the implied message behind Evans' words. Because Audrey was his sister, Evans had offered his assistance. Because Audrey was his sister, he had intentionally called to speak up for Audrey. If Abner hadn't known Evans's character like the back of his hand, he might have been genuinely convinced.
Abner glanced in Audrey's direction. She remained seated, her posture unchanged as she lowered her head, absentmindedly scratching her nails.
Abner opened the door and exited the room. After shutting the study door, he replied to Evans, "Based on what you've said, isn't Jerry still my brother? Why don't you help him?"
Evans didn't provide a direct answer to his question, stating instead, "In any case, I've conveyed the truth to you. How you choose to handle it is up to you.."
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