Chapter 110
The taste was strangely familiar.
It was like Aurelia’d had it somewhere before.
Aurelia felt something was off and took another sip.
She wasn’t a foodie or anything, so her palate wasn’t exactly refined, and she couldn’t figure out why it felt so familiar.
But after the second sip, that odd feeling of familiarity disappeared.
‘Maybe all ginseng chicken soups just taste the same,’ Aurelia thought to herself.
She set the bowl with chicken soup down and said, “It’s alright.“chicken soup
Only then did Cassian turn and head back into the kitchen.
Abigail took a sip and said, “It’s a bit sweet. Did Cassian add sugar?”
“That boy knows his dad needs to watch his sugar intake. Why would he put sugar in it?” Abigail added.
Aurelia chimed in, “Better not have too much, Mr. Locke.”
The table was loaded with food, and according to Abigail, four of the dishes were actually cooked by Cassian.
Funny enough, all four of those dishes happened to be Aurelia’s favorites.
If Aurelia didn’t know Cassian was totally into Tessa, she might’ve started overthinking things.
To Aurelia’s surprise, Cassian’s cooking was actually pretty decent, though he had a sweet tooth, because everything he made was on the sugary side.
Fortunately, Abigail had made a few dishes herself, so Benjamin had something besides all the sweet stuff to eat.
They were barely halfway through dinner when Cassian’s phone started ringing.
Aurelia was sitting right next to him, so she caught a glimpse of the caller ID.
It was Tessa calling.
Cassian went outside to answer the call, and he was gone for quite a while.
Aurelia just focused on her food, not giving it a second thought.
But Abigail couldn’t help but mutter, “Seriously, what call could be so important that Cassian’s been gone for ages? He’s not even eating! The food’s going to get cold in this weather!”
‘Well, of course, Tessa’s call is a big deal,’ Aurelia thought, a little aimused.
Cassian was gone for a long time. By the time he came back, they were almost done eating.
“Why didn’t you grab a jacket before you went out to take that call? What if you catch a cold?” Abigail scolded.
“I’m fine,” Cassian replied.
‘Yeah, it’s nothing, Aurelia thought, agreeing with him.
14:26 Mon, Dec 22 M.
Chapter 110
After all, when one is in love, even a glass of water feels like a feast.
Aurelia had no intention of staying any longer and was wondering how to say goodbye to Benjamin.
066)
Just then, Cassian grabbed his jacket and said, “I’ve got something to take care of, so I’m heading out. Happy birthday, Dad”
“Leaving so soon?” Abigail was clearly reluctant to see him go.
Benjamin barely reacted, clearly indifferent to whether Cassian stayed or left.
Cassian just said he had something urgent to take care of and headed out.
Aurelia deliberately waited for more than ten minutes before finally getting up to say her goodbyes and leave.
She thought she’d managed to perfectly avoid crossing paths with Cassian, but to her surprise, she still ran right into him.
And he wasn’t alone.
Tessa was there, too.
Aurelia thought, ‘Of course, Cassian was in such a rush. He was hurrying to see Tessa.
‘Anything to do with Tessa is always urgent for Cassian.‘
Aurelia just shot them a quick look, then turned away without another word. She hopped in her car and drove off.
“Why can she
go but I can’t?” Tessa snapped, unable to hold back her frustration any longer.
Everything Tessa had been bottling up just burst out the moment she saw Aurelia.
She knew she shouldn’t be causing drama, but when emotions run high, who can really control themselves?
For the past couple of days, she’d been waiting for Cassian to bring it up.
Alina had heard about Benjamin’s birthday from a few of the ladies she hung out with, so she asked Tessa if she had anything planned for it.
Tessa said Cassian hadn’t mentioned it at all.
Alina gave her a little lecture.
Basically, Alina was telling Tessa to take the initiative and not just wait for Cassian to make the first move.
Opportunities don’t just fall into one’s lap. One has to go after them oneself.
But for Tessa, pride was second nature.
Plus, ever since she’d been with Cassian, he was always the one taking the initiative, so she assumed she meant a lot to him.
She figured Cassian’d bring it up himself, so she didn’t bother saying anything.
But behind the scenes, she’d already prepared a gift, just waiting for Cassian to bring it up so she could join him at the Locke family and celebrate Benjamin’s birthday together.
She waited all the way until today, but Cassian still never invited her.
Finally, Tessa couldn’t take it anymore. She went straight to the Locke family’s house herself and called Cassian right then
and there.
14:26 Mon, Dec 22 OM.
Chapter 110
She’d already thrown a fit over the phone earlier.
Cassian told her he’d be right out to calm ber down.
And he actually did.
Tessa’s nerves had just started to settle down.
Right then, she spotted Aurelia stepping out of the Locke family’s house.
Everything she’d just managed to bottle up burst out again.
Cassian’s face was blank, but the intensity in his presence was almost overwhelming.
He asked, “Are you sure you want to see him?”
“Of course,” Tessa said, not backing down.
068
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“Alright, I’ll take you. But whatever happens, you need to hold it in,” Cassian said, his tone making it clear he wasn’t joking.
He kept his word and brought Tessa straight to the Locke family.
Abigail, thinking Aurelia might’ve forgotten something, opened the door with a cheerful smile. “Aurelia, did you forget something?”
But when she saw it was Cassian, she looked puzzled for a moment. “Cassian, what are you doing back? Isn’t Aurelia with you?”
Tessa peeked out from behind Cassian. “Hi, Abigail.”
Abigail didn’t recognize Tessa by face, but she knew that voice.
As soon as Tessa spoke, Abigail instantly realized who she was, and her expression shifted in a heartbeat.
“Who are you? I don’t know you, and you’re not welcome here. Just leave!” Abigail said bluntly.
Tessa frowned, clearly annoyed at being brushed off so rudely by someone from the house.
“I’m Cassian’s girlfriend. I came to wish Mr. Locke a happy birthday,” Tessa said, lifting her chin.
“Never heard Cassian mention having a girlfriend. Miss, please leave,” Abigail replied, not budging an inch.
With that, Abigail shut the door without another word.
Abigail slammed the door in both their faces.
Tessa stood there dumbfounded for a second, then turned to Cassian, looking at him, waiting for him to speak up for her.
Cassian’s expression was as cold as ever. “See now why I didn’t want to bring you here?”
Tessa knew Benjamin was hard to deal with, but she never thought he’d be this impossible.
She’d come all the way herself, and not only did she not even get a glimpse of Benjamin, but she got turned away at the door by one of his staff.
It stung even more remembering how Abigail had greeted Aurelia so sweetly, calling her by her nickname, but barely gave Tessa the time of day.
That left Tessa feeling seriously uncomfortable.
Chapter 110
Still, Cassian had warned her. No matter what went down, she just had to suck it up.
So she had no choice but to bite her tongue and swallow her pride.
But she gripped the gift tightly in her hand.
She secretly vowed that once she married into the Locke family, Abigail would be the first one she’d make pay.
‘She’s just a servant. What’s she so smug about?‘ Tessa thought, her anger simmering beneath the surface.
After forcing herself to cool off, Tessa tried to sound casual to Cassian. “The lady at the door just now is one of your family’s staff, right? Wasn’t she kind of acting out of line?”
Cassian said, “Abigail raised me. She’s like family to me. What she says goes.”
“CAS
After hearing that, Tessa couldn’t really say anything else.
She could only grit her teeth and take the hit.
*****
Jasper spent three days digging through Aurelia’s interview just to crank out the ten–thousand–word reflection his father made him write.
He thought he was finally done with all that, but then Steven had to go and dump another task on him. Now he had to represent EverMass Group and talk business with Regal Investment about some smart healthcare deals.
Jasper had mixed feelings. A part of him was genuinely excited, but another part was seriously anxious.
He was happy because his dad was finally letting him get involved in the family business!
But he couldn’t help worrying. Why did the partner have to be Aurelia?
The more fun he’d had mocking Aurelia before, the more he regretted it now.
When the boomerang came back around, it really hurt!
Jasper knew this wasn’t going to be easy, but he never imagined it’d be this much of a headache!
He introduced himself to the receptionist.
The receptionist called Aurelia’s office.
Five seconds later, the receptionist apologized, “Sorry, Ms. Corin isn’t available. You’ll have to leave.”
