This stumped Aurelia.
“Why… He doesn’t like it?”
“No!” Cordelia hurried to say, “I’m just curious. He’s my cousin and an award-winning actor with many fans in Centrolis. Why is he an uncle when it comes to you?”
Aurelia looked down slightly with a blush.
She gripped the glass and rubbed it with her finger anxiously, but the corners of her lips were discreetly ticking upward.
Why was he called an uncle? It was because Neil was a man who was mature, stable, and had a cold hint in her first impression, just like… the merciless assassins in mystery novels.
Back then, she genuinely thought he was an uncle she could not approach.
Later, the term of address became her special way of addressing him. She called everyone else by their names. It was only different when it came to him.
“Uncle” put distance between them and avoided suspicions from others.
The feeling was strange. She missed him when she did not see him but was afraid when she did see him, worried that others would see through her, so “uncle” was a way she carefully guarded her meek pride.
Aurelia chuckled.
Cordelia held her hand. She had long seen through everything.
“Oh, yeah.” Cordelia changed the topic. “Did you realize that our names are similar?”
“Huh?” Aurelia jolted.
“There’s a ‘lia’ in both our names. It means gentle!”
“Really?” Aurelia smiled embarrassedly. “I can speak the language but can’t spell, so I don’t know how your name is spelled!”
“It’s okay if you don’t know my name.” Cordelia pulled a piece of paper over. “You’ve got to remember Neil’s name, though!”
“Cordelia…”
“There, see!” Cordelia grinned. “Aurelia means the golden one, and Neil means victory or champion. You both are even more connected!”
Aurelia flushed red instantly. She bit her lips and slipped off to the side.
The doorbell rang then, and the maid went to open the door, but no one came in after a while.
Cordelia was puzzled but heard a vague commotion.
“What are you doing? This is my cousin’s home. I’m here to see my cousin-in-law!”
“Sorry, Ms. Baker. Mr. Hamerton has said that you’re not allowed inside this villa!”
“Stop assuming authority when you have none! Do you not know me?”
“Who’s making so much noise?” Cordelia came out with a hand on her back and snickered when she saw it was Ava. “Oh, it’s you, Ava. What can I help you with?”
Ava was going to speak when Aurelia, who was beside Cordelia, attracted her gaze.
This was the expert who had changed all the holes in the dresses to embroidered patterns in the blink of an eye!
She clenched her hands, nails piercing her palms, and her gaze turned vicious.
“Hah, Cordelia!” Ava acted. “I’m here to visit you!”
she had brought
of vitamins was a rare blend with an even
“Cordelia, these are just a token. They’re for you.
no free lunch in this
of directors. It was
Cordelia said flatly. “You know me, I don’t
a favor and let my mom go back to the board of directors! She
this all Aunt Hannah’s fault? I think it’s more like she’s
“You—”
and evidence. Do you think I don’t know the truth? Only you’d do something so stupid as to let others catch you
widened as she sucked in
blame for you, but you wouldn’t do it without her silent approval.” Cordelia was clear about it. “Go back, Ava. It’s well within reason to
This stumped Aurelia.
doesn’t
hurried to say, “I’m just curious. He’s my cousin and an award-winning actor with many fans in Centrolis. Why
slightly
with her finger anxiously, but the corners of
mature, stable, and had a cold hint in her first impression,
she genuinely thought he was an uncle
of address became her special way of addressing him. She called everyone else by their names. It was only
put distance between them and avoided suspicions
was afraid when she did see him, worried that others would see through her, so “uncle” was a way
Aurelia chuckled.
She had long seen through
the topic. “Did you realize that our
“Huh?” Aurelia jolted.
a ‘lia’ in both our names.
smiled embarrassedly. “I can speak the language but can’t spell, so I don’t know how your
don’t know my name.” Cordelia pulled a piece of paper over. “You’ve
“Cordelia…”
Cordelia grinned. “Aurelia means the golden one, and Neil means
red instantly. She bit her lips and slipped off to the
rang then, and the maid went to open the door, but no one came in after
but heard
This is my cousin’s home. I’m here to
said that you’re not allowed
have none! Do you
out with a hand on her back and snickered when she saw it was
going to speak when Aurelia, who was
expert who had changed all the holes in the dresses to embroidered patterns
nails piercing her palms,
Ava acted. “I’m
scanned what she had
the box of vitamins was a rare blend with an even higher
just a token. They’re for you.
smirked. There was no free lunch
Hannah out in front of the whole board of directors. It was a surprise that this mother-daughter duo was
said flatly. “You know me, I don’t like unnecessary twists and
to the board of directors! She knows she’s
Cordelia scoffed. “Ava, is this all Aunt Hannah’s fault? I
“You—”
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