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
quality tonics, and the box of vitamins was a rare blend with an even higher price
these are just a token. They’re for you. Please
was no free lunch in
board of directors. It was a surprise that this
honest,” Cordelia said flatly. “You know me,
favor and let my mom go back to the board of directors! She knows she’s wrong and has been crying at home these two days. She’s
all Aunt Hannah’s
“You—”
Do you think I don’t know the truth? Only you’d do
she sucked in
without her silent approval.” Cordelia was clear about it. “Go back, Ava. It’s well within reason to be
This stumped Aurelia.
doesn’t like
say, “I’m just curious. He’s my cousin and an award-winning actor
looked down slightly with a
the glass and rubbed it with her finger anxiously, but the corners of her lips
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
thought he was an uncle she could not
called everyone else by their names. It was only different when it
between them and avoided suspicions from
did not see him but was afraid when she did see him, worried that others would see through her, so “uncle” was
Aurelia chuckled.
her hand. She had long seen through
changed the topic. “Did you realize that
“Huh?” Aurelia jolted.
a ‘lia’ in both our names. It
embarrassedly. “I can speak the language but can’t spell, so I don’t know how
don’t know my name.” Cordelia pulled a
“Cordelia…”
see!” Cordelia grinned. “Aurelia means the golden one, and Neil means victory or champion. You both are even more
She bit her lips and slipped off
to open the door,
puzzled but
doing? This is my cousin’s home. I’m
said
when you have none!
out with a hand on her back and snickered when she saw it was Ava. “Oh, it’s you, Ava.
Aurelia, who was beside
all the holes in the dresses
her hands, nails piercing her palms, and her gaze
Cordelia!” Ava acted. “I’m here to visit
what she had
quality tonics, and the box of vitamins was a rare blend with
these are just a token. They’re for you.
smirked. There was no free lunch in
whole board of directors. It was a
honest,” Cordelia said flatly. “You know me,
“Cordelia, please ask Zephyr for a favor and let my mom go back to the board of directors! She knows she’s wrong
all Aunt Hannah’s fault? I
“You—”
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