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!”
scanned what she had brought
vitamins was a rare blend with an even
these are just a token. They’re for you. Please
no free lunch
of directors. It was a surprise that this mother-daughter duo was still
flatly. “You know me,
a favor and let my mom go back to the board of directors! She knows she’s wrong and has been crying at home these
this all Aunt Hannah’s fault? I think it’s
“You—”
don’t know the truth? Only you’d do something so stupid as to let others
eyes widened as she sucked in a
you, but you wouldn’t do it without her silent approval.” Cordelia was clear about
This stumped Aurelia.
He doesn’t like
and an award-winning actor with many fans in Centrolis. Why is he an
slightly with
it with her finger anxiously, but the corners of
called an uncle? It was because Neil was a man who was mature, stable, and had a cold hint in
was an uncle she
called everyone else by their
put distance between them and avoided suspicions from
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
Aurelia chuckled.
held her hand. She had long
the topic. “Did
“Huh?” Aurelia jolted.
both our
but can’t spell, so I
don’t know my name.” Cordelia pulled a piece of paper over. “You’ve
“Cordelia…”
golden one, and Neil means victory or champion. You both are
red instantly. She bit her lips and slipped
went to open the door, but no one came in
but heard a
my cousin’s home. I’m here to see
said that you’re not allowed
authority when you have none! Do you
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
was going to speak when Aurelia, who
expert who had changed all the holes in the dresses
piercing her palms, and her
acted. “I’m here to visit
what she had brought
box of vitamins was a rare blend with an even
a token. They’re
smirked. There was no free lunch in
had chased Hannah out in front of the whole board of directors. It was a surprise that this mother-daughter duo was still up to no
honest,” Cordelia said flatly. “You know me, I don’t like unnecessary twists
back to the board of directors!
Cordelia scoffed. “Ava, is this all Aunt Hannah’s fault? I think it’s more like she’s the scapegoat for
“You—”
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