Chapter 360 Who Lurks in the Shadows?
As evening approached.
A discreetly luxurious sedan was parked at the school gate.
Two tall and handsome men stood by the car, their striking features and stature drawing a lot of attention.
"OMG, look over there. Those guys are so hot!"
"Are they waiting for someone?"
"I wonder if they have girlfriends. Should we go and ask for their WhatsApp contact?"
A group of girls wanted to approach the two men, but they were politely held back by the driver.
The two men’s gazes were fixed on the school gate, apparently waiting for someone. They exchanged words from time to time.
Their looks and presence were captivating; it was almost impossible to look away from them.
Finally, a girl strolled out toward them.
The two men's eyes brightened in unison. One stepped forward and playfully tousled the girl's hair while the other gentlemanly held the car door open.
Each gesture they made was imbued with tenderness, hinting at the girl's significance to them.
Onlookers cast glances at her, watching as she bent to enter the car. From the back, all they could discern was her slender frame and tall stature; her face remained unseen.
Inside the car, Abella took her seat between the two men.
"You must be exhausted from all the training. Here, have some water," Ethan said as he unscrewed the cap of a bottle of Kona Nigari water, which wasn’t particularly expensive, but a bottle would set you back a bit.
Phillipe offered some snacks, saying, "Bought these on the way over. Try some and tell me if they're any good?"
"Shouldn't you clean your hands first?" Ethan suggested, tearing open a wet wipe packet.
After Abella cleaned her hands, Phillipe took her petite hands into his, drying them carefully and slipping disposable gloves on them.
Witnessing the men attending to every little detail, treating her like a child, Abella had a warm smile.
"You guys should try some too," she offered, extending the treats toward them.
Ethan was touched. This was the first time his little sister had personally offered him something to eat!
She hadn't forsaken her brother for someone else!
“In fact, the very first snack was intended for me!” Ethan thought.
Ethan felt a warmth in his heart, but when he glanced at Phillipe, expecting jealousy on his face, Ethan was surprised to see Phillipe bite into the snack from Abella's hand without a hint of it.
Ethan thought to himself, for his sister's sake, he'd hold back any annoyance.
A short while later, Phillipe's phone rang, "Run that by me again?"
"Mr. Bourbon, even if you threaten to fire me, you have to come down here... there's been an unexpected issue... you're the only one who can handle this!"
Since Abella was seated so close, she could hear the secretary's voice on the line.
Phillipe was about to lose his cool, but a glance from Abella quelled his anger.
"Heh, talk about timing,” he grumbled.
After hanging up, Phillipe instructed the driver to drop him off at the Bourbon Group building, then turned to Abella, "You and Ethan go ahead and have dinner without me. Don't wait up. I'll join you as soon as I'm done."
"Um, try to be nice."
"Don't worry."
He would, grudgingly, keep his composure for the sake of the young girl.
Finally, only the driver, Ethan, and Abella remained in the car.
Ethan reveled in the joy of having his sister to himself for once. Blake had warned him that Phillipe was always hoarding her attention, making alone time with her seem as difficult as scaling a mountain...
But now, it seemed Blake was merely overthinking things.
Ethan looked at the docile girl beside him, his heart growing even warmer in contentment.
How could his sister be so breathtakingly beautiful, so sweet, and so talented...
"Did you study medicine with Mr. Edward before, Abella?" Ethan inquired.
A flicker of surprise danced in Abella's eyes. "How did you know, Ethan?" she asked.
Ethan explained the situation succinctly.
Abella hadn't expected Ethan to care so much about her future. He even went to the extent of seeking Mr. Edward's help on her behalf.
"Mr. Edward mentioned that your medical skills have already surpassed his. I was shortsighted that night when I asked you to join us..."
Ethan trailed off, not finishing the sentence about the "Homeland Security Department" out of concern that the walls might have ears.
“It was almost comical. Will a renowned healer like Dr. Abbott join us? That was a long shot!” Ethan thought.
"If I had known it was you that night, I might have considered offering a more honorary position."
After all, Abella had been managing their family business with great efficiency.
“Just a title, nothing more...” Abella thought.
“It wouldn't be a challenge for me,”
“Although it would be a bit time-consuming...” she added.
When Ethan heard this, he was moved, but it also reminded him of Blake's words. His sister was no flimsy jacket, but rather a super comfy down coat that warms his heart!
"It's a bit dangerous. Better not get involved," he said, contradicting his earlier stance. "Even an honorary position isn't a good idea."
Abella remained silent, thinking back to his different tone that night...
"Actually, our grandparents aren't in great health and are currently undergoing treatment abroad," Ethan revealed.
The treatment process was critical and couldn't be disrupted, or all efforts would go to waste.
"If there's no improvement later, maybe you could take a look at them," Ethan suggested.
"Sure," Abella agreed readily.
Ethan went on to share how he came to know Mr. Edward. Before they knew it, they had arrived at Long Island Manor.
Numerous cars were parked in front of the lake house, with about a dozen people unloading items from the vehicles and carrying them into the mansion.
There were clothes, shoes, bags, skincare products, jewelry, food and drinks, and other household essentials...
Seeing Abella's perplexed expression as he opened the car door for her, Ethan grinned and added, "These are for you. Explore and decide whether you like them."
Abella lifted her gaze, somewhat surprised. "Did you bring the entire mall here for me?"
"I wasn't sure what you liked, so I got a little of everything. If there's anything you don't like, I promise I won't buy it again," Ethan assured her.
As he said this, he noticed a few strands of her hair tousled by the wind and reached out to gently arrange them.
Before buying these things, Ethan had sought advice from the household staff. Lauren said that Abella was very easygoing, not picky about colors, and had no dislikes when it came to food...
Whatever the family provided, she'd wear; whatever the chef cooked, she'd eat...
She was such a sweet and sensible girl, and to think that the Wilson family had treated her so poorly!!
Remembering what the Wilson family had done, Ethan felt a fire burning in his chest. Thankfully, his sister had cut the Gordian knot, personally sending those monstrous foster parents to jail.
"Let’s go in together," Ethan said.
Abella nodded and took a few steps before suddenly sensing something and glancing back.
There was no sign of anything amiss, yet she could feel eyes watching them.
Ethan followed her gaze and whispered, "What are you looking at?"
"Nothing." Abella thought, could it be enemies attracted by Ethan's status? But given Ethan's rank, how could enemies find them so easily and track them here?
Was she overthinking it?
Or was the person lurking in the shadows after her?
...
The living room was full of gifts Ethan had bought for Abella, with several servants moving items to her room.
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