Chapter 595: Assigning Aurelie to Monitor Nathaniel
Aurelie's eyes narrowed. "Who the hell are you?"
"You don't need to know who we are, just come with us," the two bodyguards grunted, grabbing her without another word.
Aurelie had no clue who these guys were, but their tough-guy act screamed that they worked for someone big.
Cecily was just stepping out of the airport, about to hop into her car, when she felt someone staring at her.
She followed the gaze and spotted a dude leaning against a car, decked out in a black suit and shades, smirking. When he saw her looking, he gave a little chin lift, like a distant "what's up."
Cecily didn't know him, but he seemed to know her. Maybe he was a buddy of Darian's or someone who'd seen her around, so he gave her a nod.
Since she had no clue who he was and had never seen him before, Cecily shrugged it off. She nodded back politely and slid into her car.
As Cecily's car rolled away, Aurelie was hustled over to the guy by the two bodyguards. The man in shades gave her a once-over.
"Who are you?" Aurelie asked, eyeing him warily. She didn't know him, but his eyes behind those shades gave off a dangerous vibe.
"Miss Miller, don't you recognize me? Nathaniel brought you to the Kensington Manor before. We've met," Stanley said, pulling off his sunglasses to reveal eyes that smiled but didn't quite reach his soul.
Aurelie frowned at his fake, dangerous grin. She had been to the Kensington Manor with Nathaniel once, but it was ages ago, and she couldn't place this guy.
Seeing her blank look, Stanley didn't get mad. "I'm Stanley, Nathaniel's older brother. Ring any bells now?"
"What do you want? I have nothing to do with Nathaniel anymore. What gives you the right to drag me here?" Aurelie shot back.
Stanley's smile stayed put. "It is my father, Terry, who wants to see you. Besides, where do you think you're going? Your dad just had an accident, right? He hasn't even been buried yet, and you're already bailing on Silver Frost Capital. Isn't that a bit cold?"
"That's none of your damn business," Aurelie snapped. Stanley's fake smile and dangerous aura screamed trouble.
And the Kensington family? What did they want with her now? Why drag her to see Terry?
"It's not my business, but let's head to the Kensington Manor first and chat about what's relevant," Stanley said, raising an eyebrow. He opened the car door and said coldly, "Get in."
Aurelie didn't budge.
Stanley lost his patience. He waved his hand, and the two goons shoved her. "Get in the car."
Aurelie's hand clenched at her side. She forced herself to stay calm and stepped into the car. She had no other choice.
At the Kensington Manor.
Aurelie was led into the living room, trailing behind Stanley.
"Dad, Miss Miller is here," Stanley announced.
Terry was lounging on the sofa, puffing on a cigar. His eyes swept over Aurelie, sizing her up. "Just so-so."
She had decent features and a passable demeanor, but nothing special. Just an ordinary woman.
Terry couldn't fathom why Nathaniel was so hung up on Aurelie.
Being looked at like a piece of meat made Aurelie's skin crawl.
"I'm curious, how'd you meet Nathaniel?" Terry asked, his sharp eyes drilling into Aurelie, laying on the pressure thick.
Aurelie lowered her gaze, sizing up the man in front of her. She had no clue what he was after, but she wasn't about to show fear. "Why don't you cut to the chase? I don't like playing games, and you don't seem like the type who does either."
Terry stared at her, a bit taken aback by her boldness. He smirked, his eyes drifting to her belly. "If this kid in your belly is born, he'd call me 'Grandpa', right?"
Aurelie's heart skipped a beat.
Terry raised a hand. "No need to freak out. Nathaniel said you aborted the kid, but you're clearly still pregnant. So, did you lie to Nathaniel, or did Nathaniel lie to me?"
Terry had Stanley dig into Aurelie's story. Nathaniel claimed the baby was gone, but Terry wasn't buying it. A deeper dive at the hospital revealed Aurelie was still pregnant.
Aurelie bit her lip, remembering Nathaniel's warning that the Kensington family wouldn't let her keep the baby even if she gave birth.
She had no idea what Terry's game was.
The more she thought about it, the more nervous she got, her palms sweating. "Do you want to take my baby away?"
"What do you mean your baby? It's a Kensington baby too, isn't it?" Terry raised an eyebrow.
"So, what do you want?" Aurelie asked.
Terry smiled. "Don't be so jumpy. Stanley told me you were trying to leave Silver Frost Capital today. I know things have been rough for you. I figured you were leaving to keep yourself and the baby safe. Of course, this is my grandchild, and I want him born safe too. I can help you."
Aurelie knew there had to be strings attached.
If he really wanted her to have the baby safely, he wouldn't have stopped her.
Aurelie was on high alert. "What do you want?"
Terry smiled. "I like talking to smart people."
He waved his hand, and someone brought out a box. When it opened, it was stuffed with cash.
Aurelie felt even more uneasy.
"I know you're strapped for cash lately. Take this money. I can also send people to protect you and your baby. I can even let you go back to Nathaniel. The catch is, you gotta tell me everything he does every day," Terry said.
Aurelie was baffled. "You want me to spy on Nathaniel?"
Seeing her shock, Terry smiled and went on. "Nathaniel's always up to something and getting into trouble. I need a smart person by his side to keep tabs on him. Miss Miller, you're perfect for the job."
Terry's words were half-truths.
Aurelie didn't buy it for a second. He just wanted her to keep an eye on Nathaniel 24/7.
Terry's eyes never left Aurelie. "Miss Miller, how about it? It's a win-win."
Stanley chimed in. "Miss Miller, if I were you, I'd jump at such a sweet deal. It's good for everyone."
Aurelie bit her lip, still not getting what they were really after.
She clenched her hands, staring at the box of money. After a long pause, a determined look flashed in her eyes, and she gave a slight nod.
Stanley watched Aurelie's move and smirked.
Nathaniel's girl wasn't any better, selling him out so easily for her own gain.
But then, Aurelie pressed down on the lid, closing the box and shoving it back toward Terry.
Terry's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean by this?"
"I can't do it," Aurelie said, standing tall. She locked eyes with Terry. "It's over between him and me. I can't go back to him, and I can't help you."
Aurelie didn't know much about the Kensington family's drama, and Nathaniel had always kept her in the dark.
But now she got it—the Kensington family and Nathaniel were at odds, and Nathaniel was someone they feared. If they didn't, why would they try to bribe her to spy on him?
They were scared of him, which is why they wanted to keep tabs on his every move.
Even though she had a falling out with Nathaniel, she couldn't bring herself to betray him. If she did, she'd hate herself forever.
"After all this talk, you just don't want to do it. Think carefully. I'm not negotiating with you," Terry's face turned icy, his eyes full of threats.
"I can't do it," Aurelie repeated.
"If someone is determined, there's nothing they can't do. It just means you don't want to put in the effort," Terry snapped.
Aurelie pressed her lips together, her heart racing, but she kept her cool. "Maybe you're overestimating me."
Seeing her firm refusal, Terry's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Aren't you afraid that if you refuse me, you won't be safe today?"
Aurelie laughed bitterly. "I'm just a nobody. If you harm me just because I refused your offer, someone will investigate. Then you'll have to deal with that mess. Wouldn't that be too much hassle? So I believe you wouldn't bother to harm me."
A tense silence followed.
Aurelie looked calm, but only she could feel the sweat on her back.
Terry stared at her for a long time, then suddenly smiled. "Since Miss Miller is unwilling to cooperate, I won't force you. Please, go ahead." He gestured for Aurelie to leave.
Aurelie walked out of the Kensington Manor, the wind chilling her damp clothes.
It seemed easy to walk out, but it wasn't. She hadn't agreed to their terms, which meant she had pissed them off.
Terry's seemingly indifferent smile just now had a sinister edge.
When they brought her here from the airport, they took all her stuff—phone, documents, everything.
Now, she had nothing but the clothes on her back.
With no money or phone, and such a long way to her home, she was stuck walking all the way back alone.
As she walked, Aurelie thought about Terry's words. She still couldn't wrap her head around why the Kensington family wanted her to spy on Nathaniel.
Nathaniel was Terry's son too. Did he not trust his own son, fearing he would plot against him?
Aurelie didn't know the ins and outs of their feud and couldn't figure it out, so she stopped trying.
She only knew her current situation was tough.
The only person she could rely on here was Cecily, but Cecily had already helped her so much that she felt bad asking for more.
Seeing Aurelie refuse and leave, Stanley looked at Terry in confusion. "Dad, are you just going to let her go?"
"What else do you suggest?" Terry sipped his tea and leaned back, a bit surprised that Aurelie had the guts to refuse him.
After a moment of silent thought, Terry sneered. "Forget it. Just make sure she doesn't leave Silver Frost Capital. Nathaniel cares about her, so she's his weak spot. She'll come in handy someday."
"And Nathaniel?" Stanley asked.
"Keep an eye on him yourself," Terry sighed. "Look at what you've done, making me worry about you."
Terry had a bunch of sons, and there was always some rivalry going on. Eleven years ago, when Nathaniel went to prison, Terry knew it was a setup by Stanley against Nathaniel. Between the two, he chose to protect Stanley.
Nathaniel spent ten years in prison. It was crazy to think he wouldn't hold a grudge against Stanley, Terry, or the whole Kensington clan. Now that he was out, he seemed carefree, but Terry knew Nathaniel wouldn't let it go. He feared that one day Nathaniel would strike back, so he had to stay on guard.
Aurelie finally made it back home, and by the time she arrived, it was already dark outside.
She collapsed onto the sofa, exhausted. After resting for a bit, Aurelie took out a spare phone from the drawer, intending to call Cecily. But she hesitated, knowing that if she called, Cecily would worry about her.
Feeling bad about troubling Cecily further, Aurelie put the phone back in the drawer and ran her fingers through her hair in frustration.
After dinner, Cecily was chilling in the living room with Griffin and Rowan, watching TV. She glanced at the time; Aurelie should have arrived at Vivienne's by now. Not having received a call from Aurelie, Cecily picked up her phone and called her.
The phone rang for a long time, but no one answered.
Cecily called again, but still, no one picked up.
Without hesitation, Cecily called Vivienne. Vivienne answered quickly, and Cecily asked anxiously, "Mom, has Aurelie arrived?"
"Aurelie? Hold on, let me ask the staff," Vivienne responded.
"Okay."
Vivienne soon replied, "She hasn't arrived. I sent someone to pick her up at the airport, but they didn't see her."
Cecily frowned and checked the time again. Aurelie should have arrived by now. Why wasn't she answering her phone, and why hadn't anyone seen her?
"Mom, can you send someone to look for her at the airport? I'll keep trying to call her," Cecily said, worried.
"Alright, don't worry. It's possible the flight was delayed," Vivienne said.
Cecily noticed Vivienne's voice sounded weak and worried. "Mom, are you sick? You sound weak."
"Yes, I have a bit of a cold, but I've taken medicine," Vivienne lied, lying in the hospital with a pale face.
Cecily was still worried. "Mom, I'll come see you in a couple of days."
"Don't come," Vivienne coughed lightly and quickly changed the subject. "I'm still sick. I don't want to infect you and the kids. Besides, it's tiring for you to travel back and forth."
Cecily felt even more concerned hearing Vivienne repeatedly refuse her visit.
"Listen to me, stay in Silver Frost Capital. I'll call you if I hear anything about Aurelie," Vivienne said before hanging up.
Cecily furrowed her brows. Just then, there was a knock at the door. A servant opened it, and Nathaniel walked in.
Cecily looked over. "Nathaniel?"
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