Chapter 631
Andrew’s brows knotted as he swallowed hard, Brielle’s words racing through his mind.
Aubree had left Beaconsfield. The thought brought on a wave of irritability.
He stood up, grabbed a nightgown from nearby, and helped Tessa into it. “Just rest up, okay? Take a moment to chill.”
“Are you ditching me because the Rowlands are going down? You can stay. Andrew, please…”
“Enough!” Andrew’s voice took on a stern edge, and then he sighed, “I’ve never thought that way. It’s just… with the way you are right now, we’re not in the right headspace for… this. You need to chill. I need to get some air.”
With that, he strode out the door.
Marissa was already waiting outside, relieved to see him emerge. “I was half expecting you to spend the night with her, Andrew. Listen, we’ve got the inside scoop – the Rowlands are finished. The big guns have been sent in to dig deep, and Zaiden’s fate is sealed. The cover–up by the Rowlands is fact. By morning, their stock is going to tank, and the government will freeze their assets. Don’t go spouting any nonsense about marrying Tessa now. She’s not the one for you.”
Marissa didn’t bother to lower her voice, so Tessa heard every word from inside. Tessa’s body shook with spasms of pain, and she ran to the bathroom, vomiting blood.
She couldn’t let things end like this. What would she be without Andrew in her world? Her only play now was to force Andrew’s hand in marriage.
Gazing into the mirror, her face hollow, she looked like a ghost of herself.
Tears started anew, fueling her hatred for Brielle. Was this all Brielle’s doing?
That bitch!
Tessa wanted to release the video she held, to let all of Beaconsfield see, to make Brielle suffer! But the timing wasn’t right. Aubree was, in name, part of the Clements family. If the video implicated them, Tessa would lose everything.
She had to use the video to make Andrew marry her.
Meanwhile, outside Harmony Haven Hotel, Brielle stood apart from the angry crowd, watching the remnants of the Rowland family face public condemnation. Her expression was calm, a faint smirk on her lips.
She looked up at Max and let out a sigh. “The Rowlands won’t last long now. Let’s head back.” Max ruffled her hair lightly, “What’s next? Were you hoping Dustin would pull some strings in the Clements‘ business dealings?” He had his suspicions, but this didn’t require Dustin’s help. “Yes, but I’ve changed my mind. Aubree won’t be back for two months, and I want Andrew to
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Chapter 631
fully understand his own heart by then.”
It was always easier to see the truth from the outside. Andrew, the coward, deliberately overlooked Aubree and was unwilling to acknowledge their relationship, fearing the judgment of others.
He was born into the spotlight, the anointed heir of the Clements, so his life was a smooth sail. How could he allow a stain on his life, especially one so scandalous? If his and Aubree’s relationship came to light, it would shame the entire Clements family.
Nobody could predict how the public would react. The Clements Corporation might suffer, and people would question the true motive behind Aubree’s adoption. The idea of a child bride was an anathema, and for a family with a century of history, holding onto such archaic notions would invite scorn.
So Andrew hooked up with Aubree but refused to acknowledge it.
Tessa became his perfect alibi. As childhood sweethearts, Tessa was so dependent on him, and they were seen as a match made in heaven.
With Tessa, he remained the untouchable heir of the Clements family, the CEO of Clements Corporation.
What was this charade?
Andrew lived his orderly life, filling his voids with Aubree whenever he was bored, but since his arrival, Aubree had spent every moment loving him, only living in the spare moments.
Did he truly deserve her?
