“Since you’ve put it that way, Imperial Concubine, then I won’t impose.
I’ll have our driver, Walt, take you down the mountain,” Ryan Osborne said, doing his best to suppress his irritation while still smiling brightly.
“Thank you so much.” Ashley Bowen gave a small bow and walked out of the villa.
“Your Highness, your coffee.”
Yuri Sinclair was looking through the briefing materials his assistant had sent over for an upcoming delegation.
A diplomat and their staff from Koryo were scheduled to visit soon.
He glanced up at the coffee Ryan Osborne was holding out.
Seeing that the man wasn’t leaving, Yuri Sinclair said coolly, “Is there something you want to say?”
“I don’t understand.
The Second Prince already gave the Imperial Concubine three million to settle that incident and send her on her way.
Why are you, Your Highness, still so fixated on it?
Why insist on wading into this mess?”
“Stick to your duties.
Don’t ask questions you shouldn’t.” Yuri Sinclair had just picked up his coffee cup, but he suddenly slammed it back down on the table.
The sharp THUD made Ryan Osborne flinch.
“Yes, Your Highness.
I’ve overstepped.”
As he watched Ryan Osborne leave dejectedly, Yuri Sinclair’s expression turned chillingly dark.
‘My mind flashes back to a month ago.
When I learned the woman I loved was going to marry my older brother, I was heartbroken and drank heavily.
But a few drinks were nowhere near enough to make me pass out.’
‘But I blacked out afterward, and I ended up sleeping with that girl!’
Someone must have drugged me!’
‘Even though my second brother immediately stepped up to take the fall, I couldn’t bear to see such an innocent, naive girl ruined by my actions under such murky circumstances.’
‘That’s why I married her.
I plan to defy all opposition and give her the official status she deserves…’
The darkness in Yuri Sinclair’s eyes receded.
He resolved to do everything in his power to give that girl the best life possible.
“Shay, there’s a volunteer event at school tomorrow.
Want to go together?”
Ashley Bowen was by the study hall window, chin in hand and lost in thought, when a hand waving in front of her face snapped her out of it.
She bit her lip.
‘I really want to go, but my status is different now.
I can’t be so conspicuous in public.’ “I can’t.
My mom wants me to study for my grad school entrance exams, so I have to stay home and review.”
“Oh, come on!
I was planning on crashing at your place for dinner afterward.
Your mom’s cooking is amazing!
Shay, please?” whined Vivian Lee, Ashley Bowen’s college best friend and roommate.
Elise Tate, who was holding her book upside down, chimed in, “Shay, the campus heartthrob is going to be there tomorrow.
Are you sure you, of all people, aren’t going to show up?”
Ashley Bowen bit her lower lip, considered it, but still shook her head.
I’m a changed woman.
No more fangirling for me.”
“Hahaha, if you stop fangirling, pigs will fly!” Vivian Lee burst out laughing, her curly blonde hair tumbling onto Ashley Bowen’s shoulder.
“It’s settled then!
We’ll finish volunteering tomorrow and then head to your place for dinner.
You don’t have to come!”
‘So dragging me to the volunteer event was just an excuse to get a free meal,’ Ashley Bowen thought, pouting in resignation.
“I really can’t tomorrow, but…
I can treat you guys tonight.”
“Really?”
“Really!” Ashley Bowen said, gritting her teeth.
‘So much for my budget, but oh well!’
Jin Fu Shan was a barbecue joint the three of them frequented.
They picked their usual booth, and after they sat down, Vivian Lee and Elise Tate went to get the food.
In a coffee shop not far from the restaurant, a man sat with his phone out.
CLICK.
CLICK.
He snapped a few photos of the group across the way.