The CEO's Unplanned Heir novel Chapter 18

Tears welled up in Elowen's eyes. "Leo, I love you too much. I'm just afraid that another woman will steal you away from me. My mom always took your side, and supported you. You're breaking her heart, don't you know?"

The classic tactic of using her mother as a shield in troubled times.

Leopold grunted in annoyance. If it weren't for the sake of his aunt, he would've long kicked her out of sight.

"Remember my warning, Elowen. If you continue to stir up trouble, don't blame me for not respecting my aunt."

He turned and left for the upstairs.

Elowen felt her heart sink in despair.

She had to find a way to get rid of the pest named Aurelia.

…

These past few days, Aurelia had taken some time off work to recuperate.

Arnold had texted her on WhatsApp to ask about her condition. Once he found out that her wounds were healing, he reserved a table at a top-tier restaurant, to treat her to dinner and catch up on old times.

"I'm relieved to see you're okay."

He poured Aurelia a glass of juice.

Thinking about his connection to Leopold, Aurelia felt a little awkward.

"Arno, I never imagined you to be Leopold's older brother."

Arnold gave an enigmatic smile. "You seem to get along well with Leopold. He was the first one to rush to you when you got injured."

Aurelia quickly waved her hands in denial. The last thing she wanted was to spread rumors about her having a relationship with the boss. That would be disastrous.

"Don't get the wrong idea. I hardly ever get to see the boss in my position. Leopold's actions were purely out of humanitarian care for his employees. He's only recently taken over, and needs to increase his approachability. You understand, right?"

"Perhaps."

Arnold chuckled, accepting her words at face value, though his thoughts were different.

Leopold was cold and indifferent. Even if someone died in front of him, he'd simply step over the body and leave without a hint of pity.

"It is hard for men not to fall for a girl like you."

Aurelia looked down, giving a bitter smile.

The sons of wealthy families always have their eyes on the sky. Why would they ever notice a commoner like her?

He must be the same, or he wouldn't have cut ties with her in the first place.

"Don't flatter me. If I were thrown into the sea of people, I wouldn't even make a ripple."

Arnold gazed at her deeply. "That's not the confident Aurelia I remember."

Aurelia used to be confident. She was pretty, well-educated, and had a good job. But after being repeatedly humiliated by Leopold, she felt as though she was being reduced to dust.

"A young calf doesn't fear the tiger," she said. "When I was still in school, I didn't understand the harsh realities of the world. Now that I've entered society, it's inevitable that I'll face some hard knocks."

Arnold raised an eyebrow. "Having trouble at work?"

"Not really. Everyone goes through some trials to grow."

Aurelia forced a light smile. To him, she was just an acquaintance. She couldn't let him see her sadness.

Arnold swirled his glass of red wine. Three years had passed, and the girl in front of him had matured a lot. She was no longer the naive young girl he once knew.

Just then, a woman entered the restaurant. She looked around, trying to find a quiet spot, when her eyes landed on Aurelia.

"What the hell is going on? She's with Arnold? Did they know each other all along?" The woman thought.

She quickly brought out her phone to take a sneaky photo.

Of the three brothers, Leopold was most wary of Arnold. Now, Aurelia was screwed!

…

In the CEO's office, Leopold had just finished a meeting when Elowen rushed in, flustered.

"Leo, I've discovered a big secret. Aurelia is Arnold's lover."

Leopold frowned slightly. "Are you really that desperate for attention?"

Hadn't it only been a few days since she last caused trouble?

Elowen hurriedly pulled out her phone and showed him the photo. "It's true! Right now, she's having dinner with Arnold at Celestial Savor. They're all laughs and smiles, looking very cozy."

She paused, then added, "I strongly suspect that this is all a plot by Arnold and Aurelia. They bribed the doctor to fake the medical accident, making everyone believe that Aurelia was carrying your child. But in truth, she's already pregnant with Arnold's child. This way, their illegitimate child would become the heir of the Stirling Group without anyone noticing."