Destined Entwining: Capturing My Devoted Beau

Chapter 448: Chapter 245: Finally Some Compensation (Third Update)

This year at the Spencer Group’s annual gala, nobody remembered the achievements made by the group over the years, nor the hopeful visions of its executives for the future, or even the glamorous performances by top film stars. All that remained in people’s minds was this one photograph.

The second wife, Ava Harlow, received nearly everyone’s sympathy.

Everyone knew that she had been with Cameron Spencer for so many years, had engaged in numerous charitable endeavors, and now at an older age, she was past her prime. Yet, Cameron Spencer had spurned the old for the new and married a woman young enough to be his daughter.

As for the new wife, Brooke Osborne, people felt especially complicated emotions toward her, but nobody quite knew what to say, so they uniformly chose to ignore the situation.

...

Ava Harlow returned to her residence, feeling a heaviness in her throat, stifled and oppressed.

She went to her bathroom to wash her face and take a bath, trying to soothe her mood, but even after changing into her robe, she was still feeling uneasy.

Unable to endure any longer, she picked up her phone and dialed her cousin Autumn Stetford’s number.

She knew Autumn Stetford should be on a cruise with her family now.

It’s extremely difficult to answer international calls on a cruise, and the calling fees are rather expensive, though the cost is only significant to ordinary people.

To people like Ava Harlow and Autumn Stetford, this amount is negligible.

The call rang several times before disconnecting, with no one answering.

Ava Harlow wasn’t bothered; she knew that the effect of receiving calls on a cruise wasn’t great, so she dialed repeatedly.

Eventually, someone picked up the call.

”Hello, who is this?” The voice answering was not her cousin Fiona Stetford’s but a man’s voice.

The man’s voice was low and rich, with immense clarity that penetrated deeply.

Ava Harlow felt as if one of her ears had gone deaf, as though the voice came from afar, laced with distant thunder, clouds, and even echoes.

After so many years, she hadn’t expected to once again hear this voice in person.

She didn’t speak, but instinctively tilted her body toward the phone, as if doing so could make the voice clearer.

”Hello?” The male voice became puzzled, ”Could it be a wrong number?”

He murmured to himself, ready to hang up.

Only then did Ava Harlow regain her composure and hurriedly said, ”Is it brother-in-law? It’s Ava, is my cousin there?”

While speaking, she checked the number on the phone—it was correct. She had dialed it numerous times before, no mistake whatsoever.

The person on the other side paused for a moment, quickly regained composure, and with an aloof rejection said, ”Oh, Ava? Long time no see. Your cousin is bathing. I came in and heard her phone ringing several times, thinking it was urgent. If not, I’ll hang up.”

Ava Harlow tried her best to stay calm, her voice as usual, she smiled and said, ”I’ll call back later, or let cousin call me back. Sorry to disturb your private time. Is the cruise fun? I originally booked a ticket too, but unfortunately, Cameron suddenly changed his mind and wants the whole family to celebrate New Year together, so I refunded the ticket.”

She felt somewhat embarrassed.

Initially, she thought Autumn Stetford and her husband Aiden Sheldon were on a cruise and the phone connection wasn’t good, resulting in so many calls. However, the truth proved her wrong.

She had embarrassed herself in front of Aiden Sheldon.

Aiden Sheldon casually said, ”We canceled the tickets too, so we didn’t go.”

”Didn’t go?” For some reason, Ava Harlow suddenly breathed a sigh of relief, the barricade within her chest vanished unknowingly, ”Why? It isn’t because I didn’t go...hahaha...”

”Definitely not.” Aiden Sheldon frowned, displeased, and said, ”It’s because of Betty; she said she’s been on too many cruises and finds them boring. She wanted to return home for New Year, so our family gradually came back, and this year we’ll celebrate domestically.”

Speaking of his precious daughter, Aiden Sheldon’s tone unconsciously softened, losing the coldness akin to freezing winds and snow.

”Ah?” Ava Harlow was shocked again, ”Is that so? Are you spending New Year in the country? What about cousin’s family?”

”They’re coming back too.” Aiden Sheldon grew impatient and as he saw Autumn Stetford stepping out of the bathroom, he said, ”Your cousin is here, talk to her.”

He handed the phone over to Autumn Stetford and casually said, ”Sorry, thought it was urgent, so I helped answer, it’s a call from your cousin Ava.”

With an awkward expression, Autumn Stetford accepted the phone from Aiden Sheldon and nonchalantly said, ”Is there something urgent? If not, I’ll hang up; I’m quite busy now.”

”No idea, ask yourself.” Aiden Sheldon stood up, ”I’ll go check on Betty.”

He turned and left, his tall and upright silhouette resembling a lone pine on a cliff edge, with exposed roots weathered by the winds and rain, yet he seemed unconcerned, embodying a rare resolute determination typical of wealthy heirs.

Only Autumn Stetford knew how ruthless and decisive Aiden Sheldon was in handling people and matters, with a proud character that would bend without breaking.

His only vulnerability was their daughter Ruby Sheldon, nicknamed Betty.

Perhaps because New Year was approaching, nostalgic memories swiftly flashed through Autumn Stetford’s mind.

Having endured numerous storms, she cherished the hard-won lovely present.

Savoring past memories, Autumn Stetford answered Ava Harlow’s call.

Aiden Sheldon had previously paused the call, thus Ava Harlow hadn’t heard the exchange between Autumn Stetford and Aiden Sheldon.

Autumn Stetford asked, ”Ava, it’s late, why call now? Is there something wrong?”

These words made Ava Harlow burst into tears, ”Cousin, do you know? That old bastard Cameron Spencer is already remarried!”

Autumn Stetford realized, ”...He got married, not to you?”

”Yes.” Ava Harlow nodded with choked sobs, ”To a young woman who could be his daughter, with a child born already. Today at Spencer Group’s annual gala, he publicly introduced his new wife. Didn’t he even consider how I would feel? If I knew beforehand, I wouldn’t have attended tonight!”

”It’s so humiliating, how will I face people in the future?”

Ava Harlow cried with choking sobs.

Autumn Stetford grew slightly impatient, thinking, you’ve been Cameron Spencer’s mistress for over twenty years, why didn’t you think about facing anyone before?

Yet recalling Ava Harlow’s family background, perhaps she wished to wait for Ruby Rayner’s death to become his legal wife... This couldn’t be blamed on her.

Over twenty years ago, Ava Harlow’s father absurdly coveted the assets of Blue Heavy Industries, was dealt with, leaving him only to sell his daughter for fortune.

Autumn Stetford felt slightly compassionate toward Ava Harlow and softly said, ”Don’t worry, tell you what, when Sheldon Consortium holds its annual gala this year, I’ll send you an invitation, you and your daughter can come, making sure you hold your head high.”

”Ah?! Really?!” Ava Harlow’s tears instantly stopped, she carefully dabbed her face with tissue, her voice brimming with joy, ”Is it true? This news is absolutely wonderful!”

The Sheldon Consortium’s gala is nothing like the upstart mode of Spencer Group; invitations are hard to come by, selling for a sky-high price of ten million on the black market in recent years.

To attend the gala of Sheldon Consortium, ranked first on the national wealth list, means not only domestic ties but also connections in the top-tier international business circles.

For businesspeople, the ten million is just an investment, certain to yield returns.

Leave alone Ava Harlow; even Cameron Spencer, despite scheming for many years, had yet to attend the Sheldon Consortium’s gala.

He simply couldn’t get an invitation.

Ava Harlow was overjoyed and forgot everything else.

Autumn Stetford sighed in relief.

She glanced at the phone’s note for Ava Harlow—it was a simple word ”A”, not her full name ”Ava Harlow” or the common reference ”Ava”.

No wonder Aiden Sheldon didn’t know who this ”A” was.

If he knew A” was ”Ava”, he’d rather lose his hand than answer the call.