Chapter 440: On A Mission
"That’s why... that’s why I’ve never allowed any woman co near
or had anything to do with the ones that were bold enough to co close and would always use you as my shield," he finished flatly.
Sothing exploded in Lauren’s brain and her eyebrows instantly shot up. "You... you an you’ve been... celibate all these years?"
"Hard as it may sound, yes! Every other woman repulsed . I’ve practically killed any form of emotion for any other woman... Except for you, of course."
"And I was doing a good job at living a carefree life, or so I thought, again, untill today ... to see her here, as your friend, so close after all these years... it threw
off, Lauren."
"When I saw her with you today, it was both nostalgic and exciting. I’ve never felt that sudden leap in my being the way I did when I confird she was the one."
Lauren’s expression softened, but she kept her resolve. "But you can’t just waltz back into her life, George, and expect things to be fine. It’s expected that she’s built walls, and she’s got every right to keep you out. So if you really care about her, stop ssing with her emotions. Be honest with her or stay away from her."
George looked down, silent for a mont, as if absorbing her words. When he spoke again, his voice was quieter. "I have no plans of ssing with her, Lauren. But seeing her again and knowing that we didn’t officially end things between us... it’s like we’re being given a second chance. And I don’t know if she has forgive , just like I’ve forgiven her since she also didn’t do the right thing by us, but... I need to try."
Lauren studied him closely and saw a vulnerability in her cousin that she wasn’t used to. "You need to figure out if you really want to be with her or you’re doing this just to ease your own guilt, George. She has also gone through a lot from what I saw today and leading her on wouldn’t be a good thing to do if at the end be of the day, you’re not ready to settle down with her."
George t her gaze steadily. "I know. And that’s why I won’t push her. But I also won’t pretend like she’s just a stranger, although I can tell that’s what she wants."
Lauren sighed, rubbing her temple. "Well, if you really an that, I guess I can’t stop you. But don’t expect
to pick up the pieces if this backfires. Ariel’s my friend, and I won’t let her get hurt, not even by you... again."
George nodded, understanding the unspoken warning in her words. "Do you honestly think I’d hurt her, Ren?" He asked quietly.
"I don’t expect you to."
"Thank you for believing in , Ren. I knew I could count on you, especially in the days to co," he said with a knowing smile.
"May I remind you that ’in the days to co,’ I’ll already be a married woman living happily in my husband’s house and wouldn’t have ti for the nonsense you have always subjected
to in the past?" she replied dryly.
"But it’s your friend we’re talking about here, rember?"
"My honeymoon is non-negotiable, not even for my friends," Lauren threw back heartlessly, although she had already made up her mind to do her best to get the two back together.
"We’ll see about that," George could only say as he got up to live. "Anyways, thanks for tonight," he added.
"Wait, that reminds ," Lauren said suddenly. "If you care about Ariel that much, what was that whole charade you pulled with ?"
"I was on a mission."
"Mission? What mission?"
"Do you rember the first ti I ca to see you at Empress Brews, you asked
how I found you?"
"Mm-hmm, you said sothing about finding
even if I ran to the ends of the earth."
"You never cease to amaze
with your sharp mory, Ren. That was months ago, and you still rember it word for word."
"Stop with the flattery and get to the point," Lauren snapped, though she appreciated George’s complints.
"Killian was the one who gave
your address," George confessed.
"I see. Continue."
"He didn’t just give
your number but gave it to
on the condition that I carry out a mission for him.
"Which is?"
"It was just one mission initially, but it later extended to two and many more as I saw how things were going."
"You can start with mission number one," Lauren snapped impatiently.
"When he realized that Steffan had lost part of his mory and didn’t rember you, and seeing the way you were suffering because of that, Killian asked
to make Steffan so jealous that it will knock him out of that ridiculous amnesia and realize what an incredible woman you were, compared to that white faced witch that was always by his side."
"You can’t be serious, are you?" Lauren asked in disbelief. And here she was feeling guilty that she was using George all along.
"A hundred and one percent serious."
"So you didn’t co because you missed
and I hated to see
desperately like you made
believe. What did my brother promise you in return?"
"Does he need to promise
sothing to look out for my favorite cousin?"
"George!" Lauren shouted, not believing him one bit.
"Let’s say we reached an agreent over sothing," George said. If he told Lauren that Killian had helped him solve a major security threat to his company, it would expose Killian’s job as a top governnt secret service agent. The less people knew what Killian was actually into, the safer for everyone.
"I see, keeping secrets, are we?"
George knew that look and was not ready to enter Lauren’s bad book. The last one cost him two percent shares from his company, although he had intended giving her sothing substantial. He had to quickly co up with sothing.
"Alright," he groaned helplessly. "He helped
with a little issue in my company. You know he’s quite good with computers."
"So you didn’t want to reveal how incompetent your staff are," Lauren taunted as she accepted the explanation which seed plausible. "And the second?"
"The second, was more of a follow up on the first. It was to make sure you were doing the right thing by staying by Steffan’s side. We needed to see how deep rooted your love for him was."
"And what if I had fallen for your nonsense?"
"I knew you wouldn’t. But don’t you think I deserve so accolades? I was so good that at so point, Killian thought I’d really fallen in love with you, Cuz. Though that would not have been difficult if I’d wanted to. You’re so lovable and ..."
"Goodnight already," Lauren cut in, sensing that George was about to veer into another one of his long-winded complints. "I need as much beauty sleep as I can get these days, to look my absolute best on my wedding day."
"Good plan, just don’t sleep so much that you can’t fit into your wedding dress after those nights of beauty sleep."
"You’d better leave now before I ask Ariel never to forgive you."
"Good night, Ren," George said with a grin as he hurried out of the house.
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