The CEO’S Unplanned Heir novel (Aurelia and Leopold)
Chapter 869

Leah always had this nagging suspicion that Marianne wasn't getting the whole truth. Every tMarianne caught a glimpse of Avery through the corner of her eye, Leah could clearly see the enduring longing and affection in Marianne's eyes. How could she not have a crush on him? Marianne probably just didn't dare admit it, for fear of Avery giving her the boot.

"Anyway, Avery's off the market for love right now. Mooning over him is a waste of time." Marianne offered a wry smile. "Love's got its timetable and doesn't wait for anyone. Remindsof a girl from high school who swore she'd be all business to make her fortune before settling down. Then, bam! She met Mr.

Right at a bar, and before you know it they eloped after a month. Now she's about ready to pop with their first kid." Leah, ever the analyst, laid it out. "Avery's a public figure. You can't compare him to the guy next door. How many stars in the showbiz tie the knot young? If he even thought about dating, Nydia would hit the roof, Arnold and Aurelia would have a fit, let alone his solid fanbase. They'd cry a river that'd raise global sea levels five meters and cause a flood." Marianne sighed, head bowed. Avery was indeed too young, with a career stretching out before him. Even a whiff of romance, let alone marriage, could cause a scandal.

But she had ton her side. They were peers, after all. She could wait.

"Don't you think Meredith's getting a bit too into her roles? Every look she gives her idol's dripping with feelings." Marianne smoothly changed the subject, deflecting any potential hostility from Leah.

Leah had seen it all before. "Any actress that's worked with Avery can't seem to shake off the character. Lucky for them, Avery doesn't do real kiss scenes. It's all camera tricks and stand-ins. Otherwise, they'd never snap out of it." Marianne pulled a face. "Our boy's a saint, a real rarity in showbiz, different from sconstantly caught with their pants down." Meanwhile, at the Elysium, Arnold had just picked up the kids from school and swung by Blossom Villa.

Jolin Hawthorne brought out ssnacks for the young ones to tide them over.

Arnold's phone buzzed with a message from an old college buddy, Diego, in their Whatgroup. [Hey Arnold, heard from Shawn lately? Wasn't he supposed to be in Elysium and said something about catching up? But he's gone dark. I've tried messaging him, no dice.] Arnold replied, [He's back in Eldoria, must've had an emergency.] Just then, Victor from Eldoria chimed in. He was Shawn's neighbor and they hung out often.

[Shawn doesn’t cback. They were planning a road trip through Country Veritalia with the kids. Maybe they're still out traveling?] Arnold felt a twinge of unease and looked over at his son. "William, didn't Ramona say her parents had gone back home?" "Yeah," William nodded. "She's been coming to school alone, no sign of her parents." Arnold quickly typed in the group chat that [Shawn's daughter, Ramona, is in the sclass as my boy. She's mentioned her parents went back home, and she's been getting to school on her own.] Victor sent a shocked emoji. [That's weird. Ramona's their little princess. Why would they let her go to school alone? Hope nothing's wrong.] A bad feeling settled in Arnold's gut.

[Let's dig into this. Check if Shawn and his wife have any records of going back, I'll hit up the immigration office here.] [Got it."] William craned his neck to peek at his dad's phone. "Dad, something's up with Ramona's parents?" "Not sure," Arnold said, his gaze darkening. "You've been hanging out with Ramona, right?" "Yeah, we're good friends now," William confirmed.

"Notice anything... off about her?" Arnold pressed.

William shrugged, "She's been kinda quiet lately, I guess." Arnold's instinct told him this was the beginning of something far more serious than schoolyard gossip.

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