Orphan To Unbreakable Queen - Chapter 141: Chapter 141

Aubree's fingers clenched nervously, her back pressed tight against the sofa. Bowen leaned in, one arm resting on the back of the couch and the other braced beside her face—effectively trapping her.
"Such good taste," Bowen said, his tone like velvet with a twist—charming, dangerous, and impossible to ignore.
Aubree was completely cornered, trapped in a space where escape felt impossible. 'What's his problem? All I did was try to set him up on a blind date. Previously, he kissed me and even pretended that it never happened. Unbelievable,' she fumed inwardly.
The more she thought about it, the angrier Aubree became. In a sudden burst of fury, she gave Bowen a forceful shove. Caught off guard, Bowen actually ended up being pushed down by her.
With a bold swing of her leg, Aubree firmly straddled Bowen's waist, pinning him down with decisive authority.
Bowen let out a low, breathy groan, not the least bit displeased. His eyes locked onto Aubree's, burning with a heat so intense it was almost dangerous.
In any other situation, Aubree's instincts would have screamed danger, and she would have run off. But right now, all Aubree could feel was the burn of humiliation and heartbreak. She jabbed a finger at Bowen and unleashed a torrent of scolding.
"Oh, I'm sorry—was going on a date with a gorgeous woman too much of a burden for you? She's stunning. Count your blessings!" she snapped.
Bowen looked up at Aubree, eyes full of exasperation. 'Blessings? Sure, the woman is beautiful—but she isn't the one I want,' he thought.
One of Bowen's hands was pinned under Aubree, the other resting gently at her waist to steady her, afraid she might fall.
Unaware of his gesture, Aubree continued her rant, voice rising with indignation. "You kissed me while you were drunk—I haven't even called you out for it yet! But you just woke up the next morning acting like it never happened!"
"So you're still hung up on this, huh, Bree?" Bowen teased, a playful glint in his eyes.
Aubree froze, replaying his words in her head. A realization dawned.
Aubree looked Bowen up and down, her eyes full of suspicion. "You remember?"
Bowen, who had accidentally let the cat out of the bag, showed not the slightest trace of guilt—his knack for spinning stories was truly masterful. "Honestly, when I first woke up, I had some vague memories and thought it was just a dream. Later, when I sobered up, it all came back to me. I just didn't mention it to spare you the embarrassment. Who knew you'd still be so hung up over it?"
Aubree's face flushed crimson in an instant.
Hung up over it? Seriously? Don't I have every right to be upset about this?' Aubree fumed inwardly. 'Hold on—what's he playing at by bringing this up now?'
Aubree pursed her lips. "You deliberately pretended to be drunk just to kiss me! You're absolutely shameless!"
Bowen smirked. "Alright, then you can kiss me back now."
Bowen lounged back on the sofa, propping himself up just enough to watch her with a lazy, inviting smile—a picture of utter invitation. The hand that had been resting on her waist began to wander, his grip slowly tightening, growing bolder with every passing second.
Aubree stammered, flustered. "Uh, I—I almost forgot... It's getting late, and I've had two full days of exams... I'm really tired. I should go..."
Suddenly, Aubree gasped.
Without Aubree noticing, Bowen's hand that had been resting on her waist had wandered up her back to the nape of her neck. Then, with a sudden, forceful press downward, she tumbled straight into Bowen's arms.
Bowen dropped all pretense, his eyes blazing with raw, unmasked desire. Aubree's heart skipped a beat. 'Is he really planning to cross that line tonight?' she thought.
Aubree was not clueless—she knew full well Bowen had feelings for her. Or rather, he was not even trying to hide it.
Bowen pulled her deeper into his embrace, taking advantage of Aubree's position atop him. His lips found hers with perfect precision—at first, just a gentle, unhurried press. Then, he deliberately drew out each moment, coaxing and provoking her bit by bit.
Aubree struggled to get up, but clearly, Bowen had no intention of letting her go so easily. He nipped her lips playfully and murmured, his voice laced with mischief, "Still feeling wronged? I'm just letting you kiss me back now."
Aubree fumed inwardly, 'The nerve of this guy! Wait, am I the one taking advantage of him? But it does seem like he's enjoying it way too much.'
Aubree did not get much time to debate it. The moment Bowen's lips touched hers, all thoughts evaporated. Bowen had finally cornered his prize, and he was not holding back.
He drank in every trace of her kiss, and even when the softness beneath his lips had gone slack, he refused to let her go.
Bowen used both hands to pin Aubree firmly against his chest. Adjusting their position, he flipped her beneath him, gripping her chin with one hand and forcing her lips to part, yielding to his invasion.
Bowen clung to her lips, insistent and hungry, as if trying to savor every last trace of her. Every movement was firm, unhurried, and impossibly focused.
By the time Bowen finally let go of Aubree's lips, Aubree had gone totally limp.
Aubree gasped for air, her lips kiss-swollen and glistening. As Bowen watched her, his gaze darkened with something dangerous and possessive, a primal instinct flickering to life and quickly slipping beyond his control.
Aubree was pinned beneath Bowen, her face flickering with color—pale one moment, flushed the next. Her lips trembled as she spat out, "You shameless pervert!"
Bowen doubled down on his shameless act without a trace of embarrassment. "The woman I love is right here in my arms—if I didn't react, now that would be the real problem," he said.
Bowen spoke as if it was perfectly reasonable, making her feel like she was overreacting.
Aubree instinctively pressed her lips together, her face darkening in realization. 'He kissed me again—and this time, he's completely sober!' she thought.
Aubree's dark eyes bore into Bowen. "So, you think I'm a pushover?" she demanded.
Bowen froze for a moment, then burst out laughing, his deep, resonant chuckle ringing in her ears, which only made her more irritated. 'What's there to laugh about? The first time he kissed me, he pretended to be drunk and denied it. Now, the second time, he even... He's shameless!' she thought.
Bowen looked straight into her eyes and declared, "I'm in love with you."
Before Aubree could explode, Bowen's words stopped her dead in her tracks.
Aubree thought, 'Wait, what? He said it just like that? With zero warning? How am I supposed to dodge that?
'Even if Bowen had no intention of restraining himself, I thought he'd still start with some small talk. How come he didn't even give me time to come up with an excuse to refuse?'
Bowen had not planned on saying it, but now that he had kissed Aubree, it felt almost natural to admit it.
Bowen sat up straight, pulling Aubree up with him. Looking into her eyes, he said, "I love you. Don't be so quick to say no. I don't believe you have no feelings for me."
Aubree thought, 'But seriously—if some rich, capable man kept solving all my problems, throwing cash like confetti, even if his name was something plain and ridiculous, I'd probably develop feelings for him too.'
Aubree's gaze wavered, and she murmured, "M-maybe a little."
Bowen knew exactly what was on Aubree's mind.
"I really did intend to treat you like a junior at first," he said.
Aubree nodded. 'Right—like a junior at first. Then somehow, I turn into his wife. Classic move. I've seen this one before,' she thought.
"But feelings... can't really be helped. Bree, you won't blame me for finding you too charming, will you?" Bowen asked.
"Of course!" Aubree tilted her chin up with a sassy smirk. "It's only natural to like me."
"Exactly. I'm just a perfectly normal guy." Bowen chuckled, his hand ruffling her hair. "So, how about it—give me a chance to pursue you?"
The scent of red wine still lingered faintly on Aubree's lips—from him.
They were so close that their breaths intertwined, the space between them almost nonexistent. Bowen's burning gaze was glued to her, never wavering.
"I..." The words caught in Aubree's throat.
Bowen looked at Aubree and said, "You want to turn me down, don't you? You don't believe someone would just be kind to you for no reason. You don't believe in love at first sight." Bowen saw right through every one of Aubree's reservations.
Bowen had been holding back all this time because he knew that even if Aubree did have feelings for him, she would almost certainly turn him down just to protect herself.
Bowen had quite a few drinks tonight, and seeing Aubree talking with Enrique about setting him up on a blind date—that was what pushed him over the edge. Sure, it was impulsive, but he did not regret a thing.
'Once summer break is over, she'd be off to college. Someone as outstanding as her would naturally attract eligible young men around her age—guys who would have more in common with her than I do,' Bowen thought. He could not help feeling a sense of insecurity about that.
Bowen's eyes darkened.