Orphan To Unbreakable Queen - Chapter 172: Chapter 172

Bowen chuckled and said, "You still remembered."
Inwardly, he sighed with resignation. He could tell that Aubree had probably forgotten it herself.
"Damn it! You've got some nerve back then! You're the kind of backstabbing jerk who'd ditch your bros the second a girl shows up. Go freeze your ass off by the river all night and see if you will remember!" Ollie ranted. What really pissed him off was that he had dressed up to the nines, had gotten a necklace with a massive diamond pendant as a gift, and was all set to attend Aubree's birthday bash. In the end, he lost out to a crummy leaf given by Bowen!
He had planned to one-up Bowen with his gift, but that jerk simply banned him from the event. Ollie did not even have a chance to make an entrance.
Ollie's eyes glinted with mischief. "No way am I missing out on the fun this time," he thought.
"Now that Bree's with you, you should introduce her to the rest of us, shouldn't you? I've got a hot spring resort in Südlichen Strand. If you're up for it, I can arrange everything.
You can consider this my welcome gift to Bree," Ollie cajoled.
Bowen thought for a while. Within their group, Ollie had always been the one planning all their get-togethers. If anyone could pull this off, it was him. And Ollie was right. It was time to bring Aubree into his social circle.
"Mark, you can come along too," Bowen said.
"Then you bring Nina along," Mark blurted out at once.
"Fine…" Bowen grumbled.
After Bowen arrived in Südlichen Strand, he and Aubree spent two days together having fun.
Meanwhile, Trevor had almost fully recovered from his injuries. As a high-profile celebrity constantly under public scrutiny, he couldn't risk stepping outside his home when his face was still swollen. He almost went nuts from the constant harassment over the past two days.
That pest, Milena Yurchenko, somehow found out it was a woman who saved Trevor that day. Convinced that it was his ex, she had been bugging him nonstop these past two days, short of summoning people to break down his door.
Trevor feared that too much commotion might draw the reporters.
With new grudges piling on old, Trevor was practically gnashing his teeth at Aubree. The moment his injuries healed, he immediately began plotting his revenge. Furthermore, she hit him. She would pay for that.
Trevor's phone sounded at this moment. It was a message from his assistant, Joey Reed.
[Mr. Wilson, I found it. Aubree Miller and Bowen Turner are heading to Star Lake Hot Spring Resort together tomorrow.]
Trevor finally felt satisfied. He pulled out his phone and dialed a number. The call was picked up almost immediately. On the other end, Milena's voice rang out. "Trevor, you've finally decided to talk to me! I don't like using such pressure tactics on you. You know I just can't stand seeing you with other women."
Sweet-talking women came naturally to Trevor. He said smoothly, "Sweetheart, you know that given your exalted status, there's just no way I can give you what you're asking for. Being with you makes me feel so suffocated. Deep down, I actually..."
The moment he said that, no more needed to be said. Milena instantly filled in the blanks herself. "I'll change, Trevor. I've thought things over, and I know I've made mistakes too. I should be more understanding. Do you think... is there any chance we could get back together?" she pleaded.
Trevor made no promises but kept his tone deceptively gentle. "Sweetheart, I heard the Star Lake Hot Spring Resort in Südlichen Strand is quite nice. Why don't we go there together tomorrow?"
"Great!" After the call ended, Milena still couldn't wipe the excitement off her face. 'What could it mean? Trevor invited me to the hot spring resort?' The more she thought about it, the redder her cheeks grew. She dove into her closet, rejecting one swimsuit after another. 'This one's not sexy enough, that one's too flashy, and this innocuous one is just too plain...'
In the end, Milena decided she would just go out with her bestie and buy a new set.
As for Aubree, she was heading to the hot spring resort with Bowen, but her wardrobe was completely devoid of swimsuits. She had no choice but to go out and buy one set too.
Bowen had something to settle today, but he told her beforehand that he would come and pick her up to go to Star Lake the next day.
Aubree went to the sportswear shop alone and by sheer coincidence, ran into Milena. Aubree didn't know her, but Milena lunged at Aubree the moment she saw her, ranting and raving like some lunatic.
"You! You here to buy a swimsuit?" Milena shrieked.
Aubree turned to her. She didn't recognize Milena, and she couldn't be bothered with her either. Without a second thought, she grabbed the first swimsuit that seemed decent and headed straight for the checkout.
"I'm talking to you!" Milena yelled, furious at being ignored. She grabbed Aubree's shoulder and yanked her back brusquely.
Aubree became mad as she glared at the raving lunatic.
She then shoved Milena away and demanded, "Who the hell are you?"
"You don't know me?" Milena froze for a moment, then let out another piercing shriek.
In Milena's mind, she was the rightful girlfriend, and Aubree was just some pretender trying to steal her man. She had assumed Aubree would know her too, since she was eyeing her man.
Fortunately, Milena's friend was more level-headed, and she pulled Milena away. "Sorry about that. We may have mistaken you for someone else."
Aubree stared at the two briefly before walking away without another word.
"Why did you stop me?" Milena snapped.
"Did you check her background?" her friend asked.
Milena was caught off guard. It was just some young slut who thought she could steal her man. Surely there was no need to check up on such a character.
When Milena found out that her men had been chased off by some young woman, all she cared about was the girl's looks. She couldn't be bothered to check her background.
"She seems to be the CEO of Bree Technology. I came across a write-up on her in my dad's study before," her friend explained.
Milena gave a scornful snort. "Who cares what she is CEO of? Some nobody from out of town thinks she can steal my man? Didn't you see her buying a swimsuit just now? She's probably scheming to seduce Trevor at Star Lake Hot Spring Resort!"
Thinking of Aubree's undeniably pretty face, Milena puffed out her chest and proclaimed, "I've got to pick a really good suit. With that washboard figure of hers, she doesn't stand a chance against me."
If Aubree had heard that, she might have lost her cool. Because of her past malnutrition, all she gained was some extra height, no matter how she tried to make up for it subsequently. There was little else to show for her effort.
True to its name, Star Lake Hot Spring Resort was a breathtaking spectacle at night. The sky was dotted with thousands of stars, and their reflections were scattered across the lake like diamonds. In a way, it was the ultimate spot for impressing girls. Privileged young men from Südlichen Strand often bring the girls they fancy here.
Firstly, the hot springs themselves offered abundant opportunities. Secondly, the picturesque scenery made it the perfect backdrop for romantic confessions.
Bowen and Aubree reached Star Lake Hot Spring Resort by mid-afternoon.
"Ollie owns this place. He found out it's your birthday today and insisted on throwing you a birthday bash. And it's not just Ollie here. Mark and Alvin are here too. Ollie and Mark are my closest buddies, so I want to introduce you to them formally."
"We can join them for some activities before dinner, and after that, it'll just be the two of us," Bowen elaborated. He was concerned that Aubree might feel uncomfortable in their presence.
Aubree didn't doubt for a second that if she so much as shook her head, Bowen would immediately take her away. "Sounds great! I'd love to meet your friends."
Bowen leaned across and gave her a gentle peck on the lips. "They're all nice chaps."
No sooner had Bowen and Aubree stepped into the resort than Milena Yurchenko arrived, arm in arm with Trevor Wilson. When she saw Aubree ahead of her, Milena froze. 'Aubree Miller? If that's really her, then who's that guy with her?'