Chapter 43: I Don't Need Company?

"Abandon the friend, of course," Luna Hayes said as she scrolled through her screen, the words slipping out almost without a second thought. "Once I’ve made up my mind, even if he’s dating my friend, I’ll steal him away."

Willow Avery was taken aback. "Huh?"

"Take your uncle, for instance," Luna said completely dismissively. "Never mind that he’s single right now; even if he secretly had eight or ten girlfriends, I’d still steal him. Who tells him to be a member of the Kingston family?"

Willow hesitated for a long while before asking, "Is the Kingston family really that important?"

"Of course," Luna snapped her fingers. "By any means necessary."

Willow didn't say anything more.

She found what Luna said impossible to accept.

Why would anyone use any means necessary to steal a friend's boyfriend?

Moreover, Luna didn't even truly like her uncle; it was purely because he belonged to the Kingston family.

This philosophy made Willow feel a sense of dissonance just looking at Luna's face.

Was all the kindness she usually displayed just an act?

Willow took a shower while harboring these heavy thoughts. When she came out, Luna was still studying the outfits.

Luna beckoned her over again. "Willow, hurry up and tell me, how do you capture a man's heart? In the past, guys always pursued me; I’ve never taken the initiative before."

Willow shook her head. "I've never been in a relationship either."

"Real or fake? Did I see those hickeys wrong that day?"

Luna didn't believe her at all; she wasn't some ignorant young girl who couldn't tell the difference between a hickey and an allergy.

"I..."

Before Willow could squeeze out another word, Luna interrupted her. "Broken up? Someone like you wouldn't meet a good man anyway, so it's just as well that you broke up."

After saying that, she went back to studying the clothes.

Willow silently lay back down in bed.

Beside her, Luna was agonizing over her hair and makeup, muttering about wearing a "man-killer" shade of lipstick tomorrow.

Listening to her, Willow felt a bit suffocated.

She didn't know if it was because of Luna.

Or because of her uncle.

...

After breakfast the next day, Julian Kingston drove them to the stables.

Luna was the first to slip into the passenger seat. "Mr. Kingston, I get a bit carsick. Is it alright if I sit up front?"

A strong scent of perfume instantly washed over him.

Julian frowned slightly, called the butler, and instructed them to arrange another car.

He didn't inform Luna throughout the entire process.

Luna awkwardly smoothed her hair. "Mr. Kingston, did I do something wrong?"

Julian didn't answer.

Over there, the butler had already come over to pull open the car door.

"My apologies, Miss Hayes. Master Julian is a bit of a germaphobe and doesn't like others sitting in his car. May I trouble you to move to the other vehicle?"

Luna bit her lip and got out of the car.

Seeing this from the back seat, Willow immediately prepared to follow her down. "Luna, I'll go with you..."

"Willow."

Julian spoke: "Don't move."

"Uncle Julian, I..."

"Does riding in the same car as me make you that uncomfortable?"

"No."

Willow said cautiously, "I just purely wanted to keep my friend company."

Julian locked the car doors and asked calmly, "Then what about me?"

"Huh?"

Willow thought she had misheard.

The man followed up with a question: "I don't need company?"

Environmental silence fell over Willow: "..."

Why did she feel like her uncle was acting shamelessly?

Yet his voice sounded perfectly serious.

She actually really wanted to say that being alone together was quite awkward. But she was afraid that if she said one more word, his unsatisfied desire would drive him to impulsively do something again.

"Uncle Julian," she gripped the door handle, "how about I still go down?"

Julian stepped on the gas, and the car sped forward.

"You said it too late."

Willow: ??

The car hadn't even started when she said it.

Along the way, Julian didn't say anything strange.

He just asked about her recent physical condition.

Perfectly normal.

It even gave Willow an illusion.

As if he had never crossed the line with her that day.

But the matter with Jace Miller had tangibly happened.

"Uncle Julian," she deliberated for a moment but still asked, "was it you who made Senior Jace go abroad?"

Julian's expression remained as indifferent as usual. "I sponsored him."

So it wasn't that he forced him.

It was Jace's own choice.

Even though he had the intention to send Jace abroad at the time, if Jace had insisted on staying, he couldn't have done anything to him.

Turning a corner, he asked, "What did he say to you?"

Willow recalled carefully, and there didn't seem to be any important information.

Jace had only reminded her that Julian harbored bad intentions toward her.

But she couldn't repeat those words.

She could only ask, "Why did Uncle Julian sponsor him?"

Julian: "Seeing as he has guided you in your dancing, I gave him a hand."

These words were also true.

Willow was surprised.

She stole a glance at Julian.

The man looked exceptional, perfectly the picture of a proper gentleman.

Could Senior Jace really have read the situation wrong?

But Senior Jace had been very serious that day...

"Willow," Julian called her, "listen less to what others say, and use your eyes to see more."

Willow humbly accepted the lesson. "Okay, Uncle Julian."

Julian's hand resting on the steering wheel relaxed slightly.

It didn't matter that progress between the two of them was slow.

As long as she was by his side.

There would be countless opportunities.

Soon, they arrived at the stables.

Julian stepped on the brakes. "Do you know how to ride a horse?"

Willow nodded. "Yes, I do."

Although she wasn't very proficient, in order to keep Luna from noticing anything amiss, she would lie just to reject any possibility of contact with her uncle.

Just when she was full of confidence that she could safely get through the day.

Julian spoke: "Mm, I'll teach you in a bit."

Willow: ?

She thought she had just said she knew how... right?