Ch. 451..460
Chapter 451
Bonnie glanced at Jim with a hint of dissatisfaction. She sighed and told Ivor, “You can check it out if you don’t believe him. Otherwise, you’ll be so worried that you’ll get jealous of him for no reason.”
She put it that way to shift the focus and topic.
“Why wouldn’t I trust you? Also, I don’t get jealous for no reason.” With that, Ivor stopped questioning Jim.
The latter leaned closer to Bonnie and asked, “I can’t stay at my relative’s place. There aren’t any hotels nearby, either. Can I spend the night at your parents’ place?”
Bonnie knew he would ask that. Still, she could not reject him now. Given the current circumstances, he would sleep at the gate if she did. She said, “Sure, but I don’t have an extra room.”
Suddenly, Ivor said, “It’ll be okay, Bonnie. Since you two are close friends, he can have my room.”
Bonnie was stunned.
‘Ivor will never let any guy near me, even if he knows Jim and I will never be a thing.’
“Then, where will you sleep?”
“In your room,” Ivor answered.
Benedict, Gerald, and Welma were dumbfounded when Bonnie took Jim to their place.
“B-Bonnie, is that Master Jim?” Welma had seen him on television before and had trouble containing her excitement.
“Uh, you’re right.” Bonnie’s brow twitched.
“H-How do you know him? You never told me about it. I can’t believe you know someone as famous as him! What kind of luck do you possess to have made friends with someone like Master Jim?”
“Uh…” Bonnie had no idea how to respond to her mother.
Although Ivor had a much more boastful standing than Jim, things were different here. The former was the most successful businessman and rarely showed his face. As far as the less-informed country folks were concerned, Ivor was nothing more than an extremely wealthy man.
On the other hand, Jim came from a humble background and garnered a reputation and respect by relying on his fighting skills. Moreover, he was also the bodyguard of the most important person in the scientific research world.
Although Jim did not have Ivor’s wealth, country folk respected the former more because he was also significant to the nation.
Gerald lit a cigarette for Jim and ordered, “Ben, get a chicken from the coop and tell your aunts to invite as many relatives as possible. We’ll host a grand celebration since Master Jim is here.”
Welma added, “Bonnie, what are you standing around for? Get Master Jim some water. He must be parched after being on the road for so long.”
Jim was slightly overwhelmed, saying, “Th-that’s not necessary. You guys don’t have to make a big deal out of it.”
‘I only intend to keep Bonnie safe. I don’t want to trouble her and her family. Worse, her mom even asked her to get me some water. It should’ve been the other way around.’
“I had an early dinner, Gerald. I just need a place to spend the night. Is it okay if I head to my room to rest?”
“Of course, Master Jim! I’ll prepare some chicken and lamb for tomorrow,” Gerald said.
“Um…” Jim was about to turn down the offer, but Bonnie reacted faster than he could.
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“Come on, Jim. Don’t turn down my dad’s hospitality. He’s being hospitable by offering to slaughter a lamb and a chicken for you to eat tomorrow. I’ll get offended if you refuse.”
‘Jim has done so much to protect me. One of his most significant sacrifices is spending time with his family. I should find the time to visit them for a change.’
Since she put it that way, Jim had no good reason to reject Gerald. He looked at the older couple and said, “Thank you for your hospitality.”
“It’s our honor! After all, you’re Ms. Bonita’s bodyguard. As far as we’re concerned, you’re just as important as her. Your arrival is nothing short of Lady Luck smiling down on us. We would’ve prepared fireworks if we could.”
Jim stole a glance at Bonnie, but she feigned ignorance. At that moment, Jim seemed to understand why she had not told her parents the truth.
The following day, Bonnie woke up to a commotion outside. She was surprised when she left her room.
‘Damn, that’s a lot of people and cars! There are kids and older people everywhere! It looks like the whole village showed up.’
Everyone huddled around Jim, trying to get to know him. Many even dressed their daughters to the nines and told them to converse with him.
Meanwhile, some women stared at Ivor, making him feel so embarrassed that he wished he were on another planet. Strangely, they only stared and did not approach him.
Bonnie thought, ‘I don’t believe they’re avoiding him out of respect for our relationship. Instead, he looks cold and indifferent. He looks like he’d kill anyone who approaches. Maybe that’s why the
women are only staring at him.’
Ivor sensed she was out of her room and turned to look at her. Immediately after, his cold and unfriendly demeanor disappeared. He smiled and said affectionately, “You’re up.”
His current attitude starkly contrasted with how he looked before he saw Bonnie, making the women considering flirting with him jealous of her.
Ivor strode to Bonnie and stood beside her, asking, “What do you want for breakfast? I’ll buy whatever you want.”
“Don’t worry about it. Thanks to Jim, we’re having a big lunch. I’ll save room for that instead.”
“All right.”
At lunchtime, Bonnie’s grandfather, Donovan Shepard, took a bottle of homemade twenty-year-old wine and said, “Master Jim, I hope you like this wine. I made it myself. Please, have a taste.”
“Master Jim, my dad treasures this wine very much. He opened a bottle for Ivor last night—this one’s his last. Let’s finish the whole thing today.”
Bonnie’s family persuaded Jim to drink the wine so he could not reject them. However, he also needed to stay sober to protect her. He was at a loss at that moment.
Bonnie had expected Jim to be concerned about that. She leaned toward him momentarily and whispered, “Jim, I’ve always felt guilty about you. Since you started working for me, you’ve been suppressing your wishes and thoughts.
“That includes the International Fighting Competition. I know how much you wanted to compete in it, but you almost gave up your dream to protect me. I would’ve fired you if you hadn’t joined the competition.
“I don’t want you to keep sacrificing your future for my sake. I know you’re worried I might run into danger if you get drunk. Although I might not practice fighting daily like you, I’d still be a challenge if I went all out against you. I hope you don’t underestimate my self-defense skills.”
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“Bonnie, I never intended to underestimate your fighting abilities.”
“I know, so you must have confidence in me. Also, we’re in the countryside, and Ivor’s bodyguards are patrolling near the village entrance. They’ll spot trespassers from a mile away. I want you to relax today. Nothing’s going to happen.”
With that, Bonnie poured Jim a big glass of wine and raised her glass to toast to him. “To you, Jim.”
“All right!” He let down his guard and concerns thoroughly. He raised his glass, clinked it with hers, and downed it.
“You’re an excellent drinker, Master Jim! I’d like to toast to you, too!” Gerald was thrilled that someone like Jim was willing to drink with the family. The former raised his glass and downed its contents.
Soon after, all of Bonnie’s family members approached Jim and drank with him. After drinking several glasses, Bonnie felt sorry for him.
‘He must have drank like a whale. I wonder how long he’ll be passed out for.‘
Suddenly, Ivor leaned closer to Bonnie and said, “What were you and Jim whispering about earlier? Can you tell me about it? For the record, I’m not jealous of him.”
Bonnie could not be bothered to continue this topic. She clinked her glass with his and said, “How about we toast to each other?”
Ivor smiled, asking, “How about we drink from each other’s glasses instead?”
Bonnie rolled her eyes at him and was about to down her wine when he suddenly linked arms with her
and drank out of her glass. He grinned at the stunned Bonnie and said, “It’s your turn!”
She realized what had happened and immediately withdrew her arm. However, Ivor trapped it instead.
“Let go of me right now. How shameless can you be?” Bonnie said hushedly and looked around, blushing.
Fortunately, everyone was busy drinking with Jim, and no one saw what had happened between her and
Ivor.
He smirked and said, “Hurry up and drink out of my glass, or I won’t let go until you do. We’ll stay like this
longer than we have to if you keep fighting me. Now, that’ll be embarrassing.”
Bonnie was so mad that she felt tempted to pour his wine over his head. Ultimately, she ensured that no
one was watching and downed the wine.
“That’s more like it.” Ivor grinned from ear to ear.
Bonnie could not bear to look at his smug expression.
The lunch lasted over an hour, and Jim had passed out when it was done.
Ivor noticed Bonnie leaving with her tools and caught up with her. Puzzled, he asked, “Where are you going?”
She replied, “I thought we were attending Ged’s grandfather’s birthday. I heard he’s suffering from severe hair loss. I’m going to pick some horsetail for him.”
“Are there horsetails on these hills?”
“Sure, there are. I found a particularly old horsetail in one of these parts. It was at least a hundred years old. I made sure to put down a marking.”
“Well, then. I’m coming with you.”
She knew better than to refuse, so she let him tag along. They were trekking the hills when she heard a muffled grunt behind her and asked, “What’s wrong?”
Ivor held his thigh and grimaced.
“What in the world happened, Ivor? Move your hands, and let me see.’
”
Ivor felt dizzy and sat down, saying, “I noticed a snake slithering across my feet earlier, but I didn’t think it
bit me.”
“Well, it did bite you, and it looks like it was a venomous snake, too.” Bonnie’s brows furrowed.
Ivor noticed how worried she was and forgot all about the pain in his thigh. He asked, “Can you such the poison out for me?”
Bonnie grew exasperated, saying, “You’ve been watching too much TV.”
“So, are you going to just let me die? How will you find someone as excellent as me if I die?”
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Bonnie wanted to tell Ivor off by saying she would have no issues finding someone better than him,
especially with her qualities. Even so, a venomous snake had bitten him. If she had said that, he would get upset, and his heart rate would rise, causing the venom to circulate faster.
Ivor motioned to remove his pants and said, “Hurry, suck out the venom!”
Bonnie stopped him and said, “No way in hell am I doing that! Will you look where you got bit?!”
Since the fang marks were close to Ivor’s inner thigh, it would be highly awkward and embarrassing for
her to do it.
“Well, are you going to leave me here, Bonnie? You can’t be this heartless. If you had gotten bit, I would’ve
sucked out the venom from wherever you got bit.”
After some thought, she said, “Stay put while I look for some herbs and apply them to the bite. That’ll cure
it.”
“There’s no need for all that trouble. You just have to suck-” Ivor stooed when he noticed Bonnie glaring
at him.
keep
She said, “I’ll leave you here if you keep this up.”
Jim was sleeping on the bed before he jolted awake from a nightmare. Benedict came over with some hot tea and said, “You’re awake, Master Jim. You don’t look well. Did you have a bad dream?”
“Mhm.” Jim nodded. He had a nightmare where someone assassinated Bonnie. He asked, “Where’s
Bonnie?”
“She’s out with Ivor.”
“Where did they run off to? Is it just the two of them?” His worried expression roused Benedict’s curiosity.
‘I know he’s a close friend of Bonnie’s, but does he ha
to be this nervous about her going off with Ivor?‘
“Yeah, Sis said her friend’s grandfather would have a birthday party soon. So, she went to the hill to pick
some horsetails for him.”
At that moment, Welma barged in, saying, “This is bad! Someone got hurt!”
To their surprise, Jim bolted out of the room. “Bonnie!”
Welma and Gerald exchanged glances, and the former asked, “Honey, don’t you think Master Jim cares too much about Bonnie?”
“Yeah, I sense that, too,” Gerald said as he watched Jim leave.
Welma’s eyes widened as she exclaimed, “I–Is Master Jim in love with Bonnie?! I would agree in a
heartbeat if he wanted to marry her. On the other hand, Ivor would make a fine husband, too.
“I’m not even talking about his wealth. He’s so in love with Bonnie, and I’ve never seen that look he gives her on another man’s face before.”
“Don’t you think you’re overthinking it?” Gerald did not think Jim harbored such a feeling toward his
daughter.
Welma insisted, “Isn’t it obvious? Just look at how much he cares about Bonnie! Why would he dash out of the house if he didn’t have feelings for her? Go on, tell me. Why else would he care so much?”
Gerald did not have a good answer for that. Still, he did not think Jim loved Bonnie that way.
Meanwhile, Jim raced out of the porch. He was tense the whole way up the hill. When he saw Bonnie, he picked up his pace and ran to her, scanning her from head to toe. “Where’s your wound? Tell me! I’m worried sick about you!”
“Well…”
“If you don’t tell me, I’ll hit you till you pass out and take you to the hospital for a full check–up.” After some thought, Bonnie said, “I’m not the one who got hurt. Ivor did.”
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“Huh?” Jim was stunned as he glanced at Ivor. He didn’t relax until he saw the herbs on the latter’s thigh. ” Your mom said someone got hurt, and I thought she meant you.”
Ivor squinted at him, and the other two could not tell what was on his mind. He said, “You’re a little too concerned about my fiancee’s well–being, Master Jim. If I didn’t know better, I would’ve thought something was between you two.”
That was when Jim realized he had behaved inappropriately. He said, “I thought I explained that. I owe her my life, so it’s only normal that I care about her this much.”
It just so happened that Welma and Gerald had arrived and heard what he said. “So, that’s how it is. That explains why you’re so concerned about Bonnie.”
“Yeah, that’s about it. Please don’t complicate things. Bonnie and I are just real close friends,” Jim purposely phrased his sentence that way.
‘I need to shift their attention so they don’t misinterpret my relationship with Bonnie. Still, I don’t think they would. As far as they’re concerned, Bonnie’s just an ordinary girl. They probably think she’s the furthest thing from the nation’s leading researcher. Even so, I’d rather be safe than sorry.“‘
Before they knew it, the summer solstice ended. The following day, Bonnie and Ivor returned to Pyralis together. They had promised Ged they would attend his grandfather’s birthday as soon as the summer
solstice ended.
Ged called Ivor and asked, “Hello. Where are you guys?”
Bonnie answered the call because Ivor was driving. She said, “We’ll arrive in five minutes, tops.”
“All right, I’m waiting for you guys!”
When Ged hung up, his sister, Aimee Franklin’s, sarcastic voice sounded, “What’s wrong with you, Ged? Why are you so friendly toward Bonnie? I thought you told me she loved lying.
“You said she claimed to have bought a Maybach and knows someone from Bonita Research Institute. You always complained about her making up stories. Judging by your tone back then, I thought you hated her guts.”
“Things are different now, Aimee. I said all that because I didn’t know her well enough. I made a snap judgment about her, but I now think she could’ve seriously bought that Maybach.” Ged would have forgotten that if his sister had not mentioned the past.
“Hehehe.” Aimee did not believe a word her brother said. “She must’ve put a spell on you or something. The same goes for Ivor. I can’t believe he ignored his childhood friend, Rowena, for a country bumpkin.”
Rowena was standing beside Aimee and heard what the latter said. The former began to cry as she said, Th–that’s enough, Aimee. Maybe Ivor and I aren’t meant to be.”
“What are you talking about? You guys would’ve been together if Bonnie hadn’t shown up!” Aimee spoke up for her friend.
Halle nodded. “I agree with Aimee. You’re Ivor’s rightful soulmate. Bonnie is the one who ruined your relationship with him.”
Ged could not take it anymore. “That’s too much, girls. How did Bonnie come between Ivor and Rowena? They weren’t even together when she came into the picture. Also, he’s the one who’s hitting on her, and she hadn’t even agreed to be his girlfriend.”
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Ged regretted saying that because it made Rowena hate Bonnie even more.
‘I couldn’t win Ivor’s heart, yet Bonnie dared to play it off like she didn’t care about him. I hate that she’s
playing hard to get.‘
Aimee said, “What do you mean, Ged? Bonnie’s just leading him on. I detest women who do that. I can’t stand by and do nothing when someone like her plays Ivor like a fiddle. I can’t ignore Rowena going through such torture. I’ll tell Grandpa about it and ask him to intervene.”
A moment later, Edward stroked his beard and approached, “Did I hear someone mentioning me?”
“Grandpa!” Aimee took his arm in hers and said, “I was talking about how Bonnie used deceitful means to seduce Ivor. Since you’re a respected professor at Pyralis University, you are the wisest person I know. I need you to figure out how to tear her away from him.”
The older man frowned and asked, “Why do I find that name so familiar?”
doby
“She’s that good–for–nothing that got disowned by the Shepards. I heard she rebelled against her parents and constantly picked on her stepsister. That’s why the Shepards kicked Bonnie out.”
“Oh?” It was evident Edward had not heard about that.
“That’s right, Grandpa! You were too busy with your research to care about such things. Of course,
wouldn’t know about it.”
you
“Still, why is that name so familiar? It’s like I just heard her name several days ago,” Edward muttered.
Aimee kept bugging him, “Grandpa, you have to help Rowena and Ivor! You’ve known them since they were children. I don’t think you can bear to see poor Rowena getting her heart broken and Ivor taking the wrong path in life because of that country bumpkin.”
Halle followed Aimee’s lead and added, “She’s right! You must pull Ivor out of it, Mr. Edward! You’re a scholar who’s more intelligent than the average Joe. I’m sure he’ll listen to you out of respect.”
“All right, but I’ll need to meet this Bonnie person before doing anything drastic. I’d like to see if she’s as you guys say she is. If you’re right, I’ll talk some sense into Ivor.”
“Grandpa!” Ged chimed in, “Don’t listen to their
“That’s enough, Ged! What’s wrong with you?
“Onsense. Bonnie’s not as bad as they say. She’s actually
“What do you mean I’m defending her? I’m just telling the truth.”
“I don’t care about what you think. In 3. Why do you keep defending her?” Aimee was furious.
any
, Grandpa is a wis
aan He’ll know how vicious Bonnie is
when he sees her for himself!” Aimee had decided that Bonnie was rotten to the core.
Furthermore, the former was sure Bonnie had
her.
put a spell on Ivor. That had to be why he kept defending-
“Ugh. I can’t stand talking to you.” Aimee knew she could no longer reason with Ged and turned to her grandfather, saying, “I heard there’s a new president at Pyralis University. Can you say a few good words for me and see if they can bend the rules for me to get in, Grandpa?”
“Um…” Edward was troubled. “That’ll be a little tricky. She put in a new rule that forbade us from bringing in students via any loopholes.”
“Please, Grandpa. I’ve always wanted to attend Pyralis University. All of my friends got in, but I didn’t. It’s so humiliating!” she said shamelessly.
That was when Ivor and Bonnie entered the party hall.
“Hey, you guys are here at last!” Ged quickly went to welcome them. Then, he whispered, “Bonnie, my younger sister has a little misunderstanding about you. She has a strong opinion of you but is still naive. Don’t let her get under your skin, okay?”
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“All right, I got it. Don’t worry, Ged. I won’t care what your sister says about me since she isn’t someone I
know too well.”
Ivor added, “That’s only true, provided she doesn’t take things too far. Bonnie might be generous and forgiving, but that doesn’t mean I’ll tolerate it.”
“Um…” Ged was at a loss.
Suddenly, Aimee appeared from behind him and pointed at Bonnie. The former told Edward, “That’s her,
Grandpa! She’s Bonnie.”
When Ged heard how loud his sister yelled, he wanted to pull her away. Meanwhile, Edward glanced at
Bonnie and then stared at her so hard that his eyes almost popped. He stammered, “M–Miss-”
“Hello there, Professor Edward. I’m Bonnie, a computer science student at Pyralis University. I came to
wish you a happy birthday,” she said calmly.
“Y–You… You’re…” Edward stuttered before laughing heartily and saying, “Th–that’s great! Thank you! It’s
my honor to have you at my birthday party. I’m on cloud nine right now!”
Everyone wondered why he reacted so enthusiastically. They could not shake the feeling that something
strange was happening.
“Grandpa!” Aimee tugged at the older man’s sleeves and asked, “Why are you so friendly to her? I thought you promised me that you’d teach her a lesson.”
Edward’s brows furrowed as he lectured her, “Aimee, that’s rude of you. Bonnie traveled so far to wish me a happy birthday. Not only did you not thank her for coming, but you even asked me to teach her a lesson. Is that how your parents have been raising you?”
Aimee knew her grandfather was genuinely frustrated with her. At that moment, a burning fury overtook her. “What’s wrong with you, Grandpa? You should be lecturing her, but you’re yelling at me instead. I can’t believe you’re getting mad at me for this nobody.”
“Who are you calling a nobody? She’s the-”
‘She’s the university president and is also connected to Bonita Research Institute. How can Aimee claim that she’s a nobody? I wish I could tape her mouth shut right now.‘
“There’s more!” Aimee continued furiously, “She stole Ivor from Rowena. So, how could you defend her?”
Smack!
Edward slapped his granddaughter, causing a pin–drop silence as all the guests looked their way. The older man’s actions also shocked Ged, Rowena, and Halle.
Edward was furious. “Aimee Franklin, where are your manners?! Sigmund arranged for Ivor and Bonnie to get engaged. They’ve also hosted an engagement party. As for Rowena–I know she’s Ivor’s childhood friend, but that’s all.
“They’ve done nothing to show us that they were ever a couple, yet you said Bonnie stole Ivor away from Rowena. The way I see it, Rowena’s trying to tear him away from her!”
Everyone in the hall was stunned, and Rowena froze. After gathering her thoughts, she noticed everyone staring at her strangely. She felt humiliated and wished to bury her head somewhere.
Even Ged did not expect his grandfather to help but glance at Bonnie.
ct so differently toward Bonnie. Ged and Ivor could not
She felt the duo’s intense stares but feigned ignorance. She was content to be a spectator of this incident. Meanwhile, Ged nudged Ivor and whispered, “Don’t you think my grandpa’s acting a little weird
today?”
“Mhm.”
“Do you think it’s because of Bonnie?”
“Mhm.”
“Why, though? Although Bonnie might be tough, my grandpa doesn’t know she’s the miracle doctor. As far as he knows, Bonnie is just an ordinary student studying where he works. He shouldn’t treat
her so differently now.”
“Mhm.”
“Is that all you’re going to say?” Ged’s lips twitched.
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“That’s all I can say because you’ve voiced everything I wanted to ask.”
Ged was at a loss as Edward stared at Aimee. Her eyes had reddened, and she was on the verge of tears. Under normal circumstances, the older man would have felt heartbroken if he saw Aimee like that. However, there was nothing but forbidding sternness in his eyes now.
Edward questioned, “Do you see where you’re wrong now, Aimee?”
She gritted her teeth, but it did not look like she would admit it.
“It looks like you disagree with me: Fine, I’ll ask you some questions. You claimed Bonnie stole Ivor from Rowena, correct? Now, was Ivor and Rowena ever a couple before Bonnie appeared?”
Aimee remained silent.
“Answer me,
now!”
“N–No, they weren’t a couple,” she responded sobbingly.
“Very well. I know Rowena loved Ivor before they knew Bonnie, but did Ivor love Rowena back?”
“pm….
“Did he love Rowena?! Answer me!”
She pursed her lips and said, “I don’t think so.”
“One last question. Let’s pretend you love someone, and he has a childhood friend.
Naturally, he doesn’t like his childhood friend that way. Would you have stolen hay from her if you’d gotten together with him?” Edward’s questions stumped her.
He helplessly shook his head and glanced at Rowena, asking, “Did Rowena just tell sob story earlier?”
you
her
“How did you know about that, Grandpa?”
“Why can’t you use your brain for once? She’s just using you to stand up for her!” He was furious at how gullible his granddaughter was.
“Y–You can’t be serious, Grandpa! Rowena doesn’t seem like the kind of person.”
“Still don’t see it? What did I do to deserve such a foolish granddaughter like you?”
“I just don’t-” She was about to say something when she heard the party guests muttering.
“Edward slapped het real hard earlier! I was so frightened.”
“Can you blame him? Aimee was such a buffoon that she was fooled into doing someone else’s dirty work. Bonnie and Ivor are a perfect match and are in love with each other. Aimee’s a fool who wants to stand up for Rowena.
“Well, she’s bitten off more than she could chew. After all, everyone in the high society circle knows Rowena loved Ivor, but he didn’t care for her.”
The more Aimee listened in, the more embarrassed she felt. A moment later, she turned and glared daggers at Rowena, causing the latter to shiver and say, “Th–that’s not true, Aimee. I didn’t-*
“Don’t talk to me! Your voice and face make me sick!”
Tears rolled down Rowena’s cheeks as she turned to Halle and said, “I never intended to use Aimee. I didn’t- Don’t you believe me?”
Halle patted Rowena’s back and answered, “That goes without saying. Aimee’s a fool for believing anything people tell her. On the other hand, you and I have known each other since childhood. I know you well. Don’t feel sad about this.
“Aimee simply isn’t fit to be your friend. Trust is the most important thing between friends. You can count on me to never betray you, Rowena.”
“Thank you for being my best friend, Halle.”
Aimee had always detested cunning people, so she hated Rowena now. Meanwhile, Edward was pleased with his granddaughter’s reaction. He said, “You did well to learn this, Aimee. However, you owe Bonnie an apology.”
“Do I have to?” She pursed her lips.
“Didn’t you want me to use my connections to get you into Pyralis University? Well, you won’t get the chance if you don’t apologize.”
“I just don’t-” She was about to say something when she heard the party guests muttering.
“Edward slapped her real hard earlier! I was so frightened.”
“Can you blame him? Aimee was such a buffoon that she was fooled into doing someone else’s dirty work. Bonnie and Ivor are a perfect match and are in love with each other.
up Aimee’s a fool who wants to stand for Rowena.
“Well, she’s bitten off more than she could chew. After all, everyone in the high society circle knows Rowena loved Ivor, but he didn’t care for her.”
The more Aimee listened in, the more embarrassed she felt. A moment later, she turned and glared daggers at Rowena, causing the latter to shiver and say, “Th–that’s not true, Aimee. I didn’t-”
“Don’t talk to me! Your voice and face make me sick!”
Tears rolled down Rowena’s cheeks as she turned to Halle and said, “I never intended to use Aimee. I didn’t- Don’t you believe me?”
Halle patted Rowena’s back and answered, “That goes without saying. Aimee’s a fool for believing anything people tell her. On the other hand, you and I have known each other since childhood. I know you well. Don’t feel sad about this.
“Aimee simply isn’t fit to be your friend. Trust is the most important thing between friends. You can count on me to never betray you, Rowena.”
“Thank you for being my best friend, Halle.”
Aimee had always detested cunning people, so she hated Rowena now. Meanwhile, Edward was pleased with his granddaughter’s reaction. He said, “You did well to learn this, Aimee. However, you owe Bonnie an apology.”
“Do I have to?” She pursed her lips.
“Didn’t you want me to use my connections to get you into Pyralis University? Well, you won’t get the chance if you don’t apologize.”
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Aimee did not understand what her grandfather meant. “Grandpa, what do you mean? What does apologizing to Bonnie have to do with me getting into Pyralis University?”
“Just trust me. I’ll try to talk to Bonnie alone when I can later. All you need to do is apologize to her sincerely.”
“B–But…”
“No buts! I’ll only repeat it one more time. Apologize to Bonnie now, or you can kiss Pyralis University goodbye.”
Although Aimee might not have understood why her grandfather said those things, she was determined to attend the university. Firstly, almost all her friends got in, and secondly, Pyralis University was in a different league now.
More accurately, the newly appointed university president had secured a collaboration with Bonita Research Institute.
Although Aimee would have nothing to do with their scientific research competition, it did not change the fact that she would be getting into a university that collaborated with the highly renowned research institute.
She could even meet the prominent Ms. Bonita one day if she were lucky.
Soon after, Edward found an opportunity to talk to Bonnie alone. Since Aimee was still nearby, he tried not to address Bonnie formally.
Bonnie asked in puzzlement, “Is there anything I can do for you?”
“Miss–ahem–Bonnie. My granddaughter wanted to apologize but couldn’t because so many people were around. So, she asked for my help to talk to you alone.”
“Oh, okay.” Bonnie nodded understandingly and looked at Aimee, saying, “Go ahead and apologize.”
The latter noticed how lightly Bonnie took it, and her guilt faded.
Edward grew slightly annoyed when he realized his granddaughter was not saying anything. He asked, “Why aren’t you apologizing? I thought you begged me to help you talk to her alone.”
‘I’ve never begged for anything. Why should I? Aimee thought. Even so, she needed to get it over with because she wanted to get into the university. After all, she was the one who had misbehaved earlier. So, apologizing to Bonnie would not hurt Aimee’s pride.
I
“I’m sorry about what I said earlier, Bonnie. I allowed Rowena to manipulate me.
Bonnie nodded. “It’s good that you can admit your mistakes.”
‘Damn it! She’s talking to me like she’s lecturing a little kid! Ugh, it reminds me of how Grandpa talks to me. Come one, doesn’t she know we’re the same age?‘
Aimee fought the urge to roll her eyes. She whispered to Edward, “There, I apologized to her. Now, what does that have to do with me getting into Pyralis University? Also, how do you plan to do that?”
Edward noticed Bonnie was about to leave. He hastily asked, “Is it true that Pyralis
University no longer takes in students who intend to get in through connections with someone on the inside?”
‘Huh?‘ Aimee was puzzled, wondering, ‘What does Grandpa mean? Why does he need Bonnie, an ordinary student, to weigh in on this?‘
Bonnie stopped and said, “That’s right. The university had been letting people in that way, and it was unfair to the students who showed sheer effort and commitment to get in. It wasn’t even fair to those from middle–class or low–income families. That was what I suggested to the former university president.
‘What?!‘ Aimee was bewildered.
Chapter 460
Aimee thought, ‘So, the university stopped allowing students to get in through connections because of Bonnie’s suggestion? Is that a joke?
‘Firstly, she’s just a student, and secondly, she was still taking the SAT’s when the university decided that. She wasn’t even a student at that university at that time.‘
Edward was just as surprised as his granddaughter. “I didn’t know that was your idea, Bonnie. With that said, I think we can make a few exceptions. It doesn’t have to be so airtight.”
“Oh? What do you mean?” Bonnie asked.
“I always say nothing is absolute. I suggest we make a few exceptions when certain conditions are met. We can let a few wealthy people slip in with the right amount of money. After all, fees mean nothing to the rich.
“The university will make a considerable profit. Then, we can use that money to incentivize students from low–income students. We can amp up the scholarship and enroll more financially challenged students.”
Bonnie rubbed her chin thoughtfully and said, “You have a point. Keep going.”
That’s just part of the reason. We can also let wealthy families donate or sponsor the renovations of campus facilities such as the cafeteria, library, and dormitories. This should provide the students with a better learning and living environment.
“That said, we must consider a benefit for those who donate or sponsor the university. We can’t ask them to do all that for nothing. We can thank them by advertising their company names on the university’s Twitter account.
“The university will improve, and the donors will gain notoriety. It’s a win–win situation, don’t you
you think?”
The more Bonnie listened, the more plausible she thought it was. After some thought, she added, “Bonita Research Institute can prioritize providing these wealthy families with the fruits of their scientific research. I think they’ll be more enthusiastic about sponsoring the university then.”
Edward’s eyes widened with shock as he stared at the young lady before him.
‘Did she say Bonita Research Institute would provide the fruits of its scientific research? Does she get to make such decisions? It’s different from her claim in the previous meeting. She said she’d convince Bonita Research Institute to take in the winner of its competition as
an intern.
‘However, what she’s claiming now is on a different level! Everyone in the institute works together to conduct scientific research. Now, Bonnie’s saying they’ll provide the fruits of their labor to the university without having to check with them.
‘If another person had made these claims, I would’ve thought they were bluffing. Still, Bonnie’s the university president. She wouldn’t make such bold claims if she weren’t.‘
Edward was an excellent judge of character and knew Bonnie was not making things up. If that were the case, she must hold a higher standing than the professors at Bonita Research Institute. After all, not even ordinary professors could make such claims.
That meant her influence was far more significant than Edward had imagined. He was shocked as he considered Bonnie’s actual status.
Meanwhile, the utterly dumbfounded Aimee thought, ‘Why are we suddenly discussing the fruits of the research institute when we were talking about getting into Pyralis University through connections? What does this have to do with anything?”
Bonnie thought about it and decided, “All right, let’s do it that way. We’ll allow students to enroll via connections, but there’s a condition. These applicants mustn’t flunk any subjects. After all, they’ll tarnish the university’s standards if they can’t even perform well in tests.
“I’ll need you to propose a minimum amount of donations or sponsorships and other prerequisites, Edward.”
“Y–You’re letting me handle it?!” Edward was pleasantly surprised.
“I have faith in your capabilities.” She looked at him solemnly.
“Okay, then! I’ll gladly take up the task.”
“Okay.” She mulled it over, adding, “I think you have what it takes to oversee the university’s operations. Why don’t you apply for the vice president position?”
“M–Me?! Are you sure it’s a good idea? I’m currently prioritizing scientific research. I fear my attention and time to other tasks might hinder my research.”
“I respectfully disagree with that. Take me for an example. My main job isn’t related to computer science at all. However, I’m running into a bottleneck, so I’m trying to expand my horizons by studying computer science at the university.
“Frankly speaking, I’ve been using the same method to inspire myself and make new
progress in
my main specialization,” Bonnie said leisurely.