Chapter 54 I Strive to Become Your Aunt

At 2 PM, Alice was all set to head over to The Howard Manor.

Just as she got downstairs, she spotted a white Cayenne parked there.

Ophelia hopped out of the car and walked straight over to hug Alice. "Alice, long time no see!"

Alice laughed, "Didn't we just hang out last night?"

Ophelia grinned, her eyes sparkling with joy.

"Did you come to pick me up?"

"Yep!" Ophelia opened the passenger door. "Uncle Henry said a teacher is like family, so I should treat you with respect. So here I am!"

Alice raised an eyebrow as she got into the car. "So this was Uncle Henry's idea?"

Ophelia shut the car door, then got into the driver's seat. While buckling up, she said, "Uncle Henry suggested it, and I made it happen. Team effort."

Alice asked, "Is Uncle Henry at home?"

"Nope, he went to the office right after breakfast. He seemed kinda off." Ophelia kept talking, "Grandpa set up a marriage for Uncle Henry. Can you believe it? In this day and age, messing with someone's right to choose who they marry! It's nuts!"

She glanced at Alice. "It's that woman we saw last night, Celeste Garcia, the heir to the Garcia Group. She's quite the catch!"

"So what's Uncle Henry gonna do?"

Ophelia laughed, "Don't worry! He's the top dog among the young elites! You think he can be bossed around by Grandpa?"

Alice chuckled, "Is that how you talk about your grandpa?"

"He always tries to control everyone's lives, but none of the Howard men listen to him." Ophelia explained the family dynamics as she drove.

Dash and Paloma had three sons: Colin Howard, Lucas Howard, and Henry.

Colin loved photography and art, not business. He married a dancer, Seraphina Campbell. They had a great relationship and loved traveling. But they kinda dropped the ball with their son, Oliver, who picked up some bad habits.

Lucas ran the Howard Group when he was younger and now oversaw their international projects. His wife, Marlowe, was his childhood friend from the Boleyn family. They had a daughter, Ophelia.

Henry, being the youngest, was spoiled but didn't pick up any bad habits.

Henry was a prodigy and a standout among the young elite.

After taking over the Howard Group from Lucas, he took the company from top twenty in the country to number one domestically and into the top ten globally.

After laying out the family background, Ophelia sighed, "So the only black sheep in the Howard family is Oliver. Alice, I'm glad you didn't end up with him. He's not a good choice."

Alice nodded, thinking Henry was a much better option.

Amidst their laughter, they arrived at the old house.

As Ophelia led Alice inside, Paloma and Marlowe were sitting on the sofa, enjoying desserts from Bernardin Restaurant.

Ophelia introduced, "This is my coach, Alice."

Paloma's eyes lit up. "Is this the Alice from the Savoy family?"

Alice smiled warmly, "Good afternoon, Mrs. Paloma Howard, Mrs. Marlowe Howard."

"Relax. Just call me Grandma, like Ophelia does." Paloma patted the sofa beside her. "Come, sit for a bit."

Ophelia pulled Alice upstairs, "Nope, it's class time already."

Their laughter faded as they rounded the corner on the second floor. Paloma sighed, "If she had dressed like this earlier, she would've been engaged to Oliver by now."

Marlowe thought it was a good thing Alice didn't dress like this earlier, or she would've been in a world of trouble.

In the yoga room, Alice led Ophelia through warm-up exercises and then started teaching her some moves.

Before they knew it, two hours had flown by.

Ophelia collapsed on the floor. "I can't take it anymore! I'm drenched in sweat. I need a shower. Alice, I'll take you to the study. If you go downstairs, Grandma and Mom will start nagging again."

"Alright."

Ophelia led Alice to the study. "You can read here. I'll come find you later."

After the door closed, Alice turned around.

This wasn't just a study; it was a mini library!

She looked around. The study was about the size of a small basketball court, with rows of bookshelves neatly lined with all kinds of books, including world classics, essays, poetry, even some archaeology books.

Alice went to the last row of bookshelves, pulled out a book about ancient tombs, and started flipping through it.

Just then, the door to the study quietly opened, and a figure appeared behind Alice. As a hand reached for her shoulder, she swiftly turned and grabbed the person's arm, throwing him over her shoulder.

"Damn! My back is broken!" Oliver lay on the ground, looking up at Alice, who was glaring at him.

Alice put the book back on the shelf. "Oliver, keep at least six feet away from me in the future, or next time it won't just be your back that hurts."

Oliver struggled to stand up, grimacing. "You really know how to act in front of Uncle Henry. Last time at the hospital, you said I kicked you, and I got a good scolding when I got back."

"You deserved it," Alice said coldly.

Oliver rubbed his back. "But this time you can't keep up the act. Let's see how you face Uncle Henry."

"Forgot to tell you, I became Ophelia's coach with Uncle Henry's approval." Alice didn't want to waste any more words on him and walked past him to leave. But she paused. "And keep your girlfriend in check."

"What do you mean?"

Alice turned around, "She said you were screwed by a man and tried to get me to say something incriminating with a recording device, planning to frame me. Oliver, I don't know what happened that night, but I heard from Esme that you were planning to take me to your guest room. Fortunately, Esme showed up in time to take me away. You should find the person who did this. If you're so capable, go investigate it yourself. This has nothing to do with me."

With that, she quickly left the study.

Oliver was furious with Clara, 'That idiot.'

Oliver had indeed investigated the matter and saw what Clara had said to that man and how she had given him the aphrodisiac.

Not only that, but he also found videos and photos of Clara having sex with a security guard.

Clara, that bitch, not only found a man to humiliate him but also betrayed him. She was really unforgivable.

Now Clara wanted to frame Alice and even let Alice know about his disgrace. It was crossing the line.

Since Clara was heartless, Oliver wouldn't be merciful!

After leaving the study, Alice suddenly paused for a moment.

Henry was walking towards her, his suit jacket draped over his arm. His face was calm, but when his gaze fell on Oliver behind her, his eyes turned cold.

Alice knew he had seen Oliver. She felt really unlucky. Henry was already upset with her, and now he was misunderstanding again?

Just as she was about to explain, Henry spoke in a low voice, "Come here."