The CEO's Mischievous Little Bride

Wesley's eyes sparkled with a sneaky idea. He decided to play the sympathy card with Aurelia and dig up some info. Acting all conflicted, he started whining, "So, here's the deal. I'm just a lowly grunt at the Olteran Group. My boss, the procurement manager, got busted for some shady deals last week. And guess what? He pinned it all on me! Now, they're about to can me, and I didn't do a damn thing! Mr. Olteran's a fair guy. I just wanna tell him my side of the story. Even if I

get fired, that manager shouldn't get away with it."

Aurelia felt bad for Wesley and looked at him with a mix of pity and admiration. "Yeah, jerks like that need to be dealt with."

Wesley hesitated, then added, "But last week, Mr. Olteran was in a foul mood and wouldn't see any of us peons. I heard his son got kidnapped. Is that true?" His eyes narrowed, probing for answers.

Aurelia's guard went up immediately. "Who told you that?" The butler had made it clear they weren't supposed to talk about Theodore's kidnapping. How did this guy know?

Wesley pulled out his wallet, slipped a thick wad of cash into Aurelia's pocket, and smiled. "A buddy of mine works for Mr. Olteran and gave me a heads-up. Please, help me out. If everything's cool at Mr. Olteran's place, I can talk to him about my job. But if his son's really in trouble, I won't bother him. Getting fired is one thing, but family comes first."

Aurelia quickly took the money out and handed it back. "No, I can't take this. We can't talk about Mr. Olteran's business."

"Please, just help me out. I mean no harm. Take the money, and if it's not enough, I've got more." Wesley shoved all the cash from his wallet into her hands. "This is ten grand, enough to cover a few months of your salary. Take it before anyone sees. I just need one piece of info."

Noticing that Aurelia was walking instead of using a designated car, Wesley surmised that she was either new or underpaid. Money was the quickest way to win her over.

But Wesley didn't realize that his words had made Aurelia suspicious. Her eyes lost their sympathy, and her tone turned cold. Holding the money, she said, "I'm just a low-level employee like you. I don't have access to Mr. Olteran's inner circle. I really don't know what you're asking about. But I haven't seen Mrs. Olteran with the kid in the garden lately. How about I sneak in and check for you?"

Wesley looked at Aurelia gratefully. "That would be really kind of you."

Aurelia glanced at the money in her hand, hesitating. "This money, I..."

Wesley got the hint right away. "You keep it. I'll wait for your news."

"Okay." Aurelia pocketed the cash and quickly headed back the way she came.

Security verified her identity, and as the gates of Olteran Manor swung open, she walked inside.

Once inside, Aurelia sprinted towards the house.

The sun was shining bright in the courtyard. Vera was wearing a light yellow sweater and a beige tulle skirt. Her hair was casually tied up, making her look like a gentle mother from afar. She was holding Theodore, soaking up the sun in the garden.

The sound of the fountain splashing added to the peaceful scene.

Servants passing by often took a detour just to catch a glimpse of the adorable Theodore.

"Theodore, why the grumpy face again? I'm just taking you out for some sun, and you look like I'm your evil stepmother," Vera teased.

Spring weather was all over the place, with today being warm after yesterday's chill.

Vera was enjoying the rare sunny weather.

Aurelia dashed past Vera and Theodore, catching Vera off guard. "Aurelia, I thought you had the day off today?"

Aurelia stopped and looked back at the beautiful Vera and the adorable Theodore. "Mrs. Olteran, you shouldn't take Theodore out these days. It's too risky."

Vera adjusted her hold on Theodore. "Why?" She wasn't planning to go out, but she was curious about what could be so dangerous.

Aurelia pulled out the wad of cash from her pocket. "Mrs. Olteran, some guy outside bribed me with this money to find out if Theodore had been kidnapped." Vera's relaxed expression vanished. Her gaze turned serious, and her tone became stern. "What kind of person?"

Patrick had locked down all info about Theodore's kidnapping. Even Warren and Brianna didn't know to avoid worrying them. How did an outsider find out? Aurelia shook her head anxiously. "I don't know. I'm going to report this to the butler right now."

The Olteran family didn't have a hierarchy among the servants. All were privately hired and trained by the family, not through agencies.

Since today was Aurelia's day off, she didn't take the designated car out, giving Wesley the opportunity to get close to her.

Vera, holding the reluctant-to-sunbathe Theodore, turned and led the way, her voice cold. "The butler is in the living room. Follow me."

Back in the living room, Shawn saw Theodore being brought back in less than five minutes. "I was just betting with Randall on how long you'd be out. I said less than five minutes. See, I won."

Vera said, "Dad, someone has their eyes on your little grandson."

Shawn immediately responded, "Stop making excuses for your laziness. You just didn't want to sunbathe and sneaked back."

Aurelia stepped forward. "Mr. Shawn Olteran, it's true."

She still had the wad of cash in her hand. "This is the evidence."

She hadn't kept the money out of greed but because it was evidence. "Our salaries are directly deposited into our accounts every month. I wouldn't have this much cash on me for no reason. Someone really bribed me at the gate."