Chapter 260: Chapter 196: Shackles (Thanks to Bugfield for the reward!) _1
Translator: 549690339
In the end, Harrison Clark followed her.
Soon, the Maserati entered Homey Rose, and they both got out of the car. Harrison reluctantly put on a suit again.
He wanted to speak up a few times, but Avril Green didn’t give him a chance.
After changing, they went out again. Avril, conservatively dressed in a blue skirt, quietly reached out to link her arm with Harrison’s.
Harrison stepped aside to avoid her advances, not taking her bait.
In the car, Harrison glanced at his watch.
After being harassed by Maxwell Campbell for not wearing a watch recently, Harrison decided to buy himself a Rolex to avoid such situations.
“It’s 6:30. If there’s nothing else later, I’d better go home early. I still have some writing to do.”
Avril nodded, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.
The car turned around two bends and entered the European-style Backstreet. It stopped outside a two-story Western-style house Harrison had visited once before.
They walked side by side into the house, where there were already quite a few people engaging in lively conversations.
As they approached the front door, they were noticed.
Many people came up to them and greeted them.
Of course, it was mainly Avril they greeted.
While responding to people, Avril once again stretched out her hand to try to hook Harrison’s arm.
Harrison dodged again.
But this time she insisted, barely keeping a smile on her face, she took a step closer and forcefully hooked Harrison’s hand.
Harrison felt uncomfortable.
Frankly, he was disappointed.
Before coming here, he thought Avril might want to use him as a shield.
But he thought such a cliche wouldn’t suit Avril’s status, and she wouldn’t stoop so low.
Still, Harrison knew she had helped him tremendously during his startup’s early days. So he thought, “Fine, consider it a returned favor. After tonight, I’ll just have an honest talk with her to avoid future complications.”
About twenty minutes had passed, and the dishes were ready. The crowd went inside, and Harrison finally saw an opportunity for escape.
He tried to pull his hand back.
But Avril tightened her grip.
“What’s the point?”
Harrison asked.
Avril glanced at him, “Can you just cooperate with me a little bit today, please?” “But won’t this create rumors outside? You’re somewhat of a public figure, and it’s not good for your reputation.”
Harrison’s words were very blunt.
Avril shook her head, “Don’t worry, there’s no one here who likes gossip. Look at those high-profile London ladies, changing male companions at every party. What does this amount to? Don’t overthink it; having a male companion doesn’t mean having a boyfriend. We’re just having a meal together, that’s all.” Harrison was dumbfounded.
Upon careful thought, it seemed true?
Those who came up to greet them didn’t seem to know him at all, treating him completely like air. They were very friendly towards Avril, and none of them joked about her having a new boyfriend.
Am I being too sensitive?
Harrison thought to himself.
Forget it, this 21st century high society is indeed hard to deal with and truly makes one feel out of place.
On the contrary, he found the 31st century’s “high society” much more fitting to his taste.
Back in the day, he used to converse casually with ministers and even the highest leaders of the World Government.
As they began to eat, Avril, who had repeatedly emphasized that a male companion is not a boyfriend, made Harrison question his life with her actions.
She actually kept serving him food!
This made Harrison’s hair stand on end. It seemed like the Avril he knew had changed.
He thought, “This shouldn’t be happening. You’re not that old, and in theory, you shouldn’t have any trouble getting married. So please don’t play games with me.”
This doesn’t suit your temperament and style, does it?
Thus, the atmosphere remained seemingly harmonious but tense beneath the surface.
Although unhappy, Harrison couldn’t embarrass Avril in public. He just ate in silence, not touching a single drop of alcohol due to his bad mood.
Under the principle of not wanting to waste time, Harrison kept his ears open during dinner, trying to eavesdrop on the “important people” conversations, hoping to gain useful business intelligence for Summit Ventures.
However, he quickly lost interest.
Despite their boisterous conversations at the dinner table, they all seemed to be talking big but saying nothing of substance, as if their discussions held no value at all.
Although he gained no meaningful information from eavesdropping, Harrison noticed something else.
He found that a man in his thirties from London occasionally glanced at him.
Although this person hid his hostility well, Harrison’s current sharpness couldn’t be easily deceived.
He became suspicious.
Harrison looked at Avril again as she served more food into his bowl.
Fine, more excuses.
You’re lying. You just want me to be your shield.
You even have a rival ready.
Going too far.
I’m willing to help you out a little, but that’s it.
Why do you have to set me up like this when we have no grudges between us?
Don’t you understand how it complicates things when you drag me into your circle?
At this point, Harrison was determined to break cleanly from Avril.
But soon, he realized that the man from London might not be a rival after all.
The man was married, and his wife sat next to him, her gaze unfriendly as well.
From the conversations of others, Harrison found out that both the husband and wife held significant influence and backgrounds..