That late–night supper left everyone happy. The total bill came to 10 thousand dollars, which was within Briar’s expectations. She p card with gusto.
The shift supervisor standing nearby, however, was stunned.
He thought. “That’s Miss Jennings, isn’t it? Mr. Wade has his eyes on her. He still lets her pay at his restaurant? Why is the Wade Group going bankrupt or something? Mr. Wade, are you sponging off a girl now?
Sensing the shift supervisor’s questioning look, Ashton cast a sideways glance his way. Terrified, the shift supervisor instantly shifted his gaze to the floor, the ceiling, toes, anywhere but at Ashton.
“Let’s go,” Briar called, unaware of the awkwardness between Ashton and the shift supervisor. After paying, she led the group out.
Alexia and Alex walked ahead, Briar followed, and Ashton only moved once Briar did. The entire sequence made Ashton look kind of humble
in the shift supervisor’s eyes.
tin.
No matter who it was, once they started living off someone else, that subtle humility always crept i
Brandon had already arrived in Ashton’s personal ride. He opened the door respectfully as soon as they emerged. Alexia and Alex didn’t join them. They drove their car, choosing not to be third wheels.
They couldn’t stop laughing. The way Ashton looked at their Briar, it was like the whole world faded away. No way they’d butt in and ruin the
moment
Even though they were super curious about Ashton’s high–end ride, their survival instinct told them not to be third wheels.
Back at the Moonspring Estate, the moment the car stopped, Alexia hopped out and smiled at Briar. “Babe, we’re not going in. There’s a red- eye flight to Qathana tonight. We’re heading out now.”
Briar knew they wouldn’t stay overnight and nodded. “Okay. Then let me drive you to the airport?”
Alexia waved her off. “No need. We just dropped you off. It’d be dumb if you drove us back. We’ll leave our car at the airport. You can pick it up whenever you have time.”
But Briar, who k
knew her friend well, caught the implication behind the words.
Raising an eyebrow, she asked, “So generous, huh?”
Alexia rolled her eyes. “What do you think? You’re my bestie. How could I just let you suffer now that you’re back?”
She had heard about how the Jennings family mistreated Briar after her return to Dasmieca. That was why she had shipped this car all the way from Qathana as a gih.
Alexia didn’t understand Briar. She was such a bold and spirited person, but she lived such a low–key life after returning.
She even went to college as a student, even though she was a seasoned professor from Atrington University.
“I’m not suffering,” Briar said helplessly.
Briar wondered, “Who the hell is spreading these rumors?”
Chapter 99
She was just keeping a low profile, not lowering her quality of life.
“Yeah, right” Alexia didn’t buy It Briar was already scraping by, hustling for pocket money at night
From afar, Ashton had been watching Briar and her friends interact. Hearing them talk about how Briar had suffered since returning to Dasmieca, his eyes dimmed.
From the information he’d gathered, the Grant family had pampered Briar in Qathana. In contrast, the Jennings family’s treatment of her back home was clearly abusive.
Those millions of dollars Briar spent on the frostwarm tonight might be from the Grant family.
Thinking of how she had used the frostworm as a bargaining chip for some “profitable deal” with him, Ashton looked at her retreating figure with a touch of heartache.
Briar wasn’t just mistreated. She was broke too,
After finally sending Alexia off, Briar turned around only to meet Ashton’s eyes filled with a rare tenderness. She blinked. “Ashton?”
She thought, ‘Did he overhear my conversation with Alexia? I just sent off one person feeling sorry for me… and now here’s another one? Am I some kind of victim to them?”
“It’s late. You should get some rest.” Ashton smiled gently and handed her two boxes of chocolates from the car.
Briar accepted them with thanks and walked into the house under Ashton’s watchful gaze.
is car. “To the old estate,” he ordered.
Only then did Ashton return to his
Brandon replied, “Yes”
Ashton added, “And tell Xavion to check her personal accounts. See how much Dasmieca money she actually has access to.”
Brandon, who had been standing nearby and had lip–reading skills at max level, had already “heard” the whole conversation between Briar and her friend.
He wasn’t surprised at all. “Understood.”
It seemed Ashton w
was planning to sneak Briar some cash.
田
