It looked like he had no choice but to marry that fat Miss Li. Unfortunately, he didn't even get a chance
to ask Andrew for help due to this unexpected "situation".
After lost in thought for a second, Ashley had finally snapped out of her reverie. She pushed Andrew
aside and walked away in a huff, wiping her mouth furiously.
How dare he kiss her!
How dare he!
Besides, he had a fiancee, didn't he? Why was he still after her?
Just as Ashley was about to leave, Andrew immediately dragged her back by her hand.
"Let go of me!" She demanded. Staring at him coldly, Ashley tried to fathom why he did that to her.
Andrew silently gazed at her, and set his mouth in a hard line.
Looking deep into his brooding eyes, Ashley sensed a certain sadness in them.
'Sadness? How could that be? That is impossible. After all, I am the one who was offended by his
actions, ' she thought.
"You're mad at me, aren't you?" Andrew asked softly, already knowing what her answer would be.
"No, I'm not." Ashley answered, rolling her eyes unwittingly.
"Why?" Andrew persisted not believing her.
Ashley knew he wasn't convinced with her reply and wanted to know why she was angry with him.
'Wasn't it obvious to him? Everyone else could figure it out, ' she thought to herself.
"Stop asking me why! What exactly do you want from me? Just let me go!" Ashley was getting more
pissed off, looking at his incredibly handsome face.
Choosing not to respond, Andrew stubbornly continued to gaze at her, refusing to let her go.
"Anybody would be annoyed if someone kissed them without their consent, don't you think?" She had
no choice but to answer him.
But she had no idea why he insisted on getting an answer.
"I thought you would like it."
Andrew replied in a barely audible voice, but Ashley heard it clearly, and it stunned her. 'Why would he
think that I like the kiss?! Why did he assume that it was all right for him to act on his own judgement
without considering the other person's feelings?' Ashley wondered.
Andrew was baffled. He didn't know what was wrong. He had only done exactly what Francis had
advised him to do.
However, what he didn't know was that the reason women dated Francis was not for love but for
prestige and fortune. Their relationships were all about material pursuits not compatibility, love or
affection. That was why they were always one-night stands. So Francis was no expert on matters of the
heart, and obviously Ashley was not like those gold-diggers.
What was more, as far as Ashley was concerned, she and Andrew were just strangers.
Realizing she was upset about what he did, Andrew swore to himself to get even with Francis someday
for his stupid suggestions.
...
After what seemed like an eternity in each other's arms, Ashley was reluctantly dragged into Andrew's
car. He was taking her to dinner whether she wanted it or not.
By now Ashley knew how stubborn Andrew could get and how eager he was to spend time with her.
Despite knowing this, she really wanted to escape from him.
But realizing that it was no use, she decided to give in.
'We will just be having dinner together, and it's free, so why not enjoy it?'
Ashley thought, trying to reassure herself.
Everything seemed to be the same as the last time they were in the car together. Andrew was in the
driver's seat with Ashley seated next to him looking out of the window. A dead silence hung in the car.
Andrew drove steadily at a proper speed, and soon they arrived at the Vineyard Restaurant.
Ashley knew this place. It was one of the five-star restaurants in J City. All its guests came from
prestigious and wealthy families from all over J City.
Ashley didn't expect to be one of them tonight.
Had she known earlier that this was the place that Andrew was taking her, she would definitely reject
his invitation.
It was not surprising that he came here from time to time, considering who he was.
Andrew parked his car at the reception and handed over the keys to the valet who drove the car to the
basement parking.
He turned to Ashley to find her staring at the restaurant in a daze. Walking over to her, he caressed her
hair, "Something wrong?"
"No, nothing."
Ashley answered, trying to dodge his hand without being caught.
But Andrew understood what she was trying to do. He cast a gloomy look at Ashley -- his expression
frozen, and his hand still attempting to reach her.
Brought up as the heir to the Lu Group, Andrew received more advanced education than others, and
because of his name, he could get anything he wanted without exception.
Moreover, since he became the CEO of the Lu Group and the head of his family, no one dared to
disobey his orders.
But that changed ever since he had met Ashley. With her, everything was a new experience.
It bothered him so much every time she pushed him away as he was so used to having his way.
Deep down he desperately wanted to lock her up in a world where only the two of them existed. This
was the only way for him to own her flesh and soul.
While Andrew was lost in thought, Ashley realized that her actions must have hurt him. Looking deep
into his eyes, her heart skipped a beat.
Without thinking about what she was about to do, she reached out and held his hand, saying, "Come
on, let's go have dinner."
All the negative thoughts in Andrew's mind vanished the second Ashley held his hand.
'Her hand is so soft and warm. Her fingers are so slender and her nails are so beautiful, ' he thought
feverishly. Worried that he might hurt her delicate hand accidentally, he didn't dare to hold it too tight.
Instead, he held it gently like it was the most precious treasure.
Ashley, on the other hand, regretted the moment she held his hand. 'What on earth did I do that for?'
She admonished herself inwardly.
When she tried to withdraw her hand, she noticed how small it looked in his big hand. Clearly there was
no subtle way to withdraw her hand from such a big one.
As Andrew hadn't planned to come to this place for dinner before he met Ashley, and didn't want her to
get overwhelmed, he didn't inform anyone at the restaurant that he was coming. Otherwise, the staff
would provide the best service for them without a doubt.
Although Andrew was the CEO of the Lu Group and the head of his family, only a few from the senior
management had access to him.
Ashley and Ellie didn't pay much attention to this, but even if they did, they would have never expected
to encounter one of the personages of J City.
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