It is said that seriousness adds charm to a man. While Andrew was checking the menu, Ashley allowed
herself to stare at him. It was hard for her to take her eyes off him.
Andrew read the menu with his eyes downcast. His long lashes cast shadows over his eyes, effectively
covering any emotions he might have had.
Normally, as a frequent visitor at this restaurant, Andrew did not need to check the menu. The manager
would reserve the room and his assistant would arrange all for him.
He knew Andrew's taste for food.
But today it was different. He wanted to make sure that the food met Ashley's taste. Fortunately, there
was information on her profile regarding her food preferences. She had a very different taste from him.
While Andrew like bland and light food, Ashley preferred those heavy with spices and had a kick of
heat.
When he had picked up the menu, he pretty much already knew what he was going to order.
Soon he met Ashley's eyes staring at him seriously, which made him both excited and nervous.
Andrew's fingers twitched unconsciously. Discreetly, he raised his menu slowly to hide his face.
'Why is she staring at me like that? Is there something on my face?' he thought.
All of a sudden, his confidence faltered. He did not think that it was his charm that attracted her.
After a while, the waitress finally broke the silence. "Excuse me, Madame, Sir. Are you ready to order?"
she asked, looking at them intently. Her voice pierced through the awkward atmosphere
which seemed to stretch on forever.
Ashley jerked her eyes back and lowered her head embarrassingly.
She felt a little annoyed with herself for unknowingly staring at Andrew this whole time.
Without Ashley staring at him anymore, Andrew gave out a deep breath of relief. He then called the
attention of the waitress and said his order in a low voice. The waitress nodded, took his orders and left
the room. Ashley did not hear what they said.
The ingredients of the restaurant came by air in the morning. They were very fresh, but, consequently,
took longer to cook.
When the waitress left, Ashley looked at Andrew and said, "Thank you for earlier,"
If it wasn't for him, she would be stuck in the tangle, and Lena would definitely get her into trouble. It
wouldn't be easy for her to get rid of them.
Without a doubt, Lena was by no means fond of Ashley. She constantly tried to find fault with her. But,
when she was in front of other people, she pretended to be a behaved, good-mannered sister.
"How do you plan to pay me back for my help?" he asked lightly. He watched her, waiting for her reply.
His eyes were intense and deep, like a hole drawing everything in its path.
She found herself lost in his eyes once more, and was suddenly lost for words. 'What?' she thought to
herself. She was expecting him to say "You're welcome", and had thought about what she was going to
say afterwards if he had said that. But his answer took her by surprise.
Ashley was taken off guard and was left speechless.
Meanwhile, he just sat there looking at her with his intense eyes, still expecting an answer.
After a moment's hesitation she answered, "Maybe I'll take you out for a meal some other day?"
"Okay," he said lightly, although sounding a bit disappointed. Ashley had no idea how much Andrew
wanted to be together with her.
However, he did not want to appear too eager and frighten her off -- so he said nothing more about it.
This woman sitting across from him was all that he desired. It was his utmost intention to win her heart,
no matter how long it would take.
'Someday, she would be mine, ' he thought to himself. Under his cool and calm demeanor, there was a
possessiveness for her that made him go crazy.
As it was getting late, Ashley decided to send a message to Ellie and tell her that she was eating
outside and would be back home very soon.
Seconds after she sent the text, Ellie replied, as if she had been expecting Ashley's message.
After reading Ellie's reply, Ashley checked her WeChat moments.
She sat there, giving an occasional smile or frown at what she saw or read on her phone.
Little did she know that Andrew was quietly watching her all along. His heart swelled at the mere sight
of her.
She was so absorbed by the newly-posted WeChat moments that she almost forgot that Andrew was
sitting across the table.
When she realized this, she felt a little ashamed.
She put away the phone and wondered whether she could pick up a topic to break the silence.
She raised her head to look around, her eyes resting on the French window beside their table. She
gently parted the curtains with her hand and peered outside.
It was getting dark, and the evening lights were already lit.
A soft smile appeared on her face as she admired the bustling night.
…
As Raymond watched Ashley leave with Andrew, he couldn't help but feel depressed. It was evident
from the expression on his face that he was terribly heartbroken.
Obviously, Lena had heard their conversation. But she pretended that she didn't know anything about
it. "Why are they leaving…together?" she asked. "Didn't we say we'd join them? Is he her boyfriend?
They look very close, don't they?" she added, pretending to be innocent and lady-like in front of
Raymond. Her words, however, hurt him deeply.
She was too caught up with what she was saying that she did not notice the change in his expression.
Andrew's grim and cold eyes were still lingering in Raymond's thoughts.
Unfortunately, Lena's continuous babble annoyed him and made things worse. "Shut up!" he shouted
unthinkingly.
Lena's eyes were wide with shock -- she had done everything she could possibly think of to drive him
away from Ashley. Instead, it looked as if all her efforts had backfired on her.
"Did I say something wrong?" she murmured in a hurt voice, even managing to bring up tears to her
eyes. That was a technique she had used numerous times, and of course it worked.
Raymond immediately felt sorry for her. He couldn't bear to put the blame on her.
However, her words fueled his jealousy. He remembered vividly seeing Ashley together with that man,
and his anger almost drove him mad.
Lena's grief did nothing but make him more upset.
"Aren't we going to have dinner?" he said through his teeth. With that, he went straight into the room,
leaving Lena all by herself. She stood there motionless, and her face twisted with fury.
She had been working so hard to make him fall for her, but still did not win his heart. After all, she was
his fiancee.
Watching him leaving, she clenched her fists tight with indignation.
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