Ashley really didn't want to introduce Lena and Raymond to Greyson. So when Greyson asked about
them, she mumbled to him, "Oh, they're just some unimportant people. Since you've found what you
lost, let's go."
She then turned to Lena and Raymond and said quickly, "We have something else that we have to do,
so we've got to go now."
She didn't like them and would prefer to avoid Lena and Raymond as much as possible. However,
since she had run into them, Ashley couldn't ignore them. Ashley knew how good Lena was at acting
so she decided to pretend as well.
"But Ashley, we haven't seen each other for such a long time. Could you please stay a little longer so
we can catch up?" Lena said with a pretend sad face and pouted lips. Lena saw that Ashley was going
to leave, so she tried to stop her by sounding sincere, yet she had mischief in her eyes. Her voice was
so honeyed that anyone's heart would have melted if they heard it.
The mischief in Lena's eyes disappeared quickly, but Greyson noticed it.
Greyson furrowed his brows slightly and thought, 'Alvin was right about Lena. She enjoys provoking
Ashley.
Even though Ashley made it clear that she didn't want to stay any longer, probably to avoid any conflict
with Lena, Lena ignored her and acted like she really wanted to see her.'
Greyson gave Ashley a surprised look. His adorable eyes were wide open and his baby face looked so
sweet and innocent, and he asked, "Ashley, is she your sister? But you don't look anything like each
other."
Ashley gave Greyson a frustrated look and explained, "We aren't biological sisters. It doesn't matter,
just forget about it. You said you want to eat hotpot. So let's go."
There was no way that Lena was going to let Ashley get away so easily without causing her some
mischief.
Lena then looked at Greyson and asked, "Ashley, who is he? If I'm not mistaken, he's not the same guy
that went to the restaurant with you that day... Oh my, is he your new...?" Lena deliberately didn't finish
her sentence. She noticed that people around were listening in on their conversation. So she used that
to her advantage and insinuated that Ashley had changed boyfriends, just to make more mischief for
Ashley.
Raymond gave Greyson a cold stare. He too noticed that Greyson wasn't the same man they had met
at the Vineyard Restaurant.
He then moved his eyes to Ashley. His eyes were full of accusation and complaint. He gave Ashley the
same look a husband would give to his cheating wife and asked in an angry tone, "Ashley, who is he?"
Ashley's face darkened when she heard what Lena had said, which implied she was a shameless
woman.
Ashley didn't care what Lena and Raymond thought of her. But she wouldn't tolerate the way they
spoke to Greyson. They had no right to criticize and speak to him in that tone.
Even though she was dating Greyson, it was none of their business.
The supermarket was swarming with people. Some of them were even standing around and listening to
their whole conversation, while Lena and Raymond were making the situation even worse.
The five of them became the focus of the crowd and soon accusatory voices could be heard among
them.
"That girl looks so decent. Who would have thought that she could do such shameful things?"
"Don't judge people by their appearance alone. I've told you looks could be deceiving."
"Look at that young boy that she's with. He hasn't even come of age. How could she do such a thing!"
"There are all kinds of people in this world and some dare to do horrible things that we couldn't even
imagine. It's so shameful!"
...
Before long many people gathered around them and whispered to one another. They talked in a low
voice, but so many low voices made a loud voice. And soon Ashley and Ellie heard what they were
saying.
Ellie looked around at the crowd that was judging Ashley harshly and became irritated. She glared
angrily at Lena. "Lena, what are you talking about? You have really gone too far!"
Lena made a look as if she was intimidated by Ellie and buried herself into Raymond's arms. She
peeked up at her and said in a meek voice, "Ellie, I... I'm telling the truth. Raymond can prove it for
me."
Lena played the innocent victim and got compassion from the onlookers, whereas Ashley and Ellie
were aggressive and left a bad impression on them. However, what made things even worse, was
when Ellie tried to defend her friend to Lena, she had just made the people even more certain that
Ashley was, in fact, guilty of doing those shameful things that Lena accused her of.
Ellie turned to look at Raymond.
Raymond just nodded his head with great disappointment. "We ran into Ashley at the Vineyard and she
was with another man." Raymond also wanted an explanation as to who that man was.
When Ellie heard what Raymond had said she felt even more anger well in the pit of her stomach. Ellie
gave Lena and Raymond a cold glare. She was so furious that she was left speechless. 'How can they
slander Ashley like that?'
After hearing what Raymond had said, Greyson shot them a vicious look for a second. If Ashley had
seen his face she would have been shocked. He had never acted like that in front of Ashley or Ellie. He
always looked cute and innocent. However, that face was Greyson's true side and character.
Ashley looked at Lena and Raymond with resentment. She was about to say something when Greyson
stepped out.
Greyson opened his arms and stood in front of Ashley as if to protect her. His cute face took on an
angry glare. "You two are so evil! What's wrong with my sister and her boyfriend going out for dinner?
Did that harm you in any way? How could you speak like that about my sister?"
Greyson said without pausing. What he said made the people who had judged Ashley unfairly feel
embarrassed.
They didn't know whether it was true that Ashley had gone out with one man and now with another.
And now that they had heard Greyson call Ashley his sister, they felt ashamed that they were so quick
to pass judgment and had assumed the worst without considering all the facts.
They had immediately believed Lena and taken her side because she looked so sincere and sweet.
Most of the people who had gathered around were elderly.
They were hoping to pick up a bit of gossip so they could spread the word around.
Although Greyson looked cute and harmless, what he said was plausible and made sense.
Even Ashley and Ellie stood still and looked at Greyson in shock.
After Greyson managed to contradict what Raymond and Lena had said, he then looked at Lena.
Lena had been so shocked by what Greyson had said. She could feel his intimidating eyes on her and
she cowered at being put in a disadvantaged position. But she couldn't stop him.
Greyson then continued looking Lena straight in the eyes. "I heard you are Ashley's sister. I thought
you would genuinely care for her. However, I see now that you deliberately tried to slander Ashley in
front of all of these people just to cause trouble for her."
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