Not knowing when Andrew would arrive, Ashley found herself a secluded seat and sat down while she
waited for him.
"Do you know if Caroline still has feelings for Raymond? I just heard that she almost quarreled with
Lena," said a woman who was gossiping.
"Who knows. Caroline made it known to everyone that she was chasing Raymond back then. She
almost has declared it to the whole world. However, she was refused by Raymond, and you know, hell
hath no fury like a woman scorned. Let alone a woman as arrogant as Caroline."
"That's right. Now that Raymond and Lena are engaged, she is probably feeling even worse. It adds
jealousy to the fury when you see a love rival. Surely they are graceful enough to refrain from fighting?
It's nothing just to quarrel." What the woman said sounded plausible, and it was as if she had firsthand
information.
"Is it possible that she just hates Lena? After all, it's no secret that Lena is at odds with Caroline."
"I think that's probably the reason."
"I can't say for sure. It's probably a combination of both."
It was said that "Three women are enough for a drama." Yet here, several women were gossiping, and
one could only imagine how many dramas they could make.
Ashley hadn't expected to overhear the piece of gossip since she chose a reclusive spot on purpose.
Evidently, the women thought they had chosen a private place to tittle-tattle as well.
She knew the Caroline they spoke about. When Ashley was with Raymond, Caroline had taken a fancy
to him way back then and would always hang around him.
Ashley and Raymond were very discreet with their relationship, so Caroline had no idea that they were
a couple. Eventually, Raymond must have said something to Caroline because after that she never
hung around him anymore.
Now that Ashley found out what Raymond was like, she felt grateful that she had broken up with him.
Otherwise, she didn't know what she would have done with Raymond being such a womanizer.
Ironically, little did Ashley know that Andrew would attract even more women than Raymond in the
future.
"Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention, please? I want to welcome you all to my birthday
party. I trust that you will enjoy the entertainment provided. If not, please forgive us."
Everyone's attention was to the front of the stage
where a forty-something-year-old man dressed in a suit spoke with a microphone in his hand.
Raymond did have a resemblance to him in some ways. It was, of course, his father Clyde, the CEO of
the Luo Group. He held the microphone to his mouth and said, "I have something to declare. It's about
the Luo family and the Mu family. I believe everyone present knows that Lena of the Mu Group and my
son are engaged. Now Lena is going to be my daughter-in-law and a member of our Luo family.
This birthday party was planned and arranged in my honor, all by Lena."
Clyde's rich and mellow voice echoed through the hall.
Ashley raised her head slightly and noticed members from the two families all standing together on the
stage now. Lena and Raymond stood closely, and Lena clung to Raymond's arm, smiling sweetly.
Raymond's father and mother, who stood beside them, watched the sweet couple with a satisfied
smile.
"Okay, Lena, I will hand the microphone over to you." Clyde passed the microphone to Lena.
Lena gracefully held the microphone in her hand and spoke in a pleasant soft tone while she wore a
gentle smile on her face.
"Please accept my sincere thanks for adding to the joyfulness of this special day with your attendance
to Mr. Luo's birthday party. I am so honored that Mrs. Luo gave such an important task to me.
I am grateful for her trust and appreciate everyone's support. If there is anything you don't like or feel
unsatisfied with the party, or our entertaining needs to be improved, please do let me know so that I
can improve next time."
She got thunderous applause when she hardly finished her speech.
The guests began to murmur among themselves.
"The girl came from the Mu family. No wonder she spoke articulately and naturally. Really well-bred and
highly educated."
"She certainly is. They really make a lovely couple. Beauty and genius. They were made for each
other."
"Definitely. Now the Mu family and Luo family will be even more powerful with this union."
…
Ashley wasn't touched at all. Either by Lena's speech or by the guests' comments on how Raymond
and Lena made a perfect couple. Her expression revealed nothing of how she felt inside.
Ashley couldn't care less about anything that happened to Lena or Raymond anymore. She wiped
them both from her heart and her mind. So how could she let two strangers affect her or have any
expectation of either of them?
However, Johnny wasn't thinking the same way.
He was watching Ashley and getting anxious inside. Johnny wondered, 'How can she react this way?
She's probably trying hard to look undisturbed.
After all, she had been with this Raymond guy for three years. Now to see him end up with her sister,
how can she be so calm?
Either she has been wounded too deeply, or she is plotting something. This kind of poise is a sure sign
of a dreadful hidden agenda.
Why hasn't the boss shown up yet?'
Johnny's anxiety showed on his face, and Ashley noticed it. She assumed he had some other urgent
matter that he needed to attend to. "If you have something else that you need to do, you can leave. I
will be okay here alone."
"No, no, it's okay, Miss Mu. I can stay. The boss asked me to stay with you, so I have to stay with you,"
Johnny said, shaking his head hastily after he heard Ashley's suggestion.
Johnny didn't have a death wish, and that would undoubtedly face him if he were to leave Ashley alone
here. Who knew what his boss would do to him if he went against his boss's orders and left her.
Ashley didn't mention anything further to him. She glanced at the delicate desserts on the table and
took one and elegantly put it in her mouth.
Johnny stayed close behind Ashley all the time, like a bodyguard.
It was either because the seat Ashley chose was secluded enough or it was because of other reasons
that nobody came to bother her. Ashley was glad to be left out of the socializing buzz.
On the other side of the hall, after Lena got off the stage, she searched the room with her eyes.
Raymond noticed that she was looking for something or someone and asked curiously, "What are you
looking for Lena? Is there anything wrong?"
Lena drew her attention back to him and said, "Oh, no, nothing. I was just looking around." She then
smiled at Raymond.
However, when Raymond looked away, Lena still searched the room.
Lena had deliberately sent an invitation to Clyde's birthday party to Ashley. Actually, more than just
one, she wanted to make sure she received an invitation. It was such an excellent opportunity to
provoke and trample on her. Of course, she wouldn't let a chance like that slip away.
However, after searching the crowd for a while, she found no sign of Ashley. 'Didn't Ashley come? It's
not possible. How could she not come to the party?'
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