Every day at five o'clock sharp, Ashley would collect her belongings and wait for Andrew to come and
pick her up.
Cheryl had been observing this for many days. Today, her curiosity got the better of her. She supported
her chin in her hands and inquired cheekily, "Ashley, do you have a boyfriend? Is that why you leave
exactly at the same time every day? Do you go to see him? When will you introduce him to us?"
Even Nina, who was not as nosy as Cheryl, turned to watch Ashley.
Ashley, who already had her bag in her hand, paused and gave them a mysterious smile. "Keep
guessing."
Then she turned to her friend. "Ellie, I have to go now. You take care of the shop."
Ellie nodded.
After she left, Cheryl looked at Ellie expectantly and said, "Ellie, please tell us. Does Ashley really have
a boyfriend? I'll keep it a secret. I promise!"
Ellie smiled and opened her mouth.
Just as Cheryl thought Ellie would tell her, Ellie gave her the same answer as Ashley did.
The suspense was killing her. 'Well, I will ask her again when she comes tomorrow. I'm sure I can get
her to spill the beans.'
"You don't have to come to pick me up every day," Ashley told Andrew when she got into the car.
"Then who would you like to come to pick you up?" Andrew asked in his usual bland way.
"I can take a cab home. You are so busy with your work and you have a large company to run. Don't
you feel tired of picking me up daily?"
"No."
Ashley turned silent. 'Then forget what I said.'
After they got back home and had dinner, they went to the bedroom. Ashley lay on the bed and chatted
with Ellie on her cell phone.
She had decided to introduce someone to Ellie. She couldn't let her best friend stay single anymore.
"Just wait and watch. I will gather a group of boys for you to pick from."
Just as she hit send, she felt some movement beside her. Andrew's cold voice was in her ear. "A group
of boys? For whom to pick?" he inquired.
She had been with Andrew long enough to know that this was a forewarning. It meant he was about to
lose his cool. If she hadn't learned to read these signs, she wouldn't be here for a long time.
Ashley put away her cell phone and said to him laughingly, "I was just joking. I was talking to Ellie. I
want to set her up with a nice boy. She should have a serious relationship now. She is very lonely."
Earlier, she used to hang out with Ellie most of the time. And now they could only see each other at the
shop.
Andrew glanced at her sideways. "This is her private matter," he said lightly.
Ashley gave him a dissatisfied look and said, "Ellie's business is my business."
"So, do you have any male friends who are affectionate and loyal?" Ashley added.
"None."
Francis was a playboy, always messing around with different women. Greyson was almost a child, so
of course Andrew couldn't consider him. The only one left was Jeremy. He was nice to everyone
indiscriminately. No one knew him better than Andrew. Basically, none of his friends was a suitable
match for Ellie.
"Oh, yeah. I almost forgot your social status," she muttered.
Everyone in his social circle would be rich second generation or belonging to influential families. Ellie
wouldn't like such people.
"I am going out of the country tomorrow on business," he said suddenly, his deep dark eyes holding an
ambiguous expression.
Ashley, who was still concentrating on her cell phone, was astonished. She turned to look at him and
stated, "Mmm."
She suddenly felt a void inside. She wouldn't be able to see Andrew for a few days.
Andrew obviously wasn't satisfied with her reaction. He lifted her chin. "You have to think of me every
day, call me every day…" he urged.
Ashley rolled her eyes at him rudely. 'Who do you think you are, Mr. Money? Why do I have to think of
you every day?'
But she didn't dare to vocalize her thoughts. She just nodded obediently. "How long will your trip be?"
"One week," he replied.
It was too long for him. He felt uneasy if he didn't see Ashley for one day, how would he survive an
entire week?
He narrowed his eyes and asked, "How about you go with me?"
Ashley panicked. "No, no. I won't go. You'd better go by yourself. I promise I will miss you here," she
said hurriedly.
Crap. She could have got a break if Andrew was away. Why would she want to go with him on a
business trip?
Andrew was not pleased with her reply. "Why?"
"I have never been so far away from home. Besides, you are meeting somebody to negotiate business,
not to have fun. I know nothing about your business. You will lose face in front of your client if I go with
you. It's better if I stay home and wait for you to come back."
This explanation soothed Andrew a bit and he was pleased to hear that she would wait for him at
home.
His voice turned cheerful. "Do you have anything to say to me before I go?"
Andrew had read those romantic novels Johnny brought to office. And he remembered the plot very
well.
There was one scene in which the hero told the heroine that he was going to go on a business trip.
Then the heroine told the hero that
she would miss him and would call him every day, and remind him to eat at meal time. She also put her
photo in his cell phone so that the hero could see her face whenever he missed her.
Ashley noticed that his mood had improved. "Come back soon? Have a nice trip? Good luck with your
negotiation?"
She tried a few things but Andrew's face became darker and darker.
She almost wanted to cry in frustration. She couldn't read his mind. What did he want her to say?
"Andrew..." She opened her mouth but before she could finish her sentence, Andrew threw himself on
top of her.
Her face was reflected in his dark eyes and she could read his expression very clearly. She had
experienced this outburst of emotion not too long ago.
She gulped and said, "Andrew, what..." 'What do you want to do?' She completed the sentence in her
mind.
She took what he gave her tearfully.
The next day, Andrew woke up very early.
He watched the little exhausted girl sleeping in his arms and kissed her affectionately. Then he jumped
out of bed to pack for the trip.
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