Ellie had written every single detail of their income and expenses in the notebook.
As it was the end of the month, they were carefully reviewing the accounts.
"Money for flour..."
"Wait, Ellie. How did we get this money?" Ashley asked.
Ellie glanced at the notebook and said, "It is the profit on April 10th. I went to L City and asked you to
write it down. Did you forget?"
"Well, it looks like my handwriting. There are too many items, so I think I mixed up," Ashley murmured
to herself.
They finished checking the accounts within an hour as Ellie was always thorough and accurate in her
work.
"Uh, Ellie. I guess we are rich women now," Ashley said suddenly.
"Why?"
"Look." Ashley showed Ellie the figure she just calculated. "After subtracting the money for the
ingredients and employees' salaries, we still have twenty thousand left."
"Well done! We have earned more money than we did in the Luo Group."
"Yes." Ashley nodded in agreement.
She stood up and stretched. Suddenly she realized it was already afternoon and she was hungry.
"Ellie, what are we having tonight?"
"You can check in the refrigerator if there is anything to eat. Otherwise we'll need to go to
supermarket," replied Ellie while she gathered her things.
"Okay," said Ashley and ambled off to the kitchen.
She opened the refrigerator and found that there was nothing they could have for dinner. "It looks like
we'll have to go shopping as there's nothing left in the fridge," she said.
"Ding-dong," went the doorbell.
Ellie was in the bedroom, so Ashley went to answer the door.
She wondered who it could be.
When she opened the door, she saw a man in a pink business suit. The man was about 1.80 meters
tall. He supported his head with one hand, and Ashley couldn't see his face because his head was
lowered.
But despite this, he looked familiar to her.
"May I ask who you are looking for?" Ashley asked.
Francis was trying to strike a cool pose when he heard the door open, but he was puzzled when he
heard the voice. 'Why does she sound like Andrew's girlfriend?' he thought to himself before raising his
head.
Their eyes met and they stood there staring at each other for a minute.
"Ashley?" he asked in surprise.
"Aren't you Andrew's friend? Ah, what's your name? Fran..." Ashley faintly recognized him. He was the
same man who had applied medicine to her in Andrew's office.
"Francis," he completed.
"Oh, right, Francis. What can I do for you?" she asked.
"Do you live here?" he inquired.
"Yes." Ashley nodded and continued, "Is something wrong?"
"No." His mind was working fast trying to put the pieces of this puzzle together.
'I'm sure I have the right address. This is Ellie's home, but Ashley is here too. Do they know each
other?'
"Ashley, who is there?" Ellie called out as she came out of the bedroom and saw Ashley talking to
someone at the door.
"It's Francis, a friend of Andrew's. But I don't know why he's here," she replied as Ellie walked towards
her. Ashley was very confused.
"Hi, Ellie," Francis greeted her enthusiastically. He looked deep into Ellie's eyes and secretly checked
her out.
"Do you know each other?" Ashley asked as she saw their reactions.
"No."
"Yes."
They answered almost simultaneously.
Ashley looked Francis up and down and recalled something.
She had seen him before they met in Andrew's office, but Francis hadn't noticed her back then.
She squinted at him. "You are the man who drove Ellie to the bakery. Am I right?" Ashley quizzed him.
Now Francis was confused. "How do you know?" he asked.
"Guess!" Ashley replied in monotone.
She had assumed that the man who had driven Ellie to work was one of her pursuers. She never
thought it was Francis!
Her impression of Francis was that of a playboy as he had flirted with her at the office. 'What if Ellie
gets along with him? No, I won't let that happen.'
"Is there anything I can help you with? Because otherwise you should leave. I'm going to close the
door," Ashley said haughtily.
Francis had no idea why she was treating him so badly all of a sudden. 'She was so kind a minute ago.
What happened to her?' he wondered.
"No, Ashley, please. I have come here to see you and Ellie." Seeing that Ashley was about to close the
door, Francis obstructed it in a bid to stop her.
"You have come here for us?" Ashley's eyebrows shot up, as she stressed on the word "us."
"How do you both know each other?"
Francis looked from Ashley to Ellie. 'They are close. Ashley is trying to protect Ellie.
So Ellie is Andrew's friend too. It looks like I misunderstood them at the hospital. I thought Andrew had
passed his affection to Ellie. How ridiculous I was!'
he reflected.
"Ashley, I'm trying to woo Ellie. Please help me," he pleaded meekly.
"You are interested in Ellie?" Ashley still didn't believe him.
"Yes!" He nodded his head eagerly.
"Ashley, don't listen to him. I have never met him before." Ellie, who was standing beside her, exposed
his lies without mercy.
"How can you say that? I drove you to the bakery last time," he said in an attempt to defend himself.
"You were just as bold as crass that time, and I didn't ask you to do that," said Ellie curtly.
"Irrespective of that, I did drive you to work last time, so we do know each other," he replied.
"It's irrational," Ellie still tried to counter him.
Looking at them, Ashley thought they might suit each other. 'They can get along with each other for a
short period. I will ask Andrew about Francis when he comes back. It's important to ascertain whether
Francis deserves Ellie or not.'
It was the first time Ashley saw Ellie arguing with a man like this.
"Well, Ellie. You can let him in." He was Andrew's friend after all, and it would be impolite to drive him
away.
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