It was normal for keyboard warriors to speculate as they had no idea about the truth. But anyone in their right mind could see that Ashton treated Thora like an ordinary friend. It was only after the media’s attempt at spicing up the situation that it felt like there was something going on.
If there really was something going on between both of them, it would have to be proven by them registering their marriage at the Civil Affairs Bureau, instead of some blurry photos from an eye-catching angle.
“Hmm, you have gotten smarter I see. This sounds like what an observant person would say.” Ashton leaned back languidly in his chair. Squinting his eyes, his face reddened a little from the wine he had drunk.
“Observant? Perhaps.” I asked, “Just from what happened with Mitchell, it’s obvious that the Ziegler family does not harbor good intentions. You’d better be more careful when dealing with Thora.”
“If I had any other choice, I wouldn’t have chosen to sell my body.” Ashton suddenly widened his eyes as he looked at me with a helpless expression. “In the upcoming period, I will likely interact with her often. Hence, don’t listen to the rumors on the internet. If there is anything out of the ordinary, I will personally explain it to you.”
For some unknown reason, Ashton looked exhausted that day.
Smiling at him, I tried to ease his concerns. “Go ahead and do what you think is necessary. The children and I will be fine. Just one thing, even though I’m not by your side, don’t keep pulling late nights for weeks at one go. You need to take care of your health so that you can fulfill your promise of making it up to me.”
“Alright.” Pursing his lips, Ashton nodded in agreement. As if something suddenly occurred to him, he asked, “With regards to Emery’s case, I heard she wants you to represent her?”
“That’s right. It’s her way of supporting my career, I suppose. Both for her sake and my future, I will definitely do my best. After preparing for such a long time, it’s time to see how good I am.”
“Get someone else to do it,” Ashton commented.
“Why?” I was puzzled. “Are you doubting my capabilities? Or are you worried that I’m not physically up for it?”
I could understand the former but there was no reason to worry about the latter. The toxin in my body was like a time bomb. Before it explodes, I was no different from any ordinary person. If I had to forgo my life and stay in bed, it would be no different than being dead.
“Neither.” Ashton explained patiently, “Isn’t it obvious to you that Delilah is evil? She dared to hire someone to splash acid on Emery. Can you guarantee that she won’t do something similar to threaten you? Given that you have so many staff at your firm, it isn’t difficult to get someone else to replace you. There’s no need for you to be involved.”
After giving it some thought, Ashton’s concerns did make sense. After all, before Emery got hurt, no one had expected a helpless-looking woman to commit such a heinous act the moment she steeled her heart.
“I understand. When the time comes, I’ll get someone else to replace me so that I can minimize the conflict between the both of us. So, you don’t have to worry about this.”
A few days later, when Emery’s case went to trial, the judge accepted all the evidence that we presented. As expected, Delilah was sentenced to prison.
On the same day afternoon, upon my return to the law firm, I received an invitation from Ziegler Investment for their anniversary celebration party.
The invitation wrote: We cordially invite Ms. Scarlett Stovall to attend Ziegler Investment’s 5th-anniversary celebration party.
The invitation made it clear that I would be representing Stovall Law Firm, drawing an obvious distinction between my relationship with Ashton.
Meanwhile, the rumors about Ashton and Thora continued to spread. Putting aside Ashton’s plan, the media were likely encouraged to do so by Thora and the Ziegler family. The law firm had only been operating for less than a month and yet, Thora was already impatient to see me. The invitation was undoubtedly a trap.
As John was the one who exposed Mitchell, he wasn’t invited. Hence, I got Brooklyn to come along with me. On the way there, I had time to do some research on Thora.
In truth, Thora was considered a capable woman. At twenty-two, she returned to the country after graduating with an MBA overseas and joined Ziegler Corporation. In three years’ time, she doubled the Ziegler Corporation’s stock price. In another two years, she had a falling out with the Ziegler family and left to start her own company. Within five years of that, Ziegler Investments had become an industry leader in the building materials segment and was extremely influential.
