Such an idiot!
“Get out!” My whole body was trembling with anger.
“Hahaha! Take care, Ms. Stovall.” He continued to laugh on his way out.
My head was pounding again, and I was very close to losing my sanity. Having two auditors working for one company is just ridiculous!
“Ms. Stovall, should we get AC Credit to take over the whole job? Mr. Harrison doesn’t seem very reliable,” Stacey suggested.
You’re preaching to the choir, sister. But Ashton explicitly said he wanted Nick to handle this job.
I paused briefly before telling Stacey, “I’ve got to talk to Ashton about this.”
On top of the matter with Macy, now I had a plateful of contractual issues to worry about, and my head was about to explode. Speaking of whom, Ashton still hadn’t indicated if he was going to help her or not.
I could no longer sit back and do nothing. As I packed up my stuff, I instructed Stacey, “Keep an eye on Nick for me. In the meantime, I’ll speak to Ashton about the other matter. Also, see if there is any need to go outstation for inspection and put everything in a report for me.”
Stacey was worried about my well-being. “Ms. Stovall, are you sure you’re all right?”
I assured her that I was fine and headed out. Since Ashton took my car, I had to take a cab to the police station.
There was not much progress in Macy’s case, and she was to be held for fifteen days for further investigation.
After arriving at the police station, I managed to talk to the officer who was interrogating Macy yesterday. Unfortunately, he just reiterated what I already knew; there was no substantial development.
Just as Jared had said before, the security cameras in the hotel were broken that night. In other words, there was no admissible evidence.
As such, I was not allowed to see Macy until they concluded their investigation.
Feeling helpless, I headed over to Hour Bar only to find out that the bar was cordoned off and no one was allowed in.
It was times like this that made me realize the cold hard truth of the invisible caste system that governed this society. The whole network was complicated yet interconnected. It would be nearly impossible for me to gather enough evidence to free Macy all by myself.
I thought Ashton would be at one of these two places, but I guessed I was wrong about him again. His call came in while I was sitting in front of Hour Bar like a deflated balloon.
His background was noisy, but his voice was clear. “Where are you?”
“I’m in the office.” I dared not tell him where I really was.
However, I immediately came to regret the lie I just told when his voice became cold and distant. “Since when is your office in such a dump?”
Stunned, I looked up to see my own car plate six feet away from me, and there it was, the unmistakable pair of icy obsidian black eyes which were staring at me.
Uh oh…
That explained the noisy background… Oh, I might as well.
At that thought, I walked over and climbed into the passenger seat. As I leaned back against the seat, I puffed out about a gallon of air and asked, “What are you doing here?”
“That should be my question for you,” he retorted, sounding displeased.
Ignoring his rhetorical question, I closed my eyes and massaged my temples. “Nick from Harrison Credit said they are only responsible for Fuller Corporation’s audit. They want nothing to do with Quinn Corporation.”
“Let AC Credit handle it,” he replied succinctly and started the car.
I was still confused. “Both companies, or just Quinn Corporation?”
Driving past a traffic light, he looked at me and scoffed, “Do you plan to breach a contract you just signed?”
Ah, I did just sign a contract with Harrison Credit. So it’s only natural that Quinn Corporation’s audit is to be handled by AC Credit.
Right then, my shoulders and back were acting up again. I was trying to get comfortable on the seat when I realized we were not heading home. “Where are we going?”
“Dinner.”
He had always been cold and distant, so I continued to keep my mouth shut. But as he parked the car in a shopping mall’s underground car park, I could not help but ask, “We’re having dinner at a shopping mall?”
Is he taking me shopping before dinner?
That’s quite… romantic of him.
Still not answering any of my questions, we got out of the car and walked into the mall together. I never liked walking next to him. He was tall and handsome but detached, just the right combination that was bound to attract unwanted attention.
Naturally, most of the attention came from women; some were shy and inward, while others stared at him openly.
Marching behind him with my head down, I muttered, “Show off.”
Abruptly, he came to a halt, causing me to bump into his back. “Ouch! Why did you stop all of a sudden?”
“Don’t space out while walking.” He then pulled me into a branded store and ordered, “Pick something nice. We’re meeting a few people tonight.”
What people?
I froze momentarily as I knew that fashion was really not one of my strong suits.
Seeing that I failed to choose something he considered good enough, he instructed a shopping assistant to come to my rescue.
After some time, we finally agreed on a floral dress with a beige blazer. I was actually quite satisfied with the attire. In fact, it would be perfect if paired with nice heels.
