Chapter 103: The money is all gone II
I had been having the best time of my life.
Evans called me that very same day after we met at the restaurant. The moment I saw his name flash across my screen, my heart skipped. I didn’t even bother to hide the smile that spread across my lips before picking up.
He didn’t waste time.
He wanted to know if I was truly the new CEO of Smith Enterprise.
I leaned back on my chair, crossing my legs slowly, a playful smile tugging at my lips.
"Why do you want to know?" I asked calmly. "It’s
not like we mean anything to each other anymore."
There was a brief silence on the other end before he spoke again, his voice softer this time.
"When did I ever say you don’t mean anything to me?" he replied. "I was just taking some time off... to cool down. You know a lot has happened recently. I needed space to clear my head."
I said nothing.
I remained completely mute.
If I gave in this easily, he would only take me for granted again. I knew him too well.
"Ashley, don’t be like this," he continued, his tone turning coaxing. "You know I love you. I even left Lena for you. Just tell me... are you the new CEO of the company?"
"What if I am?" I replied coolly. "It still has nothing to do with you."
"Ashley!" he exclaimed loudly, making me wince as I pulled the phone slightly away from my ear.
"Remember our plans," he said quickly. "The company was supposed to belong to both of us."
"Well, that was before you left me for your new girlfriend!" I snapped, unable to hold it in any longer.
"What girlfriend? I don’t have any girlfriend," he said immediately.
A small, satisfied smile crept onto my face.
There was a pause. I could hear him take a deep breath before speaking again.
"Now that you know I don’t have a girlfriend... are you willing to accept me back?"
The moment those words left his mouth, I jumped to my feet in excitement, almost screaming in happiness. I quickly covered my mouth, forcing myself to calm down before speaking again.
"I’ll think about it," I said, trying to sound composed. "And make sure you break up with your girlfriend openly before I accept you back."
Without giving him the chance to respond, I ended the call immediately.
The second the line went dead, I squealed and jumped around my room like a child. I danced, laughed, and spun in circles. My heart was filled with excitement and anticipation.
Finally... everything was falling into place.
I dropped onto my bed and grabbed my phone, scrolling endlessly as I waited.
I couldn’t wait for the drama to unfold.
I expected him to make a public announcement, something big, something messy.
A breakup that would shake the internet. Something that would show the world that I was the one he truly chose.
But hours passed.
Nothing happened.
My excitement slowly turned into restlessness. Then into irritation. Then into anxiety.
Just when I was about to lose my patience completely, I finally saw it.
A statement.
But it wasn’t from Evans.
It was from Ava’s team.
They announced a peaceful breakup between her and Evans. According to the statement, both parties had decided to go their separate ways due to wanting different things at this stage in their lives. They also requested privacy from the public.
I stared at my phone in disbelief.
"That’s it?" I muttered.
Anger surged through me so suddenly that I almost smashed my phone against the wall. I stopped myself just in time, taking a deep breath.
This wasn’t what I wanted.
This wasn’t dramatic enough.
This wasn’t humiliating enough for her.
But... the result was still what I wanted.
Evans was free.
Free from that woman.
Free to come back to me.
A slow smile spread across my face as that thought settled in my mind.
I waited for his call all day.
I refused to call him first, I didn’t want to look desperate. I wanted him to chase me, to prove himself.
But he didn’t call.
As the hours dragged on, my thoughts began to spiral.
What if he changed his mind?
What if he went back to her?
What if this was all a lie?
By the time night fell, I was mentally exhausted.
I eventually drifted off to sleep.
The next morning, I woke up and immediately checked my phone.
No missed calls.
No messages.
My heart sank.
Same thing the that day and the next day
I was just about to call him, my patience completely gone, when my phone rang.
His name lit up the screen.
I picked up instantly.
"Hello, Ash," he said warmly.
That nickname...
It didn’t go unnoticed.
A blush crept onto my cheeks.
"Hello," I replied softly, feeling butterflies flutter in my stomach.
"I called to let you know that me, James, and Freya are going to a boutique today. We’d like you to join us."
The smile on my face disappeared instantly, replaced with unease.
"I thought... you and I were supposed to spend time together first," I said quietly.
"It’s alright if you don’t want to come," he replied.
"We just thought you’d be happy to join us. It’s been a while since we all went out together. Maybe after we’re done, I can call you and we can spend some time alone."
Guilt crept in immediately.
"Alright, alright," I said quickly. "Send me the address. I’ll meet you there soon."
Even though I didn’t want to hang out with James and Freya, I still wanted to be with Evans.
So I went.
I dressed carefully, making sure I looked perfect before heading out.
When I arrived at the boutique, I spotted them almost immediately.
Freya was laughing, holding up a dress as she
showed it to James. The moment her eyes landed on me, her face lit up.
"Ashley! You’re here!" she squealed, rushing over to me and grabbing my hand.
She pulled me along excitedly.
"What do you think about this gown?" she asked.
"It’s nice," I replied with a smile, though my eyes had already found Evans.
He was standing a few steps away, focused on a shirt in his hands, completely ignoring my presence.
I walked over to him.
"Hi," I said.
He looked up, then smiled.
"Long time, Ashley," he said, his gaze sweeping over me. "You look good."
My heart fluttered.
"Thank you."
Soon, we were talking and laughing like old times. It felt natural... comfortable.
As if nothing had ever gone wrong.
We began shopping together, moving from rack to rack.
Then suddenly, he asked...
"Is it true that Lena is no longer the CEO of Smith Enterprise?"
I stiffened slightly.
"You know, after that incident with you, I thought getting our hands on the company wouldn’t be easy," he continued. "How did you pull it off?"
Without thinking, I blurted...
"Well, Lena is dead. So the company automatically passed to her father... and who better to run it than me?"
The moment the words left my mouth, I froze.
"What?!" he exclaimed loudly.
We both looked around quickly to make sure no one was paying attention.
He lowered his voice.
"Lena is dead? How did it happen?"
My heart pounded.
"Does it matter?" I replied quickly, trying to brush it off.
He studied me for a moment, then shrugged.
"Never mind," he said. "So... Do you plan to run it alone? Or would it be possible for you to bring me on board to help?"
Relief flooded through me.
"That won’t be a problem," I said immediately.
His eyes widened.
"You mean it?"
I nodded eagerly.
"Thank you, Ashley," he said, clearly pleased. "I promise I won’t let you down."
Soon, we were at the counter, ready to pay for everything, including James and Freya’s items.
I proudly brought out my credit card and handed it to the sales representative.
She swiped it.
Then paused.
"The card declined, ma’am."
A chill ran down my spine.
"What do you mean declined?" I asked sharply. "Try it again."
She did and it
Declined.
Again.
And again.
Each failed attempt made my heart pound harder.
"Wait... let me call my mother," I said, my voice shaking slightly.
Evans watched me silently.
I dialed quickly.
"Mom, you have to help me! I’m in trouble!" I said, panic rising.
"What’s going on?" she asked urgently.
"I’m at a boutique... but there’s no money in my account! It’s gone! I swear it was there this morning, but now it’s disappeared, and they’re watching me!"
"I’ll pay it back later, I promise. Just ask Dad to help me, please!"
There was silence.
Then....
"There’s no money, Ashley," she said heavily.
My expression darkened.
"What do you mean there’s no money? Dad has money! Just tell him to pay, it’s not a big deal!"
"Are you not listening?" my father’s voice suddenly thundered through the phone, startling me.
"There is no money!" he snapped. "It’s gone, just like yours! Someone stole it! If I were you, I’d drop everything and leave while you still can!"
The call ended abruptly.
I stood frozen.
Slowly, I lowered the phone from my ear.
A cold wave of realization washed over me.
And then I noticed it....
All eyes in the boutique were on me.
Watching, Judging and Waiting.
