Chapter 109
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At Dream Couture, things were going smoothly. Without the Snider Group breathing down their necks, the Riverstone’s Commercial Area was almost in their pocket.
“There’s a VIP client today” Bailey said, sounding a bit amused. “He wants to meet with you personally. After that, he promised to send us a piece from every new design. You wanna take the meeting?
Bailey had tried to negotiate, but the client was adamant about speaking with Ash.
Ash rolled her eyes. “Sure, let’s chat. It’s no big deal. If they stick to the deal and send me one of each style, I’m all for it.”
Every now and then, Ash would design unique pieces on request that could sell for a fortune.
“Cool, I’ll set it up and let you know. After talking with the client’s assistant, Bailey went to look for Ash.
She found her sleeping in a quiet corner. Squatting down, Bailey watched her for a moment. Ash had always seemed so on top of things, but lately, she just looked worn out.
She considered waking her, but instead, she grabbed a jacket and draped it over her. “Rest up, Ash,” she whispered with a
smile.
About half an hour later, Ash woke up. Between the Riverstone’s Commercial Area projects, designing, and the mess with Jade’s suicide attempt, she’d barely had time to rest. The exhaustion was catching up with her.
“They’re asking for a meeting, Bailey said as Ash woke up. “Oh, and they’ve already put down a 2–million–dollar deposit for the new line.”
Bailey shook her head, smirking. ‘Must be nice to be that rich. They haven’t even talked to us yet, and they’re throwing money around‘
Ash’s expression shifted. “They’ve already paid the deposit? Wow, they must really want to work with us. Makes you wonder -are they after the designs or the designer?”
Bailey bit her lip, feeling uneasy. “I don’t know, something feels off. Maybe we should just drop it. I’ll have finance return the 2 million dollars.”
Ash thought for a second, then shook her head. “Nah, it’s fine. We’ll handle whatever comes our way. We can’t just say no to money. We’ll figure it out when we meet them. Whoever it is, we’ll only know once we’re face–to–face. Don’t stress, no ordinary person stands a chance against me.”
Ash’s skills weren’t just for show, but Bailey still looked uncertain. She grabbed Ash’s arm and said, “Seriously, let’s just drop this. We don’t need that money.”
Ash smiled and pinched her friend’s worried face. “It’s all good, what are you so afraid of? Don’t worry, nothing’s gonna happen. Just give me the address. I’ll bring someone with me tonight.”
Bailey sighed and nodded. “Okay, but text me if anything goes wrong. Or should I just come with you? I’ve got a shop assistant tonight, I’m not really needed.”
“It’s fine, don’t stress,” Ash said, brushing it off. She had been through enough in life that something like this didn’t faze her.
But, by the next morning, something happened.
“Ms. Turner, this place feels… strange,” Eleanor whispered, looking around nervously. She was already on guard.
Ash glanced around. It looked like any typical private estate owned by the super–rich, but something felt off. Her eyes landed on the two stone lions at the entrance, coated in gold.
11:46 Sun, 23 Feb M
Chapter 109
It was clear this place had cost a pretty penny. Ash quiet and pretend you can’t speak, okay?”
“Got it, Ms. Turner.”
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irked. “Interesting, really interesting. When we get in there, just keep
A waiter led them into the vibrant venue, inside, a young girl, balancing a tray
of drich. :
they discovered, was called Wonder Club. Just as they were about to step accidentally bumped into Ash.
The girl panicked, her eyes wide. “I’m so sorry! I
idn’t mean to! Please, I’m really sorry!”
Ash looked down at the alcohol splattered on her clothes and sighed. “No big deal, it was just an accident.”
The girl breathed a huge sigh of relief, her shoulders dropping. “Thank you so much!”
After that little mishap, Ash and the waiter contin,
- on. But after a few twists and turns, Ash noticed Eleanor was missing.
“Wait, where’s my employee?” Ash pulled the waiter back, her tone sharp.
The waiter, who was wearing a half–mask, kept a calm demeanor. “Don’t worry, she is fine. She probably just took a wrong turn.”
“A wrong turn? Check the cameras and see where she went–now!” Ash wasn’t buying that excuse.
The waiter nodded, still smiling. “Of course. Please wait in the room up ahead. I’ll find her and get her to you as soon as I can.”
Ash wasn’t having it. She looked ready to throw the waiter over her shoulder. “I’m not waiting. I’m coming with you to find
her.”
“Of course. Please follow me. Don’t lose me,” the waiter said unexpectedly, surprising Ash.
She stayed close behind him, but the place was so confusing that, within minutes, he had disappeared entirely.
Ash frowned. Something felt off–today seemed like a setup. Getting out of here might be tougher than she thought.
Suddenly, she heard a woman screaming from a room diagonally across from her. “Ah! Don’t hit me! Please! Help!” Ash’s senses went on high alert. That voice–it sounded like the girl who had bumped into her earlier.
She tried to ignore the urge to intervene, but her instincts kicked in. Pushing open the door, she stepped inside, only to hear the click of the door locking behind her.
Inside, she saw a tape recorder on the table, and her heart sank. She had been tricked. Nothing good ever came from being too nice.
As she looked around, Ash noticed the room was filled with a thick mist. Covering her nose, she pressed on an acupuncture point on her body, trying to stay focused. The place seemed sealed off, but the mist flowed in one direction. There had to be an exit somewhere.
If there was an exit, it wasn’t a dead end.
Even though she had sealed her acupuncture points, her limbs felt weak for some reason, and a burning pain shot through
her arms.
Looking down, she realized her heart was racing. The weak girl earlier must’ve been one of the accomplices.
Ash let out a bitter smile. She always got hurt for being too soft–hearted. She’d need to remember to rein that in next time. Then, with a loud thud, Ash finally collapsed.
11:46 Sun, 23 Feb M
Chapter 110
