Chapter 362: Chapter 362: She Heard It
Ashley Shaw had just finished her meal. As she was checking her house one last time to ensure nothing was left unpacked, she noticed the Spectator Corp office badge she had accidentally brought home.
Each Spectator Corp badge contained a chip. At this time, no delivery apps were available like there would be in the future, so Ashley Shaw had no choice but to return it herself.
She intended to drop off the badge at the front desk, but unexpectedly, the receptionist had gone to lunch.
After waiting for over ten minutes, she decided to leave the badge in Warren Prescott’s office.
However, after swiping the badge to go up the elevator, she witnessed a surprising scene.
Warren Prescott... liked her?
Her mind went blank for a moment.
And Warren Prescott’s comment, "She is a thousand times, ten thousand times better than you," stirred tumultuous waves in her heart.
In this life, she hadn’t done anything; she even gave up pursuing Warren Prescott entirely.
But how did things evolve into this situation?
Could it be that Warren Prescott had some peculiar preference, only liking people who don’t like him back?
Yet Ashley Shaw was more inclined to believe that Warren Prescott was using her as a shield to get rid of the nuisance that was Rosalind Lynch.
But that made even less sense; Rosalind Lynch was his unforgettable muse. How could he treat his muse this way?
Not long ago, didn’t he help the Lynch Group through a crisis because of Rosalind Lynch?
Before she could figure out what was going on, Rosalind Lynch cried out loudly—
"Warren Prescott! You can’t treat me like this! I’ve liked you for so many years, even if you don’t like me, you can’t like Ashley Shaw! I’d lose to anyone but her! It’s not fair; this isn’t fair to me!"
As she shouted, she tried to grab Warren Prescott’s clothes.
Assistant Lowell wouldn’t give her the chance, stepping forward to block Rosalind Lynch, turning to say to Warren Prescott, "Mr. Prescott Jr., you should leave first!"
Warren Prescott made a sound of acknowledgment, not wanting to waste time entangling with Rosalind Lynch further. Just as he was about to turn and leave, he suddenly saw Ashley Shaw standing at the elevator entrance.
Their eyes met, and a fleeting embarrassment flashed in Ashley Shaw’s eyes.
Warren Prescott’s heart skipped a beat.
Why was she here?
When did she arrive?
He suddenly felt flustered inside, unsure if she had heard what Rosalind Lynch had said.
He was now conflicted, hoping she had heard yet also hoping she hadn’t.
Hoping she had heard, wanting to know what her reaction would be.
Hoping she hadn’t heard, afraid her reaction wouldn’t be what he desired.
But the second after their eyes met, seeing Ashley Shaw intentionally look away quickly, he knew she had heard.
His eyes were tightly glued to her, afraid to miss any expression on her face.
But aside from surprise and bewilderment, he couldn’t discern any joy on her face.
The heart that had been beating rapidly and warmly gradually returned to its original state, with even a hint of cold seeping in, like a chill blowing through.
At this moment, he could even empathize with Rosalind Lynch’s feelings.
But only for a moment, as Warren Prescott returned to his usual expressionless demeanor.
"Assistant Lowell, if you can’t even deal with a woman, there’s no need to follow me anymore."
Those words were harsh. Assistant Lowell couldn’t care less about Rosalind Lynch being a girl and directly called security to drag the frenzied Rosalind Lynch away.
Ashley Shaw had never seen Rosalind Lynch like this before.
In front of her, Rosalind Lynch had always been the proud and lofty princess, never this disheveled.
But sympathy was out of the question, though she was a bit surprised.
Moreover, the sight of Rosalind Lynch reminded her of her past self.
Losing oneself, loving someone so desperately and futilely, even the most beautiful and proud girl would become something hideous.
She would never let that happen again.
But just as she was lost in thought, Warren Prescott suddenly stood before her.
"What brings you here?"
He remained unfazed, as if unaffected by Rosalind Lynch’s words.
Seeing his reaction, Ashley Shaw knew her initial suspicion was correct.
He was indeed using her as a shield.
Though she didn’t know why he didn’t like Rosalind Lynch in this life, she was certain he didn’t like her either.
Understanding this, Ashley Shaw instead felt relieved.
If they didn’t care about each other, this vast city of Aethelgard meant they wouldn’t cross paths again.
Thinking about becoming two parallel lines that would never intersect in the future, Ashley Shaw felt a mix of emotions, making her smile even more sincere.
"I came to return something."
Ashley Shaw took the badge from her bag and handed it to Warren Prescott, explaining why she had come upstairs.
"I initially planned to leave it at the front desk, but the receptionist seemed to have gone for lunch, and I waited for quite a while, so I decided to bring it up."
She initially thought Warren Prescott might not even be in his office, so she could just leave it and go.
But she hadn’t expected to encounter the earlier incident.
Warren Prescott accepted the badge, reminded of his plan to ask Elder Prescott something today.
The ringing had stopped, and just like that, Elder Prescott called once and didn’t call again when there was no reply.
Apparently, this grandson was "picked up."
With Ashley right in front of him, he said, "You didn’t have to go out of your way; you could have had Mark pick it up," then very "naturally" asked, "When do you plan to go to Aethelgard?"
Ashley Shaw paused slightly, then replied, "In these next couple of days."
"Alright, let me know when you’ve booked your tickets. The Prescott Group has shares in Westcroft Airlines and can arrange a cabin upgrade for you and your friend for free."
"Okay." Ashley Shaw nodded without any visible change in expression and was about to leave when Warren Prescott explained, "Rosalind Lynch was here to try and hit me up for money."
"Hit up for money" was a particularly unkind phrase.
It was then that she realized Warren Prescott was harsh not just to her but equally so to others; if someone displeased him, he attacked indiscriminately.
With everyone treated "indiscriminately," Ashley Shaw no longer found Warren Prescott’s words particularly hurtful.
She merely listened as he continued, "The Lynch Group declared bankruptcy a few days ago. Gavin Lynch tried to sell their worthless core technology to Lars Prescott at a high price. Lars ignored him, so he turned to me."
Ashley Shaw was already accustomed to Warren Prescott calling Lars Prescott by name and was more curious about another matter.
"If they were trying to hoodwink you into buying their core technology, why was Rosalind Lynch so bruised?"
Her formerly beautiful face was covered in slap marks, one side obviously swollen, and the corner of her mouth was bruised.
Warren Prescott summed it up in three words, "Playing the victim."
Ashley Shaw understood.
"I see."
However, Ashley Shaw knew that while the physical injuries might be a ploy, the emotional wounds Rosalind Lynch suffered were real.
But seeing Rosalind Lynch like this, she didn’t feel any sense of victory; instead, it reminded her of her past self.
Her past self, equally battered by Warren Prescott’s cold words.
So she and Rosalind Lynch were the same; who was she to mock her?
Looking at Warren Prescott again, her eyes held a hint of coldness.
"I’ve returned the item. I’ll be going now."
She turned to leave, but Warren Prescott’s voice came from behind.
"Wait a moment."