Chapter 396: Chapter 396: Are You Following Me?
Upon saying this, Ashley Shaw worried that Owen Sinclair might think she was unwilling to foot the bill and quickly added, "But we’d be happy to treat you. Is there any time in the future when we could invite you out for a meal?"
Owen Sinclair was pleased inwardly, but he said, "No way, if Shane Coleman finds out I let you two young ladies pay, he’d definitely lose it with me."
Ariana Grant couldn’t help asking, "Why are you so afraid of Attorney Coleman?"
Owen Sinclair wasn’t afraid of him at all; it was just that they had a good relationship.
But he pretended to be scared and said, "I’m still counting on him to be my legal advisor, of course I’m afraid of him."
"Legal advisor?"
"Yes, I’m planning to start an entertainment company, and I don’t trust other lawyers, so I hired him. In a while, he’s going to move his practice to Aethelgard."
Ariana Grant was immediately delighted.
"Then we can all gather again, right?"
Owen Sinclair said, "Then we’ll have him treat us to dinner. Thanks to you, Ashley, his reputation is huge now, and he’s raking in the cash."
Ashley Shaw smiled and chimed in, "Then we must really make him treat us well."
Just as they were discussing how to make Shane Coleman treat them, the car pulled into a super five-star hotel.
This hotel happened to be across the street from the hotel Ashley was staying at. Although it was just one street over, the room rates were ten times higher.
Both of them thought they were going to a more formal setting, but unexpectedly, they went to a hotel.
Even more unexpectedly, when they arrived at the hotel room, quite a few people were already present inside.
Two of them were holding cameras.
Owen Sinclair explained, "If we sign, these will be the promotional materials. Also, recording the whole process can avoid some unnecessary trouble."
Ariana Grant was aware of this.
Recently, a director had held auditions in a hotel room, and an actor, unhappy about not being chosen, spitefully complained to the media, accusing the director of misconduct.
Although the matter was eventually cleared up, the director suffered significant online harassment, leading to severe mental health issues.
His reputation was eventually restored, and the actor who slandered him was held legally responsible and was barred from the entertainment industry forever.
However, the psychological torment the director endured would take a long time to heal.
That’s why Owen Sinclair brought two reporters to film everything.
Not just him, but others in the business were doing the same.
Besides avoiding unnecessary problems, it also ensured fairness.
However, this made Ariana Grant feel uneasy.
She was particularly self-conscious about her appearance, and since this was her first time facing cameras, she just wanted to hide behind Ashley Shaw.
Seeing this, Ashley Shaw said to Owen Sinclair, "Uncle Owen, I’m taking Ariana to go downstairs to get something to eat and stop by the hotel to change clothes."
Owen Sinclair was busy coordinating with the reporters, but when he heard this, he immediately told his assistant, "Escort the two of them back to the hotel, and pick them up once they’re ready."
Ariana Grant felt very embarrassed and quickly said, "There’s no need to escort us, we can go by ourselves. Our hotel is right across the street."
The hotel was booked by the assistant, and since Owen Sinclair arrived at night yesterday, he didn’t notice. Hearing this, he looked out the window, surprised.
Indeed, it was the hotel he brought the two back from the airport.
He was slightly relieved and said, "Be careful crossing the street. I’ll be done here shortly."
"Okay."
Ariana Grant nodded, avoiding the cameras, and hurriedly pulled Ashley Shaw outside.
Once they were outside, Ariana Grant could breathe easier.
"How are you feeling? Better?" Ashley Shaw asked.
Ariana Grant awkwardly scratched her head, "Am I useless or what?"
"No way! I’m nervous too. It’s normal to be tense when facing two cameras for the first time."
In reality, Ashley Shaw wasn’t fazed at all.
After becoming Warren Prescott’s wife in her previous life, she faced cameras often and honed her composure gradually.
But she remembered a time when, facing cameras alongside Warren Prescott, she felt as anxious as Ariana, hardly daring to breathe deeply due to the crowd and numerous cameras.
Perhaps because she was too nervous that time, embarrassing Warren Prescott, he later rarely arranged for her to be in front of cameras.
This was both a relief and a form of humiliation for her.
So later, she almost rebelliously forced herself to relax, eventually becoming able to face cameras with ease.
Of course, she couldn’t share these thoughts with Ariana Grant, so she merely said she was nervous too.
Ariana Grant visibly felt much lighter.
If someone like Ashley was nervous too, then she didn’t feel awkward either.
The two were contemplating whether to go back to the hotel or wait in the lobby downstairs, when the elevator doors opened, revealing three familiar faces.
It was Noelle York and her two companions.
In that instant, Ashley Shaw and Noelle York both thought the same words: Narrow Escape.
However, Ashley Shaw kept it to herself, while Noelle York wore it on her face.
"What are you doing here?" Noelle York asked, her face cold, "Following me?"
Her two sidekicks didn’t wait for Ashley Shaw to respond before accusing them.
"Will you ever stop? It’s like you’re haunting us!"
"Exactly! We already gave you the dress, so why are you following us? We’ll call the police and have you arrested!"
Ashley Shaw instinctively frowned.
Before she could say anything, the quick-tongued Ariana Grant spoke up first.
"Who’s following you? Don’t make me laugh!"
The red-haired companion of Noelle York sneered, "If you’re not following us, then why are you here? A room in this hotel costs five to six thousand a night. Can you even afford that?"
It’s not surprising that Noelle York and her friends immediately pegged Ashley Shaw and Ariana Grant as poor; their clothes did look like they came from a street stall.
Ashley Shaw’s outfit was slightly better, but Ariana Grant’s canvas shoes were so worn that they had turned from red to white.
Of course, it wasn’t that Ariana Grant couldn’t afford new shoes; she just found old shoes more comfortable, so she kept wearing them.
"We don’t live here, but a friend of ours booked a room, so we came to visit."
"Your friend? Your friend couldn’t possibly afford a room here either, right?"
Upon hearing this, a knowing smile crossed Noelle York’s face, and she looked at Ashley Shaw with a suggestive gaze.
Clearly, Noelle was putting Ashley in a negative light.
Ashley Shaw coldly replied, "I’m not looking for a fight, but if you really think we’re following you, feel free to call the police. Go ahead and do it now. But I’ll say this upfront, once it’s proven we’re not following you, it won’t end here."
Noelle York frowned, "Are you threatening me?"
Having already been threatened once, she wouldn’t allow it a second time.
"I’m not threatening you; I’m just stating the facts."
With that, Ashley Shaw raised her phone in front of Noelle York.
"So, are you calling the police or not?"
Noelle York seemed caught in a dilemma, unable to decide if making a move would make her look foolish.