Chapter 6

Ashley opened the door, got out of the car, turned, and walked back. The black Maybach stopped in situ for a few seconds and finally went the other way.

Leonard was in the car. He looked at her figure which was getting smaller and smaller in the rearview mirror and was annoyed.

He didn’t get it. Why was Ashley so stubborn this time? She had always been so obedient and gentle. He had already swallowed his pride and came to her, and yet she still wanted a divorce.

Yet he found that the priority was to go find Ava now. He would find some time to talk to Ashley.

Ashley went back for about 100 meters when she got a call from Hudson.

“Ashley, where are you?”

Hearing the anxiety in Hudson's voice, Ashley felt warm.

“I’m halfway up the mountain on my way back.”

“Where’s Mr. Anderson?”

There was no emotion in her eyes. She said calmly, “He’s gone.”

“It’s the middle of the night, and he just left you, a lady, halfway up the mountain? I’ll be right there! Give me five minutes!”

He hung up before giving her a chance to turn him down.

Ashley put away her phone and stood in situ, waiting for Hudson.

When Hudson arrived, Ashley was standing on the side of the road, kicking stones out of boredom.

Hearing the engine, she looked up and saw Hudson's car pull up in front of her.

He pushed the door open and got out. He was relieved to see that she was OK, and then he walked quickly to her side and opened the passenger door for her.

“Get in, Ashley.”

Seeing him so considerate, Ashley couldn’t help smiling and teased, “No wonder so many girls want to be your girlfriend. You are so gentlemanly.”

Hudson smiled, “What about you? Do you think I’m boyfriend material?”

Seeing his casual expression, she knew he was joking, so she nodded and said, “Of course. If you are someone’s boyfriend, you will be the perfect guy.”

His eyes flashed with disappointment, but he smiled and said, “It’s a pity that the person I like doesn’t like me.”

Ashley patted him on the shoulder and said, “What a coincidence. Same here.”

Hudson could not help but smile and shake his head. He said, “You’re so bad at comforting. I feel sadder.”

“Enough jokes. Let’s hurry back. I’ll start working tomorrow.”

Hudson raised his eyebrows. “Are you coming back to be my agent again?”

“I don’t think so. Besides, you have an agent already. Even if I do come back, I don’t get to have you as my artist.”

Hudson smiled and said nothing more.

By the time they got back to the villa, the coffee was cold, and she wasn’t in the mood for coffee anymore. She said good night to Hudson and went to her room.

The next morning, Ashley got up, washed up, and went downstairs. Seeing that Khloe had been waiting for her in the living room on the first floor, she hurried downstairs.

“Ms. Scott, would you consider giving me another day off?”

Khloe sneered, looking like a demoness who was about to eat Ashley alive. She threw a stack of papers straight into Ashley's arms.

“You’ve taken three years off already. And you’re telling me that you want another day off? Finish these papers on the way to the office. We’ve got a big battle ahead of us today!”

Ashley looked at the papers in her arms, feeling a bit speechless. Then she said, “Are you trying to wear me off on my first day of work?”

“You have no idea. In the three years you were away, those old bastards have been ruining LEY Corporation. They kept shoving their relatives into the company, who cared nothing but money and never worked. If you don’t come back, the company will collapse sooner or later!”

Ashley was rendered speechless.

On the way to work, Scott couldn’t help but gossip.

“By the way, when I went to see you this morning, I saw Hudson, the trending best actor at your place. You just divorced Leonard, and you’re already keeping an actor?”

Ashley turned her gaze from the papers to Scott and said seriously, “For one thing, Hudson and I are just friends. For another, Leonard and I are still married, so he’s not my ex-husband for now.”

Scott's eyes were filled with shock. “In other words, you’re already keeping an actor while being Leonard's wife still? How juicy!”

Ashley was speechless again. “Do you not understand my words? How did you manage to graduate?”

Scott raised her chin. “Of course, I do. I used to be first in my class.”

“Were you the only student in your class?”

Scott said, “Ashley, just shut up.”

Ashley said nothing more and looked down at the papers.

Shortly after, her phone suddenly rang.

Seeing that it was an unfamiliar number, she was confused.

The second she picked it up, she heard Leonard's furious voice.

“Ashley, unblock my number right now!”

Ashley hung up, turned her phone off, tossed it at Scott, and said, “Go get me a new card and cancel this one.”

Thinking back to how Ashley had mocked her earlier, Khloe said, deliberately sarcastically, “I’m not your secretary! Go get your secretary to run your errands!”

Ashley closed the files, raised her eyebrows, and said, “Alright. LEY Corporation is going down anyway. We might as well apply for bankruptcy.”

“No! I was wrong. I’ll get on it right, OK?”

Seeing how fawning Khloe was, Ashley couldn’t help but raise her eyebrows again. “I was just teasing you. Don’t take it seriously.”

This time, it was Khloe who was speechless.

Arriving at LEY Corporation, the first thing Ashley did was call a shareholder meeting.

An hour later, the normally swaggering shareholders walked out of the meeting room livid and angry.

Soon, only Khloe and Ashley were alone in the room.

Khloe gave Ashley a thumbs-up and said, admiring Ashley, “Ms. Walker, you are something! I was stunned to see you render those old bastards speechless. I’ve never seen them so battered.”

Ashley glanced at her calmly and said expressionlessly, “Sort out the name list of those being shoved into LEY Corporation by other shareholders. I want it now. And layoffs start tomorrow.”

Khloe's eyes flashed with shock. “So soon? You just gave them a hard time today, and they are still furious. If we make a move on their people right now, I’m afraid they’ll be even more upset.”

“If anyone has a problem, they can come to me in my office.”

With that, Ashley stood up and left. She now had a general idea of LEY Corporation’s problems. If those issues didn’t get resolved quickly, the company might go bankrupt within the next year.

Returning to the office after three years of absence, Ashley did not have much time to reminisce. She directly began to work.

Less than an hour, the news of the return of LEY Corporation’s founder spread in the entire business circle of Bridenville.

Yet Ashley had never shown her face to others before and was very mysterious to the outside world. Everyone was guessing that her coming back was to pull LEY Corporation back from the brink of bankruptcy.

Leonard was in the CEO’s office at the Anderson Group.

He was still trying to reach Ashley, but her phone was always off, and his patience was wearing off.

The second Noah walked into the office, he felt like he was in an ice cave, and he subconsciously trod softly.

“Mr. Anderson, our plan to acquire LEY Corporation may have to be shelved. I heard that LEY Corporation’s founder returned today.”

Leonard frowned and said somewhat absent-mindedly, “Stick to the acquisition plan. Add an extra 16 million dollars.”

“LEY Corporation’s founder established the company back then from scratch and stepped down without any warning. It’s everyone’s guess that the founder is back to save the company. If we are going to acquire, I’m afraid LEY Corporation isn’t the best option.”

Leonard looked indifferent and coldly said, “Continue the plan. If the money isn’t enough, add more. I don’t want to repeat myself again. Also, send someone to guard Hudson's villa and let me know once Ashley shows up.”

“Alright, Mr. Anderson.”

Noah noticed how irritated Leonard was, which made him feel weird. He figured that Leonard had feelings for Ava. If so, why wouldn’t Leonard divorce Ashley and marry Ava?

Yet it was Leonard's business, and he wasn’t in a place to interfere. He could only follow Leonard's orders.

“By the way, Mr. Anderson, Tear of Elf, the necklace you got at auction in Setherville has arrived. Do you want to give it to Ms. Walker yourself?”

Tear of Elf was a necklace decorated with thousands of diamonds with a blue teardrop-shaped stone as the main stone. It glistened in the light and was so beautiful that one could hardly look away.

When Leonard saw it at first glance, he figured that it matched Ashley perfectly, so he immediately auctioned off the necklace and intended to give it to her as a gift for their third anniversary. Then he put it behind him, because they quarreled.

He pressed his thin lips and looked indifferent. “Give it to me. I’ll give it to her myself.”

Noah dropped the necklace off at Leonard's office and left. Leonard picked up a document, but he could not focus at all. His mind was filled with Ashley's look who left so resolutely last night.

He closed the file irritably, confused by the sense of loss of control.

He was about to get up for some air when his phone rang.