A Love Trap novel Chapter 63

Ever since she was a kid, Ashley always wore the shiny jade pendant. As far as she could remember, she had the necklace with her even before she was adopted by the Mu family. It must be given to her by her own family. Although she didn't know what the jade pendant meant for, she instinctively believed that it must be very important to her.

When she first came to live with the Mu family, Lena who was two years younger, saw the jade pendant and cried for it. Ashley was a child then but despite her young age, she knew the importance of the jade pendant.

With all her meager strength, she protected the jade pendant and refused to give it to Lena. Taking Lena as the apple of their eyes, Spencer and Peggy shunned the idea off and thought it was just a jade pendant and was no big deal.

Helpless and vulnerable as she was, Ashley was only a kid at that time and couldn't win over Peggy in strength.

Thus when Peggy forcibly grabbed the pendant on her neck, Ashley could not fight back and had to let go of the pendant.

Thankfully, without expecting it, the pendant was returned to Ashley after a few days. However, because of the innocence of her youth, Ashley didn't know whether the jade pendant was fake or not during that time. Nevertheless, she had worn it for more than ten years.

Now that she was more matured and could weigh things rationally, she thought things over. How could Peggy be so kind as to return her something she had robbed out of her? How selfish the woman was.

"What the hell do you want me to do?" Enraged, Ashley scorned at Peggy and thought why the Mu family could be so harsh with her.

With her eyebrows raised a little, Peggy answered,"It's easy. You just need to do one thing."

"What would that be?" This time, Ashley stared at Peggy inquisitively sensing that something wrong was about to happen.

Seeing Ashley so shaken, Peggy was certain that she had won the bet this time.

Indeed, she had placed a bet, a very personal bet that Ashley had no idea of. Ever since she took the pendant away from Ashley when she was a child, Peggy had known that the jade pendant was important to Ashley. It must bear sentimental values for her. Making the jade pendant as a bait, Ashley for sure would accept her request. She wouldn't dare say no, lest she would lose a valuable piece that might be the key for her to know her real parents.

Peggy secured the jade pendant happily in her hand. "I have only one request. I just want you to get married, either to Leo or to anybody else. It doesn't matter who you will marry as long as you get married. I'll give you one week to do that."

Astounded at what she had heard, Ashley asked,"What? What if I can't make it in one week?"

With an air of a confident arrogance, Peggy waved the jade pendant in her hand,"If you can't, then you don't need to take the pendant back."

Seeing the jade pendant, Ashley was filled with hatred and wanted to curse her mother with all the toxic words she knew. However, Ashley being raised to be a respectful daughter just managed to sneer her frustrations. All her life, she really wanted to know why she was the object of the Mu family's hatred and why everyone in the family seemed to push her away.

From that moment when the Mu family had adopted her, she learned how to control herself and behave properly, and she hadn't brought any trouble to the family.

Despite all of these, there was Peggy who would always tell Ashley to do things for Lena's benefits. Worst was Lena, who seemed to dislike her innately, would grab away everything she owned whenever she fancied it.

Ashley could endure all that, but unexpectedly, they wanted her to get married in one week's time to secure Lena's marriage with Raymond.

Although she had made things clear with them that she didn't have any relationship with Raymond and swore that she would never contact him again. They still forced her in such an indecent way. Ashley was confused as to what they really wanted to happen.

"Hee!" Sarcastically, Ashley laughed with a scornful expression.

Peggy on the other hand, surprised by her reaction, raised her brows and asked,"Why are you laughing?"

"I am just afraid that someone can't keep promises."

Hearing what Ashley said, Peggy got cloudy,"When did I break my promise?"

Wanting to annoy her mother, even more, Ashley curled her lips and didn't answer.

"Don't play games with me, Ashley. What would you say then? Will you do it or not? It's just a simple request and then you can have your jade pendant back. Isn't it a good deal?"

Cutting her short, Ashley responded,"That jade pendant is mine." She was eyeing the pendant in Peggy's hand with a determined look.

Sensing that Ashley was eager to put up an argument, Peggy frowned and looked at Ashley. "The Mu family has raised you for so many years. We have treated you well even if you haven't done anything for the family. Now, how dare you raise your voice against me and even make a bargain for nothing but just a cheap jade pendant."

With a throbbing head and a confused mind, Ashley closed her eyes for a while and slowly said,"Alright, I agree. But I hope you would really live up to your words. If you can't keep your promise, I will make every effort to get the Mu family into trouble."

Determined to escape from her mother's presence, Ashley glanced at Peggy coldly and then took her stuff so she could leave.

A feeling of insult crept over Peggy, at the same time she couldn't understand why she was suddenly terrified by Ashley's stare.

An assumption formed on her mind that if she couldn't return the jade pendant to Ashley in due time, perhaps the little bitch would do something beyond her expectation.

Dazed by what had just happened, Peggy hadn't come to her senses until Ashley disappeared. The idea that she was alarmed by Ashley's stare just now, made her even vexed. Why was Ashley so arrogant? In fact, she was just an orphan adopted by the Mu family. 'What trouble could she make?' Peggy asked herself.

...

Meanwhile, inside Andrew's office in the Lu Group, Andrew sat straight in his office chair while examining a document in his hand. He was reading carefully and made many notes on it.

The neat handwriting portrayed that the writer was a calm and reserved person, resolute and well versed.

The serious atmosphere was disturbed by a loud knock on the heavily carved wooden door. The one knocking must have known that the person inside was busy and didn't need an interruption at the moment for the knock on the door was rhythmical.

"Come in," Without looking up, Andrew spoke without even moving his thin lips.

A serious looking man came in and greeted Andrew,"Mr. Lu." Johnny walked towards Andrew's desk with a lot of files held in his hands.

"Sir, I have found out what you asked me to investigate last time. We met Miss Mu at that place was because of Lena Mu..." Johnny didn't finish his sentence and doubted if he would continue or not. He thought that if the bad news came from him, he would be torn to pieces by his boss. Thus he deemed it wise to let the boss check it by himself.

Sensing that Johnny's report was unnecessary, Andrew didn't even lift his head or shift his eyes away from the document. He read the document on his hand and remained unaffected.

However, when he heard Ashley's name mentioned, Andrew put down what he was reading and hastily picked up the stuff Johnny placed on his desk, starting to read it.

Confused as to what made his boss so busy, Johnny looked at what Andrew had put aside. He knew Andrew could read ten lines with one glance. It was Johnny's first time to see that his boss was so immersed in reading something with great care.

However, the next moment, Johnny was astonished as he had seen something completely contrary to what he had expected.

At first, Johnny didn't dare to check the document, lest Andrew caught him and fired him out of his job. Accidentally, however, some pieces of paper went visible as a slight air from the window blew on them, on which some sentences were highlighted,"The Bossy President Has Fallen in Love with Me","How to Pursue a Beauty". What was more, there were many remarks and notes written on them.

Surprised at what he just saw, Johnny was amused to realize that it was the first time for his boss to do a job so carefully, but not for the business.

With his eyebrows creased in a furrow, Johnny looked away silently and thought the man sitting in his chair right now was not his boss.

As the president of the Lu Group and the decision-maker of the Lu family, Andrew's hands should be used to sign contracts worth millions of dollars, and his eyes were supposed to read contracts and business proposals.

When did he start to read romantic novels which were popular among young girls? Johnny was confused. ...

Not until Andrew looked at him coldly that Johnny stopped reading the document and looked away calmly as if nothing had happened. Struggling to stay calm as he appeared to be, Johnny went weak by the knees and was bothered by the cold sweats that were trickling down his face.

Without any idea of what was happening with Johnny, Andrew continued reading the files handed by Johnny. The more he read, the colder he looked.