Chapter 456
Meriu
Not long after Ashley started working that morning, she received a formal offer from the Al journal. Shortly after, Tim stopped by to discuss work with her. He wasn’t surprised to hear about it. After all, Ashley’s paper was endorsed by Professor Burke.
When they’re done with the work, Ashley checked the time.“Lunch?”
Tim rubbed his temples, as if he were having a headache.“I have a date.”
Seeing his apparent unease, Ashley tilted her head. “Huh?”
Tim sighed.“…A blind date. My grandfather arranged it.”
Ashley chuckled. “You’re 28 and this is your
Tim didn’t know what to say.
first blind date. You’re
lucky enough.”
Actually, his family wasn’t exactly pressuring him. It was just that the girl was the daughter of his grandfather’s close friend. His success got her family interested in him, so they proposed the blind date. His grandfather couldn’t refuse.
Ashley said, “Go ahead. I’ll grab something from the cafeteria.”
“Okay.”
Half an hour later, Tim arrived at the restaurant – a trendy, romantic spot perfect for couples. He’d barely settled in when his date arrived.
Just as she sat down, Ethan and his date entered. Ethan immediately spotted Tim, though Tim didn’t notice him. Ethan raised an eyebrow and steered his date to a table behind Tim. Tim’s voice wasn’t loud, but Ethan was close enough to overhear. He was sure Tim was having a blind date.
Ethan’s date was about to speak, but Ethan held up a finger to silence her. He was too excited to miss this. He stealthily snapped a picture of Tim and his date and sent it to the group chat with Chase, Zark, and Tanya.
“Guess what’s happening? Hint: It’s a restaurant for couples.”
Zark had just finished up work and was about to grab lunch when he saw the message. Ethan’s hint was obvious- Tim was on a blind date. He read the message but didn’t reply. Tanya and Chase were also silent. Ethan was so eager to talk about this that he grew impatient.“Hello? Guys? It’s lunchtime! What are you doing?” Zark still didn’t respond. Then, Tanya replied. “Saw it.”
Ethan was thrilled. “Smart girl, you must know what’s going on!”
Like Zark, Tanya knew what Tim was doing upon seeing the photo. She smiled and asked, “Blind date?”
“Exactly!”
Ethan’s reply made Tanya smile, but she didn’t respond further. Though Tanya didn’t come to Emily’s birthday party the other day, she’d heard that Tim’s mother was very satisfied with Ashley and would gladly host their wedding whenever they were ready. When Tanya heard it, she thought it was crazy. She figured Tim’s mother simply didn’t know Ashley well enough. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have said that at Emily’s party. In other words, Mrs. Reed probably didn’t know about Ashley’s marriage to Chase. Once she learned about Ashley’s past, she’d never allow Ashley to be with Tim.
Seeing Chase and Zark still silent, Ethan tagged them both. But it didn’t work. Ethan asked Tanya, “Chase’s not with you?”
Tanya replied, “Nope. He’s on a business trip. He left early this morning.”
“Okay.”
The next second, Chase showed up in the
chat. group
He replied
to
Ethan, “Got
it.”
15:29
