Chapter 119 Doll Up and Knock Them Dead
The next day, Ashley, having slept well through the night, finally felt rejuvenated.
She silenced her phone, which was now exploding with notifications from the group messages.
Quickly skimming through, she learned of today's team-building location and activities. She raised an eyebrow as she muttered, "A villa party?"
Didn't they talk about hiking last time?
Hannah had sent her several messages.
Hannah: [Boss, Lynn Smith needs to be put in her place!!! She's staging this whole thing just to satisfy her vanity, and we can't let her succeed! You've got to look stunning tonight and outshine her!]
Tonight's event was organized by Lynn, and she chose the villa as the venue. When someone asked her if it was property owned by Deputy Director Stone's family, she didn't respond. So, everyone was heaping praises enthusiastically.
Someone: [Deputy Director Stone might not be in Rochester City, but he's so considerate of his girlfriend.]
Ashley was indifferent to this partner she'd never met, only knowing that his name was Hendrix Stone.
Ashley replied to Hannah: [How's the thesis coming along?]
Hannah shot back: [The first draft passed! The structure's quite sound, so I'm heading to the party too. I brought several outfits!]
The villa, located in the suburbs, had an elegant name—Enclave of Serenity.
The temperature of the environment in the suburbs was cooler than in the city. Ashley wrapped herself in a long beige trench coat and, upon arriving, saw the villa ablaze with lights, resembling an engagement ceremony instead of a party.
She really couldn't appreciate Lynn's taste.
"Ashley!" a voice called out.
As she ascended the steps, she bumped into Riley Monroe, a divorce attorney she rarely interacted with but who was rumored to be close with Lynn.
Riley was dressed to kill that day, wearing a strappy silk gown with straight hair flowing down. Dangling from her earlobes were delicate diamond earrings, and her clutch was studded with matching rhinestones, making her shimmer with light.
However, Ashley spotted immendiately that her Cartier bracelet was a fake. As for her other accessories, their authenticity was also dubious.
Ashley smiled faintly, "Can I help you?"
She had no interest in petty office politics and chose not to get involved unless it concerned her. If it was not related, she wouldn't bother explaining; those who are innocent are clean, and those using more words are pointless.
But her silence didn't mean she was unaware.
Riley, being Lynn's "bestie," engaging her in conversation could almost certainly be seen as a case of being up to no good instead of being sincere.
"You’re the star tonight," Riley said, "I heard this party is meant to award you. Didn't you score a huge win for us against KM Road, pocketing 60 thousand dollars? That's the biggest income for our law firm to date."
Her words could almost pass for a compliment if it weren't for the sour tone that grated on Ashley's ears. She responded graciously, "Well, I owe it all to Ms. Smith for orchestrating such a grand celebration. I'm quite overwhelmed by the honor."
Riley, shorter than Ashley, even in her heels that hardly reached Ashley's earlobe, craned her neck to admire Ashley's profile. "You're a true scholar, having done your advanced studies abroad. Would you mentor me sometime?" she asked.
"It's all about learning and growing through every lawsuit. We're peers here. Ms. Smith is quite skilled too, especially with all those divorce cases you handle," Ashley said supportively.
"Yeah, Lynn's amazing!" Riley agreed.
As their chatter drifted to less significant topics, Riley, thinking she had ingratiated herself with Ashley, leaned in, her eyes gleaming with gossip. "So, are you dating someone, Ashley? We've all seen the roses—gorgeous! Are they from your boyfriend?"
There it was. The real question was masked under false casualness.
As Ashley stepped into the venue, the thumping beat of the DJ filled the room. Her usually corporate-clad colleagues were unrecognizable, dressed to the nines in vibrant outfits, far removed from their typical buttoned-up attire.
"I have a subscription for them, a new bouquet every week. Want the florist's details, Ms. Monroe?" Ashely offered, mockingly.
Riley had hoped for juicy gossip but walked away with a simple retail tip. "Ha, I get it now!" she scoffed.
Ashley nodded and smiled, and then out of the corner of her eye, she saw Riley exchange glances with Lynn. After years abroad, Ashley had learned to change her way of thinking, knowing the destructive rivalry among women quite well, preferring not to engage in backbiting.
Hannah called out, "Ashley!" A gust of energy embraced Hannah, her eyes twinkling with delight.
The young woman wore a little black Versace dress, a red Van Cleef & Arpels necklace, and matching earrings and adorned her wrist with a Chopard sapphire watch. Elegance in simplicity.
"Looking fabulous. Did you do your makeup yourself?" Ashley admired the trendy, translucent glow.
Hannah giggled, sticking out her tongue. "I wish! I had a stylist help me out. I've got to keep up, being mentored by you, right?" she said, playfully.
If looks were the criteria for mentorships, Ashley mused, Hannah would be the top pick.
Ashley ruffled her apprentice's hair. "Is all the pomp just to outshine them?" she teased.
"You didn't know? There's a wider crowd tonight—clients, associates. Beckett Remington and Hendrix Stone are back. I am so proud to be by your side. Look at you!" Hannah praised.
Ashley grinned, "Now it all makes sense!"
It seemed that tonight's party was mostly a show for the three directors, particularly for her boyfriend, Hendrix Stone.
The party was still getting started, and Harold, busy as a bee, was breezing through the crowd, all smiles and handshakes. It took him a while to reach Ashley, who was still wrapped up in her trench coat, looking oddly out of place among the guests. He frowned, "Ashley, why are you wearing like this?"
"I'm cold, and besides, it hasn't even started yet," Ashley replied.
"Nah, your biggest issue," Harold tapped the tip of her nose, "is that you're not exactly a sweet-talker. Look at Lynn. She knows how to play the game. I once asked Hendrix what attracted him to her, and he said, 'She's observant and always says the right things.'"
With that, he waved at Lynn, who was mingling with the ease of a social butterfly.
‘I used to know how to charm people,’ Ashley thought, ‘but I felt like a battery drained of its last charge, leaving nothing but a cold, hard shell.’
Ashley said, "I can't learn Lynn's ways; I'm just not like that."
Harold continued, "Being aloof is a rare quality, but one needs to fit in with society's criteria, you know?"
Seeing Harold's almost combative expression, Ashley laughed, "Worried I'll embarrass them? I just don't enjoy flattery. That doesn't make me a fool."
Harold rubbed his temples. If Ashley could network as well as manage her business, she'd be unstoppable, but then again, she wouldn't be herself. "Just... you know what I mean."
Ashley couldn't help but laugh out loud, "All right, I'll go mingle and make sure not to bore anyone to death."
Hendrix Stone had come straight from the airport, dapper in his crisp suit, standing over six feet tall; he drew the gaze of many women upon entering.
"Deputy Director is back!!" someone squealed with awe and admiration.
Holding her cup of water, Ashley turned to look, nearly fumbling it in surprise.
Was the world... just too small?
