Chapter 329 The Grand Proposal
Damian's Rolls-Royce totally outclassed her everyday ride, but it shouldn't have left her in the dust that fast, right?
Ashley wasn't trying to catch up with him. When his car finally vanished from view, her head felt a lot clearer.
She thought, 'That call Damian got seems pretty rough; it must've been something that really get to him. What could it be? The Quantum Innovations Tech case?'
Hendrix roped her into this mess, and she didn't back out because, from a professional angle, she saw no problem standing up for the victims. All the evidence pointed to shoddy home installations by Quantum Innovations Tech. The victims were stuck in hospitals with cancer, and everything pointed to Quantum Innovations Tech being at fault.
She hadn't brought this up to Damian, hoping that, given his position, he wouldn't get personally involved. She also hoped Damian could see the subsidiary's screw-ups for what they were, own up to them, and make things right for the victims.
If they could settle this out of court, it would be a win-win. Otherwise...
The thought of going head-to-head with Damian over this gave Ashley a headache.
As night fell over Rochester City, the lights were dazzling. Driving through the bustling main street, pedestrians crowded both sides. Stopping at a red light, Ashley noticed a proposal video playing on the LED screen in the square.
The biggest shopping center in Rochester City had an outdoor screen usually rented out by major brands for holiday ads. Occasionally, someone would rent a slot for promotions, but such a grand proposal was a first.
The video showed the girl's life through pictures and videos, from her baby days to her graceful maturity. Then came intimate photos of the couple dating and their beautiful daily lives.
It was clear the guy had put a lot of effort into it, and the girl looked stunning in the shots.
Ashley glanced at her ring finger, where an expensive wedding ring once sat, but now even its shadow was gone.
She and Damian had never had such deeply romantic and touching moments.
Three years after the divorce, seeing other people's happiness, she still thought of Damian.
The car behind her honked, snapping Ashley back to reality. She quickly left the intersection, and the traffic dispersed the pink dream she had woven in her mind.
Three days later, Ashley saw a news report that Benjamin had been taken to the police station with an arrest warrant for colluding with Alexander to seek illegal profits.
In the video, Benjamin's face was pixelated, his hands cuffed, and he was escorted into a police car by several officers.
This news blew up on social media.
Soon after, it came out that Clearwater Bay Club had a shady reputation, with suspected illegal activities. It was ordered to shut down that day, and passersby captured the enforcement scene, with some staff members appearing on camera.
These back-to-back events sparked heated discussions among millions of netizens.
Ashley immediately recognized the woman in the video with Alexander.
She had her head down, long hair covering half her face, hiding behind several other girls, looking very haggard.
What fate awaited her? Without Alexander's protection and away from Clearwater Bay Club, did she still have a future? If she was mixed up in illegal stuff, she probably shouldn't even dream of a normal life for the next ten years.
"Ashley?" Lost in thought, Ashley didn't notice when Hannah had come in. "Next time, remember to knock."
Hannah complained, "I did knock, almost broke my fingers. Ashley, what are you so wrapped up in?"
Ashley handed her the phone. "Clearwater Bay Club got busted, and the champagne girls have been unmasked. As a legal pro, what do you think?"
Hannah scoffed, "Champagne girls? More like women who'd do anything for cash! They're so young, and they choose to do sex work. Serves them right! I won't feel sorry for them!"
Ashley asked, "Don't you think they have real feelings?"
Hannah laughed, "Ashley, you're too kind. They only care about money. If those men didn't have cash or couldn't support them, they'd move on to the next one in a heartbeat. We studied cases like this in school. A guy supported a girl for three years, spending over 3 million dollars. When his company went bankrupt, and he sought her help, she kicked him out without a second thought and soon found another rich guy. The guy took her to court, and their fight was ugly."
Ashley had heard of such cases more than once, including men who tipped female streamers, hoping to develop offline relationships, only to end up in long legal battles.
Ashley said, "A few days of administrative detention and fines, and those without any background will be released soon. But the clients here are not ordinary people. If we dig deeper, I bet we'll find some interesting stuff."
Hannah's eyes lit up with gossip. "Who? Ashley, do you know?"
Ashley smiled, "You'd have to ask the champagne girls."
Hannah clasped her hands in admiration. "As expected of Ashley, so calm and collected, showing your deep expertise."
That afternoon, the police revealed that Clearwater Bay Club staff had named several customers, including some prominent businessmen and people from the entertainment industry.
Who was the boss behind Clearwater Bay Club? Were they directly investigated?
What about Blue Star Club? Could it continue to operate peacefully forever?
In places, she couldn't see what kind of services were hidden in that luxurious haven.
Shaking her head to clear her chaotic thoughts, Ashley assigned work to Hannah. "Compile the Quantum Innovations Tech documents and hand them over to me."
Hannah rubbed the goosebumps on her arms. "Ashley, ever since we took this case, I haven't even dared to jaywalk or go to the night market. I always feel like someone's out to get me. I even installed three cameras at my front door, and my parents think I've gone crazy."
"If anything happens, Mr. Long will handle it. What are you afraid of? Just do your job." As she spoke, Ashley's phone rang.
She had left her phone with Hannah to show her the news, and the name "Mr. Hearst" popped up on the screen, clearly visible to Hannah.
"Oh my God!" Hannah jumped, clutching the documents and stepping back. "Ashley! Ashley! He must be calling to threaten you. Don't be scared!"
Ashley was speechless. She picked up the phone, but before she could answer, another number popped up on the screen, overlapping with the first.
This number was saved as Mr. Long.
Hannah covered her mouth, whispering through her fingers, "Ashley, I'll just step out..."
What an awkward situation! Was she even supposed to see this?
Neither call was disconnected, clashing and competing with each other.
Ashley rubbed her temples, and then Hendrix's call ended.
Before she could answer, a WhatsApp video call invitation popped up.
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