Chapter 474 Nine Creeks Garden
Low laughter came from inside the car.
And whispers.
"Ashley is really something, she even managed to leave Ms. Lee speechless."
"Ms. Astor usually seems so kind and gentle, though she doesn't talk much, she's never targeted anyone. I think Ms. Lee went a bit too far today."
"Come on, Ms. Lee is worried about her position being replaced. The department is reassigning positions early next month, and Ms. Lee has a good chance of getting promoted. But didn't you notice, Ashley seems like Mr. Hearst's chosen replacement?"
"Really? I hadn't thought of that. So Ms. Astor might end up being Ms. Lee's boss?"
Emma bit her lip and glared angrily. She had never been so humiliated in her career and was furious enough to want to tear Ashley's mouth apart.
A hand gently patted her arm, signaling her to stay calm.
Emma received the signal and forced herself to suppress her anger.
If she lost her temper and argued with Ashley on the spot, wouldn't she be falling right into her trap?
Yes, she needed to stay calm and plan her revenge slowly!
"Just a joke to lighten the mood, and Ms. Astor took it seriously? Lacks a sense of humor!" Emma reluctantly made an excuse for herself.
The others didn't want to ruin the outing, so they chimed in with a few words of comfort, and the matter was settled.
Ashley didn't care, but Cheryl muttered under her breath, "Calling it a joke? It was a personal attack, what kind of joke is that?"
After the incident in Eirondia, Cheryl had come to greatly respect Ashley's character and abilities.
On the road, Emma glanced at the man sitting next to her and rolled her eyes, "Thanks for the reminder, but I can't let this go."
Next to her was Daniel Rivera, in charge of intellectual property. At thirty, he had a master's degree from the Law and Politics University and had achieved impressive results at a young age, making him highly valued by KM Group. However, he had a shadow in his heart. When KM's patent was stolen, KM Group had appointed him to form a team to handle the lawsuit, but then he was suddenly notified that the case would be handled by an external law firm.
It was a sure-win case, with all the evidence and witnesses in place, and it was against someone like Sean. Winning the case would have been a double victory, greatly enhancing his reputation.
He later found out that the person handling the case was a newcomer from overseas, and a woman at that.
He had discussed it with Dante, questioning why Mr. Hearst had chosen such a person. Dante Moretti's answer was ambiguous, saying it was the leadership's decision and that he should just follow orders.
He didn't dare to argue openly but was secretly determined to prove himself.
Recently, Ashley had been frequently visiting the legal department, clearly his rival!
And his secret crush on Emma was well-known.
Today's incident made him want to get involved both professionally and personally, but he was more thoughtful than Emma and wouldn't show his hatred and opposition openly.
With a slight smile, Daniel patiently explained, "Even if you hate her, you need to stay calm. Otherwise, you'll give people something to talk about. Ashley has a special relationship with Mr. Hearst. If Mr. Hearst protects her, no one can touch her. If you want to get back at her, either do it secretly or make her lose Mr. Hearst's trust completely. Mr. Hearst is a serious person; he doesn't need others to intervene, he'll handle it himself."
Emma's impression of Daniel was neither good nor bad. She knew about his feelings for her but mostly ignored them. She didn't think much of him.
Having met Damian, she had experienced what it meant to be truly impressive in appearance, demeanor, and strategy. Other men were hard to impress her anymore. Even if she couldn't find someone like Mr. Hearst, she wanted someone in that direction. Compared to Damian, Daniel was...
Forget it, they weren't even in the same league.
But in her anger, hearing a supportive voice made her feel different. Her gaze wasn't as cold as usual, "You're right, I was impulsive. But I can't stand it. She's just an outsider! Why is she bossing around in the legal department? And Mr. Moretti and the others are so polite to her. It's just because she can charm men!"
Hearing her tone, Daniel knew they were on the same side. He glanced at Dante resting in the front row, "Mr. Moretti is Mr. Hearst's personal lawyer, his words carry weight. If he sees what kind of person Ashley is and says something to Mr. Hearst, it could at least change Mr. Hearst's attitude."
Emma was intrigued, "What do you have in mind?"
Daniel smiled, "Nothing special..."
"There's nothing you can't say now, just tell me."
Seeing her insistence, Daniel hesitated, "There is a way, but it's not very honorable."
"To deal with a woman who seduces men, there's no need to be too considerate."
Daniel glanced at the back seat where Ashley was resting, her delicate face without makeup still easily catching everyone's attention, "Ashley charms Mr. Hearst with her looks and figure. If her face had some flaws, would Mr. Hearst still look at her?"
"You want me to ruin her face? Are you crazy? We're all lawyers, that's illegal. Do you want me to go to jail?!"
If it weren't for the setting, Emma would have shouted. How could he say such things? Was he looking for trouble?
"Not to the extent of a crime, just a small punishment. Women often have allergies, acne, or skin issues, right?" Daniel smiled.
Emma's lips twitched, and they exchanged a look, reaching an agreement, "Let's rest for a while, we're almost there."
Nine Creeks Garden was a private garden built by KM Group, featuring flowers, hotels, rock climbing, hot air balloons, oxygen bars, horse farms, and more, covering over ten thousand acres.
The group got off the car, exclaiming in amazement and rushing inside excitedly.
"Oh my God! I can't believe Rochester City has such a beautiful place, it's just as good as Amber District!"
A female colleague saw a large field of sunflowers, screamed, dropped her suitcase, and ran over, shouting, completely abandoning her cautious lawyer image.
"Wait, is that a vineyard over there?"
A middle-aged male lawyer remarked, "Yes, I heard the Hearst family has their own wine production base. That's the winery, with grapevines imported from Eurostan. It took many years to find varieties that adapt to Rochester City's climate, and the cost is astronomical! But the Hearst family never sells their wine. The little they produce each year isn't even enough for their own events. If you could attend one of their private parties and taste a sip of their top-grade wine, it wouldn't be a wasted life."
"Really??? No wonder they're a top-tier family, so extravagant. I love it!!" The female colleague was infinitely envious.
"That's not all. The Hearst family also has their own orchards and farms. Everything they eat is pure and organic. We ordinary people can only dream of it."
"I wish I could marry Mr. Hearst. No, no, even being his lover would be enough."
Among the twenty or so people present, only Ashley remained calm. She carried a backpack, raised her hand to shield her eyes from the harsh summer sun, and looked at the endless estate. To her, it felt more like a nightmare.
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