Chapter 429 Disappointment and Confusion
Ashley considered for a moment before saying, "Alright."
As Atticus supported Ashley, preparing to leave, Ashley glanced back at Ava and caught her smirking with cold satisfaction. In that instant, Ashley found her smile unbearably grating.
Ava quickly composed herself, adopting a different expression. "Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Could I have your contact information? For future communication," Ashley asked.
Raising an eyebrow, Ava retrieved a pen and paper from her purse and wrote down a number. "Here's my phone number."
Ashley accepted the note. "Thank you for the money. I'll repay you when I can."
Ava's smile twitched slightly. "You'd better go now before it's too late."
"Let's go," Atticus prompted.
Ashley nodded and left with Atticus. Once they were some distance away, she said, "Atticus, there was something off about that woman's smile. I don't think she's genuine. Is she really my older sister?"
"She must be. You two look remarkably similar," Atticus replied.
Ashley's doubts lingered, but Atticus's comment about their resemblance eased her suspicions somewhat.
"Atticus, I don't think we should take everything she said at face value. We should investigate discreetly," Ashley suggested.
"How do you propose we do that?" asked Atticus.
Blushing with embarrassment, Ashley said, "I'd like to stay here a few days to look into this man's situation. This money is only enough to pay you back—not enough for a hotel room."
She shamefacedly handed Atticus the stack of cash Ava had given her.
Looking at the money, Atticus burst into laughter. "I'll take this for now. You can repay your debt when you're earning money again."
Ashley sighed with relief. "Thank you."
"No need for formalities. I'm not helping you for nothing. Come on, I'll take you to a hotel."
As they walked toward a hotel, a luxury car passed by them.
Inside the car, Ethan tilted his head slightly, noticing a man supporting a pregnant woman, both chatting amicably. For reasons he couldn't explain, when his gaze fell on the pregnant woman, his heart began racing uncontrollably, and he felt an inexplicable urge to rush toward her.
Something triggered him, causing a painful throbbing in his head and a ringing in his ears.
Ethan clutched his head, letting out a muffled groan.
"Ethan, what's wrong?" Garrett asked beside him.
"My head... it hurts," Ethan murmured in agony.
"Take your medication, quickly," Garrett urged.
After taking the medicine, Ethan's expression eased somewhat. Remembering the pregnant woman, he felt an inexplicable anxiety. "Turn around, hurry!"
He instinctively wanted to see the pregnant woman again.
Garrett and Doris exchanged confused glances. "What's going on?"
The car turned around and returned to where they had been. Ethan leapt from the vehicle, frantically searching for the pregnant woman, but despite circling the area several times, he couldn't find her.
In that moment, Ethan felt as though he'd lost something profoundly important, a pain so acute it made breathing difficult.
Garrett asked, puzzled. "Ethan, what are you looking for?"
Ethan shook his head with a bitter smile. "Nothing. Let's go."
Back in the car, Garrett said, "You should rest that headache. Get some proper sleep on the plane when we reach the airport."
Ethan closed his eyes, leaning back against the seat in pretend slumber.
The car drove away.
At that precise moment, Ashley and Atticus emerged from a hotel, passing the luxury vehicle once again.
"I've booked two rooms," Atticus said. "Where do you want to start your investigation?"
With a troubled expression, Ashley replied, "I don't know his name or profession. Should we go to an internet café and see if we can find information online?"
"Good idea. I'll take you there," Atticus offered.
They went to a nearby internet café.
Ashley opened a computer and ran facial recognition on Ethan's photo. Within moments, a wealth of information appeared.
Ethan, CEO of the Yates Group, 30 years old, married...
Atticus peered over curiously. "Wow, Ashley, your husband is a business tycoon? How could he be a con man?"
Ashley continued searching for information on Ethan, unaware that Garrett had scrubbed all references to Ethan and Ashley's past relationship from Aivalia's networks to facilitate Ethan's new life in Ferndale. She could only find basic facts.
Just as she was feeling disappointed, a forum post caught her attention: #Anonymous Whistleblower: Prominent Entrepreneur Embezzled Wife's Fortune, Four Lives Destroyed.
The content of the post matched Ava's story exactly, as if Ethan and Ashley were the protagonists.
"This post must be about your scumbag husband," Atticus remarked.
Ashley's heart sank. She closed the browser, shut her eyes in pain, and took a deep breath to compose herself.
Atticus patted her shoulder consolingly. "Don't cry now."
Sniffling, Ashley fought back tears. "Atticus, I've seen enough. After tonight, I'm leaving this place for good."
Atticus nodded. "Come back with me to Shell Island. You've got nowhere else to go anyway."
"Okay."
As they left, Ava watched their departing figures with a triumphant smile.
She handed a stack of bills to a hacker. "Thanks for your help. Here's your payment."
Anticipating Ashley's skepticism, Ava had followed them, and when she saw them enter the internet café, she realized they were searching for information. She had hired a hacker to ensure Ashley saw carefully crafted content that only she could access—all fabricated by Ava.
Now Ashley had no choice but to believe the lies.
Ava's lips curled into a cold, satisfied smile.
Ashley and Atticus returned to their hotel, their rooms adjacent. Atticus told Ashley to call him if she needed anything.
After showering, Ashley stepped onto the balcony and gazed at the blue sky and white clouds, her mood adrift in uncertainty.
An airplane passed overhead, and in that moment, something seemed to fly away from her heart, leaving an emptiness filled with profound sorrow and isolation.
Looking skyward, Ashley whispered, "Ethan, did you really want to kill us?"
Gazing at her swollen belly, she continued, "I'll have this baby and raise it myself. I'll never let our children go astray like you did. This is goodbye forever."
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
