Chapter 318: Chapter 318: Stay Away from Them
The manager was eloquent, saying that a few important old clients had arrived and they specifically wanted seats in the front row on this side.
So he had no choice but to ask them to use a private dining room that had just been vacated upstairs.
As he spoke, the manager pointed to a few middle-aged men not far away who were not wearing traditional costumes.
Those men happened to look over at Ashley Shaw’s group, their eyes scrutinizing.
Upon hearing that it wasn’t some kind of spending trap, the group finally agreed to go to the second-floor private dining room for their meal.
Leo Quincy didn’t say anything, but he had already guessed the general idea in his mind.
Although he wasn’t sure whose turf The Nocturne was on, in the whole of Westcroft, there were only one or two families that could turn a "restaurant" into such a grand scale.
It was either the Xavier Family or the Prescott Family.
Seeing that Ashley Shaw and Ariana Grant had already agreed, he didn’t say anything, just said, "Then let’s go to the second floor."
The manager breathed a sigh of relief inside, but his face remained an imperceptible smile.
"Then please, if you would, move upstairs. Please follow me."
The group all got up at the same time and exited their original seats under the puzzled gazes of the people around them.
Fortunately, most people were still seriously watching the performance, so their departure didn’t attract much attention.
When passing by the men in suits, the men smiled and nodded slightly at them.
Ashley Shaw and the others returned the smile.
But Ashley Shaw felt that the expressions of those men were not of gratitude, but more like... curiosity?
She faintly felt something was amiss.
But since they had already agreed with the manager, it wasn’t good to back out now, so they went upstairs with some apprehension.
Upon entering the private room, Ariana Grant exclaimed.
"From here, the performance really looks better! What’s up with those people, choosing to sit downstairs instead of up here?"
The private room had three walls of windows, made of special material, allowing them to see outside clearly, while those outside couldn’t see in.
And no matter where you sat, you could clearly see the performance downstairs, like watching TV.
Shane Coleman had already pulled out a chair to sit down and said, "It’s probably because they’ve had gourmet food all their lives and occasionally want to try something simple. What do you say, Owen?"
Owen Sinclair shrugged.
"Makes no difference to me."
Shane Coleman spread his hands and said, "See! I knew you had been upstairs before."
Owen Sinclair tugged at his lips and handed the menu to Ashley Shaw, "What would you like to eat?"
Shane Coleman rolled his eyes in his mind.
Alright, eyes only on the daughter, huh?
Hadn’t even confirmed anything yet, and already pampering, not afraid of Ashley Shaw misunderstanding.
If Ashley Shaw perceived Owen Sinclair as a strange uncle, it couldn’t be blamed on him. He had given him eye signals several times, yet Owen Sinclair hadn’t even glanced his way.
Across from them, Ashley Shaw handed back the menu.
"You guys decide, I’m not good at choosing dishes."
"Alright, what kind of flavors do you like?" Owen Sinclair asked softly.
Ashley Shaw said, "I’m not picky with food, except I’m not very keen on seafood. You guys just order what you like, don’t worry about me."
"Okay."
Owen Sinclair nodded, but when the dishes were ordered, there were only a few seafood dishes.
A seafood pot and some sashimi.
After the orders were placed, the manager said, "Please wait a moment. I’ll ask the kitchen to prepare the dishes as soon as possible," and then left with the menu.
Ashley Shaw was about to continue watching the performance when Leo Quincy called her out to talk.
"I have something to ask you."
Ashley Shaw nodded and followed Leo Quincy out.
The hallway was carpeted with soft material, so there was no sound when you walked, and the surroundings were extra quiet.
Logically speaking, the second-floor private rooms should all be booked out.
But it seemed that only they and the room next to them were occupied.
Ashley Shaw found it a bit strange.
At that moment, Leo Quincy led her to an empty private room, and once the door was closed, he got straight to the point, "Ashley, how do you know Owen Sinclair?"
Ashley Shaw didn’t want to say it was because she had helped Owen Sinclair catch someone who had cheated on him, so she said, "When I was helping Ariana find a lawyer, it happened that Uncle Owen also asked Attorney Coleman to handle a lawsuit. So, after a few encounters, we got acquainted."
"So, this is your first private meeting?"
Ashley Shaw nodded, puzzled, "Leo, why are you asking all of a sudden?"
Leo Quincy was silent for a second, then said, "I find Owen Sinclair’s attitude towards you a bit strange."
"Strange?"
"Yes. I’ve seen him at some wine parties before, and I’ve never seen him be so attentive to any girl. He usually keeps his distance from the opposite sex."
Hearing this, Ashley Shaw finally understood what Leo Quincy meant.
"You think Uncle Owen... has feelings for me?"
"From a man’s perspective, yes."
Man...
Ashley Shaw suddenly recalled what Warren Prescott had told her about Leo Quincy.
She felt a bit awkward and couldn’t look at him as naturally as before.
Ashley Shaw gave a dry cough and said, "Leo, you misunderstood. Uncle Owen and I are just ordinary friends, and given our age difference, Uncle Owen wouldn’t have feelings for a kid like me."
When saying "kid," Ashley Shaw felt a little guilty.
But even in her past life, to Owen Sinclair, she was just a child.
"So, there’s no need for you to worry about these things. We don’t usually keep in touch. Today, it was because he originally had dinner plans with Attorney Coleman, then I intercepted Attorney Coleman, and he invited him to join us for dinner."
Leo Quincy couldn’t help but doubt his intuition.
According to what Ashley said, Owen Sinclair didn’t seem to have any issues.
But why did he still feel something was off about Owen Sinclair?
And the same went for Attorney Coleman.
Who kept casting him strange glances every now and then.
After thinking for a few seconds, Leo Quincy said, "I know some lawyer friends, and a few are quite authoritative. How about I introduce them to you..."
Ashley Shaw quickly waved her hand.
"No need, it’s unnecessary. It’s just a small case, overkill to use an expert."
Not that Shane Coleman isn’t impressive.
It was just that at the time, she had no money and had to make this "deal" with Shane Coleman due to the circumstances.
Leo Quincy looked at her seriously.
"Your matters are my matters; there’s no small matter when it comes to you."
Ashley Shaw waved her hand again, "Really, no need, besides the trial is about to start, and changing attorneys now wouldn’t be good, and I couldn’t justify it to Attorney Coleman. We’re friends now, and he’s quite reliable, so let’s not switch lawyers."
Seeing that Ashley Shaw was insistent, Leo Quincy had no choice but to nod.
"In any case, just be a bit cautious around those two, and don’t meet either of them alone."
Ashley Shaw didn’t understand why Leo Quincy was so wary of Shane Coleman and Owen Sinclair. Still, knowing he had her safety in mind, she smiled and nodded, "Alright, I won’t meet them privately."
Seeing her agree, Leo Quincy felt a bit relieved.
"Okay, let’s go back."
"You go ahead, I’ll return after a trip to the bathroom," Ashley Shaw said.
She had been holding it in downstairs because there were too many people at the banquet, and she was worried that standing up would block others’ view of the performance.
Now that she was on the second floor, she didn’t have to worry about that.
"Alright," Leo Quincy nodded and returned to the private room first.
Meanwhile, elsewhere...