Chapter 350: Chapter 350: Taking a Leap of Courage
Ashley Shaw couldn’t figure it out, so she decided not to go.
Anyway, once she reached Aethelgard, she would completely sever all ties with him.
She just didn’t know why, but there was a faint sense of guilt within her.
Clearly, the one who should feel guilty was Warren Prescott, yet she didn’t know what she herself was feeling guilty about.
Perhaps... it was because Warren Prescott had been so good to her these past two months, plus she was soft-hearted, so she felt guilty?
Ashley Shaw shook her head, trying to clear her mind of the chaotic thoughts. Just as she was about to return to the audience seat, her phone vibrated.
Picking up her phone, she saw a call from Xavier Quincy.
There was still some time before the court session resumed, so Ashley Shaw stopped in her tracks to answer the call.
"Hello, Leo."
"Do you have time tonight? I’d like to take you out for dinner."
After saying that, he added, "I’m about to start a new job, consider this as my farewell to you."
Ashley Shaw was surprised and quickly asked, "Where are you going?"
"I can’t give you specifics, I’ve signed a confidentiality agreement."
Ashley Shaw immediately stopped asking and agreed directly, "Okay."
She was also leaving tomorrow, and not only Xavier Quincy was saying goodbye to her, she also needed to bid him farewell.
"Alright, it’s settled then. I’ve reserved two seats, wanted to have a private chat with you."
Ashley Shaw still replied with, "Okay."
"Alright, I’ll send you the address and time later."
"Alright, send it to me on WeChat, see you tonight."
"See you tonight."
The call ended, and Ashley Shaw temporarily turned off her phone and put it back in her pocket.
Soon the court hearing resumed.
This time it ended in less than half an hour.
The final verdict was that the house belonged entirely to Justin Grant, but Justin Grant needed to pay Jade Coleman one hundred thousand yuan.
The reason was, the house was bought by Justin Grant, but some of the soft furnishings were paid for by Jade Coleman.
All those things added up to about a hundred thousand yuan in value.
Jade Coleman certainly refused to accept such a result and cried and screamed about filing an appeal.
But even a new appeal would be in vain, the conclusion was already determined.
Jade Coleman attempted to throw a fit, but was quickly taken away by the guards, so much so that she didn’t even have the chance to curse Ariana Grant.
After it ended, just as Ashley Shaw had initially predicted, Justin Grant gave the entire house to Ariana Grant.
To the side, Joyce Sutton said to Ariana Grant, "I don’t suggest you keep this house, otherwise when Jade Coleman gets out, she’ll definitely come to cause trouble. You won’t live in peace; it’s better to sell it."
Ariana Grant thought the same, so they immediately agreed, and Joyce Sutton was in charge of selling the house.
The money from the sale would be transferred to Ariana Grant’s account.
Upon saying that, Joyce Sutton added, "If you think it’s inconvenient for me to handle this, you can let your dad do it."
It’s just that Justin Grant knew few people, and if you wanted the house to be sold and turned into cash quickly, it might not be as fast with him.
But she didn’t say this, firstly because she was considerate of Justin Grant’s dignity as a man, and secondly, she didn’t want to interfere with Ariana Grant’s decision.
After all, they hadn’t officially registered as a couple, and she had no relation to Ariana Grant.
Who would have thought, just as she finished speaking, Ariana Grant would say, "No problem, leave it to you. Would someone with your vast resources and connections even bother with my little amount?"
Saying that, she winked at Joyce Sutton, showing her trust in her.
The smile on Joyce Sutton’s face deepened.
"Then fine, since you trust me, give me a week and I’ll sell the house for a good price."
"Yes, yes!"
With the matter settled, Justin Grant suggested going home to take a look. His belongings were moved out during the divorce, but since the house was being sold, he still wanted to visit.
Going to the old house, there would undoubtedly be many emotions, so Joyce Sutton volunteered not to go.
It just so happened that Ashley Shaw also had an appointment, so she said to Ariana Grant, "Then you go back with Uncle. I have an appointment with Leo for dinner tonight since he’s leaving Westcroft soon, I’ll see him off."
Ariana Grant saw that Ashley Shaw had plans too, so she didn’t insist and got into her dad’s car.
On the way, she couldn’t help but ask her dad how he met Joyce Sutton.
Justin Grant said, "She was my first love; we were college classmates."
Ariana Grant was taken aback.
Justin Grant, afraid of her misunderstanding, said, "Don’t overthink it. After we broke up, we didn’t have contact, and we only got back in touch after your mom and I divorced."
Justin Grant recounted the day they reconnected.
After the divorce, he was drowning his sorrows in a bar when he happened to run into Joyce Sutton, who had also just come to the bar to drink after her recent divorce.
Coincidentally, Joyce Sutton was being harassed by a middle-aged man at the time, and her bodyguard had stepped out to buy cigarettes, so wasn’t there.
It was Justin Grant who saw it and rushed over to help, and that’s how they reconnected.
They were each other’s first love, hadn’t seen each other for many years, and both were single, making it inevitable for feelings to rekindle.
After hearing this, Ariana Grant said two words: "Fate."
"Yes," Justin Grant said, "It really is fate. I’m glad you don’t resent Aunt Sutton, it makes me feel relieved."
"Aunt Sutton is a good person, and you two are fated, how could I become the villain in this?"
"She’s not entirely a good person, but she’s straightforward, says whatever is on her mind, and doesn’t hold back. I can see that she likes you very much. If you’re willing, once we’re married, you could call her Mom. I think she would be very pleased."
The term "Mom" was something Ariana Grant couldn’t say for now.
Seeing her remain silent, Justin Grant went back to the previous topic, "So, if you ever encounter your own fate in the future, make sure to seize it. Dad doesn’t want you to carry a shadow over marriage because of me and your mom. Not everyone’s marriage is as bad as ours was."
Ariana Grant nodded, "Yes, I know."
Unbidden, the image of Leon Zeller came to her mind.
By all accounts, Leon Zeller was a really, really good person, and she believed that if she missed out on him, she might never meet someone better in the future.
But she was also afraid, afraid that Leon Zeller might turn away the moment he saw her face.
Besides, if he turned away that would be fine, but if he directly mocked her, she feared she would crumble.
But what her dad said stirred up a sudden impulse within her.
Along with the impulse came courage.
She didn’t want to miss her fate as her dad said.
She wanted to be brave just this once!
Being brave meant that when her dad suggested they go for hotpot after checking the house, she declined, stating that she wanted to lose weight.
For dinner, she’d just munch on a cucumber and nothing else!
But that’s a story for later. After Ariana Grant, Shane Coleman, and the others left, just as she was about to hail a cab, she saw Warren Prescott coming out of the courthouse.
Earlier, when she came out and didn’t see Warren Prescott, she thought he had already left, but she hadn’t expected he was still inside?
Knowing that he wasn’t called over by Grandpa Prescott but had come specifically, she couldn’t pretend not to see him. Apologizing to the driver briefly, she turned and walked over to Warren Prescott.