Chapter 143: Chapter 143: Accepting Favors Brings Obligations
Ashley Shaw was caught in a dilemma.
If she gritted her teeth and bought it herself, her wallet would be instantly reduced by half.
She still needed to save some money just in case things didn’t go as planned with Ariana, and she might need this money for emergencies.
But if she let Warren Prescott pay, she had already rejected him, and she wasn’t thick-skinned enough to accept it.
Now she was both frustrated and annoyed, blaming Warren Prescott for choosing such an extravagant way of shopping.
Everything they picked up had a price tag in the millions.
She thought shopping with Warren Prescott would be a normal outing, where she could at least afford one or two things that she liked without causing financial stress.
Who knew she’d be brought to the brink of tears just to buy a single brooch?
Ashley Shaw’s heart was in turmoil.
But at this point, she had no choice but to grit her teeth and pay.
"Well, well, should I swipe my card?"
She steeled herself as she handed over her card, but in the next moment, her hand was pushed back by a large hand next to her.
"I’ll handle it, otherwise people might think I’m stingy. You can care about face all you want, but don’t tarnish my reputation." With that, Warren Prescott simply said, "Just put it on my account."
Ashley Shaw felt like crying again.
But this time, it was tears of joy.
Warren Prescott wasn’t actually that bad.
No wonder Ariana said a man looks the most handsome when he’s swiping his card or working hard, and she wasn’t wrong.
But Ashley Shaw still wanted to save face. After pausing for a moment, she said, "Wouldn’t that be embarrassing for me? How about I treat you to dinner next time?"
Warren Prescott didn’t stand on ceremony and nodded directly, "Sure, let’s grab dinner after we’re done shopping."
Ashley Shaw glanced at a standing clock in the distance. It was already past four, and she knew there wouldn’t be time to treat Warren Prescott to dinner.
So she said, "How about another day? I have other plans tonight."
Warren Prescott sneered, "If you don’t really mean it, don’t say it."
"I... It’s not that I don’t mean it, I really do have plans tonight."
However, Warren Prescott didn’t listen and directly told the staff, "Bring up a batch of clothes, formalwear."
"Yes."
The middle-aged man with the tablet responded, appearing oblivious to the undercurrent between Ashley Shaw and Warren Prescott, smiling and tapping away on the tablet, embodying the epitome of an employee who knows when to turn a deaf ear.
While they waited, Ashley Shaw leaned slightly closer to Warren Prescott and said, "I’m sorry, really, I have plans today. Can we do it tomorrow? I promise to treat you to dinner then."
Although she wasn’t keen on dining with Warren Prescott, it was 1.07 million after all.
"No need."
"But..."
"No buts. If you don’t have the skill for it, don’t take on the job. I don’t want you risking your life just to buy a brooch."
Ashley Shaw’s eyes widened.
So he had noticed her awkwardness earlier.
Luckily, Warren Prescott spoke quietly, so no one around heard.
Even so, Ashley Shaw blushed red with embarrassment, wishing she could find a hole to crawl into.
She tried to keep a straight face, determined not to react to anything Warren Prescott said.
At least she saved that 1.07 million.
Soon, there were footsteps coming from outside.
Ashley Shaw thought the process would be like earlier when she was selecting accessories, where a group of people would carry in clothing. But to her surprise, it was even more surreal.
An entire line of male models, dressed in formal attire, walked in neatly.
And each one’s height and build were identical to Leo.
If their faces were covered, Ashley Shaw would have thought Leo himself had returned.
The rich... truly infuriating!
Warren Prescott’s gaze swept over the male models and finally landed on her.
"You pick an outfit."
"Huh? Me?"
"I don’t have the best taste."
Ashley Shaw nodded, thinking to herself: Indeed.
Liking someone like Rosalind Lynch, how good could his taste be?
"I’ll give it a try, although my taste isn’t great either."
She spoke with a double meaning, eyeing the row of male models.
Initially, she felt a bit embarrassed, as if she were treating them like merchandise.
But later, when she looked up their salaries, she suddenly felt sympathy for herself.
Giving away a month’s worth of cakes only equaled a male model’s compensation for one fitting.
Who was looking down on whom?
The answer was obvious.
But that’s a story for another time.
Eventually, Ashley Shaw settled her eyes on the male model on the far right.
"I think this one’s good."
The suits on the male models were like works of art, each one looked incredibly expensive.
But the one on the far right had the most sophisticated cut, with a collar design that was both classic and grand, with smooth lines that highlighted the wearer’s maturity and stability.
She fell in love with it at first sight.
Warren Prescott gave a nod and said, "Then it’s this one."
"Yes," the middle-aged man waved his hand, signaling the male models to leave.
Very soon, the suit Ashley Shaw chose was packed, pressed, and delivered back.
When Warren Prescott swiped his card, Ashley Shaw glanced at it, and the numbers almost made her pass out.
Another suit, another house price.
For the wealthy, is money really just a number?
She regretted not fully exploiting her title as Mrs. Prescott in a past life to enjoy a life of luxury.
Unfortunately, she had only lived through hard days as a housewife and died without experiencing any good times.
Whoever wanted to be Mrs. Prescott next could have it without a word of complaint.
"Is there nothing else to buy?" Warren Prescott looked at her and asked.
Ashley Shaw quickly withdrew her gaze from the bill and shook her head, saying, "Nothing else."
Buy more, and her life would really be over.
"Alright, let’s go then."
Ashley Shaw quickly reached for the brooch on the floor, but Assistant Lowell was quicker, snatching it first.
"Miss Shaw, I’ll take it," Assistant Lowell offered with a smile.
Ashley returned a polite refusal with a smile, "It’s alright, I’ll take it myself. This way, you guys can head to the garage, and I can catch a cab from the front entrance directly. No need for you to make an extra trip to drop me off."
Upon hearing this, Warren Prescott stopped in his tracks and turned to look at her.
"It’s not even six-thirty yet. Why are you in such a hurry to leave?"
Ashley paused for a second, replying with a question, "Aren’t we done shopping?"
"There’s one more place to go, follow along, you won’t be late," Warren said, before walking away.
Assistant Lowell took the gift bag from her hands and gestured for her to follow.
"Let’s go, Miss Shaw."
The camaraderie in Assistant Lowell’s "let’s" made Ashley feel a newfound closeness, so she asked quietly, "Where else are we going?"
Assistant Lowell mouthed four words.
"The Queen’s Bar."
Ashley Shaw’s expression froze slightly. She wanted to ask what they were doing at a bar for so long, but then she saw Warren Prescott slowly turn his head to look at them with a blank expression.
She quickly fell silent and hurried to catch up.
How odd, why was she suddenly feeling scared of Warren Prescott?
Is this the so-called feeling of indebtedness?
Never mind, it’s 1.07 million, being in debt for a little while is to be expected.
That’s how Ashley Shaw comforted herself.