Chapter 393: Chapter 393: What If I Refuse?
Ashley Shaw and Ariana Grant’s expressions changed immediately.
Goodness, there are oddballs every year, but today there seem to be more.
It’s one thing to have weird sales clerks, but to have three more come over.
Ashley suspected she hadn’t consulted the almanac today; it must’ve told them not to go out today to avoid encountering oddballs.
Ariana couldn’t stand it any longer and was ready to start cursing.
Does having money make you great?
It’s true they didn’t have much money.
But although they weren’t wealthy, they weren’t there to steal clothes either; they were legally and rightfully using their money to buy clothes.
Moreover, who said only wealthy people could buy Chanel?
Can’t ordinary people occasionally buy a luxury item to make themselves happy?
Just as Ariana was about to lash out verbally, Ashley stopped her with a glance.
Like Noelle York, she put on a graceful smile.
"May I ask for this young lady’s name?"
"Noelle York."
"Miss York, right? I can tell Miss York is reasonable, so I think reasonable people understand the importance of first come, first served. You didn’t reserve this outfit, so it should rightly be mine."
Noelle appeared momentarily surprised.
Surprised that, despite offering such good terms, the other party wanted to "be reasonable" with her?
Shouldn’t she be grateful and thank her for paying the bill?
You only heard Ashley continue, "So whether you can have this outfit isn’t up to Miss York or the sales clerks here, but it’s up to me."
Noelle’s smile turned completely cold.
Ashley raised an eyebrow slightly and continued, "Miss York, we were actually ready to give you the outfit earlier. But your tone made us uncomfortable, so I’m sorry, I’m taking the outfit."
Noelle repressed her anger, "So what’s your point? Are you insisting on taking this outfit from me?"
Ariana couldn’t help but speak up, "What do you mean by taking? We were the first to buy the outfit. If anyone’s taking, it’s you taking from us."
"You—" Noelle would have torn the shameless woman’s face apart if not for concerns about her image!
But suddenly, she laughed.
"No one can take away what I want, you say that you’re taking this outfit, right? Fine, wait and see whose outfit it really is."
A point to prove, Noelle really didn’t need to buy an identical one, just the ease of it.
But these two women were so ungrateful she had to take this outfit at all costs now.
Noelle took out her phone and dialed a number.
She simply said, "Come over, I’m at Chanel," and then hung up, instructing the sales clerk to serve tea.
The clerk naturally offered red tea to all three with a forced smile.
Ashley naturally didn’t have the patience to wait for Noelle’s people.
She said, "Could you please help us pack up, we’ll pay and leave right away, without bothering you."
Before the clerk could speak, Noelle spoke up.
"No! You can leave, but the outfit stays."
Ariana blurted out, "Why? Do you own the store?"
"Of course, I don’t, but you can’t take the outfit away."
Ariana rolled her eyes dramatically.
Some people have no shame!
"Who do you think you are, a robber?"
Noelle had already witnessed Ariana’s mouth, and she was now calm enough to respond.
"A robber? Haha, today I really am being a robber."
"You all..."
As they spoke, a rush of footsteps suddenly sounded outside.
Ashley thought Noelle might have called the person in charge of Aethelgard’s Chanel flagship store or the mall manager, so hearing the footsteps didn’t faze her a bit.
No matter who came, she was in the right; no one in the wrong could force her to do something she didn’t want to.
However, Ashley overestimated Noelle’s character.
The arrivals weren’t Chanel officials, nor were they the mall managers.
They were a horde of suited, black-clad, sunglasses-clad bodyguards, aggressively showing up as Noelle’s backup.
Ariana’s eyes flashed with shock; she was physically bold but inwardly timid. Yet she instinctively stepped forward to shield Ashley.
Ashley’s heart softened, and her gaze was notably different when looking at the crowd again.
Intense.
Pure intensity.
Before, when she looked at Noelle, her eyes were only cold, but now they held a trace of intensity and earnestness.
The world might be awful, but it wasn’t bad enough for this crowd to get physical over an outfit in broad daylight.
Ashley stepped forward to stand side by side with Ariana.
"Miss York, what does this mean?"
Noelle glanced at her people, immediately feeling emboldened.
She turned her eyes to Ashley, but all she saw was Ashley’s cold, intense gaze. She inexplicably felt the atmosphere around her turn icy. But on closer inspection, Ashley’s face hadn’t changed at all.
She smirked and said, "What’s the meaning, you don’t understand? I’ll ask you one last time, do you really want to take this outfit from me?"
Ashley chuckled.
Anyone would think she was trying to take Noelle’s outfit.
"What if I refuse to yield?"
Ariana glanced at Ashley, her gaze clearly questioning: Are we really going to confront them?
Ashley gave Ariana a reassuring look and repeated, "What if I refuse? Are you going to have your minions beat me up?"
Noelle’s expression stiffened.
Of course, she wouldn’t have her bodyguards beat someone up for an outfit in public.
She was merely trying to intimidate them.
She thought that with so many people called in, these two poor women would be terrified.
But surprisingly... she could still question her calmly?
This wasn’t what she expected.
In the next moment, Ashley spoke up calmly and coldly.
"Miss York shopping with so many bodyguards must mean an unusual status."
Noelle’s face remained unmoved, internally thinking: Duh!
Ashley continued, "I’m just wondering, what your people think when you cause such a commotion over an outfit. As an ordinary person, I don’t mind blowing the situation up, but can Miss York really afford no concern?"
Noelle turned somewhat pale.
Ashley hit the nail on the head.
Her father held a high position, but the higher one’s position, the more limitations there were.
Even when she was admitted to The Film Academy, her family held a meeting about it.
In the end, it was only by threatening to go on a hunger strike that she managed to get permission to study acting.
How did Ashley, an ordinary person, think of this?
Wasn’t she supposed to be scared out of her wits and obediently surrender the outfit?