A Love Trap

'This is the most efficient way to make Fiona shut up!' Ashley thought with a victorious smile visible on her lips.

Seeing the way Ashley treated Fiona, Ellie rolled her eyes at her disapprovingly.

However, Ashley just grinned back mischievously. 'Got a problem with that?' she thought.

The trio ran into Rita, and she was looking a lot less confident and much less cocky than she had been yesterday.

Ashley gave her a vague glance, thinking, 'It looks like the tides have turned, after just one day. But it's wrong to gloat over other's misfortune.'

Sensing Ashley's gaze on her, Rita looked at her with a blank expression on her face and then looked away.

'She must hate me very much.

But it's not my fault. She brought it all on herself!' Ashley thought.

The time had passed in the blink of an eye and it was already dusk. The three girls stood in front of the Luo Group's building preparing to bid each other goodbye.

"Ellie, Ashley, see you tomorrow," Fiona said cheerfully, waving to them.

Her house was in the opposite direction to where Ashley and Ellie lived. But since the girls were all good friends, they would always walk out of the company together and then go their separate ways.

"Bye. See you!" Ellie and Ashley replied in unison.

They watched Fiona for a brief moment as she walked down the street and then they too headed to their apartment.

Ashley and Ellie rented an apartment in close proximity to the company. It made it more convenient for them to walk to and from work every day. It would normally only take them around ten minutes to get home at strolling pace.

On the way home, they chatted happily with each other.

All of a sudden, Ellie stopped and asked, "Now, can you tell me how on earth you managed to pull that off?"

look and an expression that implied, that she wasn't going to give her any other choice

knew that look. She had seen it many times before, so she didn't dare try to hide it from her any longer. Ashley heaved a

that day when I visited the

to go there together, but then I couldn't go because I had something else that I had to do.

when I came back. I ran into

mud all over his clothes and he smelled terrible. But there was something about his eyes, they were so kind and shone so brightly

vagabond?" Ellie raised her voice and stopped on the spot, while she held Ashley by the arm. She gaped at her and then frowned and said, "Have you

Ellie?" Ashley said through clenched

rush hour, Ellie's loud remark had drawn the attention

care what other people thought of her, she felt self-conscious

and after a few moments she

to be honest I even forgot about him. Then recently, he sent me a buddy

why he was in such a bad way. Later on,

really good with computers and offered his skills to me if I ever needed them.

said shrugging her

in her room after work yesterday. And here I was thinking that she was upset because of the rumors, ' Ellie

to visit his relatives and was mugged! Only you would believe a story

guy had ill intentions and hurt Ashley? She really put herself in unnecessary risk. Thank goodness that nothing bad happened to her, ' she thought irritated.

bet he isn't the evil

by its cover, just like you can't judge a person by his appearance. If there were no bad people in the world, then we wouldn't see policemen everywhere," Ellie

she shook Ellie's arm. 'I didn't have the heart to ignore him because he has the

only took ten minutes to get home, but since they kept stopping to talk about Ashley's new friend, it took them half an hour to finally reach their apartment.

into the

calling

from her pocket and glanced down at the caller ID on the screen, her good mood suddenly

into the kitchen to start cooking dinner for them. Whereas, Ashley sat

instant she answered the phone, an