A Love Trap

"It seems that after that event happened, nobody went to their bakery any more. Perhaps that's why they decided to close up their shop and leave yesterday," Cheryl explained while looking at Ashley with great admiration.

In Cheryl's eyes, if she was faced with a problem like that, she wouldn't have known how to handle it properly and would probably have ended up having to close the bakery as a result. However, she was awestruck by the way Ashley had managed to efficiently sort it all out by clearing the bakery's name and proving that the other bakery's owners were the deceitful ones.

But in reality, even though the owners had done a terrible thing, they had been running their bakery business there for a very long time and quite successfully. Surely, they would have lost some customers to Ashley's bakery, but they would still have their own regular customers. It just didn't make sense to Ashley, that they would just close up and leave.

The more Ashley had thought about it, the less it made sense. Since the day she had left the hospital, all of her attention had been on her marriage to Andrew.

So it was quite a shock and surprise to her to learn that the bakery had closed.

Even so, if anyone tried to deface her bakery and ruin her business Ashley wouldn't sit idly back and let it happen, nor would she let them get away with it that easily.

Nina stood in the background with her own thoughts on what was really behind it all. Although Ashley did handle it well, Nina knew that Ashley wasn't the only one involved.

Both Nina and Cheryl were chosen by Greyson to work in Ashley's cake shop. However, Nina had worked at Harkim for much longer than Cheryl had and she had much more insight and could see things deeper than just the surface.

When Cheryl was told to work for Ashley, she was still fairly new at Harkim and didn't even have the chance to get to know about Greyson.

Whereas, Nina, on the other hand, knew very well who Greyson was and what he was capable of doing. Nina had some sort of idea as to why the other bakery would have closed. She was almost sure that Greyson would have had something to do with it.

Earlier she had heard through the grapevine that Greyson had invested in the cake shop yet that he didn't have much regard for the shop.

Sometimes, to check that everything was in order, Greyson would occasionally pay a visit to the bakery. Nina didn't hide anything from Greyson and filled him in with all of the details about what had happened that day. Shortly after that, the bakery closed down and the owners moved out. So it would be fair to assume that Greyson was behind it all.

Ashley didn't give it much more thought. As far as she was concerned, those guys had got what they deserved. She was just relieved and happy that her cake shop pulled through and now with the other one gone, she just had one less thing that she had to worry about.

Ashley's hands were covered in flour in preparation for a cake, when her cellphone rang. She quickly wiped her hands onto her apron and pulled her phone out from her pocket. At the sight of the name on the screen, she went into the break room for some privacy to answer the call.

"Hello, Johnny," Ashley greeted on the phone.

"Hello, Miss Mu. Are you at your apartment now? I am waiting for you downstairs," Johnny replied, in a gentle voice.

this, Ashley silently face-palmed and was at a loss for what to say. 'Oh, shit! I have completely forgotten that I was supposed to be picked up, ' she murmured

she had a flashback of Andrew's call that he would pick her up at her apartment today. She couldn't believe that she had

at my apartment. I'm out at the moment. Please wait there, I'll

tried to calm herself down. She felt embarrassed that she had forgotten and now Johnny was waiting for her. Ashley was a very courteous and polite woman. She didn't like to keep others waiting for

Mu. You don't have to hurry. You can take as much time as you want. I will stay here and

waiting for too long. She rushed back into the shop to tell Nina that she had to leave and to finish for her.

a very reliable employee. Ashley trusted Nina with the whole shop and would even share some of her own personal items with her. So before she left, she felt obliged to let her know that she was

quick, that Johnny didn't even see her rush past his car that he was waiting in. Since she had already packed everything that she

her through the car window. He immediately got out of the

I can do it myself," Ashley said almost out of breath, but

me to take care of you in his place and

Johnny insisted.

from doing his duty, Ashley thought he might be

asked, "Miss Mu, is there anything else that you might need from your apartment?

still trying to catch her breath; she looked exhausted. "Nothing, thanks," she answered

then stood still by the car looking at Ashley with a big smile on his face. Ashley smiled back at him and they both stood in awkward silence for a few seconds. Johnny was waiting for Ashley to get into the car first before he sat behind the wheel.

occasionally glanced at the rearview mirror to look at Ashley. The vague expression on her face made him a little nervous. He guessed that she must be

in the company suddenly came up and he couldn't make it. So he asked me to

perspective, he used to think Ashley must have been captivated by his boss's charisma, and that was why she agreed to marry him. After all, how could

Ashley was the exception who had not been captivated by his boss's charm and the only woman who

Ashley was a little confused as to why Johnny felt the need to explain that

best friend for so many years. And now she was leaving and didn't even have the opportunity to tell her friend all about it. She felt heavy-hearted

displeasure. She soon realized what he must have thought when he glanced at her. She wanted to

end, it was really unnecessary to explain it to Johnny. And even if she was displeased with her husband, it should

understand,"

something and added, "Johnny, please just call me Ashley. Don't call me Miss Mu." She felt uncomfortable to be addressed with

she was requesting of him, he began to stammer, "Don't. Please, don't make me call you by your first name.

very anxious. If Andrew had ever heard him address Ashley by just her first name, he would become very angry. Andrew was