In Love, Never Say Never

In Love, Never Say Never Chapter 1286-1287-1288-1289-1290

In Love, Never Say Never Chapter 1286-1287-1288-1289-1290

It was normal for keyboard warriors to speculate as they had no idea about the truth. But anyone in their right mind could see that Ashton treated Thora like an ordinary friend. It was only after the media’s attempt at spicing up the situation that it felt like there was something going on.

If there really was something going on between both of them, it would have to be proven by them registering their marriage at the Civil Affairs Bureau, instead of some blurry photos from an eye- catching angle.

“Hmm, you have gotten smarter I see. This sounds like what an observant person would say.” Ashton leaned back languidly in his chair. Squinting his eyes, his face reddened a little from the wine he had drunk.

“Observant? Perhaps.” I asked, “Just from what happened with Mitchell, it’s obvious that the Ziegler family does not harbor good intentions. You’d better be more careful when dealing with Thora.”

“If I had any other choice, I wouldn’t have chosen to sell my body.” Ashton suddenly widened his eyes as he looked at me with a helpless expression. “In the upcoming period, I will likely interact with her often. Hence, don’t listen to the rumors on the internet. If there is anything out of the ordinary, I will personally explain it to you.”

For some unknown reason, Ashton looked exhausted that day.

Smiling at him, I tried to ease his concerns. “Go ahead and do what you think is necessary. The children and I will be fine. Just one thing, even though I’m not by your side, don’t keep pulling late nights for weeks at one go. You need to take care of your health so that you can fulfill your promise of making it up to me.”

“Alright.” Pursing his lips, Ashton nodded in agreement. As if something suddenly occurred to him, he asked, “With regards to Emery’s case, I heard she wants you to represent her?”

“That’s right. It’s her way of supporting my career, I suppose. Both for her sake and my future, I will definitely do my best. After preparing for such a long time, it’s time to see how good I am.”

“Get someone else to do it,” Ashton commented.

“Why?” I was puzzled. “Are you doubting my capabilities? Or are you worried that I’m not physically up for it?”

I could understand the former but there was no reason to worry about the latter. The toxin in my body was like a time bomb. Before it explodes, I was no different from any ordinary person. If I had to forgo my life and stay in bed, it would be no different than being dead.

“Neither.” Ashton explained patiently, “Isn’t it obvious to you that Delilah is evil? She dared to hire someone to splash acid on Emery. Can you guarantee that she won’t do something similar to threaten you? Given that you have so many staff at your firm, it isn’t difficult to get someone else to replace you. There’s no need for you to be involved.”

After giving it some thought, Ashton’s concerns did make sense. After all, before Emery got hurt, no one had expected a helpless-looking woman to commit such a heinous act the moment she steeled her heart.

“I understand. When the time comes, I’ll get someone else to replace me so that I can minimize the conflict between the both of us. So, you don’t have to worry about this.”

A few days later, when Emery’s case went to trial, the judge accepted all the evidence that we presented. As expected, Delilah was sentenced to prison.

On the same day afternoon, upon my return to the law firm, I received an invitation from Ziegler Investment for their anniversary celebration party.

The invitation wrote: We cordially invite Ms. Scarlett Stovall to attend Ziegler Investment’s 5th- anniversary celebration party.

The invitation made it clear that I would be representing Stovall Law Firm, drawing an obvious distinction between my relationship with Ashton.

Meanwhile, the rumors about Ashton and Thora continued to spread. Putting aside Ashton’s plan, the media were likely encouraged to do so by Thora and the Ziegler family. The law firm had only been operating for less than a month and yet, Thora was already impatient to see me. The invitation was undoubtedly a trap.

As John was the one who exposed Mitchell, he wasn’t invited. Hence, I got Brooklyn to come along with me. On the way there, I had time to do some research on Thora.

In truth, Thora was considered a capable woman. At twenty-two, she returned to the country after graduating with an MBA overseas and joined Ziegler Corporation. In three years’ time, she doubled the Ziegler Corporation’s stock price. In another two years, she had a falling out with the Ziegler family and left to start her own company. Within five years of that, Ziegler Investments had become an industry leader in the building materials segment and was extremely influential.

In love, never say never chapter 1287

The picture online of Thora showed her in a suit. Her features were exquisite while her eyes sparkled with energy. Overall, she looked very ambitious, unlike the usual girls that were previously by Ashton’s side. Thora was about my age and didn’t seem to have anything to nitpick about. Just based on her resume alone, she seemed to be more compatible with Ashton than me. At least they were both similarly ambitious in terms of their career.

“We’re here, Ms. Stovall.”

Only when Brooklyn reminded me did I realize that we had arrived. When I looked out the window, I saw a red carpet flanked by reporters on both sides, with their cameras flashing away.

Just when I steadied myself, I heard a car screeching to a sudden stop. A blue sports car had parked itself behind me. The next moment, the door opened and John stepped out in a tuxedo. The moment he emerged, he attracted the attention of all the cameras. Nevertheless, he remained unperturbed as he straightened his jacket before helping Emma out of the car. In front of the cameras, both of them were the epitome of a loving couple.

“Mr. Stovall really cares a lot about you.” Brooklyn teased with a whisper.

His words were undeniably true. With John’s presence, I saved myself a lot of trouble. While he had the reporters’ attention, I quickened my pace and headed into the venue.

The moment we entered, the emcee was in the midst of introducing Thora, “…and now, let’s invite Ms. Ziegler to say a few words.”

With that, the spotlight moved from the stage and shone onto Thora who was dressed to the nines. Even the tall figure beside her became the center of attention as expected.

As the crowd settled down for a moment, Thora waited for everyone’s attention to fall upon her. After that, she said something to Ashton before sauntering up the stage.

Her speech was graceful while her poise was elegant. The authoritative vibe she emanated would put many men to shame. The only time she softened her gaze was when she looked in a particular direction. It was then that her eyes were filled with longing.

Just when I looked on with interest, John’s familiar curses rang out in my ear.

“Hasn’t she seen a man before?”

Although my seat wasn’t far from the entrance, it was quite some distance from the stage. John didn’t even attempt to keep his voice down, but luckily it wasn’t loud enough to be heard on stage. Nevertheless, it still managed to attract many curious stares.

“Can you lower your voice? I don’t want to be seen as a troublemaker here,” Emma commented helplessly.

It appeared that Brooklyn’s observation was correct. John had arrived at the same time we did on purpose. Leveraging on the animosity between the Stovall and Ziegler family, he managed to divert the reporters’ attention. This way, they wouldn’t ask me about my thoughts on attending my ex-husband’s girlfriend’s party.

As for my thoughts, I did have some.

The tabloids did have some basis for fueling the rumors. With regards to Thora and Ashton, one was a lady with an illustrious background while the other was a young upstart within the business world. Both of them looked attractive and made a good match indeed. Especially when I saw the passion in Thora’s eyes, I filled in the rest with my own imagination. The romantic tension between a strong couple intertwined with competing business interests was simply the perfect script for a romantic drama.

“Who says I’m not?” In the face of the curious stares from the other guests, John chose to make a scene. Glaring back at them with his brows raised, he threatened, “Let me see who has discovered my true agenda. Coincidentally, I’m lacking an excuse to cause some trouble.”

John was known to be fearsome, causing the onlookers to quickly disperse out of precaution. Soon, the crowd around us thinned significantly.

After shooing them away, John leaned closer to me and whispered. “Don’t worry, Ashton won’t fall for her.”

“Hmm?” Surprised by John’s confidence in Ashton, I teased, “You actually have faith in him?”

Instead of replying, John changed the topic. “Why? Can it be that you are already jealous?”

“No, I’m not.” I shrugged helplessly.

To be honest, before Thora, I had always imagined what would happen to me if someone better in every way appeared by Ashton’s side. But now that it had become a reality, my concerns were eased instead.

In love, never say never chapter 1288

One’s eyes and tone would never lie. During my video call with Ashton, the exhaustion he felt from dealing with Thora and the enthusiasm in his voice when he spoke with me was enough for me to ascertain his stance. If I was unable to trust him at this stage, I really didn’t deserve his love at all.

“John, you and Ashton are actually the same, thinking that getting on someone’s nerves will always work. Do you think women are that easily cheated?” Suddenly, Emma interrupted with a strange tone in her voice.

Having heard her comment, John’s expression changed at once. Clearing his throat awkwardly, he quickly walked away into the crowd.

“What happened?” Given how rare it was for John to be cowed, I found it both strange and hilarious.

“I don’t know what got into him. The last time he came over to my company to discuss your law firm’s logo, he brought a girl with him. He should have at least chosen one with a clean reputation. Instead, the girl he brought had appeared in the tabloids before with countless other men. It was obvious that he was lowering his own self-worth just by doing that.” Emma glared angrily at John’s silhouette.

As I followed where her gaze leads, I couldn’t help but smile. John oh John, you may be adept at dealing with someone else’s problems. But when it comes to your own, you’re not mindful at all.

“So, what did you do after that?” I asked curiously.

“I went downstairs and bought him ten packs of condoms. Then, I told him to use a couple more every single time and to visit the hospital whenever he was free. He shouldn’t put his life at risk just for the sake of having a sex life. I finally realize that it’s not my fault that he doesn’t like me. Instead, he has really strange tastes!”

“Pfft…”

I couldn’t help but burst into laughter and applaud Emma in my heart. “Emma, I gotta say, your reaction was really harsh.” Furrowing her eyebrows, Emma was both upset and curious as to why I was laughing at her.

Nevertheless, I still couldn’t contain my laughter. Even if Emma didn’t say it out loud, I could still imagine the stunned look on John’s face. This time, he had finally met his match. He assumed that he could do the same to Emma as he did to Hannah. But contrary to his expectations, his plan backfired horribly.

“Ms. Stovall.”

Suddenly, a cordial voice rang out in my ear, causing the smile on my face to freeze. It wasn’t until it faded away that I finally turned around.

Just as expected, Thora had finally come to meet me.

The moment we exchanged glances, we maintained a cordial smile at each other as if we were old friends. There was no way one could tell that we were in fact love rivals who had fallen for the same

man.

As the host, Thora brought with her everyone’s attention the moment she arrived.

“Ms. Ziegler, congratulations.” I raised my champagne glass at her.

“Thank you.” Thora smiled slightly without a hint of animosity. “I heard you have started your own law firm. Coincidentally, my company is involved in some complex legal situations. So, I was wondering if you’re willing to help?”

It appeared that there was no escape for me. Despite successfully avoiding the reporters’ questions, I couldn’t hide from the nosy gazes of high society.

If I accepted her offer, it would mean that I was less successful than her. That after leaving Ashton, I had to rely on his new partner for business. However, if I declined, it would indicate that I was being petty. Trapped between a rock and a hard place, it was evident that Thora wasn’t someone to be trifled with.

Just as John had said before, one needed to know where to strike. Since she had come to challenge me, there was no need for me to show any mercy.

After giving it some thought, I pursed my lips and replied with a smile, “Ms. Ziegler, you flatter me indeed. Let’s not go as far as to talk about whether I can help. After all, I have never been capable of much. From the time my grandma took care of me to the time my husband protected me, I hardly knew anything about running a business. Even now, I have to rely on the support the Stovall family provides. But since you have requested this of me, I will certainly try my best.”

Pausing a moment, I scanned around to find Brooklyn. “Mr. Newman.”

Acknowledging me from within the crowd, Brooklyn approached and stood behind me. “Ms. Stovall, I am at your service.”

“Ms. Ziegler is having a little trouble. Can you take a look or simply appoint someone in the company to help her? We can’t very well let her be bogged down by trivial matters now, can we?”

I raised my voice on purpose to emphasize the word “simply” so that everyone else could hear it clearly.

In love, never say never chapter 1289

Just as I spoke, Thora’s expression darkened. Her earlier smile dissipated as she scrutinized me in surprise. Meeting her gaze confidently, I put on an innocent look. Given what everyone had just heard, their impression of me was that I was a fool that only relied on family connections.

Nevertheless, I was a fool that could elicit jealousy from many others.

Within this city, there was no one else that could shamelessly claim to enjoy the protection of one’s family despite having nothing to contribute.

Within all the prominent families, their children had to either be exceptionally capable or extremely attractive. All of them had to work in their families’ interest to enjoy the equivalent amount of protection. If one was born without any talent, one had to be extra careful not to bring any trouble to the family, or else one would be kicked out.

As for me, by admitting my incompetence in the face of a powerful career woman, I was indirectly flaunting the unconditional love that I enjoyed. It was something I already had but everything that Thora craved. Hence, there was nothing more painful for her than this.

That being said, this was her own doing. After all, she was the one that started it and I was just returning the favor, albeit with the intensity of a hundredfold.

With impeccable timing, Brooklyn rubbed salt in her wounds. “Ms. Ziegler, Ms. Stovall doesn’t understand the situation, so let me explain it to you. Ever since the law firm began its operations, we have received a lot of work from both the Stovall and Moore families. Therefore, most of our top lawyers are bogged down with work. Hence, if you don’t mind, I can get one of my assistants to help you. What do you think about that?”

D*mn, I didn’t expect Brooklyn to be so good at insults. It was really brazen of him to suggest assigning an assistant lawyer to deal with the president of a listed company. No wonder John liked him so much.

After the brief exchange, Thora didn’t gain any advantage at all. Instead, she had been badly beaten down. Nevertheless, she managed to remain calm despite the rage burning in her eyes.

Suddenly, a figure stepped out from behind her and raised his hand to throw a glass of wine toward me.

Reacting instantly, Brooklyn stepped forward to shield me from it.

However, when the man raised his glass halfway, a hand came out of nowhere and grabbed his wrist. With a forceful twist, the man collapsed onto his knees and pleaded for mercy.

Losing its support, the wine glass that was heading in my direction fell onto the ground instead. Upon impact, its contents spilled in every direction. Unable to evade in time, Thora’s pure white dress was now stained with jarring red.

Amidst the commotion, Ashton’s threatening voice rang out.

“How dare you!”

Just as he spoke, Ashton shoved the man’s hand aside and kicked him to the ground.

The incident had caught everyone’s attention. Only then did I notice that Ezra and Zayne were also present. It was just that they weren’t tall enough, hence I didn’t see them earlier. But now that everyone came over to see what was going on, their presence was finally felt.

At that moment, they looked at Ashton in both a suspicious and threatening manner.

By getting close to Thora, Ashton obviously wanted to get on Ezra’s good side. But now that he had defended me in public, Ezra would begin to doubt the authenticity of our divorce.

Nevertheless, Ashton didn’t seem to care as he glared coldly at Thora. He warned, “How dare your assistant harm the mother of my children? Do you intend to show the whole city that anyone can harm my children? And that there would be no consequences for doing so?”

With that, Ashton had indirectly declared that harming me was no different than harming his children. By doing so, he had warned everyone and guaranteed my safety.

I couldn’t help but admit that Ashton’s reaction was exceptionally quick. He could easily turn any incident into an excuse to gain an advantage.

Not too long ago, he had used the same reason to beat back Zander.

Just as he spoke, the crowd fell into silence. All of them were waiting in anticipation to see how this competition between love rivals was going to end.

In love, never say never chapter 1290

A while later, a female voice boomed. “You’re fired.”

Thora’s swift decision to dissociate herself came as no surprise. After all, she was a successful businesswoman who had been through many vicissitudes.

Hearing her words, the assistant’s face fell immediately. He then staggered to his feet and pleaded with Thora, but she shot him a look, shutting him up. Indignant, he glared at me resentfully before storming away.

“Are you satisfied with my decision?” Thora asked.

Instead of replying to her, Ashton glanced at the ground for a second before removing his blazer and draped it over her shoulders. “Today is a big day for the Ziegler Corporation. Don’t let the media capture any of these. Go change your clothes first.”

As soon as he said that, he cast a quick meaningful glance at me before he turned around and weaved through the crowd. Meanwhile, Thora gazed at the blazer thoughtfully and strode toward the door nearby.

Seeing that there was nothing left to watch, the crowd that gathered around eventually dispersed.

I adjusted my hair and scanned my surroundings. When I saw that no one was looking at me, I sneaked a glance at Ezra and his group of friends and found them chatting away happily at the other side of the room. Seeing that they had let their guards down, I heaved a sigh of relief.

Hopefully, Ashton’s plan can go well after this.

Since this dinner was meant to be a trap, we could not stay long at this banquet anymore. All of this was just an act. Thus, the longer we stayed, the higher the chances of giving ourselves away will be.

After pondering for a while, I turned to Emma and Brooklyn. “We should leave now.”

“Where did John go? Let me go and find him first,” Emma said.

Before I could say anything, she had hiked up her gown and made her way into the crowd. Left with no choice, I trailed behind her.

Although there were many people in the room, it was easy to see that John was not in here. As such, she brought us to the garden outside.

We walked along the veranda, turned a corner, and suddenly saw John in a well-lit room opposite us. He was standing beside a bed with his hands in his pockets, looking solemn. It was as if he was discussing some serious matters.

“Jo…” Emma was about to call out to John, but I hurriedly tugged at her arm and stopped her, gesturing her not to act rashly.

True enough, in the next second, Ashton appeared and stood beside John. From what I could see from afar, the atmosphere in the room was tense, and both men were cold and reserved, seemingly raring to fight.

Seeing that, my first thought was that there must be someone else inside the room with them. If we go to them now, we would only bring trouble to them.

Just when I was still focused on them, Brooklyn came out of nowhere and shushed us. Then, he hurriedly pulled us to hide behind the corner where we had passed just now.

As soon as we hid, Zayne brought Ezra and his group of friends out from the ballroom and walked toward the room where John and Ashton were at. There were about eight of them. I did not recognize all of them but based on their demeanor, they must be some prominent, wealthy people.

Soon after they went inside, rattling and clanging noises came from the room. When the commotion ended, John kicked open the door and rushed out in a huff, leaving through the back door.

A few minutes later, a wail of pain was heard, and two bodyguards came out dragging an unconscious person into the garden.

Not long after that, harmonious laughter rang from the room, and some of Ezra’s friends walked by the window every now and then, sipping on their wine happily. They looked as if nothing had happened.

After that, we got home and bumped into John in front of Louis’s study.

Seeing him, Emma let out a snort before storming to her bedroom and slamming the door shut.

“Looks like you’re going to sleep in the guest room tonight,” I teased.

“It’s okay. Even if we sleep together, nothing will happen, anyways.” He shrugged nonchalantly.

“What were you and Ashton doing at the garden just now?”

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