<b>Chapter </b><b>112 </b>
Briar’s smile disappeared in an Instant as she listened to Edgay cheting like a mad persen. The vein of her sample tallilled with antes
‘Honestly, Edgar doesn’t deserve even this much respect from me the thougfit
But with Ashton sitting right beside her, Briar didn’t want to say anything more.
Swallowing her anger, she said coldly. “If you have something to say, spit it out. If not, I’m hanging up”
Anyone would be pissed if someone just called out of nowhere to scream at them.
She thought, ‘What does Edgar’s talk about campus belles and resources have to do with me, anyway<i>? </i>
‘If Beatrice wanted those things, she should go fight for them.
‘Did Beatrice really think I would just hand those over to her?
‘What am I, the president of Shoneport University or on the board of directors?”
At that moment, Briar had no idea that she was absolutely crushing it at the top of the Shoneport University campus belle rankings.
Frank and his buddies were running all over campus, forming alliances and shamelessly using their looks to flirt their way into more votes
Briar already had a great reputation among the students. She was sweet–looking, and she had wowed everyone during the open ss.
With someone as influential as Frankie backing her, unless someone had a direct conflict of interest with her, they’d all vote for Briar
If Frankie was willing to shamelessly use his good looks to trade for a single vote, people would definitely agree.
They were even willing to give more than just a vote to Frank.
Le, Lydia, and Abbie had started pulling in votes early on, and their group was holding steady in second ce.
With only a few thousand students at Shoneport University, everyone who could be convinced to vote had already cast their ballots.
By the time it was Beatrice’s turn to rally support, there were only a few people left she could try to win over.
Beatrice couldn’t believe it. The campus bellepetition hadn’t even officially started, and the results were already set in stone.
She could not possibly ept that.
She was counting on taking the crown this year.
With Shoneport University’s reputation behind her<b>, </b>she was hoping to make a run at the international dance awards.
So, Beatrice spent the whole day at home pestering Edgar. He couldn’t bring himself to yell at her, so he ended up dumping all his frustration on Briar instead.
Edgar snapped, “Listen up. Get those students who voted for you to switch their votes to your sister.
“She’s about topete in an international dancepetition, and all these resources will help boost her chances…”
Briar finally lost it after putting up with his bias. She said, “Say one more word of this crap and I’m hanging up!”
Edgar was speechless.
He was so pissed off. He felt like he was about to choke on his anger.
He thought, “Did Briar just curse at me? She actually dared to talk to me like that?
I’m her father, and she has the nerve to yell at me?‘
“Briar, where are your manners? Did you forget everything I taught you? Do you even see me as your real father anymore?” Edgar snapped.
Edgar was the perfect example of someone who would never learn his lesson. Ever since Briar came back, she had never truly respected him.
Briar clenched her jaw. She’d even hit him before, yet he still wanted to talk to her about manners. She couldn’t tolerate him anymore.
Edgar ranted, “You’re vulgar, uneducated, and always hanging around with those shady people. Get your ass back here right now. i need to teach you a lesson…”
Not giving Edgar another second to nag, Briar hung up on him, cutting off his nonsense. The quiet was a relief, but the irritation still lingered
on her face.
Just like that, her good mood waspletely wrecked by Edgar.
Ashton was sitting right next to Briar. Even though she kept her voice down on the call, with them sitting this close, he could still hear some of <ol><li>it. </li></ol>
Seeing the gloomy look on her face, he didn’t ask what had happened. Instead, he just grabbed another cup of smoothies, popped a straw in<b>, </b>and held it up to her lips.
He said, “Don’t be upset. Here, try this. It’s a new vor from the smoothies shop, just the way you like it.”
Briar barely had a smile left, but when she heard Ashton say that, she couldn’t help but smile a little. She yed along and took the smoothies, took a sip, and said, “It’s good. Sweet.”
Seeing Briar smile again, Ashton finally asked, “Your dad really doesn’t treat you well, does he?”
Briar just shrugged, neither confirming nor denying it. After all, Ashton had already looked into her background, so there was nothing left to
hide.
She summed up the whole love–hate mess with the Jennings family in just a few straightforward sentences.
Ashton listened, his eyes full of sympathy as he looked at her. “Are you sure he’s actually your real dad?”
Nothing about their story sounded like a normal father–daughter rtionship. It was more like two lifelong enemies locked in a grudge
match.
Briar shrugged. “Honestly, I wish he wasn’t, but my mom was totally lovestruck back then. Edgar was the only man in her world.”
That meant she was Edgar’s biological daughter.
However, as his daughter, she turned out to be the thorn in his side, blocking him from taking over the Jennings Group and ying happy family with his mistress.
If she hadn’te back and wrestled control of the Jennings Group away from him, Edgar probably wouldn’t even bother pretending <b>to </b>care
about her.
Briar lowered her gaze, sipping her smoothies, but her brows stayed tightly knit.
<b>214 </b>
15.19 TRU, I. PAUCH – J
She thought, ‘The Jennings family is seriously a pain in my ass. The moment I find out who’s really behind Edgar, I’m tying him up and feeding him to the sharks.
The office door swung open, and Jalen poked his head in. “Ashton, are the documents signed yet?”
He nced over at the desk, but when he didn’t see anything, he turned around and spotted Ashton sitting right next to <b>Briac </b>
The two of them were cozied up together, sipping smoothies and snacking on desserts.
Hearing the noise, Ashton just turned his head and gave Jalen a look, but he didn’t snap at him.
Jalen knew Ashton was in a good mood, so he walked in with a little bounce in his step.
As a good secretary, Jalen knew better than to y the third wheel<b>, </b>so he headed straight for the desk to grab the documents.
But when he got there, he saw that the two papers he needed Ashton <i>to </i>sign were still sitting there untouched, not a single signature <b>on </b>
them.
“Mr. Wade, howe you still haven’t signed these?” Jalen tried to use the title to jolt Ashton back into work mode.
Ashton shot him a look, kept a perfectly straight face, and replied with just one word that brooked no argument, “Busy.”
Jalen was speechless.
He thought, ‘Busy?
‘Busy with what, exactly?
Busy hanging out with your future wife, drinking smoothies, and eating cake?
‘Seriously? You can’t even spare a second to sign your name on two pieces of paper?‘
But he didn’t dare say it out loud. He could only grumble silently in his head.
Briar totally picked up on Jalen’s silent grumbling. The way he was fuming but didn’t dare say a word was honestly hrious.
She flopped back, looking all rxed again. “Ashton, you
should get back to work.”
Ashton saw the hostility fade from her expression and nodded. “Alright.”
He got up<i>, </i>walked over to the desk, and started working on the papers.
With a few swift strokes, <i>both </i>documents were signed in under a minute.
Jalen turned around with the documents, his expressionplicated. He was honestly starting to sweat a little for the future of the Wade
Group.
Seeing Ashton like this, Jalen couldn’t help but feel hopeless.
He thought<i>, </i>‘Is my <i>boss </i>about to be one of those lovesick learders who’d rather stay in bed with his lover than ever bother showing up
to work?‘