Perfect Match: Irresistible Desire For You
Chapter 23

When he saw Ashley, Charlie realized that he still held a lingering fascination for her. Lina, who came specifically to rub their relationship into Ashley’s face, did not miss how his expression changed and was infuriated. Sure enough, Charlie hadn’t forgotten about Ashley, so Lina really needed to get her kicked out of the company for her peace of mind. A cruel glint flashed in Lina’s eyes.

Ashley knew that Lina was there to show off, but she couldn’t care less. For a long time now, there wasn’t a trace of her previous feelings for Charlie in her heart. She usually paid irrelevant people no mind, so in an unaffected manner, she sorted out the documents and handed them to Lina before carrying on with her work.

Charlie did not snap out of his daze until the sheaf of papers exchanged hands and Ashley pointedly went back to work. At his girlfriend’s hint, he made an about-face and left the marketing department with Lina on his heels.

With the exception of that rather unpleasant encounter with Charlie and Lina, Ashley had a relatively peaceful week. That Friday after work, Ashley received a call from her brother, Mike, who asked her to go to dinner and shopping with him for their outfits for the ball the following weekend. Ashley readily agreed. As soon as the call ended, she hastened to the planning department in search of Yasmin.

“Yasmin, haven’t you always said that you wanted to meet my brother? We’ll be having dinner later. Would you like to join us?” Leaning against Yasmin’s desk, Ashley watched as her friend tidied up the documents on her desk and prepared to get off work.

Yasmin’s head shot up at the invitation, her eyes sparkling with excitement. Then, just as sudden, her expression became crestfallen. “My mother asked me to go home this weekend. Ugh, such a waste!” She had seen Mike from Ashley’s photos and had always found him handsome. Now, Ashley was offering her the long-awaited chance to meet the man in person, but she must go home because of her mother’s urgent order.

Ashley heard the complaint in Yasmin’s voice and gave her a comforting smile. “It doesn’t matter. There are plenty of opportunities for you to meet later. Anyway, what are you going to do when you get home?”

“I don’t know. Maybe it has something to do with the guy from the blind date last time.” At the mention of this topic, Yasmin’s tone became more resentful. Judging from her mother’s cheerful voice, she could tell that she was planning something for which she needed an escape strategy.

However, her parents didn’t know that Zachary was gay. Pretending to be dating Zachary, Yasmin could appease her parents and live a carefree life. The thought comforted her somewhat.

“Good luck!” Ashley knew Yasmin’s deal with Zachary. Then, the guy’s name suddenly rang a bell in her mind. ‘Zachary? That name sounds familiar.’ She racked her brains and stared at Yasmin in surprise when she found her answer. “Is your Zachary the special assistant to the CEO of Empire Group?”

Yasmin didn’t understand why Ashley was suddenly asking the question, but she still answered truthfully, “Yes, that’s him. Why, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing, something just occurred to me.” In Joseph’s profile, which Ashley read before meeting the man, Zachary’s name was mentioned. He was the special assistant to the CEO of Empire Group. Gossip said that Zachary was the closest person to Joseph and that the reason why Joseph never liked women was that he fell in love with his special assistant.

All in all, Zachary’s name was quite famous throughout Empire Group and beyond. The thought of Empire Group reminded Ashley once again of the legendary businessman at its helm, Joseph, who took away her virginity that night. She shook her head, trying to banish the handsome man’s cold face from her mind.

After they finished discussing the topic, Ashley and Yasmin walked out of the company building together, chatting and laughing. The two of them parted ways on the ground floor. Yasmin left Ashley behind because she had to go back to her apartment to pack up her luggage, and Ashley waited alone for Mike to pick her up for dinner.

After a few minutes, a cool Ferrari pulled up in front of her. Mike emerged from the car in an elegant motion and called out to her. “Beautiful lady, I’m honored to invite you to dinner.” With a smile on his face, Mike waved a greeting to Ashley and waited for her to get in the car.