How Weird

Not long after his boss entered the meeting room, Joshua went to his office and made a call to the investigator team, "Dan, lead the team and investigate Ms. Emma Austen of Holderin Inc. I want to know all about her from A to Z and submit the report to me before or by Friday this week. Mr. Greene was so mad that the woman that he asked the team to look out for the past six years suddenly appeared and he found her working with Holderin this morning. He found her before us! This is your top priority job this week. If the team didn't manage to report soonest possible, I might not be able to help retain the team anymore".

Ashton

'Damn, I can't concentrate on my work now, very well!' Ashton sighed under his breath. By the time he got out of the meeting room, it was already passed 6.00 pm.

"Joshua." He called his PA without looking back and went towards his office.

Joshua looks exactly like his tail. Walking behind him entering his office.

"Is there anything else on my schedule today?"

"The last meeting was your last appointment for today, boss."

"Cool, I'm going home now." Ashton strode out of his office while looking down at his phone screen.

He continued "I will drive myself, you are free to go, Joshua."

"Okay, boss." Joshua looks at Ashton's back entering the lift.

Ashton arrived at his parent house. He expects to have dinner with his parent as usual. 

"Mom, I'm home," Ashton announced his arrival and straight away went to the dining hall.

He saw his mom, Rachel Greene in the kitchen with her maid.

"Ashton, you are home." Rachel walked towards her son and hugged him.

"Where's dad?" 

"As usual, study room. Go call him, dinner is ready."

Without saying a word, Ashton went to his father's study room.

Without knocking, he opened the door and said, "Dad, dinner is ready."

Ashton's standing outside of the room looking at his father.

"Oh wow, where's your manner, Ashton? You don't know how to knock on the door, don't you?" Luke Greene scolds his 34-year-old son. So far, he is the only man that was not scared of Ashton. 

Ashton showed his grin to his father and went down back to the dining hall without waiting for him.

Ashton enjoys his dinner without saying a word. No heart to talk much other than the necessary courtesy.

"Ashton..." His mom suddenly wanted to start a conversation with him.

Ashton chinned up and looked in his mother's direction and before she could blurt her next word, "Don't bring up the marriage issue tonight, Mom. I have no mood." He knows his Mom so well. He could predict what was on her mind.

Luke smiles hearing those words from Ashton.

"It is my responsibility as your mother to bring up this issue to you again and again, Ashton. As your reminder, in case you forgot!"

Ashton closed his eyes to calm down.

"You are 34 years old, Ashton. Do you know what all of our relatives gossiping around about you? They said you don't like women!" Rachel expresses her dissatisfaction with her son.

Ashton chose to stay silent.

His mother continues, "I heard Naomi is back in the country. She is still single and available. Should you try to get back with her?"

"Mom, I will never be getting back together with her!" Ashton controlled his tone.

"But, why?"

"Simply because I don't like her! I have no feelings for her! How many times do I have to repeat this to you, Mom?" Ashton's voice started to show annoyance.

"Should I arrange a blind date for you?" Rachel offered another option to him.

"Mom stop!"

"Honey, help me to convince your son, please!" Rachel tried to get her husband to speak up for her.

"Ashton..." Luke called his name.

"Not you too, Dad!"

"What's wrong with you, Ashton? Tell us, why you don't want to get married. Do you have someone in your heart already!" Rachel tried to dig something out of her son.

"None!" Ashton answered angrily and stood up.

Rachel doesn't want to tone down. "Ashton Greene!" 

Ashton knows if her Mom starts calling him by his full name, he made her angered. 

"Mom, please expect I will not come home to have dinner with you for a few months starting today." He strode out of his parents' house. But behind his back, he still could hear his mother's hysterical voice shouting at him. 

"Ashton, is this how you treat your parents? You have no respect for us at all. I brought this marriage issue to you because we loved you. We want to see you get married before we close our eyes. Don't work yourself too much at the company. You can afford to recruit the best talents all over the world to run or expand the business for you. Focus on building your own family, instead. Ashton!!!"

Ashton didn't stop, got into his car, and drove off.

While driving, he makes a call to his best friends.

20 minutes later, he arrived at Starlight Club. This club was one of the high-end clubs available in Darby.

He stopped his car at the main entrance of the club and threw his car key to the jockey. "Pay you later," he said to the parking jockey and walked inside the club. He straight away went up to the VVIP private room at Level 2. He was a regular customer and he knows well the way around the club.

He was the first one who arrived at their hanging-out spot. He just sat inside the room and looked at his phone screen while waiting for his best friends to arrive. Obviously, he is reading some office documents or replying emails.

10 minutes later. The room door opened from outside.

"Hey, Ashton. What's up? It's not normal for you to call us for a drink on weekdays, especially on Monday!" William Mitch blurted out his concern in one sentence.

"Yeah, bad day!" Ashton reply.

Not long after that, his other two best buddies showed up too. Harry Shenk and Andrew Slater.

"Guys, it's on me tonight. Eat and drink anything you want." Ashton announced to them. Money is always not a concern for them.

For his private life, Ashton has a small circle. Other than his parents, he has Joshua his PA (who mostly handles his professional and personal matters), and these 3 men who know everything about his life. They hide nothing between them. Even his parents don't know him better than his best friends.

They have been friends since they were 13 years old. Four of them were living abroad and studying together at the same school and university. They all came from the top prominently (super rich) family in Darby.

"Ashton, please don't show your long face here," Harry commented on Ashton.

"Tell us, what happened to you today?" Andrew looked at him.

"One, I found the woman from six years ago today and second, I had a very bad quarrel with my mom over marriage (rolled his eyes) during dinner," Ashton spoke freely in front of them.

His best friends widened their eyes and William said "You found her today?!"

"Yes, and what makes me so mad about it? I found her working under one of my companies, Holderin Inc., situated in the small town of Appleton." Ashton closed his eyes to calm down the anger inside him.

"How weird? You have been looking for her for the past six years. Your investigators can't even locate her all this while. And, suddenly she's worked for you?" Harry inserted his curiosity into their conversation.

Andrew smiled at Ashton, "I guess this is just another twist of fate, don't you think?"

"She happened to be the newly recruited HR Manager for Holderin. She joined the company about a week ago. This morning was my normal visit to the Holderin office, once per month meeting with the team over there. I'm aware that Gerald, the Holderin's Managing Director will introduce me to the newly hired manager during the meeting. But, I never expected that it was her. I never really bother with the subsidiaries recruitments. The only things that I want to see are the bottom lines, dollars and cents." Ashton explained to answer his friend's curiosity.

"Based on what was stated in her resume and confirmed by the recruiter in charge of her hiring, she has been living and working overseas for the past six years. That explains why Joshua can't locate her whereabouts and we don't even know her name before. I never expected that she fled the country after the incident." Ashton continues.

"I see. So, how is she? Compared to six years ago?" Harry smiles.

"Nothing much changed. Still fat!" Ashton laughed. The other 3 men also laughed hearing Ashton comment on that woman.

"She looks mature." He added.

"Are you going to continue on the investigation?" William asked.

"I did ask Joshua to look at it. Since we have her name now. In my case, I know who was the culprit. He paid the price a long time ago. But I have lost my memories of that particular night. I only remember before I got drugged and the aftermath." Ashton sighed his weariness.

"You have found her, finally. What else are you worried about?" Andrew glanced at Harry and William.

Ashton snorted "I don't want to be the person behind her fleeing the country. I did said a harsh threat to her that particular morning. I have seen my brutality on her body. She's crying begging me to help her to explain that incident to someone. What if she's just another victim?" Ashton openly shared his concerns with them.

His best friends looked at him and didn't know how to respond.

"You just take whatever measures that you think are the right approach and help you to decrease the heaviness in your heart Ashton," Harry spoke out spontaneously.