CHAPTER 453: CHAPTER 453: ILL-FATED RELATIONSHIP

Ashley Shaw smiled at the person opposite her, wanting to excuse herself to find a place to sit and finalize her speech, when she heard the person ask, "Are you Miss Ashley Shaw?"

Ashley Shaw looked over in surprise.

"Yes, and you are...? Do I know you?"

"You don’t know me, but I know you. It seems we have quite a bit of fate between us."

Fate? What does that mean?

Ashley Shaw shot a suspicious glance over.

The person said, "My name is Finn Bond, and Ivy Bond is my younger sister."

Ashley Shaw’s mind went "boom," as if chaos was split open by lightning.

No wonder she thought this man looked familiar.

Not because she had met him before, but because his eyes were very similar to Ivy Bond’s, giving a sense of déjà vu.

This was indeed fate.

However, this kind of fate was a fateful curse.

Finn Bond’s face showed no obvious joy or anger, just calmly saying, "I am following Professor Quill to work on a research project together, aiming to cure my sister’s illness."

Ashley Shaw thought: So that’s how it is.

She remembered Cillian Xavier had mentioned that Finn Bond wasn’t studying medicine.

Now that it’s mentioned, she understood why Finn Bond appeared beside Jasper Quill.

"I heard that Professor Quill took in a final female disciple, and now it seems that disciple is you?"

Ashley Shaw couldn’t discern if the person was a friend or foe, so she didn’t say anything unnecessary, only, "It’s me."

"No wonder," Finn Bond smiled slightly.

His looks were indeed more appealing than Ivy Bond’s, and those eyes suited a man better than a girl.

But in his smile, there was an evident mockery.

"Elder Prescott and Professor Quill have known each other for a long time. Back then, when Professor Quill was working on a medical project, limited by funding, it was Grandpa Prescott who provided some funding, enabling the project to be completed. That project made Professor Quill famous worldwide..."

As he spoke, his tone shifted, "Professor Quill hasn’t taken on a disciple for a long time. Even if he does, he usually lets others call him teacher, not master. It seems Professor Quill took you on to return a favor."

Ashley Shaw’s previously faint expression disappeared entirely, her face expressionless as she looked at Finn Bond.

"What exactly are you trying to say, Mr. Bond?"

Finn Bond raised an eyebrow slightly and said, "I haven’t said much, just kindly reminding Miss Shaw. Since you’ve already boarded the Prescott ship, why step on the Xavier ship too, breaking others’ relationships... In the end, you might find yourself being neither here nor there, and ending up empty-handed. Don’t you think?"

Ashley Shaw now understood.

The person was not a friend, but an enemy.

Filled with anger, she laughed and said, "You say I’m two-timing, but if I really wanted to do that, do you think Cillian Xavier would still be with your sister?"

Finn Bond’s complexion changed slightly.

He only heard Ashley Shaw continue, "I’ve heard Cillian Xavier and you are good friends, so you should know that it was Cillian Xavier pursuing me, not me chasing after Cillian Xavier."

"Moreover, I’ve explicitly rejected his pursuit. So where does this claim of two-timing come from?"

"I understand you want to vent on behalf of your sister, but please don’t insult me or Grandpa Prescott."

"If you really bring up the subject of two-timing in front of him, you’re not only disrespecting me but also belittling Grandpa Prescott."

"He’s weathered countless storms over the years; do you think he’s blind if I were truly that scheming?"

After a pause, Ashley Shaw added, "You think I cozied up to Professor Quill by being in the Prescott Family’s light. But might I ask, hasn’t Mr. Bond also benefited a bit from the Xavier Family’s glow?"

Finn Bond’s face turned somewhat pale.

His status today was indeed due to the Xavier Family.

Yet now, he was turning around to mock Ashley Shaw for relying on the Prescott Family.

Neither of them, in fact, had a clearer conscience than the other.

Why was he still mocking here?

Suddenly, he had a strong feeling of defeat.

Ashley Shaw observed the changes in his expression, gave a light sneering sound, and said, "Considering Ms. Grant and Cillian Xavier’s sake, I won’t let a third person know about today’s conversation. But in the future, if Mr. Bond sees me, I hope you’ll steer clear. I don’t want to see you."

After saying that, she headed towards Tyler Joyce.

She had just seen Tyler Joyce enter the backstage.

Finn Bond still wanted to say, "What if you tell? Why should I steer clear?"

But thinking carefully, Finn Bond suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.

No, that wouldn’t be right.

If Ashley Shaw really talked... whether telling the Prescott Family or the two Xavier siblings, it would be very disadvantageous for the Bond Family.

The Prescott Family, needless to say, could destroy half a lifetime of his efforts with just a word...

Regarding the Xavier siblings, Cillian Xavier was with his sister for the sake of face.

But Claire Xavier would surely side with Ashley Shaw.

If she really spoke out, both his future and his sister’s hope for life would truly vanish.

Understanding this, he suddenly felt a chill of fear.

And there was a hidden sense of relief.

Fortunate that Ashley Shaw wasn’t the scheming woman he had claimed. If she were narrow-minded and complained to both sides, then everything would truly be over.

Finn Bond suddenly broke out in a cold sweat.

He looked at Ashley Shaw, only to see her smiling and talking to a boy wearing a student council badge, looking so gentle and beautiful.

He suddenly felt like a pest, tainting a pure moon.

After that, he had no face to see Ashley Shaw again, and also remembered the phrase "steer clear," so he asked for leave from Jasper Quill and left early.

As for Ashley Shaw, she never really cared about Finn Bond.

Ivy Bond is like that kind of person; how good could Finn Bond be?

Perhaps it was different; he was for his sister, while Ivy Bond was for her own benefit.

But it didn’t matter, anyway, they probably wouldn’t meet again.

It was like accidentally stepping into a mud puddle; just change shoes and move on.

She was having a perfectly good conversation with Tyler Joyce about how many people were going on stage before her, and then chatted about the military training.

"Your military training will probably be around ten days, overseen by a unit from the outskirts of Aethelgard."

"Ten days?" Ashley Shaw was somewhat relieved.

In her past life, she had military training for a full half-month.

Don’t underestimate the extra five days; it’s in the latter stages that became the hardest to endure, whereas the early days still left some energy.

Tyler Joyce said, "Don’t worry, if you and Ariana feel exhausted, I’ll help you get a leave pass."

Ashley Shaw laughed, "You better ask Ariana, she probably wouldn’t want it, as she’s using this chance to lose weight."

"She’s just fine now, why lose weight?"

Ashley Shaw was pleased to hear this.

It showed he wasn’t overly concerned about Ariana’s weight.

If they really got together, Ariana wouldn’t suffer too much.

However, the more she thought about it, the more guilty she felt towards Leon Zeller.

Ah!

Just at this moment, the freshman assembly began, and the host’s voice sounded on stage.

Ashley Shaw was the third to take the stage, so she should be getting ready.

After bidding farewell to Tyler Joyce, Ashley Shaw stood beside the stairway to the front stage, taking out her script for a final review.