One Night With A Mysterious Billionaire (The Heiress's Revenge)-Chapter 82: Ashley’s claim

Ashley stood across the street from the high-end restaurant, her fingers lightly clutching her handbag as her sharp eyes remained fixed on the entrance.

She inhaled slowly, steadying her racing heart.

I have to wait for the perfect moment, she told herself. The exact moment Evans and his new girlfriend are seated. That way, when I walk in... all eyes will be on me.

A faint, calculating smile curved her lips.

She had prepared for this day meticulously.

Earlier, she had gone on a shopping spree, sparing no expense.

From there, she visited one of the most exclusive beauty spas in the city. Every inch of her had been refined, perfected. Her skin glowed flawlessly under the soft evening lights, and her figure was accentuated beautifully.

And then... there was her face.

The face Roman had once destroyed.

The memory still sent a cold shiver down her spine, but now, after undergoing extensive facial reconstruction surgery, there was no trace of the horror she once carried. What remained was breathtaking beauty, sharp, elegant, and captivating enough to turn heads anywhere she went.

Tonight, she would make sure it did.

She didn’t have to wait long.

A sleek black car pulled up in front of the restaurant, and moments later, Evans stepped out. Ashley’s eyes darkened slightly as she took him in. He looked just as she remembered, composed, confident, effortlessly charming.

Beside him was his new girlfriend.

Ashley’s lips tightened.

Behind them followed James and Freya, laughing about something as they made their way inside.

Ashley’s gaze sharpened.

For days now, she had been stalking them, learning their routines, their schedules, their favorite spots. Nothing about today was coincidence.

Everything was planned.

She waited a few more minutes, watching through the glass walls as they got seated.

Perfect.

Ashley adjusted her dress, smoothing it down her curves. She was dressed in a Chanel short bodycon gown that hugged her figure flawlessly. Her strapless heels elongated her legs, while a limited-edition scarf rested elegantly around her neck.

A tiny Chanel handbag completed the look, simple, yet screaming wealth and class.

Satisfied, she lifted her chin and walked in.

The moment she stepped into the restaurant, it was as though the air shifted.

Heads turned.

Conversations paused.

All eyes were on her.

Exactly as she wanted.

Without sparing Evans and his group a glance, Ashley walked gracefully to a nearby table, one positioned perfectly opposite theirs, and sat down.

She crossed her legs elegantly before raising her hand to signal the waiter.

"Good evening," she said smoothly, her voice calm and refined.

She picked up the menu, scanned through it briefly, and placed her order with effortless confidence. Then, as though nothing else mattered, she pulled out her phone and began scrolling.

But she noticed everything.

The whispers.

The stares.

And most importantly... the reaction from Evans’ table.

A soft, satisfied smile tugged at her lips as she heard a gasp.

"Is that not Ashley?" James asked in a hushed but shocked tone.

Freya scoffed immediately, not even looking at first. "Please. How can it be Ashley? She can’t even afford to fix her botched face, talk more of eating here. Even if she sells everything she owns, she wouldn’t be able to afford this place."

But then she looked.

And froze.

"I’m telling you, it’s her," James insisted, his voice rising slightly with frustration. "Just look, damn it!"

That did it.

Evans and Freya both looked up at the same time.

"What do you mean Ashley is here?" Evans asked, his brows furrowing as his eyes scanned the restaurant. "Are you sure?"

James didn’t respond. He simply pointed.

Subtly.

Directly at Ashley.

Evans followed his gaze.

"The last time I saw her, her face was botched and beyond recogni..."

His words died in his throat.

Because there she was.

Ashley.

Sitting right in front of them.

Beautiful.

Elegant.

Untouchable.

"Oh my God..." James whispered. "That is Ashley. But how?"

He completely forgot about the woman sitting beside Evans.

"Babe, who is Ashley?" Ava asked, confusion evident in her voice as she looked between them.

"Ashley is nobody," Evans replied quickly, forcing himself to regain composure.

But his eyes betrayed him.

Freya, on the other hand, was stunned beyond words.

"Oh my God... she looks amazing," she muttered.

"Look at her skin... her face... she looks like she has....."

"Money," she and James said in unison.

Freya turned sharply to Evans. "But you said she lost everything. That she couldn’t even afford cosmetic surgery. Clearly, that’s not the case."

Her eyes narrowed.

"Explain yourself, Evans. Did you lie to us?"

"Yes, explain," James added, leaning forward.

Evans clenched his jaw. "I don’t know, okay? The last time I saw her, she was not like this. I swear... she was unrecognizable."

An image flashed in his mind, Ashley lying in a pool of blood, broken, exposed.

He shook it off.

"She looks perfectly fine to me," Freya said, her gaze locked onto Ashley as she ate with graceful elegance, occasionally smiling at something on her phone.

"Are you sure she hasn’t taken over the company?" Freya continued. "Remember what we heard about Lena not being in town anymore."

That statement made Evans stiffen.

Freya leaned back slightly, her lips curling. "I think we need to find out for ourselves. After all... she promised us good positions in the company if we kept our mouths shut."

Her eyes gleamed with greed.

"Well, it’s time she delivers," James added. "If she’s running the company now, the least she can do is give us our share."

Without hesitation, the two of them stood up and walked toward Ashley’s table.

Ava watched everything, unease creeping into her

chest.

"Babe... what is going on?" she asked softly, her eyes flicking toward Ashley.

She wasn’t blind.

She had noticed the way Evans kept glancing at that woman.

Subtly.

But repeatedly.

"Nothing is wrong. Just eat your food," Evans replied dryly, though his eyes drifted back again.

He grabbed his wine glass and downed its contents in one go.

"Who is that woman?" Ava asked again, her voice quieter now, but more tense.

"She is nobody," Evans said, his tone sharper this time. "Eat your food so we can go home."

"But James and Freya know her. They even left you to go meet her, and you’re saying she’s nobody?" Ava pressed, trying to keep her voice steady.

"She is nobody, God damn it!" Evans snapped.

The entire restaurant turned to look.

His face flushed red with embarrassment.

He exhaled sharply, muttered some halfhearted apology, stood up, and grabbed Ava’s hand. "Let’s go. I’ve lost my appetite."

"Wait, Evans... I’m still hungry," she protested weakly, struggling to keep up.

"We can eat somewhere else," he said firmly.

"Now be good and don’t create a scene."

With that, Ava fell silent.

They paid their bill and left.

In a quiet corner of the restaurant, someone watched the entire scene unfold with interest.

Meanwhile, James and Freya had already reached Ashley’s table.

They didn’t care about Evans anymore.

Opportunity stood before them, and they weren’t about to miss it.

"Ashley," Freya began sweetly, taking a seat without invitation, "I must say, you look absolutely stunning."

Ashley slowly looked up, her expression calm and

unreadable.

"Does this glow-up have anything to do with you running Smith Enterprise?" Freya asked casually.

"Word on the street is that Lena is no longer the boss. Are you... the new CEO?"

Ashley raised a brow.

"Well... who told you that?" she asked, her voice slightly higher than usual.

Freya smiled. "No one. But your transformation speaks for itself."

James leaned forward, his smile carrying a subtle threat. "Come on, Ashley. You still owe us. Remember when we kept quiet about you drugging Lena? You promised to help us get positions in the company."

His eyes locked onto hers.

"So... what’s it going to be? Are you going to keep sidelining us?"

He chuckled softly.

"I’d hate for the CEO of Smith Enterprise to have a bad reputation."

Ashley went silent.

Of course she understood.

This wasn’t a conversation.

It was blackmail.

But she didn’t care.

As long as this lie gave her power... status... recognition...

She would play along.

Besides, once Lena was gone, everything would truly belong to her.

And Evans?

He would come crawling back.

She smiled.

"Well, I would have told you I’m the new CEO," she said lightly, "but you both cut communication with me. So really... it’s not my fault."

James and Freya’s eyes lit up instantly.

"We’re sorry!" Freya said quickly. "It was Evans. He made us believe your face was botched and that you were hiding from everyone."

They didn’t hesitate to throw him under the bus.

Ashley waved her hand dismissively. "It’s fine. I understand. You guys didn’t know better."

She smiled sweetly.

"I know you wouldn’t intentionally hurt me."

The two exchanged a glance.

"Why don’t I fulfill my promise?" Ashley continued.

"I’ll make both of you managers. You’ll each head a department."

Their excitement was immediate.

"Really?" they asked in unison.

Ashley nodded.

"But..." she added, checking her nails casually,

"that will be after I’m officially inaugurated as CEO. For now, it’s not public yet."

"That’s fine!" they both cut in quickly.

"Absolutely fine."

Ashley smiled, satisfied.

"Good."

She checked the time on her watch and stood up.

"I have to go now. CEO duties call," she said smoothly.

As she gathered her things, James and Freya looked like they had just won the lottery.

Luck was finally on their side.

Meanwhile, Ashley walked away with a victorious smile.

In her mind, she was already back on top.

Above everyone.

Including Evans.

And soon...

They would all be beneath her.

In the shadows, a pair of eyes followed her every move.

"What an interesting development," Raymond muttered quietly.