Remarriage Failed Again Today

After closing the door, they each took a shower and lay down in bed to sleep off their jet lag.

The time difference between Avington and Yashima was a full fourteen hours.

They slept straight through to the next day, when the hotel manager personally came to invite them for a meal.

After quickly getting ready, they went downstairs to the lobby for breakfast.

The lobby was beautifully decorated, with a huge fountain in the center. At the heart of the fountain stood a small, white angel statue.

The decor was in a contemporary New Astor style—modern yet warm, luxurious yet understated. It was stunning but not intimidating.

The real reason Ashley Grant had come here was for an auction.

A painting was up for auction—one the Grant Family had been forced to part with years ago. After changing hands several times, it had found its way here.

Her grandfather had searched for this painting for a long time to no avail. She had stumbled upon news of it by chance while she was out and about, so she wanted to buy it to surprise her grandfather.

After getting ready, they arrived at the auction.

The place was already packed, and the auction started shortly thereafter.

The painting was about the sixth lot up for bidding. It was a renowned work, and it was ultimately sold for fifteen million.

But Ashley Grant obviously couldn’t afford it. In the end, Annabelle Linton bought it for her.

Nominally, the two were sisters-in-law, but their relationship was actually much closer to that of best friends.

Among friends, it’s best to keep finances separate if you want the friendship to last. After all, talking about money can really strain a relationship.

Ashley Grant knew Annabelle Linton didn’t care about the money, but the Grant Family could afford it too. She didn’t want money to create a rift between them.

And so, the kind Ashley Grant decided to stick her brother with the bill.

It couldn’t be helped. Leona Grant was loaded, after all, and he never gave her a single cent.

There were plenty of good finds at the auction, and the two picked out several more items, all of which Annabelle Linton paid for.

After the auction, they went shopping.

After feeding each other the last spoonful of ice cream, they had a carefree day, going from the zoo to a cosmetics drugstore and then to the mall.

"Annabelle, it’s so relaxing being with you, even though you’re not much of a talker," Ashley Grant said casually, aiming her camera at something on the street and clicking the shutter.

’She really was a woman of few words. Unless something truly bizarre happened, she rarely said anything at all.’

"..." Annabelle Linton just smiled. "I just feel like there’s not much to say..."

Ashley Grant smiled helplessly and pointed ahead. "Walk a few steps forward; I want to take your picture."

Annabelle Linton took two steps forward, and just as she turned back, Ashley snapped a photo.

In the photo, Annabelle Linton looked serene, cool, and distant. Her long hair flowed around her, and she was breathtakingly beautiful.

Ashley Grant sent the photo to Leona Grant with a message: "Look at you, and then look at your wife. The fact she hasn’t cheated on you yet is making me question life itself."

Leona Grant: "..."

The message had barely been sent when Leona Grant replied instantly: "Where is Annabelle Linton?"

’...Could he not completely ignore me? And another thing—this was the first time Leona Grant had ever instantly replied to her.’

Ashley Grant gave a slight smile and texted back: "Who’s prettier, me or your wife?"

Leona Grant replied without a second thought: "My wife."

"..." Ashley Grant texted back: "Goodbye!"

After a pause of about a minute, a message from Leona Grant came through: "Do you have to make me lie?"

Just as Ashley Grant was about to reply, another message arrived from Leona Grant: "Fine, I pick you."

"..."

"If that’s what it takes for you to tell me."

’...What was I thinking? I never should have asked a terminally clueless guy like Leona Grant that question.’

Ashley Grant looked up at the sky, speechless. ’I’m a real genius,’ she thought, her mind dripping with sarcasm. ’I should just let him try and find his wife by himself.’