A Love Trap
Chapter 200 Lena’s Jealousy

"Okay. I'll wait here for half an hour. If you both still can't reach an agreement, then I'm going to leave.

"Okay. Thank you," replied Ron.

Ron pulled Ashley aside, released her hand, and gently asked, "Now, can you tell me why you don't want to go back to the Mu family's house?"

Ashley quickly withdrew her hand once Ron let go of her. She kneaded her wrist, lowered her head to avoid looking at Ron, and spoke up, her voice indifferent. "I don't want to go back there because they don't like me. And I really don't want to invite any trouble for myself." Ron knew that Ashley hadn't gotten along with other members of the Mu family for a long time.

But he had never seen her act like this before.

Ron rubbed Ashley's head and said softly, "Don't worry. They won't dare treat you badly now that I'm back. Are you worried that I can't protect you?"

'I won't allow anyone to bully you anymore; nor will I allow anyone to be condescending towards you. You are my beloved. I must protect you well from now on,' thought Ron.

Ashley had severed her relationship with the Mu family. She knew that she would lose her temper and do something bad to them if she fixated on the trouble that Lena and Peggy had caused her. Ashley took a deep breath and turned to Ron to explain. "No. I know that you will protect me. But the key problem is-"

"As long as you believe in me, everything will be fine," Ron said earnestly, cutting off whatever she was about to say.

Ashley turned around and fixed her gaze on the leaves that swayed with the breeze. She said slowly and carefully, "I've severed all ties with the Mu family. So I won't go back with you."

At this, Ron looked worriedly over at her and asked, "What happened? Did they do anything bad to you? Or did they force you to do anything that you didn't want to do?"

Ron knew Peggy and Lena well. They didn't dare treat Ashley badly when he was at home because of the protection he extended. But they began making trouble for Ashley the moment he left home.

Ron suspected that they had done something to Ashley but didn't even think that Ashley could have done to Lena and Peggy.

Ashley looked at Ron in amazement. She hadn't expected Ron to ask her such a question.

"Don't you want to ask me why I cut off ties with the Mu family?" Ashley looked at Ron, an array of emotions crossing her face.

'Do I look like some irrational guy who stands by his family even if they have done something wrong?' Ron thought, a little put out by this. He then gently rubbed Ashley's head and looked helplessly at her.

"I know you well. You wouldn't have severed your relationship with them if they hadn't done anything bad to you. You are always tolerant and never treat others heartlessly unless they irritate you. I believe that you did that for a good reason," Ron said. "What if the truth is not what you think? What if it's completely different from what you've guessed?" Ashley asked.

Ron smiled but didn't say anything.

Ashley also knew Ron well enough. If he didn't get an answer from her, he would make every effort to replace out the truth.

They were both similar to each other, both very stubborn in character.

Ashley didn't want to tell Ron how and why she had severed her relationship with the Mu family. And she didn't tell him about the troubles that Lena and Peggy had brought on her.

Those things were in the past and she didn't want to talk about it anymore.

So she just gave him a brief run-through about what had happened and then stopped talking.

Ron listened to her silently and once she had finished, worry laced his voice as he said, "You must have lived an unhappy life in the Mu villa all these years."

Ashley shook her head. "No," she said.

She had really not suffered a lot since she had moved out a long time ago to live with Ellie. She had gone back only if and when she was asked to deal with something, and she'd leave as soon as she finished. So it didn't bother her as much. Ashley ended up sticking to her opinion and didn't go back to the Mu villa with Ron. Instead, she saw him off at the gates and asked the driver to take her back.

Sitting in the car, Ashley cupped her face with her hands and looked outside, taking in the scenery that whipped by.

She seemed to be lost in thought, her eyes empty of emotion.

Meanwhile, Ron walked up to the door of the Mu family's house.

Although Ron had been abroad for many years, he still had a key to the house. There were two reasons why he hadn't told his family about his coming back. One was to surprise them, and the other was for reasons that were too personal to reveal. Ron used his key to open the door. Everything was what it had been before. There were very few changes.

Ron was about to step into the living room when he heard a familiar voice.

"Mom, didn't you say that Raymond wouldn't contact Ashley once she got married? But Raymond met Ashley again yesterday!" Lena shouted at Peggy.

Her voice trembled with anger.

Peggy frowned at Lena from the sofa. "They just met, Lena. They didn't do anything intimate! It doesn't matter. Ashley isn't someone that we can bully at will. Have you forgotten what your dad said? Her husband isn't someone we can offend. If we do, the consequences will be disastrous."

"But..." Lena wanted to say something but her rage didn't allowed her to talk.

She wondered how Ashley knew Andrew. Ashley had, like Cinderella, not only married such a man, but also improved her own social status. This upset Lena more than she cared to admit.

Lena tried to calm herself down and went to say something more scathing, but the realization that someone had walked into the living room shut her up.

Lena looked up at the man standing before her, her eyes wide with amazement. "Ron?" she said disbelievingly.

"What?" Peggy started, but looked up at Lena with a frown since Lena hadn't finished her words.

Seeing that Lena was looking towards the living room in disbelief, Peggy followed her gaze.

She shot off the sofa in surprise and before she knew it, she was walking quickly over to Ron, smiling widely. "Ron! You're back!"

Ron looked at Peggy and said, "Mom."

Peggy's smile widened, if that was even possible.

She took Ron's hand and showed him around.

"You have become thinner than before. But you look more handsome now. How are you? Have you adapted to life over there? Will you leave again in a few days?" Peggy asked Ron concernedly, not realizing that she was shooting out a lot of questions.

"Come here and sit down. You must be very tired after a long flight. Why didn't you tell us beforehand? We would have picked you up!" Peggy sat down on the sofa, still holding his hand, and Ron sat down beside her. She asked the servant to bring him a glass of cold water. Seeing that Peggy was completely ignoring her now that Ron was here, Lena stared quietly at them, jealousy flashing in her eyes.

'Ron appears and Peggy's attention involuntarily shifts to him and she completely ignores me!' Lena thought rather angrily.000000000000