Ashley Shaw smiled naturally.
"How could I not... Without Cillian, I wouldn’t have found such a good job and colleagues."
She truly liked this job. How much she earned each day depended on how many orders she could take.
With Claire Xavier’s new store opening, there was no shortage of orders, especially since it was near the university.
She once earned nearly six hundred in delivery fees in a day.
As for her colleagues, though at first, they seemed a little reluctant to talk to her, over time, they had grown quite close.
The fact that everyone was willing to come today to support her was the best proof.
For this, she was very content and grateful.
"It’s just... the lobsters are all gone."
Cillian felt a silent sigh of relief upon hearing this.
He had actually been at the door for a while, and hearing the laughter inside, he was worried that his entrance might affect their vibe or Ashley’s mood.
So he had hesitated at the door for a long time, only daring to knock when he heard they were about to start cleaning.
"It’s okay," Cillian also smiled and said, "I’m just a driver; I don’t really have the right to eat lobster. As long as you all are happy, that’s what matters."
Claire gave him a look of admiration.
This guy really knows how to talk.
Usually, he’s like a closed book; I didn’t expect him to joke around.
Love changes people!
Claire giggled a bit, fished out her phone from her pocket, and handed it to Cillian.
"Archie, let’s not hurry to leave yet. Take a picture for us first; consider it our store’s first team building!"
Cillian glanced over at Ashley for confirmation.
"Can I come in?"
"Of course... No need to change your shoes, just come in."
Cillian replied, "Okay," and smoothly walked into where Ashley was living now.
He raised his eyelids and quickly scanned the room.
The apartment wasn’t big, probably around ninety square meters, but it was very cozy.
There were cute dolls that girls liked scattered all over.
But he thought they probably weren’t Ashley’s.
If they had a home together in the future, he would decorate the entire house according to Ashley’s tastes.
The employees were all acquainted with Cillian, so after a casual greeting, they started teasing Claire.
"Archie, did you hear? Your sister can be pretty stingy. Isn’t the boss supposed to cover costs for team building? Right?"
Cillian sold out his sister for goodwill.
"You’re right."
Claire rolled her eyes at her traitorous brother and then laughed, "How about I’ll cover the lobster costs today?"
"Did you hear that, Ashley? Hurry up and send the bill to Ms. Grant. This is the benefit we’ve secured for you!"
"I’ll send it to her later," Cillian said, "I actually made a little extra today, so I’ll just cover it for her."
"Huh?"
After everyone asked in detail, they found out that Cillian had bought some stocks using Claire’s account, and they all went up significantly today.
"Having a brother is great!"
"Actually, having a sharp, profitable brother is great."
Claire raised her hand to interrupt everyone’s envious words.
"Alright, alright, let’s take the photo! Archie, you hold the phone and take a picture of us. Make sure it turns out nice."
"Sure."
Cillian held up the phone and, amidst everyone’s poses of making peace signs or funny faces, focused the camera lens on Ashley.
And with a "click," he pressed the shutter.
The image captured the moment when Ashley smiled with dimples showing.
"Is it done? Let me see!" Claire snatched the phone and instinctively checked how she looked first.
Hmm, not bad, just looks a bit chubby; maybe a little editing could fix it.
Then she looked at the others in the picture.
Oh wow, she was the best-looking; everyone else looked silly in their own ways, except for Ashley, who perfectly showcased her beauty.
"How did it turn out?"
The others inquired.
Claire glanced subtly at her brother and said, "Don’t worry, everyone. Trust in my editing skills; I’ll edit it and post it in the group later, so grab it if you want it!"
"OK!"
After the photo session, everyone returned to their tasks, and the messy living room was quickly restored to order.
Ariana Grant looked at the shiny floor tiles, marveling, "This is so clean! Could you all come to my place often?"
Everyone laughed.
"Alright, it’s late; we won’t disturb you. Ashley, see you tomorrow."
"I’ll see you out."
Ashley grabbed her keys, reminded Ariana to warm up the herbal medicine, and went out to see the guests off.
Cillian was the last to leave.
The employees in front were chatting and laughing about fun stories, all related to the store, so he couldn’t join in. Instead, he slowed his pace to walk down the stairs with Ashley.
Searching for a topic, he asked, "Is your friend feeling unwell?"
Ashley shook her head, "Not really, just a little stomach issue."
"Stomach trouble?" Cillian’s eyes brightened, "I actually know a doctor with the surname Talbot, who’s top-notch in gastroenterology. If you need, I can help arrange a meeting with her for your friend."
Ashley turned her head and asked, "Are you talking about Professor Jane Tate?"
"You know her?"
"Not personally. I just tried to book her once when my mom was ill, but couldn’t get an appointment."
Cillian paused, regrettably saying, "I wish I had mentioned earlier that I know her."
"It’s okay. You had no idea about my mom’s situation. Besides... I consulted many doctors, and my mom’s condition was worse than others. Even if the surgery succeeded, it could only extend her life by three to five years, and it would be very painful. So I think, maybe it was actually a relief for her."
Cillian didn’t know what to say.
Both his parents were alive and well. Last year, his dad even competed in an Ironman triathlon and won a silver medal in the middle-aged group.
So although he felt bad for Ashley, he couldn’t fully empathize.
Instead of offering stiff condolences, he chose to remain silent.
Just then, everyone had exited the building, waving their goodbyes.
Claire, being considerate, quickly got into the car and waited quietly.
With no one around to interrupt, Cillian brought up the topic again.
"Do you need me to arrange an appointment with Aunt Talbot for your friend?"
Ashley was reluctant to trouble Cillian further, feeling that she already owed him a favor which she didn’t know how to repay.
But Ariana’s situation had always been a concern for her.
She was truly afraid that another heartbreaking incident might occur.
Ashley clenched her fist, deciding to set aside her pride.
For the sake of friendship, what is pride worth?
Even though she had just recently turned down Cillian’s confession, she could only accept his help now.
Call her useless or shameless if you must, but keeping those she cared about close was all that mattered.
It was a matter of life and death, and she couldn’t take that risk.
"Yes," she looked into Cillian’s eyes and sincerely said, "My friend needs to see Dr. Tate."