A Love Trap

Underneath the image were the words "Happy Birthday!" written in ganache.

Ashley leaned over and kissed Dany on the cheek. "Thank you, my darling. I love it."

"Mommy, hurry up and cut the cake!" Fabio said, bouncing on his heels with excitement.

"Okay."

Ashley cut the cake into several pieces with a knife, put them in little plates and gave them to the children.

"Mommy! I want to eat the part of the cake made of my image!"

"Mommy, me, too!"

"Okay, I'll cut them for you," Ashley replied with a smile.

"Let me do it." After Ashley gave the small pieces of cake to Dany and Fabio, Andrew took the knife from her hand.

"Wait a minute," Ashley said as she quickly cut off a piece of the cake with Andrew's image on it. She placed that portion in her own plate.

She then looked at Andrew with a mischievous smile and took a bite.

Andrew looked at her without saying a word, but his eyes darkened.

Ashley lowered her head, slightly intimidated by Andrew's gaze.

She also immediately averted her eyes.

'I just ate the part of cake with your image. Why are you looking at me like that? It's so scary!' she said in her mind, looking at him.

Andrew carefully cut off the part of cake with Ashley's image and put it on a plate.

He then cut the rest of the whole cake into several pieces and handed them out to Richard and Chant.

He also gave several slices to the servants.

There were a few servants in the house. They were the people Chant had brought with him when he moved in—Linda, Porter, and two younger servants.

"Mommy, please come here." After eating half of his share, Fabio suddenly asked Ashley to lean down to him.

The two of them were already sitting very close.

After hearing Fabio, Ashley scooted even closer to him.

"What's wrong? Tell me, Fabio."

When Ashley got close to him, she saw a dollop of icing on his hand. Suddenly, Fabio lifted his hand and smashed the cream on Ashley's cheek.

Laughing, Ashley scooped some icing herself and playfully retaliated on the little boy.

"You look like a kitten,"

Ashley said with a grin.

Seeing this, Dany rolled her eyes in exasperation. Then, imitating Fabio, she also slapped some cake on Ashley's face.

The three children and Ashley were having so much fun playing this little game, while Andrew and Chant quietly looked on.

After they finished eating the cake, the servants cleaned up the mess and Ashley and Andrew went upstairs.

In their bedroom, Ashley sat on the bed, excited to find out what the children had given her.

She was looking forward to opening her presents.

first," Andrew whispered as he watched the childlike excitement on her

cream on her

presents first," Ashley said while looking down at the

Andrew's face darkened.

and held her hand. "Go wash yourself

Finally, she put down the presents and followed him into

thick flannel pajamas, and her fluffed up hair was

a little flushed, which was possibly due to the steam in

long after, Andrew followed her

her back against the headboard and happily looked at the gifts from

unwrapped them

again as

should have thrown them out of

She opened the

my baby

she wondered out loud.

back the wrapping paper, Ashley clearly saw

of two people—a woman holding a child's hand. The scene looked

knew who the two people on the

Dany and

her heart, overflowing with love for her

began to notice the details. She was

painting skills were

wondered if she should enroll Dany in

suddenly felt

toward her. "What are you thinking

her to focus her attention

he saw her attention focused

her to stop thinking about the

this is Dany's birthday gift to me. Isn't

knew that she had to cajole him into a better mood, or else he would lose his temper

the painting in front of Andrew

What did you

thought that Andrew's voice

"Um... honey?"

Ashley immediately said.

This satisfied Andrew.

looked at him

as he looked at

beautiful painting. This is

would have been, Ashley would still think that it

mothers all over the

indeed

Andrew conceded.

looked at him and snorted. Then, she turned her attention to the remaining two gifts

open them, Andrew grabbed her

"Ash."

is it?" Ashley looked at him in

also have a gift for

the presents in her hands and looked

looking at him seriously, Andrew

attention was

Ashley to close her eyes and

Without hesitation, Ashley complied.

a necklace from a

under the soft light of

was a cute silver necklace