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.

Andrew whispered as he watched the childlike excitement on her

on her face made her face look

first," Ashley said while

Andrew's face darkened.

step forward and held her hand. "Go

seconds. Finally, she put

stepped out of the bathroom. She was wearing thick flannel pajamas, and her fluffed up hair was carelessly

little flushed, which was possibly due to the steam

after, Andrew followed her

against the headboard and happily looked at the gifts

carefully unwrapped them one by

again as

knew I should have thrown them out of the house. They're hogging

the gift from Dany. She opened the box and found something carefully swaddled in

did my

she wondered out loud.

paper,

holding a

even guessing, Ashley already knew who the two people on

were Dany

tug in her heart,

the more she began to notice the details. She

painting skills were

should enroll Dany in some art

was lost in thought, she suddenly felt a warm presence surround

wafted toward her. "What are

her to focus

he saw her

stop

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

to cajole him into a better mood, or else he would lose his

painting in front of Andrew to show

you

thought that Andrew's voice

"Um... honey?"

Ashley immediately said.

This satisfied Andrew.

looked at

softly as he looked at

do you mean it's 'not bad'? It's a beautiful painting.

Ashley would still think that

how mothers all

indeed a

Andrew conceded.

Then, she turned her attention to the remaining two

could open them, Andrew grabbed her hand and

"Ash."

it?" Ashley looked at him in

also have a gift

put down the presents in her hands and looked

Ashley was looking at him seriously,

attention was

close her eyes and took

Without hesitation, Ashley complied.

took out a necklace from a delicate

shimmered under the

was a cute silver necklace