In Love, Never Say Never

In love, never say never chapter 716

I wasn’t planning to subject myself to further awkwardness that night. I stood up and prepared to clear the table. Ashton, however, was looking at me strangely. Bemused, I asked, “Do you want to head over to the living room and rest?”

Ashton didn’t speak. He wordlessly got up and brought the dishes into the kitchen.

I took a step forward to stop him. He was a guest, after all. However, Ashton’s dark gaze halted me in my tracks. I gaped at him, unable to muster a single coherent thought.

I lowered my head and turned to the sink. Before I could turn on the tap, however, Ashton had hauled me aside. “Get over there. I’ll do it,” he said roughly.

I could only look on apprehensively as his long, elegant fingers set to work cleaning up the kitchen.

I made another move to assist him but was arrested by his menacing gaze. All I could manage was to stand by, hovering over his shoulder and fretting inwardly.

After a moment’s thought, I asked tentatively, “Why did you suddenly move all the way here? Aren’t you returning to K City already?”

Ashton tilted his head and looked at me icily. “Are you saying that you don’t want me here?”

Good Heavens! This man is impossible. I thought exasperatedly.

To Ashton, however, I shook my head vigorously. “There’s so much for you to do in K City. Haven’t you more or less settled your matters here?”

“What about that?” Ashton replied curtly. He turned back to the dishes in hand, scrubbing and rinsing them off expertly.

He seemed reluctant to talk. I made up my mind not to put myself out on Ashton’s account.

I thus kept to myself as I waited in the corner, ready with a hand towel for him to dry off when he was done. Ashton took it, then turned his attention to the fridge.

Baffled, I broke my silence. “What are you looking for?”

“Eggs,” Ashton replied, pushing aside cartons and several food items.

“What do you want eggs for?” I asked incredulously.

Ashton took out a jar of brown sugar. He turned to me serenely and asked, “Don’t you feel a slight discomfort in your stomach?”

Stunned, I nodded uncomprehendingly. “A little. What does that have anything to do with eggs?”

Ashton bit his lip, considering. Then he ordered, “Go to the room and get changed. Do you have any spare…?”

He trailed off, but any fool would have understood immediately what Ashton meant. My face immediately turned crimson with embarrassment.

Aghast, I quickly turned. There was a large stain on my pants that I had, up until that moment, been blissfully unaware of.

I’d dismissed the brief twinge of pain in my stomach earlier, never expecting my period to have arrived so suddenly without warning. It had been two months since I last had it and had long since lost track of my cycle.

Observing my flushed face and my hapless state, Ashton sighed. “Go and change. I’ll buy some tampons later.”

Without further ado, I turned and dashed for the stairs.

Before I could exit the kitchen, however, Armond and Nora’s voices drifted in, getting louder as their owners approached the living room. Armond and Nora had evidently concluded their talk.

I broke out in cold sweat and looked anxiously at Ashton for help.

Unfazed, Ashton immediately took off his jacket. Raising his voice, he commented, “It’s cold. Put this on.”

Nora and Armond appeared in front of us. At the sight of Ashton draping his jacket around my shoulders, Armond winked knowingly, teasing, “Did we come back at a bad time?”

I flashed him a smile, then quickly replied, “I’m going to the bedroom to change into something warmer.”

Fortunately, Ashton’s long frame meant that his jacket hung rather loosely on me. It provided a rather opportune cover.

I got changed as quickly as I could. In my hurry to escape from Armond and Nora, however, I realized that I’d forgotten to bring my phone with me.

I could only hover, frustrated, in the bathroom.

Suddenly, someone rapped sharply on the bedroom door. When I cracked it open, Nora pushed her way in.

She stuffed the tampon that she had been discreetly hiding into my hands. Nora batted her eyelashes at me slyly, saying, “You’ve got rather good chemistry with your husband, haven’t you?”

I bit my lip, then retreated into the bathroom to change. When I emerged, Nora was sitting on the bed in deep thought. I took a seat beside her. “What were you discussing in the rear house with Armond?”

“We were talking about life. Can you believe it?” Nora scoffed. She sounded disappointed.

Seeing her upset face, I decided not to pursue the matter and merely commented, “I had plans to move in with you, but that’s turned out to be rather unfeasible. I promised Armond that I’d be here for all three meals in the day.”

Nora nodded. “Got it.”

After a moment’s pause, she turned to me and said triumphantly, “I think Ashton moved here on purpose to further his chances with you! I really appreciate his persistence and approach to courtship.”

Speechless, I made no reply.

We sat at length in companionable silence. At last, when night had decisively descended on us, Nora got ready to leave. I followed her downstairs. Ashton and Armond were engaged in a vigorous discussion that broke off when Nora and I appeared.

Armond stood courteously. “Let me send you home, Nora,” he urged.

“It’s fine. I drove,” Nora replied briskly. Traces of unhappiness were still apparent on her face.

What on earth did they talk about?

Armond, however, paid no heed to Nora’s disagreement. He tailed her out of the living room.

I prepared to follow. Ashton, however, clutched me and smoothly stepped in my way. “What are you doing?”

Startled, I retorted, “I’m going to send Nora off, of course!”

“Armond’s already doing that,” Ashton said. He towered above me, barricading my way out.

Suddenly, a thought seemed to spring to Ashton’s mind. “Does your stomach still hurt?”

I shook my head. “I feel a lot better now, all thanks to you,” I replied meekly.

I opened my mouth, about to ask Ashton to take his leave. However, he interrupted, “It’s almost autumn. Dress warmer when you go out.”

I nodded obediently. “OK.”

Ashton maintained his tight grip on my arm. I tried to subtly wriggle out of it, but he held fast. “Where’s the ointment?”

In love, never say never chapter 717

the scalded area. I mumbled

Without even asking, he took my bag and fumbled through it for the ointment. He then proceeded

entire process. His gaze was unfathomable. “Is Armond better at

shifted my weight from foot to

chasing me away?” Ashton demanded, his face growing

nodded defiantly. “Yep. Or would you rather stay here?” I asked

Ashton challenged. His dark

I shrugged. “It’s up to

best to ignore him

Armond was back from sending Nora home, he’d naturally deal with

completely put aside all thoughts of Ashton. It was almost ten at night, so I blow-dried my hair, read a little, and eventually drifted off to

chilly autumn night, and droplets pattered rhythmically onto

to

of thunder,

however, I ran right into the arms of the chaise lounge

my knee and

immense. I exhaled sharply as I cradled it for a long while. The open window was still waiting, and I

light only succeeded in casting ghoulish

flying, spraying droplets of water across the room. At that moment, in

traumatic incident with my baby, I’d always felt a sense of dread in the presence of rain and thunder. I was utterly vulnerable at the moment, incapacitated as I was with the

was running wild and I began to tremble from terror. Valiantly, I tried multiple times to stand up with the support of surrounding furniture but only succeeded in knocking

shattered. Its wan light instantly went out, leaving the room smothered in

a corner, I thought I could hear the sound of an infant wailing above the noise of the

fear. Amidst the mounting dread, the sadness I’d suppressed for so long noticed that I let my guard down and saw its chance. Physically

more, dazed, at the window, the faint light streaming into the room took

last bit of strength left

someone cried from beyond the

of you, go away!” I shrieked

fear, I’d curled up into a ball, my head stuck resolutely between my

a voice said gently beside me. It pierced through the tumult of the nightmare. My heart clung wildly to that voice. At that moment, the rest of the world seemed to quieten

had been switched on and the curtains

be afraid,” Ashton said again,

deep breath. Squinting slightly, I peered at the person before me. It was indeed

into his arms, sobbing. “It was my baby! He’s here! He… he hates me! He hates me because

his arms around me tightly. He inhaled, then said hoarsely, “He doesn’t. He knows that you love him. How can he bear to hurt you, knowing that

I lay in his arms, my heart heavy. “I’m sorry! I really did my best, but that rope

squeeze and said tenderly, “He knows, he knows. He doesn’t blame you for

while as I recovered my wits. With Ashton’s help, I tried to stand, but the pain was still

me back to my bed.

then that the pool of blood I’d seen spreading across the floor had been accumulated rainwater that had poured in from the window that I

the floor, Ashton looked at me

to me. “How did you get in?” I asked curiously,

“The two balconies are connected. If you want, you can

a hard look. “Ashton, you trespassed on private

traveled up and down my body, then fixed on my arm.

that there was a giant bruise on my arm that I’d overlooked in my

say never chapter

up my skirt along with it. Horrified, I snatched it back and cringed beneath it. “Ashton,

smouldering look. Without another word, he got up and strode out of the

at him. Did he just walk out on

a few minutes later with a first aid kit in his hand. He once again took up his seat beside my

realized with

had finished, Ashton suddenly raised his head. Deep in thought, I hadn’t time to react and was confronted

as if I’d plunged deep into his obsidian eyes. My face burned and I could feel my heart racing in

incredibly parched. “I’m very grateful to you for what happened tonight. I’m willing to overlook your trespassing incident and so

laugh. He narrowed his eyes at me,

each other’s breaths on our faces. I flinched. “I wasn’t quibbling,” I argued breathlessly, my heart pounding. “I was speaking the truth. Ashton, I told you that there was nothing between us anymore. Once I’ve finished this project, we’ll go back to J City and get our

at Ashton and lay back down on

still as a statue. After a while,

to look at him. To my shock, Ashton was staring straight at me. “Is it because of the baby? Or

then said slowly, “Isn’t it obvious? You didn’t experience first-hand any of the events that I went through. They’re all a list of incidents in your mind. We lost a baby, and I still bear grudge against my parents. You don’t

I’m willing to give everything up. Until then, Scarlett, you need someone by your side to take care of you. When you’ve found that person, I’ll agree to the divorce readily and leave. I’ll let

aback by his matter-of-fact tone. I hadn’t foreseen that Ashton, who was usually so domineering, would

right, you’d better keep your word then!” I replied hotly. As those words left my lips,

…

the next morning arrived bathed in a soft, sunny radiance. The air was filled with the scent of freshly turned

up, Ashton was no longer in the bedroom. He’d evidently snuck away sometime

much thought, I headed to the bathroom to wash up, then went to downstairs to prepare

of his room, then opened it. The bed was still neatly made. It had

raised in my bedroom, the rest of the house

with

rather rapid progress! I was delighted for them but was rather anguished over the amount of

along with me. As I exited, I noticed a

passenger’s seat, then looked at

at me in bewilderment. Then he quickly stammered, “Morning,

to Joseph, I said, “You haven’t had breakfast

into the backseat. Tersely, he commanded, “Let’s go to Gold

haven’t eaten breakfast yet, have you? Mrs. Fuller made this for you. Eat

glance towards Joseph. My words sounded strange in his mouth when

passenger seat. He acknowledged me with a

a ride. From the curt exchange between Ashton and Joseph, however, it didn’t sound as if the car would be heading in the direction of Lavelian village. I announced hastily, “You won’t be passing by Lavelian Village, will you? I’ll

never say

the door and was ready to alight when Ashton cleared his

only planning to make a short detour to Gold Scale Estate. Why don’t you come along with us? There aren’t many cars headed in

looked at him uncertainly.

said earnestly, “I wouldn’t lie to you, Mrs. Fuller. The Lavelian project just started, so we definitely plan on heading over there to take a

made a brief grunt of acknowledgment. I turned to look at him to size up the situation, but he seemed thoroughly focused on tucking in the breakfast delicately. I guessed that Ashton hadn’t heard

unnecessarily. I slumped back into the seat and beamed at Joseph. “Thanks for

politely, then

minutes. We were greeted by the sight of Rachel in a white linen dress, her permed hair rippling over her shoulders. On one hand, she toted

After a couple of tugs, however,

returned. He sprang into action, suddenly getting out of the car. Before

meanwhile, had settled

her face darkening. She said rather haughtily, “Is Ms.

to Lavelian Village aren’t smooth. That’s

looked visibly distressed

have you had breakfast yet? I made pancakes this morning. Why

already eaten,”